Preseason 2020-21

[Kenneth E End]

Luton play their first game today v Berkhamsted (Step 4). Not sure why we're bothering with such lowly opposition these days to be honest, 6 divisions below.

2-0 up after 15 minutes.

 

[oakroader]

Yeah... surely it would be more beneficial to arrange more challenging games against the players on the fringe of squads from the likes of spurs,arsenal,Chelsea etc...
I’m convinced the experience of playing a higher quality of opposition would be appreciated from all parties...
Why wait for a mid season pointless cup ???

 

[Kenneth E End]

Luton won 9-0, with hattricks from Collins and Hylton.
Further friendlies to come v Wealdstone, Stevenage and Northampton.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

It’s just a fitness excercise, the competition at this stage of pre season is essentially irrelevant, if anything you want to start off easy as it will be low intensity game with smaller injury concern.

Finished 9-0 eventually.

 

[Kenneth E End]

It’s just a fitness excercise, the competition at this stage of pre season is essentially irrelevant, if anything you want to start off easy as it will be low intensity game with smaller injury concern.

Finished 9-0 eventually.

Yeah the first week I can understand of course - I just felt last summer we wasted a lot of time playing Welwyn, Bedford and Basingstoke before heading to Portugal to play Maritimo. And then a week before the season starts get smashed by Norwich. My fear that we would go into that Middlesbrough game undercooked was a bit unfounded, but we then went on to lose the next 3.

When we were in the Conference, those sort of games were good, but we're now a Championship side... our prep rises accordingly.

This summer is different because the players have only had 2 weeks off - I think building up the opposition with a Conference team, League 2 team and League 1 team is good. And then you have the League Cup game a week before the season restarts is good prep.

 

[CCFC_Charlie]

We lost 2-1 to Swindon so if you listen to our fans naturally our season is already over. See you in League One next season

 

[Millerbri]

It's not been put out officially but it seems we beat Bradford City 3 2 in a game with lots of changes.

Its going to be difficult for 2 of the 3 promoted teams, who remember haven't played a game since March.
Where as the Championship teams finished their games so theoretically should be more match sharp.

It's important for Coventry and Rotherham to get some game time into their players otherwise they could be playing catch up for the first month of the season.

At least Wycombe had the 3 play off games so they probably have a slight advantage.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Yeah the first week I can understand of course - I just felt last summer we wasted a lot of time playing Welwyn, Bedford and Basingstoke before heading to Portugal to play Maritimo. And then a week before the season starts get smashed by Norwich. My fear that we would go into that Middlesbrough game undercooked was a bit unfounded, but we then went on to lose the next 3.

When we were in the Conference, those sort of games were good, but we're now a Championship side... our prep rises accordingly.

This summer is different because the players have only had 2 weeks off - I think building up the opposition with a Conference team, League 2 team and League 1 team is good. And then you have the League Cup game a week before the season restarts is good prep.

Yeah now you mention I remember thinking the same last season. That whole pre season in fact felt a little haphazard and disorganised if I recall, from who we played to the signings we made quite late.

 

[thewwfc]

we've only announced one friendly that I'm aware of, West Ham at home next Tuesday. Seems a tad light on the preparation front. I know PSFs are little more than a fitness exercise and a chance to see how any new arrivals in the team are fitting in from the playing perspective, but I hope we get more set up.

 

[Super_horns]

Early pictures of our new manager - seems like one you wouldn't want to annoy!

Not sure I've seen a photo of him smiling..

 

[Kenneth E End]

Early pictures of our new manager - seems like one you wouldn't want to annoy!

Not sure I've seen a photo of him smiling..

Well this is going to go well isn't it?
12 months or 12 weeks?

 

[SF_]

Salford on Saturday, Tranmere midweek, both on Youtube for free which is decent, I probably would have paid a fiver or something to watch at least one of them.

A signing before then would be nice but I can't see it.

No word on a new kit yet either.

 

[Atavistic]

I don't know if we've played any other games and just not mentioned it, but we've finally announced our schedule.

Hopefully the rapid-fire run of games doesn't see us pick up any injuries before the new season, as is always the concern (especially given our consistent injury troubles with centre backs throughout last season).

 

[Millerbri]

We beat Bradford City 3 2 and Gainsborough 6 0, both games were not part of the normal RUFC Twitter feed, so not much information came out of the games.
We are at Mansfield on Saturday and the home club is streaming the game for a fiver.

 

[thewwfc]

we're away to Southampton today.

I know it's only a friendly and no-one will be going in too hard for tackles etc, but definitely worth testing ourselves against players of a higher standard.

We'll be featuring a bunch of triallists in the squad also, hope that some of them pan out as we definitely need at least 4 more signings for us to even have a hope in hell of survival at this level.

 

[Kenneth E End]

We'll be featuring a bunch of triallists in the squad also, hope that some of them pan out as we definitely need at least 4 more signings for us to even have a hope in hell of survival at this level.

I fear for Wycombe (OK, not really) - but they really need to add some quality before the start of the season.

19 players on the books so far - I dare say they need at least 5-6 more players to add depth. There are periods of the season where there are very short turnarounds and games in a short period of time. I think after the last international break of this year there are 9 games in 28 days.

They will find their style of football more common in the Championship; teams are more patient and will beat them at their own game.

