amolbhatia50k
Sneaky bum time - Vaccination status: dozed off
We better be ready for it. Our players may be rusty but our squad is anyway miles better than theirs.
Plus it's all OT, come on !!
Plus it's all OT, come on !!
This view from you surprises me.No. There's a fair chance of it being like the start of last season all over again for us.
You think we will be up to speed then? Leeds will have had a better pre season with their key players, just like Palace last season. There is a risk it's a similar start.This view from you surprises me.
All teams have the same issues, especially the top ones.
Will it be a full house?We better be ready for it. Our players may be rusty but our squad is anyway miles better than theirs.
Plus it's all OT, come on !!
If we start anything like last season we need slapping all the way down Salford Quays and huge questions need to be asked.You think we will be up to speed then? Leeds will have had a better pre season with their key players, just like Palace last season. There is a risk it's a similar start.
Match fitness is different to 'being in shape'.If we start anything like last season we need slapping all the way down Salford Quays and huge questions need to be asked.
Big teams have always had to deal with Euros and WCs. A slower start is fine, a start like last season would be disgraceful with this squad.
Varane should be in tip top shape, Sancho has trained most of the Summer without playing, Henderson & DDG also, Bruno trained but also got plenty of match rest.
Maguire had almost 2 months off, then a chance to really get back in shape over the Summer. AWB has been involved all pre season.
I’d excuse Fred & Shaw having a slow start though.
We've got 2 weeks until the first game and half the team hasn't even started training yet.If we start anything like last season we need slapping all the way down Salford Quays and huge questions need to be asked.
Big teams have always had to deal with Euros and WCs. A slower start is fine, a start like last season would be disgraceful with this squad.
Varane should be in tip top shape, Sancho has trained most of the Summer without playing, Henderson & DDG also, Bruno trained but also got plenty of match rest.
Maguire had almost 2 months off, then a chance to really get back in shape over the Summer. AWB has been involved all pre season.
I’d excuse Fred & Shaw having a slow start though.
Who doesn’t have match fitness? Maguire showed how important “match fitness” really is at the Euros by the way.Match fitness is different to 'being in shape'.
They've been on holiday for 3/4 weeks, just like last season. Fitness is lost far quicker than it is gained.Who doesn’t have match fitness? Maguire showed how important “match fitness” really is at the Euros by the way.
They are match fit, all have been training this Summer either on international duty or with United.
As I say, Shaw and Fred are the ones who had long seasons and long tournaments, I’d excuse them having a sluggish start.
They are elite athletes, as Maguire showed in the Euros, fitness isn’t really lost that quickly because very few simply stop training.They've been on holiday for 3/4 weeks, just like last season. Fitness is lost far quicker than it is gained.
Well it clearly happened last season, but keep holding on to the Maguire example as proof we don't need a proper pre season.They are elite athletes, as Maguire showed in the Euros, fitness isn’t really lost that quickly because very few simply stop training.
A fair few have even been training on their hols, this isn’t Robbo and McGrath.
I don’t think it should be an issue for the reasons you’ve given but it will be an issue because it always is with this group of players. What you can guarantee is that it will definitely be used as the reason/excuse if we do start badly.They are elite athletes, as Maguire showed in the Euros, fitness isn’t really lost that quickly because very few simply stop training.
A fair few have even been training on their hols, this isn’t Robbo and McGrath.
Cheers GeoffWe need to get off to a good start, so Ole and his coaches have to get team selections right.
Slow start I can take but not the horseshit we saw last season.Actually I think there is a bit of an excuse this time- the amount of football in the past 18 months has been incredible and a lot of our players haven't had much of a break. In just two weeks we're off and running again and most first teamers haven't featured in a friendly yet.
I'm anticipating a bit of a slow start once again but you never know. The fixture list in October/November is where the season really hots up and it would be good to go into those fixtures with a decent amount of points on the board and to be near the top of the table.
I can answer that...... 80% of the first team have played at least some preseason games....some, like the very impressive new left back Firpo have played a couple of full games. We have been putting out some reserve players for experience like Shackleton at right back but Ayling will take that spot provided Llorente and Strujk remain fit in central defence.Have Leeds had many first teamers available for pre-season? Does anyone know?
