Is there any sensible reason why we keep losing friendlies?

Biggie wrote:

Hipster_Nebula wrote:

Biggie wrote:I know there is no historical correlation between friendly results and results during a league campaign - I don't dispute that.

I just want to know, why, when it comes down to 90 mins on the pitch against lower league opposition, can we not play well enough to beat them or at least out play them. Friendly or not - why are we not able?

It's mental simple as that.

If you go into work and your boss says "look mate, don't worry about today, nothing matters, tbh just do the bare minimum"

Would you pull out all the stops like a madman? Even if you're a well meaning person who always gives 100% that comment would be in the back of your mind all day.

and thats all it is, mentally the players aren't there.

if we get into the season and we're beaten like this clearly it goes deeper.

I can't see it just being that. Maybe an element of that but - if I play badminton against my mate - it's a friendly - we both still try to win.
Or if the world champion tennis player played against you at tennis - even if you raised your game and he was told the result didn't matter - his quality would be such that he really just couldn't help winning. He would just have too much for you, even if he played with lead weights on. I would have thought Bolton V Hamilton would be a similar story.

Also. Just coming back after the summer break you would hope the players would be up for it and be wanting to play well - even if the manager said it doesn't matter.

Every football player wants to have a good game - because, it's less fun to have a rubbish game. So the players must be trying to have at least some degree of a decent outing. They are just not able to perform.

Friendlies should be the time that teams try as hard as ever, especially while the results don't count it should give us the opportunity to try to play in a more free and less pressured and rushed way - and as a result you should expect great football. It's not happening.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:

I'm sorry but friendlies should be the time teams try as hard as ever?!

Come on, you don't believe that. Harder than the FA cup final?

chipbutty wrote:Hat, you think he knows do you. What grounds do you have for saying that?

chipbutty wrote:Without wishing to be pedantic. Saying "I think I know" is not quite the same as "It's just my opinion".

chipbutty wrote:Ok, I don't want to play with words and get distracted from the main point which is, in my view, not recognising the glaringly obvious failure of last season i.e, defence. I can only assume he must be happy with it as he has kept with the same line-up and even persuaded Knight who, if we are to believe what we read, wanted away.

wanderlust wrote:To fill the other clubs in the championship with a false sense of security, obviously.