thegaffer Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 Do we really need to be playing Stoke on Tues? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedArmy Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 Probably not, but I think it'll be good to test ourselves against essentialy a physical championship side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arizona Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 I think there are a fair few players in our squad who could do with another run out, so yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 Yes. Most of pre-season has been about getting the fitness levels up, and checking out our talent/lack of talent. Now we need to play a couple of games with the likely starting 11 for Cardiff, against some strong opposition, to get the stability in place ready for next Saturday - exactly why Hereford (to a lesser extent), West Ham and Stoke were arranged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegaffer Posted 3 August, 2008 Author Share Posted 3 August, 2008 Probably not, but I think it'll be good to test ourselves against essentialy a physical championship side. Exactly why i think its a risky game.. We dont want to go into Sats game against Cardiff with an injury list as long as your arm. All the good work from the past 6 weeks could all be undone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Martini Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 Stoke are one of the best hoofball teams in the country, its a good test to play them. This is what we'll get from most teams in this league so definitely not useless. On another note, how many people do you think will go after the good performance against WHU? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redandwhitey Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 I read that as football teams instead of Hoofball teams and nearly fell off my chair. Now where's my glasses??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Charlie Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 Good to play against a very physical team, and good for the playersd to get used to playing hard matches Sat and then midweek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockhill Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 We still have another team to get fit, and need to play. John Rasiak BWP Skacel Davies Euell Wotton Saggers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladysaint Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 Anyone got an update of ticket sales for this game, last I heard it is was about 600 but surely that must be wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Tender Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 Exactly why i think its a risky game.. We dont want to go into Sats game against Cardiff with an injury list as long as your arm. All the good work from the past 6 weeks could all be undone. Well, if we've not got cover for any injuries we are likely to incur at that match, then we are truly snookered when the season starts properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
up and away Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 Yes. Most of pre-season has been about getting the fitness levels up, and checking out our talent/lack of talent. Now we need to play a couple of games with the likely starting 11 for Cardiff, against some strong opposition, to get the stability in place ready for next Saturday - exactly why Hereford (to a lesser extent), West Ham and Stoke were arranged. I can't see us putting out the starting 11 for Cardiff against Stoke, this is assuming that was the starting 11 against West ham (which if it was not before hand, certainly looks like it now). They really knocked their pan out against West Ham and it's just too much for a young team with so many games to come. I don't see it as wise doing the same with last years team, let alone this one. Use this game to get the rest of the squad fit and pointers for any to break through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derry Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 We still have another team to get fit, and need to play. John Rasiak BWP Skacel Davies Euell Wotton Saggers They will probably play the second half. I can't see the 1st team of youngsters playing more than a half, four days before the first game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicestersaint Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 yes - valuable practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mole1 Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 Well, if we've not got cover for any injuries we are likely to incur at that match, then we are truly snookered when the season starts properly. Agreed, but i think the majority of clubs outside the top flight are the same. However if your players are fit they should theoretically pick up less injuries on the whole. In anycase i don't buy all the whinging done by certain managers about the number of games played. They should be able to play everyday at their age. You don't hear working lads complaining about playing on a Sunday after working shifts all week, nor did the players of old complain about doing likewise and playing with a water logged leather ball which weighed a ton. Kicking a beachball round the park for 90 minutes isn't exactly hard work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockhill Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 Anyone got an update of ticket sales for this game, last I heard it is was about 600 but surely that must be wrong. My ticket for stoke is Kingsland North unreserved seating So not much chance of filling the Kingsland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Soze Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 Anyone bothering with the Stoke game? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plumstead_Saint Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 yes - valuable practice. Spot on. Anyone who can't keep up won't be much use to us this season. And it must be better preparation than hanging out at the training ground? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saint_coxy Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 I think it will be a good run out for the lads before Cardiff on Saturday and a good final practice for Jan to sort out his final formation and squad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Um Bongo Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 Could they not hold the game at Staplewood? Not really much point having it at St Marys. 12,000 there on Friday night, be lucky to see 9,000 i think, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hugh Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 Well, having been away until today and having missed the West Ham game, I am looking forward to the Stoke game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 I can't see us putting out the starting 11 for Cardiff against Stoke, this is assuming that was the starting 11 against West ham (which if it was not before hand, certainly looks like it now). They really knocked their pan out against West Ham and it's just too much for a young team with so many games to come. I don't see it as wise doing the same with last years team, let alone this one. Use this game to get the rest of the squad fit and pointers for any to break through. West Ham was the first "real" test for what we've got to come over the season. Stoke is the same. Anyway, it won't be far off the starting 11, bearing in mind we also have a reserve friendly against Woking on Tuesday. It should be a good mix of senior and youth against Stoke, somewhere along the lines of what we'll be looking to start the season with, and predominantly youth against Woking. I'll be off to Woking anyhow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyboy_Saint Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 Put most of the 'older pros' in the team for this game for a match fitness build up and also to see if they are willing to put the effort in to win back there starting positions because on Fridays showing the young ones are here to stay. My team would be: Davis Imudia, Thomas, Lancashire, Mills Euell, Wotton Dyer, Skacel, Saga John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintKenny Posted 3 August, 2008 Share Posted 3 August, 2008 Anyone bothering with the Stoke game? I am going! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrent Of Abuse Posted 4 August, 2008 Share Posted 4 August, 2008 Yes we do. Being Saints, we have to follow any decent result with a bad result as quickly as possible in order to dampen down any unwanted levels of excitement. If we beat Stoke, we'll probably have to quickly schedule another match against Real Madrid the next day just to save us all from a tidal wave of happiness which we're ill-equipped to deal with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaptopSaint Posted 4 August, 2008 Share Posted 4 August, 2008 Shurely it's worth playing Stoke simply for the chance to wind up Ricardo Fuller? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintDonkey Posted 4 August, 2008 Share Posted 4 August, 2008 It's the friendly I'm most worried about as it will be the truest test of the off season. Whether it should be played with fringe players or the supposed first team I'm not sure - a test for the first team would be the most valuable but I share the concerns about injuries and just plain playing too many games just before the start of the season. If we play the 'fringe' players then it's a wasted opportunity to gauge ourselves against the right level of opposition, but as a test it's surely too late since there's no time to change anything? Oh I don't know I'm just confused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toomer Posted 4 August, 2008 Share Posted 4 August, 2008 What we don't need is someone getting a knock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Window Cleaner Posted 4 August, 2008 Share Posted 4 August, 2008 Do we really need to be playing Stoke on Tues? I would think so, we certainly need more than the measly 12K or so who attended the West Ham game.What happened to Saturday friendlies? are there too many weddings and other receptions to be able to use the stadium for football now on a Saturday . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzmeister Posted 4 August, 2008 Share Posted 4 August, 2008 I think yes we do as it will be the closest test we will have against a strong CCC team, i.e. the type we will come up against on a weekly basis and the type we will need to overcome to progress up this league. More important than West Ham IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Durman Posted 4 August, 2008 Share Posted 4 August, 2008 One player that will definitely be rested is Svenson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Johnson Posted 4 August, 2008 Share Posted 4 August, 2008 I expect to see most of the players who didnt get a run out against West Ham to start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painswick Saint Posted 4 August, 2008 Share Posted 4 August, 2008 It will be a good test of our capabilties. Just a bit too close to the Cardiff match for my liking, though. Like several of the other posters on here, I would be worried if we picked up a couple of injuries in a squad that just seems to be taking shape Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professor Posted 5 August, 2008 Share Posted 5 August, 2008 By changing the team at half time it looks as if JP didn't feel the first team needed another game, but it seems to have been worthwhile to give the rest of the squad half a game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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