🗓️Pre-Season Friendlies 2024/25

[upthemaggies]

We’ve got to cut out the silly mistakes and penalties this season, because I think we’re going to have plenty of tight games where there’s only one goal in it. That may well determine whether we finish 3rd, 13th or 23rd.

"Fine margins" is a cliche but games are more often than not won or lost by the odd goal whilst those lost by a wider margin often turn on a key incident. Generally though, you can work out very early in the season if you've got enough to make those fine margins mostly count in your favour or not.

Posh finished 4th last season in L1 as top scorers, so factoring in the performance of the 1st team game you'd have to say the 0-1 was encouraging, if pre-season games do matter. If they do matter then the positives are offset by a very bad result at Boston. Not beating a York side that barely avoided a return to tier 6 North wasn't a great look either. Beating Wycombe is the best pre-season result, albeit in non-matchday conditions (BCD).

[OldBanksy]

"If they do matter then the positives are offset by a very bad result at Boston.

Didn't Slocombe (who had a shocker today) balls up for York's first goal? Also it looked well offside to me.
And at York I think we were leading and their equaliser came after numerous changes on 60 minutes?

[Elite_Pie]

They are the ‘glass half empty’ brigade

I'm not one of them. At the moment my glass is two thirds empty.

[matt_magpie]

Well let's hope your optimism is well founded and rewarded in kind,then I will gladly eat humble pie and celebrate .

It’s not optimism it’s fact we’re short on the squad and we’ll sign players, it’s just who, it gives me slight confidence that we’ve maybe not dived in and just got anyone.

[OldRoadsider]

Crowley is too deep to hurt the opposition. He needs to play higher up.
Jones was prolific on the left, Why play him on the right when it clearly isnt as succesful?
Slocombe is a broken man.
Hinchy had a decent range of passing.
McGoldrick albeit in the B game was terrific.
Platt was excellent
The trialist on the right at the back didcwell

[Mark_Ross]

Whoever/whatever/wherever the hell we play we cannot stop conceding bldy goals!!

Recruitment (or lack of) is an absolute ****** shambles!

Really not looking forward to this season.

Can I revise my prediction of 20th downwards please?

But looking on the bright side for once, we have got the best pitch in the league (probably). YIPPEEE!!!!!

[matt_magpie]

Whoever/whatever/wherever the hell we play we cannot stop conceding bldy goals!!

Recruitment (or lack of) is an absolute ****** shambles!

Really not looking forward to this season.

Can I revise my prediction of 20th downwards please?

But looking on the bright side for once, we have got the best pitch in the league (probably). YIPPEEE!!!!!

The first team let in 1 away to what will be a top L1 team away?

[BigFatPie]

Whoever/whatever/wherever the hell we play we cannot stop conceding bldy goals!!

Recruitment (or lack of) is an absolute ****** shambles!

Really not looking forward to this season.

Can I revise my prediction of 20th downwards please?

But looking on the bright side for once, we have got the best pitch in the league (probably). YIPPEEE!!!!!

I think we’ll be much better defensively this season. It’s the other end that worries me, particularly if he keeps playing our best players out of position.

I listened to the Paul Mace interview the other day, and Maynard said he likes to bring a bit of ‘unpredictability’ into our team positions. Last season Jodi Jones assisted with 22 goals from the left so there were an awful lot of teams who could predict that, but still couldn’t do anything about it.

[matt_magpie]

Whoever/whatever/wherever the hell we play we cannot stop conceding bldy goals!!

Recruitment (or lack of) is an absolute ****** shambles!

Really not looking forward to this season.

Can I revise my prediction of 20th downwards please?

But looking on the bright side for once, we have got the best pitch in the league (probably). YIPPEEE!!!!!

I think we’ll be much better defensively this season. It’s the other end that worries me, particularly if he keeps playing our best players out of position.

I listened to the Paul Mace interview the other day, and Maynard said he likes to bring a bit of ‘unpredictability’ into our team positions. Last season Jodi Jones assisted with 22 goals from the left so there were an awful lot of teams who could predict that, but still couldn’t do anything about it.

As good as Jodi was on the left teams doubled up on him second half of the season and he was restricted. I think SMs right getting him playing on the right side where he’s done most of his career and get him familiar again in games that don’t matter as he can play left in his sleep

[the_anticlough]

I think SM is right to try to inject more unpredictability into our play. We'll probably see JJ in 3 different positions by the time 10 games have passed.
It's got to be a good thing if opposing coaches have multiple scenarios to plan for.

LW stuck to his winning formula and let the opposition worry about us - great for promotion out of the NL. As a positional coach with set patterns of play the downside was that we could become samey and predictable if not on our game.
SM has to introduce more flexibility and variations without becoming a tinkerman who confuses the squad and breaks the cohesion. It'll need prep, sound judgment and clear communication. And the players have to buy in. We'll see if he can pull it off.