Pre-season Schedule and games

grey_til_I_dye

We've got some proper footballers in our squad now, haven't we? We really do look good breaking forwards.

welovethehammers

Lukerz said:

welovethehammers said:

At work annoyingly. Can anyone fill me in on who's done well/not well other than Anderson?

Anderson has been wasteful giving the amount of play he has had. Clearly quality, though.

Wilshere, Fredericks, Johnson, Antonio have all caught my eye. Noble & Rice solid. Lanzini a bit in & out. Back four a bit suspect as a unit whenever City attack. One good save from Roberto early on.

Some nice movements & triangles throughout the side. We look sharp giving it is mid July.

Nice to hear we're playing well. Imo it's more about the performance and fitness than the result. Good to hear Johnson playing well in particular.

grey_til_I_dye

Yarmo showing what we missed with him out last season.

whupathman

poor goal to give away

grey_til_I_dye

Looked offside, but a shocking give away that gave the chance.

grey_til_I_dye

See Sterling's inner-ear problem hasn't cleared up...

Hamstew

Sanchez is woefull

thornburyiron

It’s hard enough to play City, they don’t need our help.

Hamstew

oh god he cant be a player for us next season. He is so bad

Yeoldhammer

well this could turn into a tonking

whupathman

are we castle
in disguise

grey_til_I_dye

pathman

Nope.

Citeh have been bringing on their first team players, while we've been putting on fringe ones in the main.

thornburyiron

It’s s good job City are jet lagged.

Lukerz

Flattering scoreline for City & it is only pre-season but if we don’t improve our defensive area in the next 3 weeks it will be similar on the first day of the season.

Alright having 10 attacking midfielders & No.10’s & £50m strikers, but if you can’t defend you ain’t got much chance.

welovethehammers

Hopefully with Balbuena and Fabianski back, we will look far more solid defensively. Or at least I hope that's the case.

grey_til_I_dye

We've faced the best of Citeh with a makeshift back line. Nothing like we'll be when we face them in the league.

Yeoldhammer

I don't think buying extra defenders would help us vs City I just hope we show the same attacking prowess that we are now on the first day of the season.

At some point though we need to actually spend a fair few wedge on some defenders and fullbacks.

IronHerb

So how many times will City score 3 or more this season? I reckon 20 plus so that’s a lot of defensive players that need to be bought in across the PL.

jay_in_cpt

I really hope we get rid of Sanchez soon, that is definitely a bad mark against the Pelle regine, why oh why.......He is a muppet deluxe IMO

grey_til_I_dye

Personally, I'm going to focus on the silky forward movement we showed today. Far better for us to play a side of Citeh's quality than some mid-table Mitteleuropa team.

Hamstew

Our main problem was we brought Sanchez on and then City brought their big guns on. Was never going to end well.

WHU_Champo_league_in_7_years

I'm very happy with the way that we play

We've bought into Pellegrinis ethos and we are playing attractive football

However....the sign of a good manager is how to adjust, and had this been a real game I would've been disappointed with such an open strategy against a team of Citys quality

Pretty much all of their goals game from individual errors (or quality play) from our inability to play out against that level of opposition

We need a bit more steel, particularly in midfield where Rice is often overexposed

Impressed with the attacking play shown, think Haller would appreciate the service as well

MarkNobleLocalHero

I'm with Grey on this. I enjoyed the game and that included the efforts of both teams. In particular we looked good going forward, playing with a neat fluency that just needed a striker to complete it. If we can play like this in the new season, and there is no reason why not, then I think we are in for a good season.
Pelles middle season will be an important one and I think the three year plan is going well. :scarf:

jay_in_cpt

Its nice 2 focus on the silky way we attack, all I was trying to state was Sanchez, why oh why.......

baracks_a_hammer

On the bright side, at least we managed to reach the semi’s

Lukerz

There were certainly plusses from what I saw in the first half, but I expected a bit better scoreline wise given the side we had out & given City's late arrival, it was their first pre-season game (compared to our 10 day camp & game last week) etc. I was expecting better than 4-1, but I appreciate the players they brought on second half made them better & our changes made our team weaker, but I would have expected not to be 2-1 down at half time against that first half 11 side.

It was an open, good quality game for a pre-season test. I think it was a good work-out, no injuries & we will have gained more fitness. The score did flatter them but we do give sides chances. Ogbonna for me needs to be replaced at some point as I have never rated him in a two at the back. Moyes got the best out of him, sandwiching him between two other defenders in a back three/five.

I just really don't want to start off the new season with a drubbing, even though they are clearly a fantastic side. We need to find a way, either personnel wise or tactically, of bridging that gap between our defence & their attack.

OldCastleSwift

Problem is that our best defender hasn't kicked a ball in pre-season, and our two big signings haven't even met their new team mates yet. Three weeks away from the start of the season, this isn't ideal.

Lukerz

OldCastleSwift said:

Problem is that our best defender hasn't kicked a ball in pre-season, and our two big signings haven't even met their new team mates yet. Three weeks away from the start of the season, this isn't ideal.

True, although it won't take too long to adjust. Fornals will probably be a substitute for the first few games of the season, Haller has already started pre-season. Balbuena is the big worry. He made us so much better when he & Diop were reunited at Spurs last season. He is going to be touch & go for City & that means Ogbonna again.

MrsGrey

It's not ideal, but all the clubs are in the same boat more or less: players arriving back late from summer tournaments. New signings not yet signed/arrived.

No clubs are in an ideal position.

No point worrying about it - nothing we can do about it - it's entirely beyond our (ie, the club's) control.

Look at it this way, if they don't kick a ball in pre-season, they can't get injured in pre-season :biggrin:

MrsGrey

Lukerz said:

I would have expected not to be 2-1 down at half time against that first half 11 side.

Don't pay too much attention to the scoreline - their penalty wasn't and we should have had a 2nd when Fredericks was fouled.