Pre-season friendly schedule

[Thracian]

I wish you'd stop mentioning that game, it was a friendly and not the be all and end all, against a team that defines grind and drains creativity out of nearly every game it plays in. They have very very serious weakness's up front and after watching that game and hearing about the game they played against Hudds I said they'd get relegated and as predicted they are in the bottom three atm. However their defensive record stands at about 10th in the league, they make games dull, and lets face it it's not hard to make us look dull is it.

No-one suggests friendlies are the be all of anything - but they are preparation for what we intend to do come the start of the season.

I suppose in that way Kelly wrote his Godforsaken message loud and clear that night and apart from Villa and Fulham I wish I'd taken heed, not wasted my money and not been so inexplicably kind to the bloke.

I don't doubt Sociedad are to football what dull grey is to art deco but our approach was there to be seen before Sociedad ever lured us into their defensive bog full of paralysing sludge on which no light ever shines.

But that game was our businesscard, our signature for the season and I feel guilty for accepting it so lamely, for making allowances for what went on and for having even a modicum of faith in a manager who mostly took the piss as far as football was concerned.

This close season I don't want to say one word that will encourage more of the same.

I want us to shine like a beacon on a black night and I want the fans to lead the way like the massed ranks of a mighty army hell-bent on victory without compromise and self-doubt.

It's time for Leicester City to turn its volume up again.

[Mort]

It's time for Leicester City to turn its volume up again.

Rather like Iain Duncan Smith ("the quiet man is turning up the volume")?

On the plus side at least we're playing a (assuming they stay up) League One side... a step up from the League Two/ Conference dross we were pitted against (and found wanting *cough*Lincoln*cough*) under K*lly.

[Sooper Steve's shin]

Pre-season is rubbish. But also brilliant!

Every time we win, I wonder if we shouldn't have "saved" the result for a proper league game. Also the results bear no resemblance to how we will perform when the season starts - I remember the other year when Dublin and Connolly were on fire in pre-season. Dublin then played like a 90-year-old for three-quarters or more of that season.

I will still look for the results though and wait anxiously to hear who scored in the Second XI game against Corby or whatever.

[The Reverend]

We need to play some proper teams and prepare a lot better than we did last season thats for sure.

[Simi]

I remember going to Lincoln last season for Pre Season.

Douglas had a shocker that day.

3-3 I think it ended.

[Jonbluefox9]

i always thought the scandinavian tours were the best preparation

What about the tour of Norway pre-season 2005? That didn't seem to prepare our squad very well for last season. Pre-season's about physical preparation mostly imo and that's where we got it wrong last pre-season. Players should work themselves into the ground during pre-season and then 90 minutes, twice a week won't seem as tough in comparision.

[Tommeh]

I remember going to Lincoln last season for Pre Season.

Douglas had a shocker that day.

3-3 I think it ended.

I really wanted to go to that my dad being a massive Lincoln fan like, But we were on holiday unfortunatly and he ripped me when we hear the score on SSN in this bar.

[Thracian]

Rather like Iain Duncan Smith ("the quiet man is turning up the volume")?

On the plus side at least we're playing a (assuming they stay up) League One side... a step up from the League Two/ Conference dross we were pitted against (and found wanting *cough*Lincoln*cough*) under K*lly.

It is indeed a step forward. I've no complaints about starting against Cheltenham.

[lcfc_jme]

I want a pre-season friendly down at Pompeii.

[Matt]

I'd like leicester to get a proper gritty pre-season in.

Not Rob Kellys Holiday like it was this year.

I reckon a training camp abroad would do the trick.

Forget Le manga this is a totally differant squad and time.

So was the Fireman Stan and the "rape" trip they were both different squads but they both ended in embaressment!

The only advantage there may be is that hopefully all the current deadwood will be out of the club and we will have new players in who wouldn't do anything bad because they would want to impress and getting trouble being new to the club wouldn't be too impressive ah?!

Mind you on the "rape" trip our players didn't do anything wrong really they went out which was wrong of them but at the end of the day they were accused!

Anyway, what i'm saying about going away...NO!

If they were training for a trip in a hotter climate I would agree they should train abroad get so hot whether training but there not, get them away to some army camp and put them through hell and get them fit doing assult corses like that

[SystonFox]

I want a pre-season friendly down at Pompeii.

the cross bar is still covered in ash though.

[blue blood]

id like a preseason in one of those boot camps with the sas troops. that should get em in shape

[Thracian]

id like a preseason in one of those boot camps with the sas troops. that should get em in shape

My thoughts exactly.

Perhaps they could enter a team of underperforming recent players in a grand finale - the human hunt game - and play it for real!.

It would focus their attention in a way that Kelly never managed.

[worksopfox]

I say we get a big team because it rises to the challenge. When we ge some1 little (Lincoln, Wrexham, Oldham etc) it is sumtimes 2 easy and there is no challenge! Agreed! We need a challenge. Rememba the Barca and Inter 1? Sum1 like dat. I say Manchester United at home. Brilliant. Could do with sum1 like Torquay as well. I say:

A Premiership Side, A Big Europe Side and 2 Little Teams.

