Preseason is always an interesting time for every club. Teams participate in friendlies, exotic tours of foriegn lands, and mini tournaments to tune up their squad for the season ahead of them. I've been noticing the amount of people who seem to think that what happens in preseason is what the season, which starts in a couple weeks now, will mirror. This is not at all the case. You must be mad to think these games are an accurate portrayal of what your team's chances are come time for the leagues to start.
I'm as guilty as the next person when it comes to being disappointed or pointing out when things that look wrong when watching the preseason matches this summer but I know the difference between preseason flaws and why they are happening. First of all, especially this year, players have been on the move. What does that mean? Well all the players that are just transferred into clubs have a lot on their agenda. They have to get to know their new teammates' playing style and personality. The players already at the club have to do the same for those incoming or else the team won't gel. That's why it looks like some players don't look on the same page. Perhaps the new player is learning a new language to communicate on the pitch. They may be playing a different formation from what they are used to at their old club. There is also a possibility that with new personnel, the manager will switch up the team's formation from the previous season which mean's everyone has to learn and adapt to a new system. This is a time for experimentation, trial and error. Which could lead to poor results. There is a good chance your favorite team may have a new coach who everyone has to get used to. The new coach will probably have his own ideas and own transfer targets. Footballer that were popular under the last boss may fall out of favor with the new one. So the team will learn to play without that player. Secondly, not everyone is in mid season form when returning and most certainly isn't as fit as when the last season ended. That's why a lot of footballers don't go the 90 minutes are a subbed at half, which leads to academy of reserve players getting time. We all know they aren't first team stars so it's natural for the level of play to drop and for the temper of the die hard fan to increase when it does so. My advice, stay calm. Those reserves are just learning to play at the top level. The players you have a problem with, you will most likely not see in the season, and the ones that stand out will most likely only be substitutes, if that. Now, every team has their own preseason schedule. Chelsea, Internazionale, AC Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Everton all went transcontinental. The time zones are off and the jet lag can really take a toll on the performance of a team. Manchester United, Tottenham, and Liverpool took off in a different direction to the Middle and Far East to play team from that region of the world. Some teams have more to be worried about preseason however. There are exceptions. Take Celtic for example. They've been busy in qualifying for the Champions League. So they probably started preseason a little earlier than the rest and their preseason fixtures may mean a little more than your average team who has no competition that starts in late July.
What I'm trying to say is, if your team hasn't performed well in preseason against teams you should easily handle. Don't sweat it. Why? One, the reasons I just gave above. And two, it doesn't count for anything. If anything, your team is learning from the poor results and making rectifying changes. So don't be so hard on your favorite club (Milan supporters).
Viva el futbol y Hala Madrid
Bobby
I'm as guilty as the next person when it comes to being disappointed or pointing out when things that look wrong when watching the preseason matches this summer but I know the difference between preseason flaws and why they are happening. First of all, especially this year, players have been on the move. What does that mean? Well all the players that are just transferred into clubs have a lot on their agenda. They have to get to know their new teammates' playing style and personality. The players already at the club have to do the same for those incoming or else the team won't gel. That's why it looks like some players don't look on the same page. Perhaps the new player is learning a new language to communicate on the pitch. They may be playing a different formation from what they are used to at their old club. There is also a possibility that with new personnel, the manager will switch up the team's formation from the previous season which mean's everyone has to learn and adapt to a new system. This is a time for experimentation, trial and error. Which could lead to poor results. There is a good chance your favorite team may have a new coach who everyone has to get used to. The new coach will probably have his own ideas and own transfer targets. Footballer that were popular under the last boss may fall out of favor with the new one. So the team will learn to play without that player. Secondly, not everyone is in mid season form when returning and most certainly isn't as fit as when the last season ended. That's why a lot of footballers don't go the 90 minutes are a subbed at half, which leads to academy of reserve players getting time. We all know they aren't first team stars so it's natural for the level of play to drop and for the temper of the die hard fan to increase when it does so. My advice, stay calm. Those reserves are just learning to play at the top level. The players you have a problem with, you will most likely not see in the season, and the ones that stand out will most likely only be substitutes, if that. Now, every team has their own preseason schedule. Chelsea, Internazionale, AC Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Everton all went transcontinental. The time zones are off and the jet lag can really take a toll on the performance of a team. Manchester United, Tottenham, and Liverpool took off in a different direction to the Middle and Far East to play team from that region of the world. Some teams have more to be worried about preseason however. There are exceptions. Take Celtic for example. They've been busy in qualifying for the Champions League. So they probably started preseason a little earlier than the rest and their preseason fixtures may mean a little more than your average team who has no competition that starts in late July.
What I'm trying to say is, if your team hasn't performed well in preseason against teams you should easily handle. Don't sweat it. Why? One, the reasons I just gave above. And two, it doesn't count for anything. If anything, your team is learning from the poor results and making rectifying changes. So don't be so hard on your favorite club (Milan supporters).
Viva el futbol y Hala Madrid
Bobby
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