Today's Game

[Twig]

Today went fine. Our current "starters" -- 4+ of whom won't be starting against Palace -- held up ok against a good team for 60 mins.

Everyone knows we need more players. I'm sure management is aware of that, too. If we look bad against Celta Vigo in the final warmup match, I'll start to get more worried, and even then, it's just a friendly.

In what way are these pre season games going fine? Please explain to me how they are preparing us for the imminent start of the prem season?

[toshes mate]

Honestly what the fu@k do Macintosh and Tony Khan think they're doing?

This is just totally disrespectful to Jokanovic and the players.

At best our preseason so far has been pointless and we'll start the season having had no useful practice games. At worst it's dispiriting and we'll start the season lacking confidence and perhaps even without Jokanovic.

This has got to the point where the window has to recognised as a total fu@# up so far and it DOES have an effect. There's a reason every club spends time and money on preseason, it's not just something they do for a laugh that we can do without. It's not about patience or positivity anymore - we really are going to be f+&#ing relegated if we don't take MAJOR ACTION NOW

We played two champions league teams, with essentially two of the halves with our academy players out. No doubt you'll take the view that Joka is doing so to prove a point or because he doesn't have any players, because you've been peddling that view for weeks now, but has it ever occurred to you he's using these games to bring players up to speed slowly and blood the youth team players in to see who's able to make the step up? Lyon have a better squad than half of the premier league for Christ sake, sometimes I think you need a sense of perspective

Is the squad half full or half empty?  Either way 'half' of it is missing as Statto points out as frequently and as often as it needs to be said.  That being the case Jokanovic can hardly use these games to get an indication where he needs to tinker with things so the team works more smoothly.  For example we don't have a striker - as many have noticed it is a department we have been lacking for quite some time now - unless your perspective is severely affected by total blindness.   But not to worry, pre-season is just about going through the motions, apparently, and one wonders why we bothered to leave Motspur Park at all.

[Facts Not Fiction]

Today went fine. Our current "starters" -- 4+ of whom won't be starting against Palace -- held up ok against a good team for 60 mins.

Everyone knows we need more players. I'm sure management is aware of that, too. If we look bad against Celta Vigo in the final warmup match, I'll start to get more worried, and even then, it's just a friendly.

In what way are these pre season games going fine? Please explain to me how they are preparing us for the imminent start of the prem season?

We're playing tough sides, which will help prepare the players for what's to come. Playing against nobody's means you learn nothing.

[Facts Not Fiction]

You're so naive it's worrying.

You think attaching high calibre players is easy? It takes time. Pre season is about fitness first and foremost.

BS. If you want to get fit you go on an exercise bike. You don't spend £100k flying the squad to Switzerland and hiring a whole hotel for a week. You go to the trouble of playing pre-season fixtures to get the team ready for competitive matches, to get them used to playing with each other. You don't achieve any of that when you send out a team half full of kids to get spanked without having an attempt on target. All we learned today is we need a lot more bodies in because those we have will get hammered by 4+ goals against 30-50% of the teams we play next year. At best today was pointless and had no effect on the team, positive or negative. At worst it was dispiriting.

Match fitness is different to fitness. The whole squad is fit. They're footballers.

We knew we needed bodies anyway. There is no point playing small teams and learning nothing. Playing high calibre teams prepares us for the challenges next season. 

Nonsense.

Naive.

[hovewhite]

This season is mirroring last seasons pre season.
That's worrying!

[Woolly Mammoth]

Whichever way you look at it, this situation is far from ideal.
Yes we are playing quality sides in these friendlies which is what we need.
But when these friendlies were arranged, surely the club and/or the manager thought that by now, we would have and should have signed more players than we have.
Because after these last two friendlies in France, it is clear that we need to strengthen positions in defence on the wing, in midfield, and up front, not forgetting the Goalkeeper slot, since Button has left.
So in actual fact we need quality starters and cover in most positions.
Plenty of rumours, but no real substance. I assume Mitro and Fabri are almost here which is reassuring.
If rumours are to be believed then we are in the market for other quality players and negotiatings are ongoing but clearly some are complicated.
What if these other deals fall through and we are left scraping with other clubs to pursued other players to join us.
It's not as though we just need two or three players which is difficult and time consuming as it is.
But we need between 6 and 8 and I include Mitro and Fabri in that.
Not an encouraging build up to the season by any means. It's been ten days since the last signing, and 18 days left to secure all targets.
How many of these will be secured for the final two friendlies.
I can only imagine that from tomorrow onwards we will see the fruit of the clubs hard work in bringing quality players in, but it doesn't leave much room for error, and it should not be like that should it, and very frustrating and demoralising for the manager.

[KingofCheese]

That's that then. Not sure if we should bother turning up this season with this team. I suspect that half of the players are thinking of leaving following those two defeats and obviously the team have lost faith in Slava and he has lost the dressing room. I think unless we sign two or three top quality players in the next 24 hours we can safely say we will be relegated and the team broken up. Sad that we have come to this so soon after all the hope of the play off final.

[Riversider]

Whichever way you look at it, this situation is far from ideal.
Yes we are playing quality sides in these friendlies which is what we need.
But when these friendlies were arranged, surely the club and/or the manager thought that by now, we would have and should have signed more players than we have.
Because after these last two friendlies in France, it is clear that we need to strengthen positions in defence on the wing, in midfield, and up front, not forgetting the Goalkeeper slot, since Button has left.
So in actual fact we need quality starters and cover in most positions.
Plenty of rumours, but no real substance. I assume Mitro and Fabri are almost here which is reassuring.
If rumours are to be believed then we are in the market for other quality players and negotiatings are ongoing but clearly some are complicated.
What if these other deals fall through and we are left scraping with other clubs to pursued other players to join us.
It's not as though we just need two or three players which is difficult and time consuming as it is.
But we need between 6 and 8 and I include Mitro and Fabri in that.
Not an encouraging build up to the season by any means. It's been ten days since the last signing, and 18 days left to secure all targets.
How many of these will be secured for the final two friendlies.
I can only imagine that from tomorrow onwards we will see the fruit of the clubs hard work in bringing quality players in, but it doesn't leave much room for error, and it should not be like that should it, and very frustrating and demoralising for the manager.

