2020/21 Pre-Season Friendlies Thread

[masi51]

It's because - and I really don't think I can stress this enough - friendly results mean fuck all!!

A week before the Premier League restarted after lockdown Norwich beat Spurs 2-1 at the Tottenham Stadium.

When the Premier League restarted, Spurs' record was top 3, whereas Norwich didn't win a single game.

The point of this thread is to talk about trialists, etc...

i will give you a fact...Trialist only ever scores pre season.......when the season starts his goals dry up......odd that

 

[Si Robin]

A Trialist seems to do well in the Scottish Lower Leagues throughout the season. B Trialist often gets on the scoresheet as well.

 

[masi51]

A Trialist seems to do well in the Scottish Lower Leagues throughout the season. B Trialist often gets on the scoresheet as well.

A Trialist seems to do well in the Scottish Lower Leagues throughout the season. B Trialist often gets on the scoresheet as well.

We have had a trialist who only gets a cameo roll in the pre season games but he has netted four in four

 

[Posh Harry]

We have had a trialist who only gets a cameo roll in the pre season games but he has netted four in four

But you clearly don’t want to sign him as any attacking players that are on trial don’t score when they have signed. What is Evatt thinking. Looking at attacking players who are not going to score when signed.

Sounds like bad management to me.

 

[masi51]

But you clearly don’t want to sign him as any attacking players that are on trial don’t score when they have signed. What is Evatt thinking. Looking at attacking players who are not going to score when signed.

Sounds like bad management to me.

young lad not ready for the first team. Give him half a game in each of the first two games then last 15 for the other two games. Obviously impressing as Evatt let a few trialists go.

 

[Chris FGR]

Who's the best pre-season triallist people can remember that their club has had in terms of how they did after signing?

Also, which triallist made the biggest impact/got the most hype whilst on trial, but then either didn't sign or didn't do much once they signed?

 

[masi51]

Who's the best pre-season triallist people can remember that their club has had in terms of how they did after signing?

Also, which triallist made the biggest impact/got the most hype whilst on trial, but then either didn't sign or didn't do much once they signed?

We had a fat Iad who had just been released from PSV after suffering a bad injury. Big sam said if he can get him in shape and he stays fit we will have some player.....Eidur Gudjohnsen

 

[Fedora Dale]

Who's the best pre-season triallist people can remember that their club has had in terms of how they did after signing?

Also, which triallist made the biggest impact/got the most hype whilst on trial, but then either didn't sign or didn't do much once they signed?

Best for how they did after signing has to be Matt Done. Signed on after a month's trial in July 2010. Had a decent season on the wing. Sold to Barnsley June 2011 (jointly with Scott Wiseman for £200k, so call it 100k each).

Back on a free summer 2013, played mostly on the wing or left back in the 2013/14 promotion team, switched up front in League 1 and scored 14 goals in the first half of the season, then sold to Sheffield United for £300k.

Back again on a free in July 2017 and been here ever since.

 

[valefan16]

We had young Billy Sharp on trial... didn’t want to spend the fee Sheffield wanted... so he went to Scunthorpe... the rest is history

 

[RLC]

Who's the best pre-season triallist people can remember that their club has had in terms of how they did after signing?

Also, which triallist made the biggest impact/got the most hype whilst on trial, but then either didn't sign or didn't do much once they signed?

Probably Gareth Roberts.

He had been released by a Greek club before arriving on trial, and went on to play about 300 games for us, become club captain and a full Welsh international, and play a key part in the teams that reached the League Cup final and three FA Cup quarter finals.

John Achterberg also came to us on trial in mid season and became a club legend.

 

[Fedora Dale]

We had young Billy Sharp on trial... didn’t want to spend the fee Sheffield wanted... so he went to Scunthorpe... the rest is history

With us, the one that got away is Lucas Akins. Was on trial the same time as Matt Done, in summer 2010, but either wasn't offered anything or turned down terms. Went to Tranmere, then Stevenage and Burton. Very solid L1 player.

 

[RLC]

With us, the one that got away is Lucas Akins. Was on trial the same time as Matt Done, in summer 2010, but either wasn't offered anything or turned down terms. Went to Tranmere, then Stevenage and Burton. Very solid L1 player.

Akins looked really average when he was here and was not rated by most of our fans. He seems to have improved a lot over the years and ran us ragged when we played Burton last season.

 

[SF_]

I take it there are no Salford posters? thought they looked pretty good.

Ashley Hunter is a ridiculously good player for this league.
Gibson looks like the type of sitter you need down here as well, still has ability just zero pace.
Tom Clarke will be great for them if he stays fit.
Threlkeld is a good full back too, we were linked with him before he went to Belgium.
Henderson looked wank but can't knock his record in L1.

Don't rate Grezza as a manager but he'd do well to fuck up promotion with that squad.

 

[Casey]

Played Tottenham u23s yesterday at their training ground. Ended 2-2 with our goals from Rico (De Niro) German and Adebowale. Two completely different sides in each half again.

