🗓️Pre-Season Friendlies 2024/25

[BigFatPie]

Still can’t fathom why some seem so obsessed with how PSF are going. We haven’t once played the same starting line up. I think it’s obvious who the better players are in our squad and they rarely play with each other in these games.
If Boston want to play at full tilt, that’s them. Folk would soon be moaning if we were playing our strongest side and turning teams over 3/4 nil but picking up injuries along the way. SM can’t win, though I hope that trend changes a week on Saturday.

Obviously psf don’t matter, but currently they’re the only guide we have as to how the season will go. Tonight was the first and only one I’ll go to and I could see that many of the problems we had in the second half of last season on tonight’s evidence still exist. Including obviously self inflicted ones like playing key players out of position. Or not playing some players at all where was Bass tonight?

I hope we turn up at Tranmere and everything will ne great and we’ve got nothing to worry about . Do I think that will happen? No.

[OldBanksy]

You appear not to have noticed, but there are a few players not getting minutes in legs and the dismal results suggests that the players aren't gelling particularly well!

Players who aren't getting minutes are injured. The players only need to be ready to gel well when the season starts.

[80milesSouth]

I would have thought the last couple of friendlies before the season starts should see us playing with pretty much our first choice 11 so that they gel as a unit

[irishpete]

I would have thought the last couple of friendlies before the season starts should see us playing with pretty much our first choice 11 so that they gel as a unit

We'll get the usual ****, that it takes 10 or so games for the team to gel when we get off to a bad start. Got no buzz about this season at all at the minute.Hope I'm miles off the mark but.....

[slack_pie]

Jeez, the state of this thread. If we're in meltdown after losing a pre-season friendly, what's this place going to be like if we lose at Tranmere (which we always tend to do)?

It's clear that Maynard won't be given any time by a lot of vocal Notts fans. I can see the boos and "Maynard out" messages erupting every time we don't win. Not sure how helpful it is really.

[Notts78]

I would have thought the last couple of friendlies before the season starts should see us playing with pretty much our first choice 11 so that they gel as a unit

A fair point. I will counter it. If you spend the last few games playing your first choice 11 and then your keeper gets sent off in the first game, you are left with a keeper who hasn’t played for a few weeks. Or your centre midfielder picks up an injury, you are left with a player not match fit. Or as some predict, your unproven first choice striker goes a few games without a goal and you want to change it, the player replacing him hasn’t played for weeks.
Pre season is the worst part of the year for most players where they are ran ragged - to not have that carrot of a game dangled in front of you would be horrific.
The thing that’s also gone relatively unnoticed is that youth players have been making an appearance.. some on here have been banging the drum about seeing more of these lads given a go. Is a PSF not better than a League game to see how they go?

[OldRoadsider]

I didnt go last night but have seen them at Alfreton and York.
Disappointing is the word Id use to describe the performances.
Of course, there are lots of changes and it takes time to gel.
I just hope The Bros dont leave it too late to sack him if things do not start well.
I dont feel he offers the inspiration required to make players believe.
If we are not on track by the end of September, then he has had sufficient time to make an impact.
The one caveat I'll add is we do need a Striker to give him a realistic chance

[kill_the_drum]

I try not to pay too much attention to PSF results but Maynard said he wants to get into winning habits and he’s certainly not achieved that.
I don’t buy that players are only giving 50%. They are all pushing to be first team players come Tranmere and I think a lot of places are up for grabs. And if the management team want a squad of players to be match fit, they will be pushing them to give everything when they’re on the pitch. It’s then about managing the time they’re on the pitch to minimise injuries.
Maynard and the club know his margin for error is slim before the fans turn, so he really would have wanted better results even in PSF games.
No points have been lost and Tranmere is when it really matters, but id be lying if I didn’t say I’m feeling a little underwhelmed.

[matt_magpie]

A fair point. I will counter it. If you spend the last few games playing your first choice 11 and then your keeper gets sent off in the first game, you are left with a keeper who hasn’t played for a few weeks. Or your centre midfielder picks up an injury, you are left with a player not match fit. Or as some predict, your unproven first choice striker goes a few games without a goal and you want to change it, the player replacing him hasn’t played for weeks.
Pre season is the worst part of the year for most players where they are ran ragged - to not have that carrot of a game dangled in front of you would be horrific.
The thing that’s also gone relatively unnoticed is that youth players have been making an appearance.. some on here have been banging the drum about seeing more of these lads given a go. Is a PSF not better than a League game to see how they go?

Exactly, great point on the youth players though he has little choice to play them with squad size. The facts are the friendlies are selected and all the players share the minutes to build up to get to 90 for the week before the season starts, that’s why we have 2 games Sat. If he was to pick the 1st 11 for 60 at the moment then the second would just be full of 4 or 5 available seniors and then youth and trialists and a bit of a waste of time that way.
I think most the doom and gloom is driven by not many believe in SM and we also seem to be short of 1 or 2 more quality players and less so about the results.

[MapperleyMagpie]

This has been very very underwhelming . Not only is Maynard under pressure but so is the recruitment team as seem to have missed out on a few first choices as well as letting our best player go for peanuts.