Pre Season 2025/26

[Nick]

Just now, Nick said:

 

[Bergen fox]

Looks like the game today  has been cancelled.

[MC Prussian]

5 hours ago, Lambert09 said:

Apparently we cancelled a game? 

 

14 minutes ago, Bergen fox said:

Looks like the game today  has been cancelled.

Panic mode!

In all serousness, I suppose we've replaced the Hartberg game with the one aganst Zalaegerszegi. The Hartberg game was scrapped about a week ago.

[MC Prussian]

On a sidenote, the game against Köln will see the return of Ron-Robert Zieler.

[JimJams]

7 hours ago, Lambert09 said:

Apparently we cancelled a game? 

I'm told the Hartberg game was originally set up to be 72 "halves" of 63 minute games interspersed with drinks breaks, but after doing some calculations TSV Hartberg realised that by the time the friendly session would have ended, they'd already be 6 weeks into the current Austrian season and so they had to respectfully decline to play.

[LCFCJohn]

Why is our pre-season in recent years such a damn shambles! It really isn’t hard to arrange some matches against EFL opposition.

 

We’ve had 2 ‘friendlies’ that have been at the training ground, and in one case at least with more than a normal 90 match. I’m now seeing something is getting cancelled?

 

Meanwhile, with it being local, I’m seeing that Sheffield United who I’d expect to be challenging in where we want to be in the table are away at League 1 Rotherham in an actual stadium, in front of a crowd, playing a proper match and proper preparation.

 

Whatever was wrong with playing sides like Northampton, Burton and Peterborough at their grounds, building up the difficulty level. That is what pre-season should be to me but hey, maybe I’m old fashioned and not ‘with’ the current way…..

[Chelmofox]

15 minutes ago, LCFCJohn said:

Why is our pre-season in recent years such a damn shambles! It really isn’t hard to arrange some matches against EFL opposition.

 

We’ve had 2 ‘friendlies’ that have been at the training ground, and in one case at least with more than a normal 90 match. I’m now seeing something is getting cancelled?

 

Meanwhile, with it being local, I’m seeing that Sheffield United who I’d expect to be challenging in where we want to be in the table are away at League 1 Rotherham in an actual stadium, in front of a crowd, playing a proper match and proper preparation.

 

Whatever was wrong with playing sides like Northampton, Burton and Peterborough at their grounds, building up the difficulty level. That is what pre-season should be to me but hey, maybe I’m old fashioned and not ‘with’ the current way…..

Chill - there is a game today. Seems the original fixture was changed a while ago but most sites continue to list it as cancelled. I don't think there is anything to complain about with our preseason so far.

[LCFCJohn]

4 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

Chill - there is a game today. Seems the original fixture was changed a while ago but most sites continue to list it as cancelled. I don't think there is anything to complain about with our preseason so far.

I just don’t get the obsession with playing essentially behind closed doors at the training ground and not playing standard 90 minutes. We used to do pre-season really well under Pearson where we would travel to local sides, building up the difficulty level before having a bigger side at home to finish. 

[AjcW]

It’s a shame we’re not playing Hartberg, they’ve gone viral this week for having 22 front of shirt sponsors… maybe could have given our commercial team a crash course.

[Lambert09]

52 minutes ago, AjcW said:

It’s a shame we’re not playing Hartberg, they’ve gone viral this week for having 22 front of shirt sponsors… maybe could have given our commercial team a crash course.

22 fictitious crypto betting company’s on one shirt?  Curaçao would need an expansion 

[mozartfox]

1 hour ago, AjcW said:

It’s a shame we’re not playing Hartberg, they’ve gone viral this week for having 22 front of shirt sponsors… maybe could have given our commercial team a crash course.

It’s 23 actually and looks hideous.   Traditionally Austrian Teams have multi sponsors on their shirts and shorts.  I thought in the EFL , Clubs can have a rear of shirt sponsors and something on the shorts??

[FrankieADZ]

didnt know we was playing 2 friendlies next friday tbh

[Merchant_Banker]

Just now, FrankieADZ said:

didnt know we was playing 2 friendlies next friday tbh

Saturday?

[FrankieADZ]

2 minutes ago, Merchant_Banker said:

Saturday?

[Merchant_Banker]

1 minute ago, FrankieADZ said:

Wow, thank you. I had it fixed in my mind it was Saturday.

[purpleronnie]

Seeing newcastle get thumped by the hoops, happy days.

[lfu]

3 minutes ago, purpleronnie said:

Seeing newcastle get thumped by the hoops, happy days.

Aston Villa lost 3-1 to a German third division team too!

[Sol thewall Bamba]

I know we haven't really played anyone of note yet but in the 4 (if you count Leuven as 2 games) games we've had so far the only goals we've conceded have been through our own mistakes.

[BKLFox]

3 hours ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

I know we haven't really played anyone of note yet but in the 4 (if you count Leuven as 2 games) games we've had so far the only goals we've conceded have been through our own mistakes.

So very much like the 2 seasons prior to relegation really 🤔 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

3 minutes ago, BKLFox said:

So very much like the 2 seasons prior to relegation really 🤔 

True but tbf we won't have a teenager in goal for competitive games, which rules out half of the mistakes made leading to goals immediately.

[BKLFox]

I’m assuming hoping that Nelson only had a slight niggle to not be in the squad for yesterday 🤷‍♂️ 

[coolhandfox]

I think some people are getting a little to carried away with our young players I've seen people suggesting league starring line up with 4 or 5 of them in.

 

People forget a team including Aluko, JJ junior, Page, Monga, Evan where beaten by Northampton reserves in the Johnston Paint last season.

 

We need to blood them in around a core of experience pros.

Edited 20 July 2025 by coolhandfox

[BKLFox]

7 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

I think some people are getting a little to carried away with our young players I've seen people suggesting league starring line up with 4 or 5 of them in.

 

People forget a team including Aluko, JJ junior, Page, Monga, Evan where beaten by Northampton reserves in the Johnston Paint last season.

 

We need to blood them in around a core of experience pros.

Fully agree, Monga does look to be ahead of the others but , & fearing a backlash here, he has got an awful lot to learn.
Whilst he looks good keeping the ball on the left and doing his tricks what has his end product been like really 🤔

compare his 45mins v’s Fatawu’s 20mins for instance & considering 1s been out for 8mths or so who had the better end product and by how much of a distance? 
He will get there and probably well ahead of any curve but he’s not ready to start the majority of games just yet I’d be more than happy for Mavididi to soften defences up and Monga to come on almost every game for the last 20 with the odd start thrown in.

[funkyrobot]

On 19/07/2025 at 10:29, MC Prussian said:

On a sidenote, the game against Köln will see the return of Ron-Robert Zieler.

Ronny-Rob rivals Pickford in the shortest armed goalkeeper stakes.

[Noahfence]

1 hour ago, coolhandfox said:

I think some people are getting a little to carried away with our young players I've seen people suggesting league starring line up with 4 or 5 of them in.

 

People forget a team including Aluko, JJ junior, Page, Monga, Evan where beaten by Northampton reserves in the Johnston Paint last season.

 

We need to blood them in around a core of experience pros.

Monga is the only one I’d say is ready but still so young so will have to be managed. 
 

Will be a long hard season so they’ll all get plenty of opportunities in the league & cups.