Jump to content
IGNORED

Pre-season Friendlies


Red Skin

Recommended Posts

I really hope we can line up some testing pre-season games this year.   With a influx of new signings expected we really need to have some meaningful (as they can be) games to see what's working and what needs improvement in terms of formation, player combinations, the ability of player to execute tactics and adapt in games.  Results aren't important, just let's make sure we get some quality opposition lined up.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Surely it makes commercial sense to get a big team at home, one that's likely to get close to selling out as a showpiece for the improved AG and a chance to acid test the infastructure and facilities. 

To sell out or get close to that in pre-season though it would have to be a really big name.. Didn't we only get 11k for Ajax? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Surely it makes commercial sense to get a big team at home, one that's likely to get close to selling out as a showpiece for the improved AG and a chance to acid test the infastructure and facilities. 

To sell out or get close to that in pre-season though it would have to be a really big name.. Didn't we only get 11k for Ajax? 

Rangers?

Or Inverness Caledonia Thistle?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, PHILINFRANCE said:

Rangers?

Or Inverness Caledonia Thistle?

Ha, I thought someone would say that sort of thing. 

I would be very surprised if it happened, but I would love to see the club pull out all the stops to bring in a huge European club; AC or Inter Milan, Juventus, Roma, Real Madrid, Atletico, Barca, Dortmund, Bayern - real champions league contender clubs. That's the quality of opposition required to sell out in pre-season and would be a great test of the facilities running at capacity. Also bring some good attention to the club with the opening. 

It might end up costing money to book, but I believe it would be worth it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Surely it makes commercial sense to get a big team at home, one that's likely to get close to selling out as a showpiece for the improved AG and a chance to acid test the infastructure and facilities. 

 

Depends when completion date is for the Williams.........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to say - last season's friendlies were a joke. Braga probably the biggest 'test'. 

We need to play some decent sides to build momentum going in. Otherwise, it's just games that don't prepare players properly. Players need to play against teams of at least a similar calibre, even if it's just to perform at game speed tempo for 75 - 90 mins. Why on earth we played Keynsham and Bath is beyond me. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Ha, I thought someone would say that sort of thing. 

I would be very surprised if it happened, but I would love to see the club pull out all the stops to bring in a huge European club; AC or Inter Milan, Juventus, Roma, Real Madrid, Atletico, Barca, Dortmund, Bayern - real champions league contender clubs. That's the quality of opposition required to sell out in pre-season and would be a great test of the facilities running at capacity. Also bring some good attention to the club with the opening. 

It might end up costing money to book, but I believe it would be worth it.

There's always one isn't there?

Seriously, though, and whilst I would love to be proved wrong, unless SL is prepared to fund a B Dortmund team for example, I cannot envisage anyone 'bigger' than Rangers, and even they are now a Scottish premier League team.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, PHILINFRANCE said:

There's always one isn't there?

Seriously, though, and whilst I would love to be proved wrong, unless SL is prepared to fund a B Dortmund team for example, I cannot envisage anyone 'bigger' than Rangers, and even they are now a Scottish premier League team.

Neither can I. I remember it cost Bournemouth £1m to bring in Real Madrid and that was partly down to business connections making it possible. I feel this would be money well spent though, then again it's not my money being spent on it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Admin
50 minutes ago, Drew Peacock said:

Depends when completion date is for the Williams.........

Guess ultimately this will have a bearing on if / when we play any at home.

Assumedly the external work will be completed by then and hopefully the pitch will be ready so we may get a home match of some kind

Not sure we'll get a big name as there will have to be a number of test events of the new stand before it would get signed over for full usage

Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Neither can I. I remember it cost Bournemouth £1m to bring in Real Madrid and that was partly down to business connections making it possible. I feel this would be money well spent though, then again it's not my money being spent on it!

It would be for the tickets though, Bournemouth charged £50 a ticket I think. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, Super said:

Botswana worked before didn't it?

People read too much into this trip, do you think we'd have done just as well this season had we gone Botswana? Last seasons success was down to good recruitment and having players that were a lot better than everyone else's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Ha, I thought someone would say that sort of thing. 

I would be very surprised if it happened, but I would love to see the club pull out all the stops to bring in a huge European club; AC or Inter Milan, Juventus, Roma, Real Madrid, Atletico, Barca, Dortmund, Bayern - real champions league contender clubs. That's the quality of opposition required to sell out in pre-season and would be a great test of the facilities running at capacity. Also bring some good attention to the club with the opening. 

It might end up costing money to book, but I believe it would be worth it.

Agree.  A top team to get some new supporters along and hopefully get them signed on for the season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, RUSSEL85 said:

Im thinking Forest Green, Cheltenham, Portishead, Yeovil............standard. 

I really hope not.  Maybe one community game, but we needed start the season well rather still be finding our feet at the end of August. 

Little point trying to finish this season with momentum, only to lose it in the warm up to next season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, reformed_red said:

Why on earth we played Keynsham and Bath is beyond me. 

The Keynsham match was part of the community match rather than being a match to prepare for the new season. I would expect a similar sort of match again this year.

In terms of trying to get a sell-out friendly, would be not need to gradually increase attendances as we did at the start of the season to pass regulations.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Buckeyed said:

The Keynsham match was part of the community match rather than being a match to prepare for the new season. I would expect a similar sort of match again this year.

In terms of trying to get a sell-out friendly, would be not need to gradually increase attendances as we did at the start of the season to pass regulations.

 Correct. :thumbsup:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, robin_unreliant said:

Not sure a top European team would guarantee a sell-out tbh. Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal more likely to sell out I would guess, based on pulling in locals that follow the prem.

People moaning about £300 season tickets...not sure what the take up would be on £60 to watch us play Real Madrid!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

34 minutes ago, Buckeyed said:

The Keynsham match was part of the community match rather than being a match to prepare for the new season. I would expect a similar sort of match again this year.

In terms of trying to get a sell-out friendly, would be not need to gradually increase attendances as we did at the start of the season to pass regulations.

Sure, and I think these sort of games are important - be nice to see teams like Mangotsfield / Paulton as well.

I'm not bothered about games for attendance either - but we should be playing games against pro teams from Football League, in order for players to re-gain match fitness. The only game we did this last season was Yeovil. In contrast, Sheff Wed played some lesser opposition, but as well as York, S'thorpe and St. Mirren. They looked much sharper first game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The richest club in the world on our doorstep and we want to bring the likes of Barca here! Its a no brainer surely. We could fill the ground against our mega rich neighbours and probably only need to charge £30-£40 a ticket.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...