We're basically singing from the same hymn sheet, but what I would say though is that as play off winners we are at a massive disadvantage to both Cardiff and Wolves, Cardiff were promoted 3 weeks before us and Wolves were as good as up in March.

[Deeping_white]

Also for a little bit of perspective, West Ham played essentially their first team against Preston and drew 2-2, Brighton played AFC Wimbledon and lost 2-1 also with a large chunk of their first team involved.

[Woolly Mammoth]

I understand about Wolves and Cardiff, but surely the club had two plans of attack after we had secured a top six spot.
One is a working and operating agenda if we ended up in the Premier.
The other is a working and operating agenda if we stayed in the Championship.
I would call that foresight and vision. Two very important words when running a football club.
Of course we could all be raising our glasses to drink to the health of our Recruitment and Negotiating teams before the season commences, and it's happy days alround.
On the other hand it may not be that case.
But there is no harm in sensible debate, that's what Football Forums are for.
Nothing to do with Positive or Negative 👍👎 attitudes. Just realism v apathy, or is it streetwise v naivity or glass half full v glass half empty, or actuality v delusion.
Whatever happens our season depends on it.

[Classic94]

I understand about Wolves and Cardiff, but surely the club had two plans of attack after we had secured a top six spot.
One is a working and operating agenda if we ended up in the Premier.
The other is a working and operating agenda if we stayed in the Championship.
I would call that foresight and vision. Two very important words when running a football club.
Of course we could all be raising our glasses to drink to the health of our Recruitment and Negotiating teams before the season commences, and it's happy days alround.
On the other hand it may not be that case.
But there is no harm in sensible debate, that's what Football Forums are for.
Nothing to do with Positive or Negative 👍👎 attitudes. Just realism v apathy, or is it streetwise v nativity, or glass half full v glass half empty, or v delusion.

Whichever way you look at it, this situation is far from ideal.
Yes we are playing quality sides in these friendlies which is what we need.
But when these friendlies were arranged, surely the club and/or the manager thought that by now, we would have and should have signed more players than we have.
Because after these last two friendlies in France, it is clear that we need to strengthen positions in defence on the wing, in midfield, and up front, not forgetting the Goalkeeper slot, since Button has left.
So in actual fact we need quality starters and cover in most positions.
Plenty of rumours, but no real substance. I assume Mitro and Fabri are almost here which is reassuring.
If rumours are to be believed then we are in the market for other quality players and negotiatings are ongoing but clearly some are complicated.
What if these other deals fall through and we are left scraping with other clubs to pursued other players to join us.
It's not as though we just need two or three players which is difficult and time consuming as it is.
But we need between 6 and 8 and I include Mitro and Fabri in that.
Not an encouraging build up to the season by any means. It's been ten days since the last signing, and 18 days left to secure all targets.
How many of these will be secured for the final two friendlies.
I can only imagine that from tomorrow onwards we will see the fruit of the clubs hard work in bringing quality players in, but it doesn't leave much room for error, and it should not be like that should it, and very frustrating and demoralising for the manager.

Completely agree. Did we arrange these fixtures expecting to lose an aggregate 7-0? I simply don't buy into the dismissive view of pre-season games. Building match fitness is one thing, but consolidating our strongest eleven and developing winning habits are another. How are the management team expected to do this with a chronically threadbare squad? If anything, these games have exposed our complete lack of depth. As you say, we need a MINIMUM of six players before the deadline in under three weeks  - most of these starters. No, it's not panic stations yet but next week needs to be a busy one.

[@jolslover]

We went at half time 0-0 against a strong Lyon team then changes get made and things change its a training session. Take a chill pill Jesus, we've just made the 2 signing with more to come. Just relax. I'm seriously starting to hate the negativity on this board and it's just a preseason game. Get a bloody grip

Agree

[Facts Not Fiction]

People don't seem to understand that targeting the higher class players will mean an increase in time taken. It's easy to go to a championship club, and say we'll have your best player. Going to CL level clubs and trying to bring players in is a much tougher task.

If we end up with a weak squad come the end of the window, I'd understand the criticism, but with over 2 weeks to go, there is still time.   

[Twig]

You're so naive it's worrying.

You think attaching high calibre players is easy? It takes time. Pre season is about fitness first and foremost.

BS. If you want to get fit you go on an exercise bike. You don't spend £100k flying the squad to Switzerland and hiring a whole hotel for a week. You go to the trouble of playing pre-season fixtures to get the team ready for competitive matches, to get them used to playing with each other. You don't achieve any of that when you send out a team half full of kids to get spanked without having an attempt on target. All we learned today is we need a lot more bodies in because those we have will get hammered by 4+ goals against 30-50% of the teams we play next year. At best today was pointless and had no effect on the team, positive or negative. At worst it was dispiriting.

Match fitness is different to fitness. The whole squad is fit. They're footballers.

We knew we needed bodies anyway. There is no point playing small teams and learning nothing. Playing high calibre teams prepares us for the challenges next season. 

Nonsense.

Naive.

So that's your favourite word right now? I understand, used to do the same myself when I was about six years old.

[Friendsoffulham]

The squabbling on this post is absolutely appalling, so it has now been locked. If you want to act like children, please do so via PM, and don't ruin it for the others who want to contribute, and enjoy this forum.