Pre Season Friendlies 21/22 Thread

[MrGloverLover]

Our last friendly against Bournemouth U23s on Saturday has been called off, presumably due to Covid like the last one was.

That means we go into the season having played 3 friendlies and not having played for a fortnight. Great preparation.

 

[GTFCfish]

Our last friendly against Bournemouth U23s on Saturday has been called off, presumably due to Covid like the last one was.

That means we go into the season having played 3 friendlies and not having played for a fortnight. Great preparation.

That’s 2 more friendlies than we played last pre season.
We gambled on the season not finishing so went in completely underprepared.
The gamble did not pay off.

 

[AJS]

Our last friendly against Bournemouth U23s on Saturday has been called off, presumably due to Covid like the last one was.

That means we go into the season having played 3 friendlies and not having played for a fortnight. Great preparation.

Ditto. Our friendly with Sheffield United tommorow has been called off. No reason given so far so presuming it’s something there end.

We’ve only played 3 friendlies too where we had pretty much a team of trialists. Strongest team yet to play together and no one even done 90 minutes yet.

 

[Like a Glove]

Our last friendly against Bournemouth U23s on Saturday has been called off, presumably due to Covid like the last one was.

That means we go into the season having played 3 friendlies and not having played for a fortnight. Great preparation.

Yeah we’re in trouble. I was hoping we could be Wrexham’s party poopers, absolutely no chance of that now. Paper thin squad, and still only 1 striker, and it’s Joe Quigley. I expect some new signings during the week, but obviously they won’t have played together.

 

[EnglishRed]

Yeah we’re in trouble. I was hoping we could be Wrexham’s party poopers, absolutely no chance of that now. Paper thin squad, and still only 1 striker, and it’s Joe Quigley. I expect some new signings during the week, but obviously they won’t have played together.

By that time we are going to have a couple of new faces too.

 

[chief]

We have got Curzon Ashton on home this Saturday, with a free ticket being given to every season ticket holder. Which is nice.

Sounds like a load aren't bothering anymore because of a major cock up from the ticket office.

Fans are being told to print tickets with QR codes off instead of showing them on their phones, and many fans still haven't received their tickets from the club. I haven't received mine yet, and if I'm told that I have to queue up on the day I'm just not going to bother. It's not as if they haven't had a whole summer to sort their ticketing system out.

 

[EnglishRed]

Sounds like a load aren't bothering anymore because of a major cock up from the ticket office.

Fans are being told to print tickets with QR codes off instead of showing them on their phones, and many fans still haven't received their tickets from the club. I haven't received mine yet, and if I'm told that I have to queue up on the day I'm just not going to bother. It's not as if they haven't had a whole summer to sort their ticketing system out.

I haven't had the second email yet. The fuss some people are making is, again, way overblown IMO. How do these people operate in the real world? every little setback has them in flood of tears.

 

[chief]

I haven't had the second email yet. The fuss some people are making is, again, way overblown IMO. How do these people operate in the real world? every little setback has them in flood of tears.

Yeah it's gone a bit mental, the lads in the ticket office seem to be getting quite a bit of flack as if it's their fault.

Series of errors have gone on but nothing's really happened besides people not bothering to turn up for a friendly which is free to attend anyway. I just hope they get it sorted for the first game of the season.

 

[Leewilson]

Beat Eastleigh 3-1 behind closed doors this afternoon.

Not sure of the Eastleigh team but we played close to the side that starts against Stockport I think. Only absentee was Balanta. McCallum went off after 19 minutes which is a bit worrying.

Robinson, Wright and Sagaf with our goals.

 

[jacobncfc]

Amazing scenes in our friendly at Solihull. Jobsworth ref has sent Rawlinson off for a possible last man pull thing, borderline yellow/red in a proper match, and both managers are pleading with the ref not to.

 

[Optipez]

We're getting an absolute shoeing at Solihull. Two down, a man sent off, second to every thing and absolute soft centre through the middle.
That's three friendlies in a row the same problems are cropping up.

 

[jacobncfc]

We’re so vulnerable to the counter… still, good to get a first. Not sure I’m ever going to see a manager marching onto the pitch to protest a red card for the opposition again.

 

[Optipez]

We’re so vulnerable to the counter… still, good to get a first. Not sure I’m ever going to see a manager marching onto the pitch to protest a red card for the opposition again.

Ardley wants a harder test with the eleven men. We're certainly going to get fitter today covering the lost man for an hour.

 

[jacobncfc]

Ardley wants a harder test with the eleven men. We're certainly going to get fitter today covering the lost man for an hour.

Yeah, obviously. Could hear him saying to the fourth official ‘we’ve arranged this for a proper game, not for him to test his reffing’ or something. It is spectacular really to send someone off fifteen minutes into a friendly, for a possible shirt pull, when even the opposition manager doesn’t want you to.

 

[Optipez]

Yeah, obviously. Could hear him saying to the fourth official ‘we’ve arranged this for a proper game, not for him to test his reffing’ or something. It is spectacular really to send someone off fifteen minutes into a friendly, for a possible shirt pull, when even the opposition manager doesn’t want you to.

