As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
The only point of that game today was for the publicity and commercial spin-offs. Fucking hell that was like watching one of the main footballing nations play San Marino, where they are barely able to string 2 passes together and cross the halfway line.
I'll save the orgasm for the 4th place scramble at Carrow Road in May
SteveO 35 wrote:The only point of that game today was for the publicity and commercial spin-offs.
There was another point, that of building up stamina for the season and of assessing younger players and integrating younger players into the first team squad.
Quite useful to do that against weak opposition to build up younger players' confidence, before increasing the level of opposition.
Whoops wrong forum. What? Arsenal had a friendly against the mighty Indonesia and won 7-0? Fuck yeah the football season can't come soon enough. Sod this Ashes shit it's only the greatest event in world cricket
SteveO 35 wrote:The only point of that game today was for the publicity and commercial spin-offs.
There was another point, that of building up stamina for the season and of assessing younger players and integrating younger players into the first team squad.
Quite useful to do that against weak opposition to build up younger players' confidence, before increasing the level of opposition.
As I have said previously, our view to pre season games is more akin to nfl pre season games - compare our starting line up to that of manure's or citeeh's in this weekends friendlies to see the difference. Wenger always plays the kids in pre season but how many really make the first team squad when the real games kick in ? I have lost count how many "kids" have looked promising in friendlies in recent years only to disappear into oblivion once september 1st kicks in
A lot has been made in recent seasons about the influx of foreign signings and the limited opportunities for young players coming up from lower divisions but personally I think the pre season system is a bigger kick in the bollx to the smaller clubs. A lot of clubs used to make big money from pre season friendlies against teams like our's and that money was duly pumped into developing facilities and developing young players but that gravy train seems to have ceased - a quick scan through pre season fixtures shows that not one club from last season's top 4 is playing a friendly against a lower division team this pre season and that is bad form imo. I know that clubs are racing to the far east to rake in the money that is on offer but does everything have to be about money nowadays ?