I assume they have managed to recruit a fair few internationals too, haven't they?
Last season none of the players had a genuine rest, that was the biggest problem rather than lack of pre-season. And that huge spell of no matches followed by a spell of a shit tonne of matches, followed by very little rest, followed by a new season with a shit tonne of matches.Well it clearly happened last season, but keep holding on to the Maguire example as proof we don't need a proper pre season.
He also said we'll press a lot and I think we're near the bottom of the league in that.Knowing how fitness is a aspect Ole banged on A LOT about when he took over the team, I fully expect he will make them as ready as possible for the opener.
You heard him elude to "hope the guys have looked after themselves" which clearly means they have been instructed or given some fitness or exercises they have to keep up even while on holiday, which I assume most footballers do anyway though.
I'm think they had the same 3 weeks rest last season like they have had since the Euros.Last season none of the players had a genuine rest, that was the biggest problem rather than lack of pre-season. And that huge spell of no matches followed by a spell of a shit tonne of matches, followed by very little rest, followed by a new season with a shit tonne of matches.
And that aside, we started utterly dogshit, it was no excuse for the likes of the palace performance at home.
I won’t need to hold on to the Maguire example cause I’m sure Chelsea, United, Liverpool and City will all start much better this season.
I fully expected you to get some excuses in early though, just incase, but I have faith that Ole and the squad especially with his two new amazing signings will start the season just fine.
Players haven't come back, the few games we have played we have looked rusty and not fluid at all. Just think the time is running out and we just don't look nowhere near ready. But let's hope Leeds aren't any better.How did you come to that conclusion?
What's important at the moment is what is done in the training ground, not in the preseason games. It's on the training ground is where you improve your defending against set-pieces; you develop how you're going to enhance the link-up between defence, midfield and attack. The preseason is where you get the miles into the legs that's what sets you up for the season; you can't judge what has happened in a few preseason games.
Well ... This doesn't exactly inspire confidence!I can answer that...... 80% of the first team have played at least some preseason games....some, like the very impressive new left back Firpo have played a couple of full games. We have been putting out some reserve players for experience like Shackleton at right back but Ayling will take that spot provided Llorente and Strujk remain fit in central defence.
Phillips has obviously not played due to having been with England and has been missed as Leeds have had to use Heidar Costa as a CDM and he has been abysmal in preseason !
Bamford played and scored in his first game back against Real Betis.
It doesn't really make any difference what their results are like.Leeds aren't having a particularly great pre-season themselves in terms of results.
3-2 W vs Guiseley
1-1 D vs Blackburn
1-2 L vs Fleetwood Town
2-3 L vs Real Betis
They have 2 fixtures remaining against Ajax and Villarreal.
I'd hope we can arrange a BCD friendly between now and the Everton game. If not, by the end of pre-season Leeds will have played 6 games, to our 4, and the majority of our first teamers aren't back in training until tomorrow.
OT will be bang up for a game versus Leeds though. Hopefully the place will be bouncing.
It's pretty much exactly the same as last season. The vast majority of our first team have had feck all rest and aren't back in training yet.It cant possibly be as bad as last season where the players had very little rest and really no preseason to speak of
They've all had a rest this year. Last year I think everyone got 2 weeks holiday and then 2 weeks pre season. I think the rest is actually more important than the preseasonIt's pretty much exactly the same as last season. The vast majority of our first team have had feck all rest and aren't back in training yet.
How is it any different?
It's different in all sorts of ways. Above all in that the previous season we had a week less than anyone else in the PL, and 3 weeks less than most (because of having to play three stages of the EL after the PL finished) - so it affected us worse than it affected other teams. By the time our players went on holiday, players from every other team save Wolves, Chelsea and City had already had 3 weeks. This is the key thing - one thing was how little preparation and rest they'd had, but that might not have mattered as much if everyone else had been in an equally bad position.It's pretty much exactly the same as last season. The vast majority of our first team have had feck all rest and aren't back in training yet.
How is it any different?