Pre-Season

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Pre-Season

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Elwissthebest Marlborough 31 Jul 21 4.39pm
Accepted that Covid makes travel outside the country difficult, that we've got a few returnees from the Euros, and of course injuries, but I can't help feeling a bit underwhelmed by our run-in to the season. In no time at all we have an appointment at Stamford Bridge against the European champions. Look at our starting XI today. How many will figure in a fortnight's time? I suppose matches against Walsall, Ipswich, Charlton and Reading are better than nothing, but does this really represent any sort of preparation for what's about to happen?
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Elwissthebest

Marlborough 31 Jul 21 4.39pm

Accepted that Covid makes travel outside the country difficult, that we've got a few returnees from the Euros, and of course injuries, but I can't help feeling a bit underwhelmed by our run-in to the season. In no time at all we have an appointment at Stamford Bridge against the European champions. Look at our starting XI today. How many will figure in a fortnight's time? I suppose matches against Walsall, Ipswich, Charlton and Reading are better than nothing, but does this really represent any sort of preparation for what's about to happen?

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doombear Too far from Selhurst Park 31 Jul 21 6.45pm
Originally posted by Elwissthebest Accepted that Covid makes travel outside the country difficult, that we've got a few returnees from the Euros, and of course injuries, but I can't help feeling a bit underwhelmed by our run-in to the season. In no time at all we have an appointment at Stamford Bridge against the European champions. Look at our starting XI today. How many will figure in a fortnight's time? I suppose matches against Walsall, Ipswich, Charlton and Reading are better than nothing, but does this really represent any sort of preparation for what's about to happen? We're not the only PL team with an apparent underwhelming pre-season. Not many have ventured overseas as far as I'm aware, in which case who do they play? I haven't bothered to check their games but I do know that both Man U and Newcastle played lower league opposition recently (and I think Man U lost. Also, the bigger teams have had to deal with many of their first team squad players away on holiday because of involvement in the Euros and the Copa America, so their pre-seasons won't have been brilliant. Finally, with our new manager and major overhaul, the emphasis needed to be on getting the squad to gel. As for today's squad, Zaha, Benteke and Schlupp are all injured, Andersen is still in quarantine so what choices did PV have other than those he chose to use?
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doombear

Too far from Selhurst Park 31 Jul 21 6.45pm

Originally posted by Elwissthebest

We're not the only PL team with an apparent underwhelming pre-season. Not many have ventured overseas as far as I'm aware, in which case who do they play? I haven't bothered to check their games but I do know that both Man U and Newcastle played lower league opposition recently (and I think Man U lost.

Also, the bigger teams have had to deal with many of their first team squad players away on holiday because of involvement in the Euros and the Copa America, so their pre-seasons won't have been brilliant.

Finally, with our new manager and major overhaul, the emphasis needed to be on getting the squad to gel. As for today's squad, Zaha, Benteke and Schlupp are all injured, Andersen is still in quarantine so what choices did PV have other than those he chose to use?

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Elwissthebest Marlborough 01 Aug 21 1.17pm
All good points. I'm just thinking about the value of pre-season generally. Is there any correlation between how pre-season goes and what the performance in the first three matches is like? There's always the suggestion of an increase in the quality of the opposition towards the start of the season, ending up with a sort of 'festival affair' against, oh, I don't know, a Werder Bremen, Torino, or Celta Vigo. You know, the sort of club that never gets invited to a tournament. I just think that the gulf between the opposition yesterday and what is about to hit us in a fortnight's time is so vast it's difficult to see where the value of such an exercise is. Is, for example, the risk of an injury to a key player in pre-season outweighed by the likely improvement in all-round fitness? I suppose the answer must be, yes, or they wouldn't do it. And as you say, the manager has to find eleven available players. Is there any chance that, say, Kirby, will even make the bench for the Chelsea match, never mind start it. In which case...
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Elwissthebest

Marlborough 01 Aug 21 1.17pm

All good points.

