Pre Season Friendlies 2021

Will watch the game later today.

Sounds like a much improved performance and result.

Hopefully we'll have Llorente, Firpo & Shacks available next week.

Summerville scored for the U-23, feel he would offer something different from the bench.

Forshaw also again played with the U-23's, perhaps in a few weeks time he'll be ready to beef our first team squad somewhat.

Overall a good result, a good workout, and an entertaining game to watch. Cooper, Bamford and Raphinha all looked the part.

Thought Roberts had a decent game from the subs bench and Costa had his best match yet in pre season, got involved and caused some problems.

Roll on Man Yoo.

2-2. surely now the boss can see that Costa is not fit for purpose. Brought on again to show ermm…. Nothing; not a glimmer of yes this is a sub we can rely on for finishing/rescuing games. I had hopes for this lad but since he signed a contract he has just taken the p out of LU. Obviously all the so called interest from other clubs have been watching the preseason & thought no thank you. Looks like we r stuck with him but hopefully don’t see much if him in the upcoming season.

Well this is jolly nice. Sat in an apartment with a grand view of the harbour at Portree with the Scottish highlands in the background, a glass (or three) of something sparkling and Leeds winning against the Europa League champs. Not a bad life 😎

You're certainly not wrong BB.

Fully expect our second Premiership season will prove to be far more difficult.

Teams know what to expect and with such a small squad it may well be beyond us to achieve the same kind of results & performances as last season. Far from improving on it.

So basically i've lowered my expectations. Realisticly, I just can't see us closing down ground on any of the 8 teams who finished above us last term.

I know we can't spend anything like the top six clubs + Spurs, Arsenal & even Villa. But there must/should be some money available, if only to prove there's a real and clear project in place.

How else would you convince players like Firpo to sign up, and more importantly keep hold of your Philips's, Raphina's...

That's without even considering MB's stance/view on things.

Am so glad I did not pay to watch that game! Would have broken my heart. Real test v Villareal. Need some confidence back.

BTW KP is a No6 and not a No8!

Just let him be the pivot/quarterback where he excels not a running back where he is quite ineffective!!

Ayling is not really a CB but a very good RB, Dallas is better at LB than as a No.8, Klich is better as a No.8 rather than No.10.

Totally frustrated with Costa, Poveda and Roberts. Would rather Summerville get a chance than any of those 3. At least he makes things happen.

Greenwood - probably better as a No9 rather than an invisisble No.10

Rodrigo is not a No.10 but a deep lying No.9.

Forshaw is a deep lying No8 not a No.6 but will he stay fit?

Need a top quality No.10/Winger and a top quality No.8 for this season. Come on VO, find those players!!!

Just my thoughts.

As usual, a good write-up, Belgian 👍 And if it wasn’t for the rather worrying result and performance, I would have laughed even more at many of your truly funny lines.

Rather worried about Shackleton, head injury and it didn't look good.

On to the game.

A heartfelt 4 - 0 defeat!

Again only a friendly, but we ended up well beaten, outplayed, outrun and outmuscled. Very much second best and we didn't look like scoring (Bamford did hit the post from an offside position).

Very early on Ayling, playing at CB got caught near our box and we were 1-0 down. Too many backpasses and drawing in players preceded it.

Wake up call?

We tried to worked our way back into it and more or less did so, but without really creating much (apart from a good shot from Koch).

As in the game with Real Betis, we were again opened up like the red sea, the Ajax player shrugged of a couple of challenges with ease, outpaced another defender and you know what scored.

Shackleton at RB had his work cut out and he felt the pressure, like most of our players, he struggle to get into his game.

Our best defender was Struijk, with Dallas at LB doing OK.

In midfield our wingers were well shackled, Raph was poor (passes going nowhere, losing possesion and Harrison couldn't get the better of his marker either. Koch again started of allright but more and more became ineffective.

MB: he's not a midfield player!

I feel Klich was our best player in the first half.

Rodrigo a player I like, had a mare, everything he tried just didn't succeed.

That's was as poor as i've seen him.

Bamford tried but didn't have much to feed on, second half he got caught offside rather a lot.

At half-time, not for the first time, we brought on the invisible man. That must have bemused Ajax somewhat.

At one stage, the invisible man had a clear run at their goal, he got inside the box, had the goal to shoot at and then decided to get the ball out of the danger zone ASAP. Well defended that was, injuries to our CB's → i'm not worried.