Nathaniel -Grant hasn't played yet, Morais nowhere to be seen again and, it seems, Grego-Cox did a cruciate against Exeter last season and will probably not feature this season.

Casey

 

[E10rifle]

I take it there are no Salford posters?

Of course not.

 

[Worcestershire White]

I take it there are no Salford posters? thought they looked pretty good.

Ashley Hunter is a ridiculously good player for this league.
Gibson looks like the type of sitter you need down here as well, still has ability just zero pace.
Tom Clarke will be great for them if he stays fit.
Threlkeld is a good full back too, we were linked with him before he went to Belgium.
Henderson looked wank but can't knock his record in L1.

Don't rate Grezza as a manager but he'd do well to fuck up promotion with that squad.

Do Salford actually have any fans?

 

[Casey]

Just realised who else has been missing from our friendlies. Bez Lubala. He is just about our best player, why on Earth would I miss him?

What did I come upstairs for?

Casey

 

[BlackHaddock]

Apparently we have friendlies on Tuesday and Saturday, but the club haven't said who against and where. All a bit strange, why be so secretive?

Maybe we don't want other clubs knowing what trialist's we are checking out?

 

[Son of Cod]

Apparently we have friendlies on Tuesday and Saturday, but the club haven't said who against and where. All a bit strange, why be so secretive?

Maybe we don't want other clubs knowing what trialist's we are checking out?

Tuesday is us plus a few trialists vs an entire team of trialists according to Ollie in his very windy post-match after the Cleethorpes game.

 

[BlackHaddock]

Tuesday is us plus a few trialists vs an entire team of trialists according to Ollie in his very windy post-match after the Cleethorpes game.

An entire team of trailists? What is the point of that? 11 blokes all trying to impress but with no tactics or teammate knowledge, Ollie going to manage both teams on the day? That's a lot of players to keep an eye on in 90 minutes.

 

[Chris FGR]

Goals from our game on Saturday. Some good finishes.

 

[Son of Cod]

An entire team of trailists? What is the point of that? 11 blokes all trying to impress but with no tactics or teammate knowledge, Ollie going to manage both teams on the day? That's a lot of players to keep an eye on in 90 minutes.

I think it's more of a recruitment exercise than it is for first team match fitness, to be honest. The club has quite clearly fucked up the friendlies this season though. He was also in another interview a few weeks back saying they were trying to arrange some but as all other clubs had their schedules in place it was proving to be too difficult. Absolutely ridiculous if so. Surely we can get friendlies against the locals that usually do at the very least? Gainsborough, Barton, Brigg, etc.

 

[Son of Cod]

Goals from our game on Saturday. Some good finishes.

Third one is a banger. Good atmosphere for a home match for you lot too!

 

[Chris FGR]

Third one is a banger. Good atmosphere for a home match for you lot too!

Biggest crowd we'll get all season.

 

[Son of Cod]

Biggest crowd we'll get all season.

Seriously though, is that your training pitch? It looks a lot like the pitch I played on at U14s to U16s.

 

[Chris FGR]

Seriously though, is that your training pitch? It looks a lot like the pitch I played on at U14s to U16s.

Yeah, it's at Stanley Park in Chippenham.

 

[Luke Imp]

I think it's more of a recruitment exercise than it is for first team match fitness, to be honest. The club has quite clearly fucked up the friendlies this season though. He was also in another interview a few weeks back saying they were trying to arrange some but as all other clubs had their schedules in place it was proving to be too difficult. Absolutely ridiculous if so. Surely we can get friendlies against the locals that usually do at the very least? Gainsborough, Barton, Brigg, etc.

I'm assuming it depends on whether those teams have had all their testing or at a particular stage at their stadiums to be 'Covid secure'. For example we usually end up playing Lincoln United, Trinity and a Grantham/Spalding type side but I'm pretty sure it was said we weren't able to this season for that exact reason.

We played Leicester U23's on Saturday lunch time at our training ground as well, although we're back at SB on Tuesday against Scunny where all the stadium protocols are going to be checked through.

 

[Luke Imp]

Who's the best pre-season triallist people can remember that their club has had in terms of how they did after signing?

Also, which triallist made the biggest impact/got the most hype whilst on trial, but then either didn't sign or didn't do much once they signed?

Neal Eardley for us. Absolute class. Still find is mildly amusing that Vale opted to end his trial and sign Laurie Wilson instead.

 

[valefan16]

Neal Eardley for us. Absolute class. Still find is mildly amusing that Vale opted to end his trial and sign Laurie Wilson instead.

That was Michael Brown's management for you!

 

[Monkey Tennis]

The best triallist I've seen for us was Danny Racchi, a couple of years ago - looked incredible on the ball and then signed for someone a couple of divisions lower.

The only one that I can think of that was a reasonable success was Kemy Augustien, who played in a trial match and then signed a month-long deal. Scored the best goal I've ever seen at Holker Street and then his agent fucked up the rest of his career for him.