Just looking at their squad: Ryan Allsop in my eyes isn't a strong enough GK - he is good for a mistake (yes, Sluga was too, but he settled and his quality eventually came through and ended up in our top 3 players for the second half of the season).

You can't rely on Jacobson scoring 10+ goals from LB. Anthony Stewart looks a decent defender - but we thought that of Bradley and Pearson at L1 level and they were found wanting until we signed Carter-Vickers. Gape and Wheeler too are decent players who I think will do well, but can Bloomfield keep going?

Ikpeazu I'm sure will do a job and I really like Onyedinma; I think he will be similar to our Cornick, but not really sure where the goals are coming from? Bayo is being kept on for marketing reasons.

 

[Atavistic]

A 6-0 win for us against MK Dons last night. Nice to shake off some rust with a win (as well as scoring as many goals as our previous 17 or whatever it was competitive games), though can't read too much into that this early in pre-season. Especially with Aarons, Buendia and some of the other expected departures still involved for the time being.

Off on our tour of Germany next, which seems an odd decision in the current climate but not at all surprising with Farke at the helm.

 

[SF_]

Sheff Utd & Everton added to our pre-season, plus one TBC (rumoured to be the scum).

 

[thewwfc]

I fear for Wycombe (OK, not really) - but they really need to add some quality before the start of the season.

19 players on the books so far - I dare say they need at least 5-6 more players to add depth. There are periods of the season where there are very short turnarounds and games in a short period of time. I think after the last international break of this year there are 9 games in 28 days.

They will find their style of football more common in the Championship; teams are more patient and will beat them at their own game.

Just looking at their squad: Ryan Allsop in my eyes isn't a strong enough GK - he is good for a mistake (yes, Sluga was too, but he settled and his quality eventually came through and ended up in our top 3 players for the second half of the season).

You can't rely on Jacobson scoring 10+ goals from LB. Anthony Stewart looks a decent defender - but we thought that of Bradley and Pearson at L1 level and they were found wanting until we signed Carter-Vickers. Gape and Wheeler too are decent players who I think will do well, but can Bloomfield keep going?

Ikpeazu I'm sure will do a job and I really like Onyedinma; I think he will be similar to our Cornick, but not really sure where the goals are coming from? Bayo is being kept on for marketing reasons.

yeah, that’s all fair. I think Bayo is a decent Plan B so it’s not *just* marketing reasons but there is that also.

I think it’s going to be a buyer’s market for players with many clubs having to slash the wage bill and release players they may have kept ordinarily.

But it’s not like we’re swimming in cash either, and as usual we’ll be left scrapping around for rough diamonds that others aren’t interested in.

 

[SF_]

yeah, that’s all fair. I think Bayo is a decent Plan B so it’s not *just* marketing reasons but there is that also.

I think it’s going to be a buyer’s market for players with many clubs having to slash the wage bill and release players they may have kept ordinarily.

But it’s not like we’re swimming in cash either, and as usual we’ll be left scrapping around for rough diamonds that others aren’t interested in.

Did Akinfenwa do much against the better defences last season?

Because I remember him playing for Gillingham against us when we were down there and he didn't get a sniff. I think this is a step too far for him personally but he's made a career of proving people wrong.

 

[SF_]

Might be in the market for another keeper, Rudd not on the bench and rumours he's torn his arsehole and his out for a good while. Can't rely on Connor Ripley.

 

[SF_]

Beat Salford 3-1. Sinclair, Bodin & Harrop.

Salford obviously further into their pre-season and looked sharper for the most part, generally playing on the front foot but the difference in quality in the final third was clear to see.

 

[Super_horns]

We are playing Spurs at some point and I presume a couple of others...

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Beat Stevenage 1-0 this afternoon. Looking at our starting 11s in each half really hammers home that we need to bring in some fullbacks, probably the most important position to how we want to play and it’s kids playing there and a lad stepping up from non league.

 

[Millerbri]

Watched the Mansfield v Rotherham stream and I thought Mansfield looked tidy in the first half and should have led.
It was a comfortable 3 0 to the Millers in the end but a good run out for both teams.
We have Icky, Olosunde, Sadlier, Vassell and Ladapo all injured so when they are fit that should improve us hopefully.

 

[Craig]

Beat Crewe 2-0. Ben Williams out for season with knee ligament rupture, we really need a bit more depth in defence.

 

[Millerbri]

Beat Crewe 2-0. Ben Williams out for season with knee ligament rupture, we really need a bit more depth in defence.

That's terrible bad luck, it's what every manager dreads in preseason.
It's bad enough when you are battling for points, hope the lad has a speedy as possible recovery.

 

[CCFC_Charlie]

Half our first XI are currently injured so pre-season is going great for us. We also now don't have a RWB for the start of the season seeing as Dabo is injured and the guy we brought in as cover has done his ligaments.

 

[SF_]

1-1 with Tranmere, bit of a keep ball session in awful conditions, could tell players were a bit reluctant to get stuck in at times on that sodden pitch.

Barkhuizen scored for us and then in the last minute that bag of shit Billy Bodin gifted them an equaliser with a suicide backpass. Please get rid.

 

[Atavistic]

3-0 win against some German 3rd-tier team yesterday, with another match to come tomorrow against Dynamo Dresden. Hugill travelled to Germany to join up with the squad yesterday, so I'd expect to see him starting or at least playing in some capacity tomorrow.