Pre-season friendlies

[Rattus Norvegicus]

It's pretty quite on "The Zone" so why not start the perennial discussion about pre-season friendlies?

What are you hoping for?
Who are you hoping to see at Roots Hall?
What changes (if any) do you think C.P. will bring in?
Pre-season tour anyone?

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

It's pretty quite on "The Zone" so why not start the perennial discussion about pre-season friendlies?

What are you hoping for?
Who are you hoping to see at Roots Hall?
What changes (if any) do you think C.P. will bring in?
Pre-season tour anyone?

It was pretty clear in his pre-Brizzle BP interview that CP had lined up a game with W.Ham (though he said the match hadn't been confirmed and didn't actually mention them by name).

 

[Blue_Wes]

It's pretty quite on "The Zone" so why not start the perennial discussion about pre-season friendlies?

What are you hoping for?
Who are you hoping to see at Roots Hall?
What changes (if any) do you think C.P. will bring in?
Pre-season tour anyone?

Roma away please.

Failing that Boca Juniors away.

Thanks.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Real Betis home or away. I'm not fussy.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

How about a game against Daggers and proceeds go to them

 

[Zeuss]

Newcastle,Sunderland,Middlesbrough away on successive nights please.It will make my completion of the 92 current grounds a lot easier.

 

[mattitouk]

How about a game against Daggers and proceeds go to them

I was gonna just say the same thing about Dagenham.

Failing that, we may as well settle the argument about which team is the best in europe, by spanking Real Madrid & Liverpool at Roots Hall.

As for a pre-season tour, why don't we bring back the romance of the Anglo-Italian cup. There's some decent teams last season in Seria B, such as Parma, Palermo & Bari.
Ideally being televised on Channel 4, with the previews being conducted on the Gazzetta Football Italia the day before by James Richardson, & insightful words of advice from Gazza, such as "Roma......Thats Italian For Rome Ye Know Like".

On a more serious note, I would like us to see us facing tougher teams than the usual Essex village teams, I really don't think we learn anything from them, IMO I would like to see more of a case of friendlies against teams that lost out in the play off's in Division 2 or teams that just avoided relegation from the Championship.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

I was gonna just say the same thing about Dagenham.

Failing that, we may as well settle the argument about which team is the best in europe, by spanking Real Madrid & Liverpool at Roots Hall.

As for a pre-season tour, why don't we bring back the romance of the Anglo-Italian cup. There's some decent teams last season in Seria B, such as Parma, Palermo & Bari.
Ideally being televised on Channel 4, with the previews being conducted on the Gazzetta Football Italia the day before by James Richardson, & insightful words of advice from Gazza, such as "Roma......Thats Italian For Rome Ye Know Like".

On a more serious note, I would like us to see us facing tougher teams than the usual Essex village teams, I really don't think we learn anything from them, IMO I would like to see more of a case of friendlies against teams that lost out in the play off's in Division 2 or teams that just avoided relegation from the Championship.

I think the usual local Essex derbies are now for fitness than anything else. We get 2 or 3 'bigger' friendlies closer to the start of the season

 

[mattitouk]

I think the usual local Essex derbies are now for fitness than anything else. We get 2 or 3 'bigger' friendlies closer to the start of the season

That's kind of my point, if it is just for fitness, there's nothing to say we cant use a game against say Reading or Swindon to analyse it rather than against Braintree Town or Aveley.

 

[Jai]

That's kind of my point, if it is just for fitness, there's nothing to say we cant use a game against say Reading or Swindon to analyse it rather than against Braintree Town or Aveley.

These kind of pre-season friendlies are also quite lucrative for the non-league clubs on our doorstep and it is nice for us to maintain good relations with them and help them out where we can.

Once we have got the initial tour de Essex out of the way, a trip to somewhere like Belgium or Holland and a game against lower-league opposition would be something a bit novel.

 

[Jonesheshrimp]

Wakering is always good, think they were a bit peeved with brown, as we sent down a young squad, nice chips, nice ground.

 

[mattitouk]

Didn't we do the same thing against Grays about 5 odd seasons back in pre season??

They were celebrating their 100 year anniversary or something like that, they spent a fortune putting flyers through doors locally to promote it, they also advertised at local bus stops and train stations etc.... All the ad's said "V Southend United".... & we ended up doing the same thing, and just sending our U18 team along instead.

 

[Fairport]

Hopefully not a home game v W.Ham, the claret and blue hordes at Roots Hall does not make happy viewing! Unless they are from Burnley, Aston Villa or Scunthorpe of course.

 

[Jonesheshrimp]

Didn't we do the same thing against Grays about 5 odd seasons back in pre season??

They were celebrating their 100 year anniversary or something like that, they spent a fortune putting flyers through doors locally to promote it, they also advertised at local bus stops and train stations etc.... All the ad's said "V Southend United".... & we ended up doing the same thing, and just sending our U18 team along instead.

yes I think you are correct, it’s not good.

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

Perhaps a 3 way competition against Hull and Swindon ....................:unsure: :smile:

Could always ask the Invincibles if they would like to make up the numbers as well and we (the fans) can all compare notes whilst gently patting any Robins on the back and saying "sideways and backwards is fine - don't worry".

 

[Tommy2holes]

Hopefully not a home game v W.Ham, the claret and blue hordes at Roots Hall does not make happy viewing! Unless they are from Burnley, Aston Villa or Scunthorpe of course.

Yeah. Im sure that they will open the 60k capacity Olympic stadium for a friendly against a league 1 season.

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

Newcastle,Sunderland,Middlesbrough away on successive nights please.It will make my completion of the 92 current grounds a lot easier.

Sounds like a pre-season tour to me .......... we could add in Dundee United and see how Bilel is getting on as well.

 

[blue pilot]

Prem clubs don't make pre-season visits to local-ish lower league sides anymore, too busy raking in the £££'s on a greedy tour of the Far East, USA, or somewhere. The best the smaller club gets is a 'development squad' or something similar visiting. No doub't we'll hear the usual bleating 2 weeks into the season from Prem managers that his team are 'tired.' Pathetic

 

[Rattus Norvegicus]

I'm not averse to a visit from some Division 2 teams. Brentford, Ipswich and Norwich would be okay. And possibly Fulham if they don't get promoted.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

I'm not averse to a visit from some Division 2 teams. Brentford, Ipswich and Norwich would be okay. And possibly Fulham if they don't get promoted.

Division 2 teams? This isn't the 70's you know