🗓️Pre-Season Friendlies 2024/25

[LeftPeg_Pie]

I’ve always been one for asserting the view that pre season is for fitness purposes and never get overly worried about results.

I’ve not been to any PSF’s and whilst it is concerning to hear peoples thoughts on a lack of noticeable style of play, I think you have to caveat that with various things in this thread already, especially the specific PSF vs league game intensity, bulk substitutions and players not wanting to get injured amongst them.

Squad wise, I think the basis looks solid;

Bass should realistically be playing every game and is highly rated.

CB wise, there’s seems a good range in Platt, Badeau, Macari, McDonald and Cundy. In a 3, you could easily have Chicksen as the LCB if required.

Wing back is strong. Tsaroulla being injured and missing PS clearly isn’t ideal but again, realistically, Jones will be manning that side with regularity. But Tsaroulla and Chicksen give us the option to move Jones further forward.

Maynard’s choice of shape also dictates how strong our options look in CM/10. Robertson will be the deeper lying CM. Palmer will clearly come in when fit so Edwards could start with SR. Hinchy is a genuine CM and Palmer when he’s back. Ryley Reynolds seems to be having a lot of PS time so could be in the mix?

Crowley starts, no questions asked. Lots of options to play in the other 10 role; Austin, Jones, McGoldrick and Scott. Clearly starting one of the latter takes away the depth from the forward line, but I can only see us playing one up front. Always good to have players who can play in multiple positions.

Jatta will probably start up front.

So you’ve got 23 pro’s. 20 outfield. There’ll also be a couple of ‘long term’ trailists knocking about too who could easily be signed up this week.

There’s also a few youngsters who’ve featured; Alves, Cooney, Gill and Adiefeh. Sanderson will probably be around about that group too. There’s a part of a thread somewhere saying we don’t produce or give the youngsters a chance, but it seems SM has been doing that. But then, counterintuitively, some will argue the squad looks thin if one or two make a bench. So what do we want; a path way or a squad full or pro’s?

From a cursory look, only McDonald, Palmer and Tsaroulla have no PS minutes and probably only Palmer would be a nailed on starter.

Let’s all relax. I feel the loss of Macca is weighing heavy on many fans. This is totally understandable but he’s gone. Onwards and upwards.