Friendly match thread vs AFC Telford...

[Old_pie]

He seems a bit annoyed, and not at the interviewer.

[lunaspie]

I ask for a shout-out for my 2 Forest supporting mates, Mike and Isaac Hunt, but they didn't bite.

What about the Thurrock Hunts ? They're despised down in Es***.

[laddo]

I never used to think anything of ps friendlies but then we performed like we’d just come out of the pub in 2018 against Derby so I suppose I should.

Nah it's a friendly. We've had many a past season where we have been impressive in preseason friendlies beating high league clubs and then the actual season has been a complete disappointment or worse relegation.

Minutes in the legs, experimental lineups and formation , a semi competitive match. That's about it.

[upthemaggies]

Nah it's a friendly. We've had many a past season where we have been impressive in preseason friendlies beating high league clubs and then the actual season has been a complete disappointment or worse relegation.

1996/97 is the best example of that, unbeaten in pre-season, beat Fword, beat Crystal Palace and then went on to have our worst season ever.
I expect we'll learn more from the match coming up against Harrogate than any of the other 4 games put together, but there's still no points involved.

[BigFatPie]

Nah it's a friendly. We've had many a past season where we have been impressive in preseason friendlies beating high league clubs and then the actual season has been a complete disappointment or worse relegation.

Minutes in the legs, experimental lineups and formation , a semi competitive match. That's about it.

All that is true. Occasionally though, they can be decent guides because despite all the good players we signed that summer, we were absolute garbage against both Derby and Leicester I think. Chasing shadows.

[countygump]

All that is true. Occasionally though, they can be decent guides because despite all the good players we signed that summer, we were absolute garbage against both Derby and Leicester I think. Chasing shadows.

Watching the friendlies that season, I pointed out to my mate who sits next to me. Unless we stop shipping goals, we're really gonna struggle.

[laddo]

It's counterproductive to play sides like Leicester and Derby , too much quality. Like mentioned we just chase shadows and learn nothing as a manager. Yes looks good on paper and the local media, attractive local derbies with decent pre season attendances but from a non financial perspective it's almost pointless.

[Chicken Balti Pie]

It's counterproductive to play sides like Leicester and Derby , too much quality. Like mentioned we just chase shadows and learn nothing as a manager. Yes looks good on paper and the local media, attractive local derbies with decent pre season attendances but from a non financial perspective it's almost pointless.

Hardy just wanted to be in the spotlight. That pre-season was a shambles, the players came back over weight and out of shape, we picked up injuries due to the lack of fitness, it was a masterclass in how to not run a pre-season by Hardy and Nolan.

This year (and play offs as well) the squad came back in very good shape bearing in mind we'd been in lockdown as well. We seem to be a lot more professional this year despite now being in non league

[LaxtonLad]

Watching the friendlies that season, I pointed out to my mate who sits next to me. Unless we stop shipping goals, we're really gonna struggle.

Mystic Meg. How do you do it?

[LaxtonLad]

It's counterproductive to play sides like Leicester and Derby , too much quality. Like mentioned we just chase shadows and learn nothing as a manager. Yes looks good on paper and the local media, attractive local derbies with decent pre season attendances but from a non financial perspective it's almost pointless.

You're right there, laddo. A pre-season friendly like the 8-0 trouncing we got against Swansea does nothing for a team's confidence. Nothing was learned but how great the gap is between us and them. Similarly, playing semi-amateur teams contributes nothing except perhaps fitness, lose against them and there is also gloom. We should be playing teams of our own standard, a standard we should be expecting to play against.