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Should we be involved in Pre Season tournaments?

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Watching the Barclays Asia TrophySunderland vs Spurs (Sunderland won 3 - 1 and look very decent)For Pre Season it looks extremely competitive and apart from the conditions, pretty much looked like a standard Premier League game.Do you think it would be more beneficial for the club to involve itself in such a tournament rather than having a "friendly tour" + some games at Carrow Road.Or is the risk to injury during Pre - Season too great?

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I can see your point. I note that Everton are involved in what looks like quite competitive competition called the International Champions Cup in July and early August and do wonder if this means they will be a little more battle hardened than us come the first game of the season. Either that or they will be knackered and have various injuries!

I think though that only a certain number of teams get invited to play in the various tournaments that are organised, I thought it used to automatically be the top x number of teams but since Sunderland finished below us that cannot be the case any more.

http://internationalchampionscup.com/

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Would be interesting, say if one was going on in USA or the far east etc. Good for exposure. I''d rather one including a couple of local sides as well.

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Personally i wouldn''t want us to play against other premier league teams. Potentially more chance of injuries with some player grudges and physical nature of english style. All about fitness and players gelling at this stage.

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On the plus side Sunderland looked brilliant as a team.On the negative the pitch was truly shocking. Waterlogged and almost unplayable in midfield. Also Vertonghen looked to have a serious injury which could be a massive blow for Spurs.

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I personally believe all long distance tours are counter-productive. So far on this trip Norwich have had to play on a converted baseball pitch (which Ayala almost injured himself on the pitcher''s mound) and now a game against Portland on an artificial pitch; Hughton has said the time difference has made it hard to conduct transfer business and being and the travelling to and from America will result in the team losing 3 or 4 days of training.

 

I do believe a US trip is better than an Asian one or worst of all Australia, playing teams in the middle of their season results in difficult games and I''m sure MLS teams are always eager to ''scalp'' a Premier League team (although San Jose did put out a few reserve players themselves).

 

Playing a tournament rather than friendlies makes little or no difference, anyone who has been to the Emirates Cup will testify to that, the only reason Tottenham, Sunderland and Man City have made the trip to Hong Kong is purely financially motivated.

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Preseason is time to see how team chemistry is and to give up-and-comers a chane to make their cases. These might be difficult to do if management is focussed on winning a trophy from which they can hang their hats. If they get only 3 subs per match, that rules out playng youngsters.

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Agree with much of that.Personally i''d have been happy with a few pre season games in England and across Europe. Would allow Hughton to go about transfer business and the players to settle in better (in my opinion)

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If Hughton has really been complaining that the time difference makes it hard to conduct transfer business (not heard that myself but will take your word for it) then in my view its even more questionable that Mcnally is out in the States at the moment and not back here working to land that striker we badly need.

Also whilst I can understand the US Tour i am really struggling to see why, having got back into the country this weekend, we are jetting off again to Portugal to play Braga. May be a good trip for the fans but struggling to see what is to be gained making the players travel to portugal so soon after trips to Austria and the US.

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Houston Canary wrote - "Preseason is time to see how team chemistry is and to give up-and-comers a chane to make their cases."

That statement is only partially correct as the "up-an-comers" on our tour would not have gone if Turner and Bassong were fit.

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[quote user="Jim Smith"]If Hughton has really been complaining that the time difference makes it hard to conduct transfer business (not heard that myself but will take your word for it) then in my view its even more questionable that Mcnally is out in the States at the moment and not back here working to land that striker we badly need. Also whilst I can understand the US Tour i am really struggling to see why, having got back into the country this weekend, we are jetting off again to Portugal to play Braga. May be a good trip for the fans but struggling to see what is to be gained making the players travel to portugal so soon after trips to Austria and the US.[/quote]

 

Paddy Davitt tweeted earlier that Hughton had mentioned the 8 hour difference as a problem.

 

McNally needs to be in the US as Norwich are out there trying to make money and do a bit of business (commercial not football) and the main man needs to be there for this. So it has dragged both Hughton and McNally away from transfer business in the UK - whilst it doesn''t mean any deals collapse or never happen, it will certainly put a little delay of things (which is never a good idea if other clubs are interested).

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The manager and team keep repeating the refrain, "Results are less important than gaining time on the pitch".  This year has been strange from later internationals, and players reporting for pre-season training  three or four weeks later, and spared some of the pre-season games initially.

If a team participates in a tournament from mid July, it means that they must start basic fitness training even earlier, if they are to sustain a tournament challenge. I can see the benefit of challenge and competition, but it has to be when full match fitness and sharpness have been gained.

This year after basic fitness training in Austria we made the long journey to the far west of the USA, rather than a few games in Austria and Germany. There is a logic, with only the third game being against a team anywhere near Premiership quality. Most members of the squad had some pitch time, unless they were injured. as each game will have challenged them to quickness.

 

There is a controlled and gradual approach to fitness in our approach, with some UK games providing an opportunity for peripheral squad members. Full match fitness and sharpness should arrive in time for the new EPL season. Meantime we are making friends in various places in the UK and abroad and are reducing the risk of strains and injuries for players trying to do too much too soon.

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[quote user="Grant Holts 3 year contract"]Anyone know when the team is due to fly back to Norwich? [/quote]
Friday I believe.
A week after returning from their three-game tour in the United States, the Canaries will jet off again. This time it will be to Portugal where they will face SC Braga, who finished fourth in the Primeira Liga last term, at the Axa Stadium on Friday, August 2

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