I'm just thinking about the value of pre-season generally. Is there any correlation between how pre-season goes and what the performance in the first three matches is like? There's always the suggestion of an increase in the quality of the opposition towards the start of the season, ending up with a sort of 'festival affair' against, oh, I don't know, a Werder Bremen, Torino, or Celta Vigo. You know, the sort of club that never gets invited to a tournament.
I just think that the gulf between the opposition yesterday and what is about to hit us in a fortnight's time is so vast it's difficult to see where the value of such an exercise is. Is, for example, the risk of an injury to a key player in pre-season outweighed by the likely improvement in all-round fitness? I suppose the answer must be, yes, or they wouldn't do it. And as you say, the manager has to find eleven available players. Is there any chance that, say, Kirby, will even make the bench for the Chelsea match, never mind start it. In which case...

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Pete53 Hassocks 01 Aug 21 3.16pm
Originally posted by Elwissthebest All good points. I'm just thinking about the value of pre-season generally. Is there any correlation between how pre-season goes and what the performance in the first three matches is like? There's always the suggestion of an increase in the quality of the opposition towards the start of the season, ending up with a sort of 'festival affair' against, oh, I don't know, a Werder Bremen, Torino, or Celta Vigo. You know, the sort of club that never gets invited to a tournament. I just think that the gulf between the opposition yesterday and what is about to hit us in a fortnight's time is so vast it's difficult to see where the value of such an exercise is. Is, for example, the risk of an injury to a key player in pre-season outweighed by the likely improvement in all-round fitness? I suppose the answer must be, yes, or they wouldn't do it. And as you say, the manager has to find eleven available players. Is there any chance that, say, Kirby, will even make the bench for the Chelsea match, never mind start it. In which case... We normally play pre-season friendlies against teams from divisions below us with the exception of the last game before the season starts, which up until a couple of years ago, was foreign opposition. For obvious reasons that hasn't happened this year nor last. Having looked at the opposition other PL teams have been playing we are not alone in avoiding other teams from the PL. Of course that changes for us next Saturday and will up the tempo a bit. As to whether results in pre-season games are a portent for the real thing, I am not sure. I can't recall how we did in pre-season last year but we hit the ground running with two wins in the first two games in the league.
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Pete53

Hassocks 01 Aug 21 3.16pm

Originally posted by Elwissthebest

All good points.

We normally play pre-season friendlies against teams from divisions below us with the exception of the last game before the season starts, which up until a couple of years ago, was foreign opposition. For obvious reasons that hasn't happened this year nor last.

Having looked at the opposition other PL teams have been playing we are not alone in avoiding other teams from the PL. Of course that changes for us next Saturday and will up the tempo a bit.

As to whether results in pre-season games are a portent for the real thing, I am not sure. I can't recall how we did in pre-season last year but we hit the ground running with two wins in the first two games in the league.

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Elwissthebest Marlborough 01 Aug 21 8.35pm
Indeed. Yesterday, we prepared for the season by beating Reading. Chelsea by beating Arsenal.
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Elwissthebest

Marlborough 01 Aug 21 8.35pm

Indeed.

Yesterday, we prepared for the season by beating Reading. Chelsea by beating Arsenal.

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doombear Too far from Selhurst Park 01 Aug 21 9.02pm
Originally posted by Elwissthebest Indeed. Yesterday, we prepared for the season by beating Reading. Chelsea by beating Arsenal. Chelsea had a good reason for playing Arsenal (and they have Spurs next) - the small matter of the European Super Cup against Villareal on 11th August! The following link might put things in perspective when you see who the other PL teams have been playing/will play. [Link]
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doombear

Too far from Selhurst Park 01 Aug 21 9.02pm

Originally posted by Elwissthebest

Indeed.

Yesterday, we prepared for the season by beating Reading. Chelsea by beating Arsenal.

Chelsea had a good reason for playing Arsenal (and they have Spurs next) - the small matter of the European Super Cup against Villareal on 11th August!

The following link might put things in perspective when you see who the other PL teams have been playing/will play.

[Link]

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maddog Wiltshire 02 Aug 21 12.51pm
We are playing Chelsea on 14th August as part of our preparation for the 2021/22 season.
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maddog

Wiltshire 02 Aug 21 12.51pm

We are playing Chelsea on 14th August as part of our preparation for the 2021/22 season.

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doombear Too far from Selhurst Park 02 Aug 21 2.01pm
Originally posted by maddog We are playing Chelsea on 14th August as part of our preparation for the 2021/22 season.
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doombear

Too far from Selhurst Park 02 Aug 21 2.01pm

Originally posted by maddog

We are playing Chelsea on 14th August as part of our preparation for the 2021/22 season.

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