Friendlies - who will we play?

[Nou_Camp99]

With PL clubs being given the green light to arrange friendlies before resumption of league in 2 weeks surely that must be at the request of the clubs right?

Wonder who we will play? I imagine local teams would make the most sense. However can't see us playing City or Liverpool just because well it's never really a friendly is it?

Burnley, Everton, Sheff Utd all fairly local. They could be options I suppose.

Definitely think 1 or 2 behind closed doors friendlies to blow away the cobwebs is a good idea for sure.

 

[SirAF]

Will they even be announced? They’ll probably just play at the training ground.

 

[roonster09]

I would have said some lower league team but not sure if they will be given permission to play the games.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Not even sure we will. We have enough for 2 teams of 11 already, why take the risk with COVID and potential injuries from other reckless players?

We can have high quality training matches with our own squad.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

Doubt it. If there is a concern of playing matches due to COVID, friendlies are not any different.

 

[romufc]

Not even sure we will. We have enough for 2 teams of 11 already, why take the risk with COVID and potential injuries from other reckless players?

We can have high quality training matches with our own squad.

Thats what Liverpool have been doing.

We could play friendlies ourselves, keep away from any COVID distraction.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Not even sure we will. We have enough for 2 teams of 11 already, why take the risk with COVID and potential injuries from other reckless players?

We can have high quality training matches with our own squad.

That would make the most sense, I think. You lose the dynamic of playing against another teams tactics, but probably less chance of injury.

I also read that coaches have to referee, and proper refs can't be used, so there'd be some sort of bias anyway. Might as well keep it in-house

 

[pascell]

I'm guessing the likes of Bolton, Wigan, Blackburn and PNE.

 

[romufc]

I'm guessing the likes of Bolton, Wigan, Blackburn and PNE.

I am not sure we should organise these with lower league clubs.

 

[SilentWitness]

It doesn't make sense to risk more exposure by playing lower league clubs or even other PL clubs. Keep it in house and have First XI vs Reserve friendlies.

 

[Samid]

DDG
AWB - Maguire - Lindelof - Shaw
Matic
Pogba - Bruno
Greenwood - Martial - Rashford

vs

Ighalo
James - Mata - Chong
McTominay - Fred
Williams - Tuanzebe - Bailly - Dalot
Romero​

Referee: Grant
Ball boys: Lingard, Pereira
Physio: Jones

 

[Brightonian]

I disagree with most above, I don't think you can get the same benefits from in-house xi v xi games as you can from playing another side. Friendlies may not be as competitive as real games, but there's a sort of tension and unpredictability that you just can't get playing against the mates and colleagues who you train with every single day.

If I were us I'd be looking to organise one at least, just to reduce the huge pressure on that first game against Spurs and shake a little rust off. By my reckoning, we've got up to 18 games left to play this season. One extra isn't really going to significantly increase the covid risk.

 

[duffer]

I disagree with most above, I don't think you can get the same benefits from in-house xi v xi games as you can from playing another side. Friendlies may not be as competitive as real games, but there's a sort of tension and unpredictability that you just can't get playing against the mates and colleagues who you train with every single day.

If I were us I'd be looking to organise one at least, just to reduce the huge pressure on that first game against Spurs and shake a little rust off. By my reckoning, we've got up to 18 games left to play this season. One extra isn't really going to significantly increase the covid risk.

Who could you play though? None of the lower tier sides are even in training.

 

[limerickcitykid]

Who could you play though? None of the lower tier sides are even in training.

Fairly sure almost all Championship sides are back training. I know for sure Charlton returned last week. And so did Preston but they subsequently had a positive test so not sure if anything changed for them.

 

[noodlehair]

How have PL teams managed to go from whining that it isn't safe to play, to arranging needless friendlies at what can't be more than a few days notice?

 

[Rozay]

We can play our women’s team.

 

[Brightonian]

Who could you play though? None of the lower tier sides are even in training.

I dunno. I'm not saying I have any idea whether it will happen, just that if it was up to me I'd be trying to arrange one.