Pre-season Tour 2015 [Done]

[Kenneth]

Just this one?

[Bender]

[Paddy]

No Balotelli in squad for game in Helsinki.

Or Firmino. Coutinho travels though.

[Fosterbloke]

<sarb>Rodgers doesn't fancy Firmino, we've wasted £29m, We're ****ed</sarb>

[Bender]

odd decision not to take Firmino......

Firmino and Benteke are not currently in the squad to travel to Finland however a decision is still to be made on whether they go. (Echo)

[Irishnev]

That "screamer" from Tex



Keeper badly at fault!

[Pablo]

So it looks like Benteke and Firmino will not travel to Helsinki and will play in the Swindon game instead.

Odd decision. What's the logic there?

Does anyone else think we're a little under-prepared for the start of the season? Not enough games and we haven't had our likely first XI play together even once before the first game. That seems less than ideal to me.

[Muddled]

I suppose it depends on what team plays in Helsinki and what team plays in Swindon. With the games being so close together, I think there was always going to be a split amongst the group. Perhaps one game was chosen to condition the team Rodgers has in mind for Stoke; The other game to assist with fitness.

Maybe a couple of things were picked up during Benteke's and Firmino's medicals in that we have decided to strengthen a couple of problematic areas now to ensure they are available for the full season rather than risk niggles and create a stop-start first season.

In terms of the number of pre season games, how do we compare to our rivals?

[dww]

I tend to think that preseason games are over rated. That said the fact that key parts of our squad haven't trained together all that much is a bit of a worry. It certainly seems that doing business early has only really been an advantage in the case of Milner.

[Muddled]

A quick glance show Spurs have only played one pre-season game so far ... that can't be right?!

[Alex]

I tend to think that preseason games are over rated. That said the fact that key parts of our squad haven't trained together all that much is a bit of a worry. It certainly seems that doing business early has only really been an advantage in the case of Milner.

The only one who could have been gotten in sooner was Benteke really. Firmino was away at the Copa America with Coutinho. So not much we could have done there?

The rest have been away on tour. So the factors beyond our control are the same factors effecting the other teams in the league.

[dww]

The only one who could have been gotten in sooner was Benteke really. Firmino was away at the Copa America with Coutinho. So not much we could have done there?

The rest have been away on tour. So the factors beyond our control are the same factors effecting the other teams in the league.

It wasn't really meant to be a criticism of the club. I was more commenting on the fact that people were very happy we acted so quickly and it hasn't really altered our preparations at all. It may obviously have helped to get the players though.

[Muddled]

It also seems that our pre-season programme (five games) is similar to many other Premier League teams; Bar Spurs (one game so far) and West Ham (nine games so far) who are at the opposite ends of the spectrum. That doesn't take into account travel, etc, but I think it's safe to say our pre-season is the norm.

The delay in bringing Benteke in hasn't helped, but I don't think it could be avoided (I know we could have paid £32.5m from the off, but we can't just throw the asking price at every transfer) and as Alex has said, the Copa America and the run Brazil had, made our Brazilians return a little late to the party.

Whilst a lot of pre-season is all about the marketing, I do think it's important to get the team on the pitch. You can do all the running and gym sessions, but it's with the ball and game movement that the players need. They won't gain match fitness for a couple of months anyway.

[dww]

It also seems that our pre-season programme (five games) is similar to many other Premier League teams; Bar Spurs (one game so far) and West Ham (nine games so far) who are at the opposite ends of the spectrum. That doesn't take into account travel, etc, but I think it's safe to say our pre-season is the norm.

The delay in bringing Benteke in hasn't helped, but I don't think it could be avoided (I know we could have paid £32.5m from the off, but we can't just throw the asking price at every transfer) and as Alex has said, the Copa America and the run Brazil had, made our Brazilians return a little late to the party.

Whilst a lot of pre-season is all about the marketing, I do think it's important to get the team on the pitch. You can do all the running and gym sessions, but it's with the ball and game movement that the players need. They won't gain match fitness for a couple of months anyway.

I guess the question is whether friendly preseason games really hone match movements more than well constructed training. Friendly matches always occur at less than full pace and often against weaker or weakened opposition. Given that preseason form bears little resemblance to what happens when the real things start I don't think it is a forgone conclusion that games are better.

[RedReet]

A quick glance show Spurs have only played one pre-season game so far ... that can't be right?!

Their next two games are back to back midweek games in Germany, just 3 days before their first PL match, which is an early KO.

And people thought our preparation was bad.