[Albion] Physicality in US tour pre season friendlies

[Neville's Breakfast]

I really enjoyed the Chelsea game because it was competitive. I read a comment on the Wolves forum that ‘Chelsea and Brighton are going at each other like it’s a cup tie’ and that was also my view. This is not typical pre season football though and with good reason;

Manchester United 1-3 Wrexham: League Two side earn win but talisman Paul Mullin suffers punctured lung - BBC Sport

Wrexham beat 10-man Manchester United 3-1 but the newly-promoted League Two club's victory is overshadowed by a punctured lung suffered by talisman Paul Mullin.

www.bbc.com

Paul Mullin is out for the start of the season. Could have a huge effect on Wrexham’s season. I wasn’t comfortable seeing Van Hecke fly into his red card challenge but it kind of fit with that cup tie football we were watching.
Is this happening because of the money involved in a pre season tour to America ? How are we going to feel if one of ours gets an injury ?

 

[Superphil]

Think it might have been all about who we were playing, rather than typical of what the rest of the tour will be like. I can imagine that most of our players are fed up with chelsea and the way that scummy club has been trying to lord itself over us in the past few months.

 

[Heart and Soul]

Chelsea being the opposition was probably the main reason. Had it been Aston Villa or something like that, I think it would have been far more sleepy.
Of course it increases the chances of someone getting injured, but it is also a lot better preparation for PL compared to sleepwalking through these friendlies.

 

[Icy Gull]

Think it might have been all about who we were playing, rather than typical of what the rest of the tour will be like. I can imagine that most of our players are fed up with chelsea and the way that scummy club has been trying to lord itself over us in the past few months.

After our late season mauling by the Beheaders I think we might see a similar game to Chelsea when we play them. That Chelsea game was the most enjoyable friendly I’ve ever seen from us. Real shame about the sending off as I think we would have won comfortably if it hadn’t happened.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

After our late season mauling by the Beheaders I think we might see a similar game to Chelsea when we play them. That Chelsea game was the most enjoyable friendly I’ve ever seen from us. Real shame about the sending off as I think we would have won comfortably if it hadn’t happened.

That kind of illustrates my point though. The result doesn’t and shouldn’t actually matter in a pre season friendly. In previous years it was all about fitness levels and there was an expectation that heavy tackles are to be avoided. Our approach to that game was such that as fans we were thinking about the result.

 

[The Wizard]

It’s probably in part as well due to the big crowds and furore around the games, makes them feel important to the players, which should be good preparation for the season

Also the teams know each other, have grudges etc which will certainly fire up the competitive spirit more than playing Barnet away or something.

For a first game of pre season outing I thought we were extremely impressive against a high strength Chelsea side, it’s not just our game though there’s been lots of action and needle in quite a few of the games.

 

[The Fits]

Also it really matters. We are a top six team playing in Europe with a huge squad.
Players bound to be way more motivated.

 

[Javeaseagull]

We did the double over them last season (how good does that sound?) and pretty sure they hadn’t forgotten that. It takes two to tango.

 

[Icy Gull]

That kind of illustrates my point though. The result doesn’t and shouldn’t actually matter in a pre season friendly. In previous years it was all about fitness levels and there was an expectation that heavy tackles are to be avoided. Our approach to that game was such that as fans we were thinking about the result.

Blame De Zerbi, he lives and breathes football, I don’t think “fitness or training exercise” enters his mind for more than a second when he sends a team out

I bloody love that about him though and yes, yes I did want us to beat Chelsea

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I remember a friendly at Lewes where one of their players took LuaLua out of the game resulting in an injury lasting at least a couple of months. No doubt, he made a name for himself amongst his team mates!

 

[BNthree]

We did the double over them last season (how good does that sound?) and pretty sure they hadn’t forgotten that. It takes two to tango.

We humiliated them last season. Doubt they were going to let that lie.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Think it might have been all about who we were playing, rather than typical of what the rest of the tour will be like. I can imagine that most of our players are fed up with chelsea and the way that scummy club has been trying to lord itself over us in the past few months.

The fans and the club might well be pissed off with Chelsea, but very much doubt the players give the tiniest shit. Footballers brains just aren't wired up that way, when they're wired up at all

 

[sydney]

chelsea

 

[US Seagull]

Wrexham boss Parkinson suggesting the young United keeper should "steer clear" of Wrexham is a bit twattish TBH.

It was an accident, FFS. Bishop even issued an apology.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Wrexham boss Parkinson suggesting the young United keeper should "steer clear" of Wrexham is a bit twattish TBH.

It was an accident, FFS. Bishop even issued an apology.

His actual words (as opposed to the headline) seem to have been:

"I haven't seen the goalie and he's probably best steering clear of us for the time being because we're not very happy."

That’s staying clear of the Wrexham dressing room rather than Wrexham the town. Sounds reasonable to me.

 

[ConfusedGloryHunter]

Wrexham boss Parkinson suggesting the young United keeper should "steer clear" of Wrexham is a bit twattish TBH.

It was an accident, FFS. Bishop even issued an apology.

It was in the immediate aftermath of the game to be fair.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

His actual words (as opposed to the headline) seem to have been:

"I haven't seen the goalie and he's probably best steering clear of us for the time being because we're not very happy."

That’s staying clear of the Wrexham dressing room rather than Wrexham the town. Sounds reasonable to me.

Ultimately it's just an accidental collision in the game. Nobody would have given a single shiny shite four years ago if Wrexham's star striker had got injured in a pre season friendly against Rhyl or Stalybridge Celtic. The young lad hasn't gone out there to nail a Wrexham player so Parkinson wants to have a word with himself there and deal with the fact that missing a striker on £8,000 per week for a few games is still a problem every other club in League Two would be desperate to have.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

Looks like the ref tonight is one of the local guys rather than an imported Premier League ref so will be interesting to see if there is any difference in how he handles the game.

 

[amexer]

something to do with having an American crowd. With sponsors and crowd paying huge sums to see 2 PL sides the last thing they want and deserve is sides treating it like a training game. Its bad enough making 11 changes at half time.
Goodness knows what a full house thought turning up to see Manchester Utd fielding a near youth side.against Wrexham

 

[American Seagle]

I really enjoyed the Chelsea game because it was competitive. I read a comment on the Wolves forum that ‘Chelsea and Brighton are going at each other like it’s a cup tie’ and that was also my view. This is not typical pre season football though and with good reason;

Manchester United 1-3 Wrexham: League Two side earn win but talisman Paul Mullin suffers punctured lung - BBC Sport

Wrexham beat 10-man Manchester United 3-1 but the newly-promoted League Two club's victory is overshadowed by a punctured lung suffered by talisman Paul Mullin.

www.bbc.com

Paul Mullin is out for the start of the season. Could have a huge effect on Wrexham’s season. I wasn’t comfortable seeing Van Hecke fly into his red card challenge but it kind of fit with that cup tie football we were watching.
Is this happening because of the money involved in a pre season tour to America ? How are we going to feel if one of ours gets an injury ?

I don't get all the "it was like a competitive game" media hype. It clearly wasn't. Compare the game to the 4-1 last season. The atmosphere was so poor in comparison as was the pace and physicality. That was before all momentum was lost with a billion substitutions.
It is just media hype to play up the series. Don't fall for it. It's good, yes, but it's just some friendlies. Enjoy it for what it is.