Pre-Season

[lake district canary 4,830]

A time to get fit and a time to experiment and practice.   Not a time to win every match 5-0 or Adams is out.    I would prefer a mixed pre-season with one or two questions to be answered, than an ultra successful pre-season, which means nothing.  The last time we had a fantastic pre-season we lost a certain match 1-7.............

[? 0]

And for the last two seasons it was apparent from all the preseason games that we would struggle to score goals! And so it proved especially last season! Scoring and winning games builds confidence in one''s ability irrespective of the opposition. Sorry Lakey but disagree with you big time on this!

[Tetteys Jig 851]

I want a mix. Hopefully we''ve lined up some challenging games that we will struggle to win in. My main ask is plenty of goals and no big injuries. The key to this league will be keeping our best players injury free. Imagine McCormack gets injured for Fulham now?

I''d like:

an RvW goal (I''ll take just one for now!)

a big 6+ - 0 mauling of one of the lower teams with some goals shared about.

a decent spread of goalscorers

some tough games where we show good shape and keep clean sheets in.

The youth players given a proper go and integrated well with the first team.

[Salopian 1]

Adams has asserted that "everybody will get a game in the pre-season games". I think that this is slightly qualified by Fer''s injury, and possibly Olsson''s - did he have his op? Who "everybody" is seems to mean the squad including newcomers plus the young contracted players - the Murphy brothers and Loza were at St. George''s.

He was also clear, that he is open to being persuaded by performance, so players to whom in his mind he had attached a large question mark have a chance to convince him. Many of the players may play two or even three matches, so they will not be able to claim that they did not have a chance to impress. I assume that younger players will tend to be in the majority when they play non-league clubs such as Dereham. The opportunity is not just to score goals or defend well, but also to show how far they are team players, that is how far they help others to perform.

This is an opportunity for Becchio, Garrido and Surman, who didn''t play at all last year or only a limited time. His selection policy in the vital last few games seems to suggest that the first two had not impressed him very much.

This all seems absolutely right. Wins are welcome in these matches, but equally important is to see how far individuals can follow his strategy and tactics, including playing for others.

[lake district canary 4,830]

[quote user="Ron Manager"]And for the last two seasons it was apparent from all the preseason games that we would struggle to score goals! And so it proved especially last season! Scoring and winning games builds confidence in one''s ability irrespective of the opposition. Sorry Lakey but disagree with you big time on this![/quote]That''s fine. I don''t want 0-0''s either! Just a solid pre-season with some encouraging signs and some challenges that push the team/squad further. 2009 pre-season was almost inspirational in its success and results - but it did us no good when it mattered!

[lappinitup 629]

We need to win our pre-season games so we are top of the league when the season kicks off. [<:o)]

[It's Character Forming 1,204]

Performance in pre-season makes no difference to the season that follows.

 

As has been pointed out, the last couple of pre-seasons showed that we were struggling to score.  Yet one of them was followed by a successful mid-table campaign in the Prem, the second by relegation.  Hughton spent big on bringing in strikers after his first season, but because he picked ones who were unsuitable for his style of play, it actually made the problem worse.

[Canary fun and games 0]

Pre season is about installing a winning mentality in the team. It we have a poor pre season we should get rid before awful Adams can do any harm

[Year of the tiger 66]

At the moment I''ll settle for NCFC letting us know where the games in Italy( & France) will be.

[Dubai Mark 0]

I have really never read much into pre season games, and then got suckered last season by that first half performance in Portugal, I think that was the game.........really raised my hopes.

So, yes I agree, a mixed bag of results, good steady performances that lead to the side being at a high level of fitness for the first proper match, with a plan and a team playing for the shirt and each other from day one...something that was missing quite often last season.