03-08-2016, 13:27
I worry about Evatt too. At some point too many important bits of a good player's game go .... and he's no longer the same player. John Terry and Rio Ferdinand are recent examples.
I partly agree with Matt about pre-season. I think you you need one game to enthuse fans. Last season I suggested we should set up a fixture with our twin town Darmstadt. They're decent Bundesliga side now. We could even have an annual trophy made for the fixture.
The trouble is if Derby or Wednesday play their full side against us then we only test out our capacity to defend under pressure. And they get to attack and lose concentration in defence. They are better than us.
I quite like friendlies where we can mix up our team and younger players get a first tentative step up ..... so long as the fans know that is likely to happen before they pay their money.
I must say though that a friendly with Leicester when their team is in America seems pointless, if not a con. Even de Laet was only there because they haven't yet found him a loan, he's already been told he's not wanted. Mansfield, Alfreton, Lincoln, Notts County would all have been more competitive and informative. Perhaps we should have played a team like that on Saturday, then the Buxton match last night. But Matt don't be dismissive of the team we played in Hungary, they're pretty good, they reach the league stage of the Europa League sometimes. I'm all for us playing foreign teams and seeing a different approach to the game.
I partly agree with Matt about pre-season. I think you you need one game to enthuse fans. Last season I suggested we should set up a fixture with our twin town Darmstadt. They're decent Bundesliga side now. We could even have an annual trophy made for the fixture.
The trouble is if Derby or Wednesday play their full side against us then we only test out our capacity to defend under pressure. And they get to attack and lose concentration in defence. They are better than us.
I quite like friendlies where we can mix up our team and younger players get a first tentative step up ..... so long as the fans know that is likely to happen before they pay their money.
I must say though that a friendly with Leicester when their team is in America seems pointless, if not a con. Even de Laet was only there because they haven't yet found him a loan, he's already been told he's not wanted. Mansfield, Alfreton, Lincoln, Notts County would all have been more competitive and informative. Perhaps we should have played a team like that on Saturday, then the Buxton match last night. But Matt don't be dismissive of the team we played in Hungary, they're pretty good, they reach the league stage of the Europa League sometimes. I'm all for us playing foreign teams and seeing a different approach to the game.