Manufactured pre-season

[Rossi 0]

Thought this a while ago, but  due to the fact that the family cat was very close to becomming one of my new slippers I had to escape from the NCFC world for a bit - then promptly forgot all about it.

Fakenham, Cambridge, Livingston, Falkirk, Northampton - all games that we should have comfortably won. Is this in an effort to put last season behind us and get a winning streak going to build confidence in the fans and players?

Of course, Flem''s testimonial is a little different, but you couldnt really play Kings Lynn for that could we?

As it turns out the plan hasnt massively worked, Cambridge obviously tonked fakenham 7-0, and all along we''ve not looked like a team brimming with confidence. The Falkirk game was poor and I have no conviction that we will ease our way past the mighty Northampton.

Yes Newcastle are a prem team, but they are also the perennial under-achievers that appear to have a worst squad than last year, and you have to remember that the 2nd half was mainly populated by kids and that Newcastle''s pre-season is three weeks behind that of our own.

I''ve got more confidence in my window cleaner turning up than i have of the team turning up at Leeds. Our squad lacks sparkle and is populated with players that would struggle to get in to a lot of clubs in the division. Colin, Etuhu, Hughes, Henderson, Ryan Jarv, Thorne possibly Robinson. We''ve gone from a squad with a few suspects to a squad with a few good players. What must Earnie be thinking?

I''M A FOOTBALLER GET ME OUT OF HERE! 

[James Kent 0]

You may have a point there, but i''m not sure its such a bad thing.  A succesion of defeats to high profile teams would not do as that much good.  I think if we can finish the pre-season with a win over Northampton its been ok.  Often teams look unstopable in pre season then start the season badly.  Hopefully Lee Croft will sign and if we can get a target man ahead of leeds we will look ok.  I am a lot more concerned with what happens at the start of the season than pre-season.

[3pmkickoff 0]

Pre-seasons mean nothing. I saw Gordon Strachan yesterday saying that Celtic''s pre season last year was terrible but they ended up winning the division by a clear mile. Remember everyone saying Palace would get tonked every week after they done by several lower division teams the year they came up with us.