Home Friendlies

[Sir Bob]

Once again our pre season campaign has been mainly played abroad. This is nothing new of course. we had to play in The Rotterdam tournament as part of the Kuyt deal.
To extend the LFC name worldwide we now play regulary in Asia, as most top clubs do.

The only friendlies in England were Crewe & Wrexham both away. It seems to me that a couple of high profile home friendlies, with at least one against decent English opposition would be a good idea.

Our first home game against Chelsea will be a high octane affair. the atmosphere will be red hot yet most of our new signings will never have even played at Anfield. Only Benyoun will have any experience of what playing at Anfield is like. surely it would help Torres,& co settle in a bit if they played a couple of times at Anfield before the season started. I know the atmosphere wouldn't be the same but it must help to some extent. I'd play 2 home friendlies, one against a decent Championship team, so that new players had at least 1 genuine English style game under their belts. The ground would be full, mainly full of locals with their kids who'd be made getting a glimpse of the new boys.

GH did organise home friendlies after some new players said they found their early home games very difficult as they had never experienced anything like it.

Food for thought or do you think it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference in helping new players settle in.

[Dhav]

Once again our pre season campaign has been mainly played abroad. This is nothing new of course. we had to play in The Rotterdam tournament as part of the Kuyt deal.
To extend the LFC name worldwide we now play regulary in Asia, as most top clubs do.

The only friendlies in England were Crewe & Wrexham both away. It seems to me that a couple of high profile home friendlies, with at least one against decent English opposition would be a good idea.

Our first home game against Chelsea will be a high octane affair. the atmosphere will be red hot yet most of our new signings will never have even played at Anfield. Only Benyoun will have any experience of what playing at Anfield is like. surely it would help Torres,& co settle in a bit if they played a couple of times at Anfield before the season started. I know the atmosphere wouldn't be the same but it must help to some extent. I'd play 2 home friendlies, one against a decent Championship team, so that new players had at least 1 genuine English style game under their belts. The ground would be full, mainly full of locals with their kids who'd be made getting a glimpse of the new boys.

GH did organise home friendlies after some new players said they found their early home games very difficult as they had never experienced anything like it.

Food for thought or do you think it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference in helping new players settle in.

I do understand what you are saying, it would always help the new players if they were familiar with their surroundings before playing meaningful games. I'm thinking especially of Babel here who is quite young and relatively inexperienced compared to Torres and Benayoun. Having said that, given we play CL qualifiers in August as well, I think it's dificult to fit all the games in (what with our pre-season commitments) and there's always a chance that the home leg would be played before any home league games.

[The Glove]

Home friendlies dont make any where near enough money. Besides, the ground would be half empty anyway. It'd only be filled if they charged no more than a fiver and that wont happen. You only have to look at Everton, £15 to watch a friendly. Granted Everton arent as big a club but they have just as much local support as Liverpool and if they cant fill a ground against a CL team then I cant see Liverpool doing it and our tickets would be around the same price.

[dww]

I think we may have done so this year if it wasn't for the Kuyt deal. We seemed quite unhappy about the timing and location of those games.

[Sir Bob]

Home friendlies dont make any where near enough money. Besides, the ground would be half empty anyway. It'd only be filled if they charged no more than a fiver and that wont happen. You only have to look at Everton, £15 to watch a friendly. Granted Everton arent as big a club but they have just as much local support as Liverpool and if they cant fill a ground against a CL team then I cant see Liverpool doing it and our tickets would be around the same price.

Its not about making money though. Even if we ;ost a few quid I still think it would be worth it. Arsenal sold their 2 home games out as did Utd for the inter Milan game. Surely we could as well.

[Johnny]

I hope Rafa starts with most of last yrs team for the 1st 5 games and slowly brings in the new boys as the season goes on.The start of the season is too important to be blooding the new guys.
AS for the friendlies situation,money makes the world go round.we have to build up foreign support and shirt sales.

