G.B & Panathinaikos

[SwissBlade]

It’s not new or unique. I’ve whinged about how backwards the club is with certain things like friendlies for years. Seeing the success at Bochum they’ll hopefully get better. Won’t hold my breath.

So hang on, you're praising the success of the Bochum friendly, but then being critical that the club couldn't organise a friendly with Panathinaikos when clearly THEIR schedule was likely the problem.

I know there are many things to have a dig at the club for, some people seem to enjoy it and take every opportunity to do so, for example with your barbed comments of "how backwards the club is with certain things like friendlies for years." and "they’ll hopefully get better. Won’t hold my breath.". You've accepted that this summer was a positive, but without a shred of evidence, you expect future preseasons to be worse again and want to have a dig. I don't get it.

In fact, as i mentioned, Panathinaikos and many other clubs drive their own summer schedules, they don't wait for Sheffield United to disappoint them. They may actually have other priorities.

The expanded European tournaments (Champions League, Europa and Conference) mean that a lot of clubs in countries like Hungary, Bulgaria, Czechia, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Greece, Cyprus, Scottish and even English sides are put into the early qualifiers for those tournaments. Those qualifiers start really early in the summer and this is on the back of a World Cup which went on longer. Naturally, the clubs involved in those tournaments will arrange their preseason earlier, their friendlies earlier and will focus on playing sides similar to them, in an early preseason and also involved in European Qualifying Campaigns.

Panathinaikos played four preseason friendlies, two in the Netherlands, one in Switzerland and one in Austria, Ajax and SK Rapid Wien played the qualifiers for Europe, presumably the other two were played because they were in the locality and could travel easily from their training camp(s)

By way of another example, Pafos FC in Cyprus, were back in preseason 23rd June and played their friendlies 3rd-16th July ahead of their Europa League Qualifiers on 23rd July. They played their friendlies against did KS Cracovia, FK Jablonec, Jagiellomia Bialystok and SK Slovan Bratislava, three of whom also had European Qualifiers. One of their players, Ivan Sunjic was still representing Bosnia and Herzegovina at the World cup, playing his final game 1st July. Thats how early they were back in training.

We played Vfl Bochum because presumably, there is a link with Sheffield and twinned status and they also didn't have a European campaign so our schedules could align.

 

[Upton_Blade]

It's the new rule of this forum.
Every thread descends into an anti Wilder rant.

Before you fly off the handle, read a few seemingly innocent threads, and see how long it takes before the first anti Wilder stuff appears.

I accept he's not doing it this year, but some of the vitriol is totally over the top. Just about every thread descends into a diatribe about Wilder.

I'll let you perform your own objective research.

So you thought you'd jump straight in there before this one did?

Well done you.

 

[GBride]

As much as a preseason game would make sense, It probably wouldn't happen until we are in the PL.

It feels like it is more of a testimonial style match, with the sad truth being that GB would have deserved such a match if he was still with us.

Just thought it would be worth me sharing that from my bike ride in the summer for the GB foundation, all the english clubs were very supportive in their dialogue with me. Supporters of all the clubs were also in touch with me saying very similar things to messages that were shared on this forum when the news broke. George was loved by all fans it seems and whilst a game against Panathinaikos seems very exciting, any opportunity we get as supporters to remember our Starman should be taken.

I also was reminded that whilst we felt this loss as supporters, many of the players and staff members knew George as a friend and colleague. there may be factors that we aren't aware of that also play a part in what is and isn't organised at a club level.