Pre-season Schedule and games

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Comments

  • grey_til_I_dyegrey_til_I_dye
    We've got some proper footballers in our squad now, haven't we? We really do look good breaking forwards.
  • welovethehammerswelovethehammers
    Lukerz said:

    welovethehammers said:

    At work annoyingly. Can anyone fill me in on who's done well/not well other than Anderson?

    Anderson has been wasteful giving the amount of play he has had. Clearly quality, though.

    Wilshere, Fredericks, Johnson, Antonio have all caught my eye. Noble & Rice solid. Lanzini a bit in & out. Back four a bit suspect as a unit whenever City attack. One good save from Roberto early on.

    Some nice movements & triangles throughout the side. We look sharp giving it is mid July.
    Nice to hear we're playing well. Imo it's more about the performance and fitness than the result. Good to hear Johnson playing well in particular.
  • grey_til_I_dyegrey_til_I_dye
    Yarmo showing what we missed with him out last season.
  • whupathmanwhupathman
    poor goal to give away
  • grey_til_I_dyegrey_til_I_dye
    Looked offside, but a shocking give away that gave the chance.
  • grey_til_I_dyegrey_til_I_dye
    See Sterling's inner-ear problem hasn't cleared up...
  • HamstewHamstew
    Sanchez is woefull
  • thornburyironthornburyiron
    It’s hard enough to play City, they don’t need our help.
  • HamstewHamstew
    oh god he cant be a player for us next season. He is so bad
  • YeoldhammerYeoldhammer
    well this could turn into a tonking
  • whupathmanwhupathman
    are we castle
    in disguise
  • grey_til_I_dyegrey_til_I_dye
    pathman

    Nope.

    Citeh have been bringing on their first team players, while we've been putting on fringe ones in the main.
  • thornburyironthornburyiron
    It’s s good job City are jet lagged.
  • LukerzLukerz
    Flattering scoreline for City & it is only pre-season but if we don’t improve our defensive area in the next 3 weeks it will be similar on the first day of the season.

    Alright having 10 attacking midfielders & No.10’s & £50m strikers, but if you can’t defend you ain’t got much chance.
  • welovethehammerswelovethehammers
    edited July 2019
    Hopefully with Balbuena and Fabianski back, we will look far more solid defensively. Or at least I hope that's the case.
  • grey_til_I_dyegrey_til_I_dye
    We've faced the best of Citeh with a makeshift back line. Nothing like we'll be when we face them in the league.
  • YeoldhammerYeoldhammer
    I don't think buying extra defenders would help us vs City I just hope we show the same attacking prowess that we are now on the first day of the season.

    At some point though we need to actually spend a fair few wedge on some defenders and fullbacks.
  • IronHerbIronHerb
    So how many times will City score 3 or more this season? I reckon 20 plus so that’s a lot of defensive players that need to be bought in across the PL.
  • jay_in_cptjay_in_cpt
    I really hope we get rid of Sanchez soon, that is definitely a bad mark against the Pelle regine, why oh why.......He is a muppet deluxe IMO
  • grey_til_I_dyegrey_til_I_dye
    Personally, I'm going to focus on the silky forward movement we showed today. Far better for us to play a side of Citeh's quality than some mid-table Mitteleuropa team.
  • HamstewHamstew
    edited July 2019
    Our main problem was we brought Sanchez on and then City brought their big guns on. Was never going to end well.
  • WHU_Champo_league_in_7_yearsWHU_Champo_league_in_7_years
    edited July 2019
    I'm very happy with the way that we play

    We've bought into Pellegrinis ethos and we are playing attractive football

    However....the sign of a good manager is how to adjust, and had this been a real game I would've been disappointed with such an open strategy against a team of Citys quality

    Pretty much all of their goals game from individual errors (or quality play) from our inability to play out against that level of opposition

    We need a bit more steel, particularly in midfield where Rice is often overexposed

    Impressed with the attacking play shown, think Haller would appreciate the service as well
  • MarkNobleLocalHeroMarkNobleLocalHero
    I'm with Grey on this. I enjoyed the game and that included the efforts of both teams. In particular we looked good going forward, playing with a neat fluency that just needed a striker to complete it. If we can play like this in the new season, and there is no reason why not, then I think we are in for a good season.
    Pelles middle season will be an important one and I think the three year plan is going well. :scarf:
  • jay_in_cptjay_in_cpt
    Its nice 2 focus on the silky way we attack, all I was trying to state was Sanchez, why oh why.......
  • baracks_a_hammerbaracks_a_hammer
    On the bright side, at least we managed to reach the semi’s
  • LukerzLukerz
    edited July 2019
    There were certainly plusses from what I saw in the first half, but I expected a bit better scoreline wise given the side we had out & given City's late arrival, it was their first pre-season game (compared to our 10 day camp & game last week) etc. I was expecting better than 4-1, but I appreciate the players they brought on second half made them better & our changes made our team weaker, but I would have expected not to be 2-1 down at half time against that first half 11 side.

    It was an open, good quality game for a pre-season test. I think it was a good work-out, no injuries & we will have gained more fitness. The score did flatter them but we do give sides chances. Ogbonna for me needs to be replaced at some point as I have never rated him in a two at the back. Moyes got the best out of him, sandwiching him between two other defenders in a back three/five.

    I just really don't want to start off the new season with a drubbing, even though they are clearly a fantastic side. We need to find a way, either personnel wise or tactically, of bridging that gap between our defence & their attack.
  • OldCastleSwiftOldCastleSwift
    Problem is that our best defender hasn't kicked a ball in pre-season, and our two big signings haven't even met their new team mates yet. Three weeks away from the start of the season, this isn't ideal.
  • LukerzLukerz
    OldCastleSwift said:

    Problem is that our best defender hasn't kicked a ball in pre-season, and our two big signings haven't even met their new team mates yet. Three weeks away from the start of the season, this isn't ideal.

    True, although it won't take too long to adjust. Fornals will probably be a substitute for the first few games of the season, Haller has already started pre-season. Balbuena is the big worry. He made us so much better when he & Diop were reunited at Spurs last season. He is going to be touch & go for City & that means Ogbonna again.
  • MrsGreyMrsGrey
    edited July 2019
    It's not ideal, but all the clubs are in the same boat more or less: players arriving back late from summer tournaments. New signings not yet signed/arrived.

    No clubs are in an ideal position.

    No point worrying about it - nothing we can do about it - it's entirely beyond our (ie, the club's) control.

    Look at it this way, if they don't kick a ball in pre-season, they can't get injured in pre-season :biggrin:

  • MrsGreyMrsGrey
    Lukerz said:

    I would have expected not to be 2-1 down at half time against that first half 11 side.

    Don't pay too much attention to the scoreline - their penalty wasn't and we should have had a 2nd when Fredericks was fouled.
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