SUNDERLAND Vs SPURS: Barclays Asia Trophy Match Thread

[guiltyparty]

I agree that we're normally all over the place in pre-season. But do our closest rivals have such results/pre-season as we do? Is it again us lacking that winning mentality/will to win everytime we set foot on the pitch no matter what the game etc?

Not particularly my opinion...open question...just throwing it out there...

Man Utd have lost both their pre-season games to teams I've never heard of

 

[Marcus_spur]

The pitch must have played to sunderlands advantage though. I´ll never forget how they used to flood the pitch before facing quality teams to even out the odds.

 

[stevenurse]

Just had a gooner in my football giving it billy big bollocks about our result today.

Said apart from bale that was pretty much our first team...I had to correct him and say it was, apart from Lloris, Kaboul, Vertonghen (mainly), Dembele, Sandro, Bale & Paulinho.

Dickhead. Yes they beat Vietnam 7-1 & now Aaron Ramsey is the best players ever...clueless wankers

 

[faymantaray]

Anyone remember when we beat Roma 5-0 in our last pre-season February and the run of 2 points in 8 games that followed? Pre-season is about getting match fit and avoiding injuries. The results are meaningless.

Darren Bent scored about 5621 goals that preseason..

 

[amardilo]

I'm always a little disappointed when we lose a game regardless of the situation but I totally understand this is a preseason game and more about getting tactics worked out and fitness in time for the season so I'll get over it quickly.

If the players and staff learn something then it's all good at this stage.

Also maybe losing now isn't so bad as it points out where we are not doing so well and force the board to react and look at bringing in player to help fix the issues we have (not that they weren't looking at them before but this could help add more proof that certain areas need improvment).

 

[myhartlane]

Good pre-season = crap season
Crap pre-season = good season

 

[3Dnata]

I love the press bollox that AVB has "slammed" and "raged" at the conditions, he said that they were bad but what can you do.

 

[Mullers]

Who gives a flying fuck if we lost. Take away the competitive edge to a match and the scoreline becomes meaningless. Anyone remember when we beat Roma 5-0 a few years back? Brilliant, wasn't it? Now think of the ungodly deluge of shite that we witnessed come the start of that season.

Pre-season friendlies are a joke.

I remember that, Bent and Gio were shit hot in pre-season, I think we won every game alias when it came to the real thing...well 2 points from 8 games.

 

[Makkaveli101]

Spurs 2008 Pre-Season

Tavernes 8–0 Lennon 27', Pekhart 47', 63', Dos Santos 53', 68', Malbranque 76', O'Hara 84', 85'N/A
CD Dénia 4–2 Taarabt 30', Jenas 38', Townsend 54', Bent 59',N/A
Hércules 1–1 Bent 34'
Norwich 5–1 Stefanovic 10' (o.g), Bent 44', 57', 72', 75'
L. Orient 5–1 Bent 45', 59', 76', Lennon 47', Modrić 51'
Celtic 2–0 Bent 24, Bentley 79'
Dortmund 3–0 Bent 9', Dos Santos 54, O'Hara 87'
Roma 5–0 Bentley 2', 45', Bent 4', 53', Lennon 49'

Then it was our worst start EVER, since time began... we were in serious trouble. I never, again, took Friendly results seriously after that Pre-season. Some great results in there. Shows it means absolutely nothing in context to the Premier League season.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

It's just a fitness exercise FFS! This place

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Disappointing to see the same old faces being given game time instead of using pre-season to give the development squad games instead. What is the point of playing people like Hudd & Dempsey when you are actively trying to out them from the squad. You could be using that game to get some first team gelling experience into players like Carroll, Bentaleb, Falque, Townsend etc without risking anything at all.

Same with players like Parker, Dawson and Lennon. We know what these players are capable of only too well. Why not use this time to look at others from the development group like Bentaleb, Dombaxe, Velkovic, Stewart, Cabellos etc.

It's a fucking freebie, give them 45 minutes at least with some decent players around them and see what they can do.

What did we learn ? Dawson will chucks himself at everything and still hoofs to no-one ? lennon will flit around offering the square root of fuck all 99% of the time ? Huddlestone is a beached whale ? Great, I already knew that.

Considering the pitch, the circumstances, who we had out there and who we were playing it was a pretty ho hum affair. We weren't terrible and we weren't good. I don't give a shit about the result, just don't see the point in wasting opportunities like this on dead wood.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

Disappointing to see the same old faces being given game time instead of using pre-season to give the development squad games instead. What is the point of playing people like Hudd & Dempsey when you are actively trying to out them from the squad. You could be using that game to get some first team gelling experience into players like Carroll, Bentaleb, Falque, Townsend etc without risking anything at all.

Same with players like Parker, Dawson and Lennon. We know what these players are capable of only too well. Why not use this time to look at others from the development group like Bentaleb, Dombaxe, Velkovic, Stewart, Cabellos etc.

It's a fucking freebie, give them 45 minutes at least with some decent players around them and see what they can do.

What did we learn ? Dawson will chucks himself at everything and still hoofs to no-one ? lennon will flit around offering the square root of fuck all 99% of the time ? Huddlestone is a beached whale ? Great, I already knew that.

Considering the pitch, the circumstances, who we had out there and who we were playing it was a pretty ho hum affair. We weren't terrible and we weren't good. I don't give a shit about the result, just don't see the point in wasting opportunities like this on dead wood.

I think the main reason was to build everyones general match fitness and sharpness ready for the season. Whether we like it or not players like Dempsey, Lennon and Dawson are senior players and need to be ready to start the first match ahead of the backups you mentioned.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

I think the main reason was to build everyones general match fitness and sharpness ready for the season. Whether we like it or not players like Dempsey, Lennon and Dawson are senior players and need to be ready to start the first match ahead of the backups you mentioned.

But still, not one development group player involved who hasn't already had some first team experience ?

You could make the case that people like Hudd and Dempsey need putting in the shop window I guess, but I really think a friendly on the other side of the planet would be ideal to blood a couple of youngsters. Even if you just give them a half.

 

[Main Man]

But still, not one development group player involved who hasn't already had some first team experience ?

You could make the case that people like Hudd and Dempsey need putting in the shop window I guess, but I really think a friendly on the other side of the planet would be ideal to blood a couple of youngsters. Even if you just give them a half.

Do any of our youngsters deserve a chance?

I know what you are saying about wasting chances on the likes of Hudd and Dempsey et al, but perhaps they are realistically going to still be around this season.

Huddlestone was our best player up until that mistake for their first goal, that is the primary concern for me.

But the most frustrating thing for me was after all spending a summer focusing on areas to improve, we looked exactly like we did last season...

Reliant to a huge degree on one player; terrible at defending set pieces; a susceptible high line with certain personnel; and, to top it all off we are still showing Wimbledon-esque creativity in midfield.

But hopefully thing's improve tomorrow morning.