Roberts and McCarron came on a bit later, have to say McCarron did rather well.

Roberts tried to upstage Costalot, but in truth, just came short (only just).

After Shackleton's injury Jenkins came on in midfield and Koch reverted to CB. Ajax took their foot of the gas, but even after something like 35 substitutions still dominated us.

They even gave us a couple of chances to score, but we made sure of effing those up.

As I said, only a friendly and Ajax are a good side (mind you they were also missing several of their first team players).

Clearly we're missing Philips, Llorente, Coops (think Struijk is now above him in the ranking) and Firpo.

But it still doesn't settle my nerves/unrest.

Our squad isn't just small, it's plain tiny (even when counting Cinderella & Co).

Expecting us to do better or the same as last season with the current squad will be a very tuff call indeed.

Any silver lining for us fans, I've been proved wrong before.

Thought Drameh and Summerville looked very good and wouldn’t look out of place in the senior team. Agree that Ajax were outstanding which isn’t a surprise as they have by far the best Academy set up anywhere.

KP, Forshaw, Costa, Roberts and Coops all taken off at half time.

We look far better without them. Obviously all were a bit ring rusty.

Game finishes 3-1 to Ajax. Max Dean for us from the pen spot.

Entertaining game. We created a lot of chances but either the finish was missing or the final pass.

Ajax were a really good side and play the MB way. Out from the back, through the lines along the floor, players happy to receive the ball in tight spaces, loads of runners off the ball, high press and technically very good.

Dean and Summerville had good games and Drameh looked OK. Good learning curve for the young kids as they will have seen just how far off they are from a first team place.

Not really an U23 team is it with all those 1st team regulars!!

2-0 down now. Belgian was right, we may be in for a tonking. That Ajax side is really impressive.

Cooper, KP, Roberts, Costa, Poveda and Greenwood all playing against Ajax U21.

Losing 1-0 after a Kenneh mistake and the Copps slipping when trying to turn.

Not a bad game

The U-23's could well be in for a tonking.🤔

2nd game v Ajax U21s announced for tomorrow. KO 12.45pm at their training ground with first team game brought forward to 7.00pm KO.

Looks like the U23s will travel with the first team for these games.

Hope LUTV stream the early game.

I dont read too much into preseason results from any team, nobody but those inside the dressing room know what the targets are for that particular game. I'd be of the opinion that most have on here, these games are for getting game touch ready, match sharpness, formations, players getting used to each other and re-building the combinations from last season.

Pascal's foul was a clear red and if it was any "normal" game it would have been.

Ajax and Villareal ties are very much for the old dinosaurs among us, big european club names from days gone by should be easy enough for the home team to get tickets sold.

Roll on manure, any heard of anymore positive covid cases in their camp?

Cresswell out for another few days because of head injury he suffered in last U23 game. Dont think he can feature v Ajax or Villareal.

So it looks like Ayling and Koch at CB with Shacks and Firpo either side and Kiltch or Dallas at DCM.

Think it may be too early for Forshaw to return but who knows?

Coops was fit for a charity golf game on Sunday so may be in line for a return.

He was definitely not happy at the real betis game with them boy was he shouting

Think Shackleton deserves a starting crack at CM in the next game. Think Phillips back in at CDM for at 45 minutes. If Struijk & Llorente are carrying niggles then our u23's captain Cresswell deserves a starting slot next Koch at CB.

Our players are looking heavy legged which understandable but the passing has been slow and Beilsa seemed very subdued as have all the other coaches...

Need to take things in perspective. This was just the second game for our first team after end of last season some 9/10 weeks ago so touch, passing, movement off the ball, awareness and positional play may not be as good as when everyone is properly match fit.

Betis are also a top 6 La Liga side with plenty of European football experience. Losing to Derby earlier will have hurt their pride which made the game more feisty than a normal preseason friendly.

2 more pre-season games before Man Poo. Villareal game will be the real one to assess if we are close to be ready. Ajax is still a free hit.

Hope Llorente and Struijk are not serious and not sure why Coops is not in the squad.

KP back in DCM makes a lot of difference as we saw last season.

I still remember when Rush scored shitloads in preseason then virtually nothing when the season began. Preseason is about building match awareness and sharpness, nothing to get worried about yet.