Friendlies 2013

[Peter Venkman]

They have a decent amount of creativity between them IMO, not saying we couldn't do with another attack minded midfielder mind you.

Anyway the only thing i care about from friendlies are fitness levels, performance are irrelevant from these games.

Fitness and team bonding. We have had great pre seasons and done shit from the off in the league and visa versa.

[Honkytonk]

I think the dream team in midfield last year was Yaser, Luongo and Mason when he was on form.

Personal opinion perhaps.

[Riddick]

Fitness and team bonding. We have had great pre seasons and done shit from the off in the league and visa versa.

Pre Season doesn't mean anything because we never have our squad together in time for it to really matter.

Yaser and Luongo are very good players but they need a naturally creative player with them. Last season our best 3 man central midfield in my opinion was at the beginning of the season when we had Mason (very creatively dynamic) playing along side these two. All the top teams that play the system we are trying to play have a very attacking player as one of the 3, Man Utd are using Mata for example ahead of Herrera and Fletcher. Yaser is great in front of the defence, Luongo is a superb all round box to box player, but they need someone naturally creative in there, someone like a Sammy Igoe for example.

Edit: Its possible we have that player in Barker or Gladwin. Its harsh because it means dropping Louis Thompson who has been excellent, but you need competition for places after all.

[kerry red]

Or flogging Mass

[Tails]

Can't remember if I said it earlier, but Smith looks like he'll get 20+ for us this season.

[Bob's Orange]

* Pre-season panic alert *

I was really hoping that Williams was going to come good (he still might come the season's start) but he sounds the shell of the player he was under Di Canio. Perhaps he just needs a goal to kickstart him but at the moment he's probably being paid well more than anyone else in the squad and not really 'earning his corn'. If we could get him off the books we could probably afford to bring in 2 or maybe even 3 players to compliment the squad but at the moment he's being a bit of a drain.

I was predicting a mid-table finish and will stick to that. I think bringing in 3 loan players at the back (and hopefully another striker) should give us a bit more leeway.

Dare I say it, but Smith and Barker looks our best front pairing at the moment!

I also think Gladwin will come good this season, I rate him.

[Reg Smeeton]

Fitness and team bonding. We have had great pre seasons and done shit from the off in the league and visa versa.

Exactly.  

However, there are very obvious areas for concern as we head towards the opener, against a Scunny side, who had that impressive run in the second half of last season, so have momentum, and the abilty financially to acquire players like Paddy Madden, that we can only dream about.

Playing 3-5-2 is always risky, playing 3-5-2 with a 3 of a couple of kids and Branco, is a massive punt.  Conventional wisdom, says doomed to failure, but who are we to know, maybe Branco will morph into the new Concrete Ron Vlaar.  

Either way, it'll be exciting we haven't had a successful proper stave off relegation campaign, since Wilson just about saved our bacon by getting in Gordon Greer. in the Jan window 09, to provide some leadership.

[kerry red]

But Scunny have sold their leading scorer, Sam Winnall, to Barnsley which hardly seems like a club going places

[Reg Smeeton]

But Scunny have sold their leading scorer, Sam Winnall, to Barnsley which hardly seems like a club going places

Talk is they're after Leon Clarke as his replacement...

My worry for the opener is Matt Sparrow, if he's playing....I can still see his brace for BHA in the opener of the 10/11 season, that display kind of set the tone for much of that season....he played for Scunny in the 1-1 draw under PdC in 11/12, so hopefully it was a one off.

[kerry red]

Clarke scored the winner for Wolves v Scum last night.

According to the Iron forum Sparrow is a shadow of his former self and are having about as good a pre season as us!

[Tails]

I'd rather Smith and Barker than Smith and Williams. Barker is frustrating because he looks like there is something about him, but he hasn't come close to showing it yet.

Agree on Gladwin, he did pretty well when he came on and has shown glimpses of real potential.

My biggest let downs so far are Williams and Byrne. I can't slate Byrne too much as you can see him trying and he's being asked to play on the left, when he only has a right foot, but he just doesn't do it for me at the moment.

[Reg Smeeton]

Clarke scored the winner for Wolves v Scum last night.

According to the Iron forum Sparrow is a shadow of his former self and are having about as good a pre season as us!

Wolves were a Wolves XI....namely  a few stiffs and youth team players, Leon won't play much this season if he stays there.

I'm reassured that Sparrow has turned to shit...we could do with the sort of mainly solid home form we had last season, so a good start will help.

[Flashheart]

going by this comment, Power seems to think it's only  matter of time before we get Stephens.

"They're trying to do their business and when they conclude what they need to do, we'll get Jack as well."

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/28565366

[tans]

Bet we dont end up with either

[Flashheart]

I bet we'll end up with Harry Agombar in defence.