[andyinswinton]

Home friendlies dont make any where near enough money. Besides, the ground would be half empty anyway. It'd only be filled if they charged no more than a fiver and that wont happen. You only have to look at Everton, £15 to watch a friendly. Granted Everton arent as big a club but they have just as much local support as Liverpool and if they cant fill a ground against a CL team then I cant see Liverpool doing it and our tickets would be around the same price.

The last home friendly was Rafa's Valencia at the beginning of Houlliers last season in charge. If memory serves correct, we got beat 2-0.

The ground was sold out that day.

I think we would fill the ground if we got a decent side for a pre-season friendly if prices were around the £15 mark.

I don't know why we don't have them. It would be a great way to get the new boys see Anfield before the big kick off and a great way to give them a proper welcome.

[The Glove]

We charge £15 for the league cup and those games mean something and we cant sell them out.

While its a day out, like playing Parma etc at Anfield, its not going to make the millions we can by playing around the world.

[Assassin]

Once again our pre season campaign has been mainly played abroad. This is nothing new of course. we had to play in The Rotterdam tournament as part of the Kuyt deal.
To extend the LFC name worldwide we now play regulary in Asia, as most top clubs do.

The only friendlies in England were Crewe & Wrexham both away. It seems to me that a couple of high profile home friendlies, with at least one against decent English opposition would be a good idea.

Our first home game against Chelsea will be a high octane affair. the atmosphere will be red hot yet most of our new signings will never have even played at Anfield. Only Benyoun will have any experience of what playing at Anfield is like. surely it would help Torres,& co settle in a bit if they played a couple of times at Anfield before the season started. I know the atmosphere wouldn't be the same but it must help to some extent. I'd play 2 home friendlies, one against a decent Championship team, so that new players had at least 1 genuine English style game under their belts. The ground would be full, mainly full of locals with their kids who'd be made getting a glimpse of the new boys.

GH did organise home friendlies after some new players said they found their early home games very difficult as they had never experienced anything like it.

Food for thought or do you think it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference in helping new players settle in.

As you say it would be great to see a high profile home friendly, plus the point about getting blooded with a decent English team is very valid. I think we as a club like to play away against lesser English opposition to put something back into the lower leagues in the form of much needed cash for the clubs

[johnly]

I've been to a fair few of the home pre-season friendlies, Parma, Lazio and a few others, all had sell out or near sell out crowds. I'd love to get myself down for one to be honest, be a good chance to take my dad too as he may not be able to get to some of the regular games due to other commitments. Think we're gonna get to the Champions League qualifier though.

Get a good side in for pre-season £15 a ticket like I've paid in the past and we'd sell that place out fast as you like

[rushscored4]

The only friendlies in England were Crewe & Wrexham both away.

I'm not sure the boyos in Wrecsam will be happy about that!!

[stevie_gerrard_8]

The games in Hong Kong felt as though we were playing a home fixture.

[Chris]

We charge £15 for the league cup and those games mean something and we cant sell them out.

We had 42.4k against Reading with everyone knowing it'd be kids and subs playing and 42.6k against Arsenal with both teams resting loads. Think you're underestimating our support, especially after Istanbul, tickets are going quicker than ever for any game. Think we'd piss 35k plus for a friendly at £20 or so, probably sell out, usually a nice enough day that time of year, everyone desperate to see new signings and decent oppo would guarantee a big crowd.

[Pablo]

I do think there is something in this. I have noticed that new players do tend to make their debut away from home. I think that way there is slightly less pressure on them. Theres no doubt Anfield can be intimidating at times, and I think that goes not only for the opposition players, but anyone who experiences a big match day for the first time. Not sure a pre-season friendly can ever re-create the atmosshpere of a big league game but I guess it would help a little.

But I think the real class players just revel in the occassion and I fully expect Torres to have a belter against Chelsea in his home debut. He always used to save his best performances for the Barca and Madrid games when at Athleti. I have a feeling he may well be our match winner that day.

[andyinswinton]

I don't see why at least every other year we have a couple of pre-season friendlies at home against some semi decent opposition.

I can understand the financial aspect of going to the far east, America or wherever but there are a lot of fans who could come to a pre-season game at Anfield who have little or no chance of getting to any other games.

We must be pretty much the only club not to have played a friendly at home this season.