Given that we have only played one preseason game against tough opposition so far, is it a good idea to play so many teams this far down the football pyramid?

Positives:

It allows us to try things out and not get slaughtered.
Winning breads confidence.
Winning creates momentum.

Negatives:

Do we really learn much playing teams of a completly different standard to what we are going to play.

Thoughts?

Quoted from Swansea_Mariner

Given that we have only played one preseason game against tough opposition so far, is it a good idea to play so many teams this far down the football pyramid?

Negatives:

Do we really learn much playing teams of a completly different standard to what we are going to play.


Thoughts?

The first few games are about fitness.

This tour is about team bonding

We have tougher games coming up

Quoted from Jarmo.Is.God

The first few games are about fitness.

This tour is about team bonding

Twenty Five players sharing 2 Travelodge rooms in Barnstaple :) Forest Green sharing 2 Eco barns on a carrot farm.

You are aware pre-season isn't over yet?

We've got two League One teams still to come.

Did you use your loaf to realise that winning breads confidence  ??   ;)

Quoted from gary_elton

Did you use your loaf to realise that winning breads confidence  ??   ;)

Dough! I'm on a roll now!

Quoted from Swansea_Mariner

Given that we have only played one preseason game against tough opposition so far, is it a good idea to play so many teams this far down the football pyramid?

Positives:

It allows us to try things out and not get slaughtered.
Winning breads confidence.
Winning creates momentum.

Negatives:

Do we really learn much playing teams of a completly different standard to what we are going to play.

Thoughts?

I think we should play Premier League first teams, get slaughtered, find absolutely nothing out about how players might perform against teams of their own level and start the season without having registered a shot on target in the whole of pre season.

However in reality...the lower league team games are largely for fitness but also you start to learn what your team mates traits are, in games when you are slipping 10+ goals past the opposition do players; remain focussed, keep a disciplined shape, remain determined to win the ball, keep a clean sheet, switch off  and also how is the communication between players. All useful information to the gaffer.
The team can start to see how a team mate turns, passes, favoured movement etc, those things are more apparent when you have an easier game all good foundations for team cohesion.

Once you start to master the above a gradual step up in oppostion will start to show how good a player actually is at the team stuff, work rate, discipline, application,shape etc.

All structured i am sure to give the management a decent idea of who can do what in any game situation prior to kick off.

Surely there's a happy medium though, we've  not played and Conference/North/South sides would they not have been an ideal level for tune ups?

Quoted from gary_elton

Did you use your loaf to realise that winning breads confidence  ??   ;)

Crusty man!

Quoted from Swansea_Mariner

Surely there's a happy medium though, we've  not played and Conference/North/South sides would they not have been an ideal level for tune ups?

We have played a Championship side by choice, we have entered the Lincs Cup so have to play whoever we are drawn against ( not our fault Scunny sent a youth team) , Clee Town and GY Boro are now traditional, so really not that many free dates left, plus we have Blackburn and Wigan to come...(Wigan potentially a spin off of the Bogle deal ?).
So its not as though we have freely  "chosen" that many of our games in reality.  Barnsley, Blackburn and the two games on tour in Devon are about as free willed as Slade could get i imagine.

Pretty decent mix of friendlies I'd say. A lot of lower league teams but also Barnsley, Blackburn and Wigan too. As Moosey says, you don't want to be getting hammered every pre-season friendly and wins, no matter who it's against, will breed team confidence.

Also, it's nigh on impossible to play Premier League clubs because they're all on tour on Mars or somewhere.

Quoted from Abdul19

Also, it's nigh on impossible to play Premier League clubs because they're all on tour on Mars or somewhere.

I'm sure all off to Malaysia or the US of A.

Why Devon though, why not go somewhere there are a couple of Conference sides and give the players something closer to our standard to deal with. The bonding bit can be done anywhere there is a travel lodge 😉

I think part of the attraction of Devon is the road trip aspect and being about as far away from home as you can get without going abroad. It's as much about bonding as playing footy, though whether it has any long term benefit, i don't know.

There seems to be loads of clubs heading out to Austria this summer across the various divisions. Seems a relatively unusual choice of destination. I wonder if they've done some sort of a marketing scheme to try and attract clubs out there?

Perhaps Cleethorpes should do the same next year!

Quoted from Maringer

There seems to be loads of clubs heading out to Austria this summer across the various divisions. Seems a relatively unusual choice of destination. I wonder if they've done some sort of a marketing scheme to try and attract clubs out there?

Perhaps Cleethorpes should do the same next year!

A quick google (last year but probably the same reasons): http://www.squawka.com/news/why-are-so-many-premier-league-clubs-spending-pre-season-in-austria/728880#35YyDxdychgPm8kt.97

Quoted from Garth

Crusty man!

You called ?

Quoted from Maringer

There seems to be loads of clubs heading out to Austria this summer across the various divisions. Seems a relatively unusual choice of destination. I wonder if they've done some sort of a marketing scheme to try and attract clubs out there?

Perhaps Cleethorpes should do the same next year!

[tweet]880508396570632192[/tweet]

The €1 a pint deals attracted Mr Noel.