What's in a pre-season?

[General]

With one game to go much of what pre season is about has already happened...

In our preseason this year we've played a lot of different styles of play from a large variety of countries.. From the central/southern American flair in Costa Rica, to well established and strong teams in the Spanish and German leagues with another from the Italian league rounding off the experience.

In many ways for me this has been our strongest preseason as I can't remember a time which included so much varied used of our time (including the altitudes of our camp in Switzerland or Austria and Costa Rica) to playing a consistently high level of teams with such a variety if styles..

Some games have been exciting, some less so, but if we put into place the fact that real betis came 7th last year and we arrived on the day of the game apparently for the Bremen game then what does that say about our preparations?

Are we expecting to win preseason games because they're preseason and that's when you're meant to? Or are we excited that were giving good games to top 10 sides in Europe?

Are we being unnecessarily frustrated at our opportunities created in games, crying out for a front man, or is having the ball in the back of the net three times against a top ten Spanish team tell its own story?

Outside of the top four has anyone else had that intensity to their preseason as our players?

I know Sunderland seem to have strengthened quite a bit but are we overhyping other teams transfer business and always thinking about how food on someone else's plate looks better than our own? We have after all signed one of the worlds best goalkeepers along with one of arguably the best defenders in the Spanish league (despite his disciplinary record) and if jol is to be believed close to bringing in one of the potentially exciting prospects in the premiership to complement a group of youngsters bursting to break through. Not to mention Jol mentioning he expects something on Bent (someone with a high proven track record in the premiership) or another player by the end of the week as mentioned in his press conference yesterday.

I think we do need another more creative central midfielder, even if we do get taraabt and another LB and or RB to go with a striker but am I being greedy?

[General]

Also why does Jol seem to always tinker at the beginning if the season with tried and tested methods in preseason?

Last year Petric did phenomenally well in pre season and then once the season started hardly got a look in, now he seems to have randomly moved Ruiz to the wings just as we're about to get started and I'm sure it's not the first time... I remember a pre season where stockdale had a blinder for a number of games including against Celtic and then was dropped for Schwarzer who had been fit all of preseason..

Anyone know what's going on there?