What does evry1 think??

[davieG]

I say we get a big team because it rises to the challenge. When we ge some1 little (Lincoln, Wrexham, Oldham etc) it is sumtimes 2 easy and there is no challenge! Agreed! We need a challenge. Rememba the Barca and Inter 1? Sum1 like dat. I say Manchester United at home. Brilliant. Could do with sum1 like Torquay as well. I say:

A Premiership Side, A Big Europe Side and 2 Little Teams.

What does evry1 think??

Fine idea, but stop using text speak please - see member guidelines

[lcfc_jme]

Some nice away days thought at various ends of the country so we can have another episode such as yesterday would do me very nicely as well. Larvely.

[Phube]

Funny thought...

We can now go to Elland Road for a pre-season friendly, you know and play the really small clubs, to ease the season in slowly!!

[Sods]

Funny thought...

We can now go to Elland Road for a pre-season friendly, you know and play the really small clubs, to ease the season in slowly!!

like it Phube like it. I reckon we will be playing pompey in a cup game soon or something its bound to happen

[Katy]

I really hope we play Boston again, for purely selfish reasons of course.

[Blue Bob]

If we are so unfit I hope that the players only get two weeks off. If you give them six weeks off they will be worse than they are now. I do think it would be a good idea to get them in evey other morning to work on the fitness training.

I know this might seem harsh but if they want to be promoted they need to start to put the commitment in now not spend six weeks on the piss eating kebabs, that the job of the supporters!!!!

[MC Prussian]

Who's doing the pre-season planning at the club, anyway? Is the club open to suggestions from outside? Would it be worth a try?

I mean, this is probably only a wishful thought at the moment, but I'd love to see Leicester City arrange a friendly with my local team here in Switzerland (FC Schaffhausen), a team that is still playing in the highest league and has won against FC Basel and the current Swiss champion, FC Zurich, for example. We're not in such a bad state, after all.

Plus, they wouldn't have to fly that far away from home and we have beautiful, hot conditions here comes summer.

A game at the Walkers wouldn't hurt, either. Then again, I doubt many people would show up for a game against a team they've never heard of in their lifetime.

[Webbo]

Who's doing the pre-season planning at the club, anyway? Is the club open to suggestions from outside? Would it be worth a try?

I mean, this is probably only a wishful thought at the moment, but I'd love to see Leicester City arrange a friendly with my local team here in Switzerland (FC Schaffhausen), a team that is still playing in the highest league and has won against FC Basel and the current Swiss champion, FC Zurich, for example. We're not in such a bad state, after all.

Plus, they wouldn't have to fly that far away from home and we have beautiful, hot conditions here comes summer.

A game at the Walkers wouldn't hurt, either. Then again, I doubt many people would show up for a game against a team they've never heard of in their lifetime.

when you say the highest league do you mean they're on top of an alp?

[Mort]

A tour of switzerland (say 4 games or so) would be a very, very good idea! And one I hadnt thought of... wouldnt cost much transportation wise compared to the alternatives and you likley to get a good test for the players, with some decent clubs and I'd have thought the altitude could only help our fitness levels and push the players a bit more... could occupy most of late July, early August as well and then bring the squad back for two home games against decent opposition while looking to get one or two low profile games sorted to help the fitness levels for more periferal players within the squad and perhaps some the players brought through from the academy in the summer.

[MC Prussian]

when you say the highest league do you mean they're on top of an alp?

Not quite.

I live in the Northernmost part of the country - almost entirely surrounded by Germany - and it's basically all flat, with a few hills here and there. Just like Wales.

Then we have the lovely Rhine Fall in Neuhausen:

And the old, peaceful city centre of Schaffhausen, featuring the old Munot fortress:

Only downside is our current stadium:

Basically an all-stander in plain sunshine with one large and one smaller deck.

[MC Prussian]

A tour of switzerland (say 4 games or so) would be a very, very good idea! And one I hadnt thought of... wouldnt cost much transportation wise compared to the alternatives and you likley to get a good test for the players, with some decent clubs and I'd have thought the altitude could only help our fitness levels and push the players a bit more... could occupy most of late July, early August as well and then bring the squad back for two home games against decent opposition while looking to get one or two low profile games sorted to help the fitness levels for more periferal players within the squad and perhaps some the players brought through from the academy in the summer.

When you think back, it was the English that got our Tourism industry started in the 19th century, coming over here to cure in the Alps (especially in Graubunden/Grisons, situated in the South-East).

FC Basel, FC Zurich, Grasshoppers Zurich (founded by an Englishman), Young Boys Bern (with the now infamous Wankdorf ), Servette FC and Neuchâtel Xamax all have good stadiums at hand. And a few others are in the process of being built or about to be built (St. Gallen and the new Letzigrund in Zurich, for example).

This, for instance, is the brand-new Stade de la Maladière in Neuchâtel:

As for Leicestershire, you can get here by plane either from Birmingham (landing in Zurich) or East Midlands (to Geneva) in a reasonable amount of time (approx 1 to 1 1/2 hours).