Think it does us a favour. We need to be sharper, Rawlinson needs to either wake up or be replaced.
As we're playing two up I'd argue were be more secure playing 4132 , we've looked vulnerable all pre season with 3 at the back

 

[Master D]

Scheduling a 'friendly' against Solihull Rugby Club is a mental thing to do, no sympathy.

 

[jacobncfc]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1426549554745315335

Not even entirely convinced that’s a foul.

 

[Master D]

Deserves a red for not just dealing with the ball. Put it in the car park lad.

 

[OneDecentLester]

We’ve beat Grimsby 2-1 today, Mandeville with both goals. First being a bit of a screamer from 25 yard (questionable keeping mind), 2nd a good team goal and brilliant pass by Rowe.

No Oyeleke, Gunning or Tshimanga involved today, hopefully just rested for the real thing next weekend

 

[Optipez]

Deserves a red for not just dealing with the ball. Put it in the car park lad.

Someone should be telling our head coach something like that. We're not going to tip tap our way out of the NL, nobody does.

 

[GTFCfish]

Not sure how many in the away end at Chesterfield today but hearing rumours of approx 2000 GTFC in the home ends.

 

[chief]

2 up against Curzon. Paul Mullin with a lovely goal for the first.

He's gonna shag this league.

 

[jacobncfc]

The farcical first fifteen minutes has turned this into quite a useful exercise for us tbh. Extra minutes in the legs and we’ve been forced to actually concentrate on doing what we struggle with and defending. We’ve actually done it pretty well since the red.

Roberts just scored again as well. We’re a one man team once again.

 

[Optipez]

The farcical first fifteen minutes has turned this into quite a useful exercise for us tbh. Extra minutes in the legs and we’ve been forced to actually concentrate on doing what we struggle with and defending. We’ve actually done it pretty well since the red.

Roberts just scored again as well. We’re a one man team once again.

Taking the holding midfielder off and putting O'Brien on has made all the diffrence, we're competing in the middle of the park.
We're definitely a work in progress, and I wouldn't put any money on is to beat Barnet next week.

 

[jacobncfc]

Taking the holding midfielder off and putting O'Brien on has made all the diffrence, we're competing in the middle of the park.
We're definitely a work in progress, and I wouldn't put any money on is to hear Barnet next week.

We’re a complete enigma still. O’Brien and Taylor have surely put their names down for a start, both made a massive difference off the bench.

As with last season a lot of the time, it’s like we have to be grabbed and shaken to stop sleepwalking and just passing the ball around for the sake of it and actually focus. Only a friendly, but along with Dagenham and Sutton last season it’s the third time in a few months when we’ve looked miles better after having a man sent off.

2-2 from 2-0 and a man down after 15 minutes is a very decent effort, mind. Credit where it’s due.

 

[EnglishRed]

A decent 3-1 win against Curzon Ashton, who should have been playing the first game.of their season today so gave us a good game.

We look great up front, some issues further back though. Our midfield needs an upgrade amd as it stands would struggle against the top teams (as it did last year) and as most of our defenders seem to be injured we started with a back three including a Midfielder who is still on trial (Dave Jones) and Jamie Reckord, who is primarily a left back.

Signings to be made. Need to flash our Oil money.

 

[Optipez]

We’re a complete enigma still. O’Brien and Taylor have surely put their names down for a start, both made a massive difference off the bench.

As with last season a lot of the time, it’s like we have to be grabbed and shaken to stop sleepwalking and just passing the ball around for the sake of it and actually focus. Only a friendly, but along with Dagenham and Sutton last season it’s the third time in a few months when we’ve looked miles better after having a man sent off.

2-2 from 2-0 and a man down after 15 minutes is a very decent effort, mind. Credit where it’s due.

It is but it shouldn't take going goals and men down to shake us into competing.
Francis has been a constant pre season but not sure he's worth his place.
Mitchell did ok without looking like scoring.

 

[jacobncfc]

It is but it shouldn't take go I g goals and men down to shake us into competing.
Francis has been a constant pre season but not sure he's worth his place.
Mitchell did ok without looking like scoring.

I thought Mitchell looked alright, probably our best player in the first half, couple of decent efforts. Him and Wootton are too similar to play together, but at least looks like he could be a useful alternative.

And yeah, we need to sort the weird psychological block we have out. If we can play with that focus and intensity from the start of games, we should be able to compete. Getting Roberts and Rodrigues on the pitch together regularly will obviously be key as well.

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

3-3 draw against a Fleetwood Xl - conceding three goals is not like us at all.

Ben Barclay missed the game through injury which is worrying.

Fleetwood had a kid who was a bit of a baller who I wouldn’t mind taking on loan.

 

[chief]

3-3 draw against a Fleetwood Xl - conceding three goals is not like us at all.

Ben Barclay missed the game through injury which is worrying.

Fleetwood had a kid who was a bit of a baller who I wouldn’t mind taking on loan.

That's concerning, we battered them and they had some first teamers playing.