Just an open question and this is not a challenge to all of the pro Jnr people, I, like many of us have been following our progress in the Bristol City FC pre season training schedule, our opposition is against 4 non league sides of varying quality, 2 fourth tier level league sides, 1 Spanish team level 3or4 and 1 reasonable Dutch side. We are told these games are to ensure team bonding and spirit, fitness of the players, creating team spirit, gelling in new players and developing formations and team tactics. Surely if we had planned to have opposition of higher fitness and skill levels to train and play against this would naturally have made our players more match fit and sharp than playing amatuers and players of lower capabilities, we need to be tested and tried not molly cuddled. It is a great confidence boost for our teams to keep winning these games, it makes the players and fans feel great and gives the sensation we have improved after last years great debacle, this might make Jnr & Co look great but the proof will really come in 2 weeks when we start playing teams of our own level, metaphorically speaking we will be playing against men not boys, will we be truely prepared? Surely it would have made sense to have a few teams of a higher opposition and gradually stepped up the level we trained against, the majority of teams in our league have played teams of a higher standard than us in their pre season, as many as 75% roughly compared with us, surely thay can't all be wrong? I may have misunderstood the whole pre season schedule and Jnr has planned things to an absolute maximum start, I sincerely hope it is but things seem to be on a very low par and if things go astray how much more embarassment can Jnr or we, the fans take?
race horses ... I once had the priveledge of spending some Sunday am's in the presence of Lester Piggot and Bill Marshall when Raffingora was in training ... and in reality Juniors method is similar ... this applied to all horses not just Raffs.. he was a sprinter at 5 furlongs he had daily training, as do all .. and was then raced flat out, carrying overweight, against other lightly weighted sprinters over 4 1/2 furlongs, before he embarked on a campaign he would race at proper weights against the best they had over 4 1/2 f prior to first race! I made a fortune from him! so it is a similar training practice in most things, you train you practice you do it almost to the tee and on the day it is full on ...
I know we've been playing the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and both Manchester clubs for all these past preseasons so why did they change it this year.
Maybe you are correct, we should stick to Bristol Rovers, Mangotsfield Utd, Yate Town and Bristol Manor Farm,we can then soar to the bottom leagues.
Surely it would have made sense to have a few teams of a higher opposition ... Yes it would. It would make next to nil difference regarding fitness, but it would have a benefit regarding sharpness. FC Twente are Premiership level.
That's a bit of a pithy comment, but I do agree that a greater variety of opponents (i.e. more top flight teams) seems like it'd be better preparation. I recall that one year before a World Cup, one England manager planned a friendly against a non-league side, the thinking being England would thrash them (which they did) & confidence would be so high that they'd brush teams aside at the tournament (which they didn't).
But we are playing FC Twente, a better ranked team. This is what we've done for as long as I've remembered play lowly ranked teams with one highly ranked team. I suspect if you look at the Prem teams pre season fixture list they play a lot of very lowly ranked teams. And too the high Prem teams that unfortunately is us. But I can remember only playing Man Utd and Chelsea both once. And if I remember they were both 2-2 or 3-3 draws and not their full teams.
Maybe you are right but all opinions are valid, I just happen to think our approach has been weak, if I am wrong I'll be the first to admit it.
It wasn't your argument - I actually agree (in part at least) - it was your saying 'we can soar to the bottom leagues' which I thought a bit petty. I think variety is the key, but certainly it should include trying to match teams of a higher level. I imagine Twente will be a good test against a team with superior technique, but a game against maybe a Burnley or West Brom could be excellent preparation for the kind of games the championship will provide.
I have often wondered why we haven't gone for teams in our own division but it appears that being the big fish in the local pond takes priority when it comes to the pre-season.
Just a few quick thoughts; - premiership teams now tour distance lands to build support, spread the premiership gossip. They also want substantial "apperance" fees. - I believe the theory is the further down the league pyramid you go the less time you get on the ball, therefore by playing lower league teams you have less time so when you play a Championship side you do not feel rushed. If you play prem teams you get more time and when you then play a Championship team football feel rushed. - if BCFC want to play a championship team they can play a game or part game in training (very rare do teams in championship play each other in preseason, they only do in prem for big money) - By definition all pre seasons games are practice matches, it's about being right for the season. I can remember in the distance past playing both Man U and Liverpool in preseason and doing ok. This both hyped expectation and meant the season was almost secondary to these big pre season games. Just random thoughts
We have been playing the same sh1te sides (Yeovil etc) for many a year now, so nothing to do with LJ. I wonder who does plan them though as we have been playing what feels like the same sides every season through at least the last 3 or 4 managers, so I guess it's someone else in the club that does this, but who?
Wiz - how many times in the last 20 years have we played more than 1 side of a higher ranking than us? This year we play the Dutch lot - who are ranked higher It's just about getting fitness levels right.
Totally agree with this, Wiz is trying to pick holes in everything that LJ does, gets a bit tedious really.
To be honest I couldn't give a monkeys uncle about about Jnr, I keep saying it but I have not expressed, written or hinted any personal critiques of him since last seasons closure, I can't be critical of this seasons structure, tactics, style or selections by him or his staff because the seasons not even started, in fact I made a commitment not to do so until after the first 10 games are over and in the event of a good start I even promised to publically congratulate him. I have only written 2 threads this season so far actually on my opinion of our progress, the one you are reading and 1 titled ' How are we Better' and there is no criticism of him mentioned , I have just asked the questions about our methods and transfers and surely I am allowed an opinion and to ask questions. I don't think 99% of the people on here gives a cows hoot about my questions really and a few even think I talk nonsense, fair enough, I won't personalise other peoples opinions of me but it does get boring and rather tedious for people to keep sniping at me for my thoughts when the luvies do nothing but the same in the opposite court of thought. I don't intend to irritate and get under peoples skin but be aware I have an opinion and I will use it when and how I wish, of couse I won't abuse my privilege but this is a public forum for all, long may that continue and I take nothing personal on good debate, if you don't agree with me feel free to criticise, I enjoy the activity.
