Pre-season

[jt64]

Aye, I’ve joined up.

Opted for Dusseldorf - flying into there and stopping near the station so can drop bags off hopefully before heading to the game.

Should add to this that most German stations will have lockers where you can dump bags for a reasonable fee, typically 3-4€ dependent on how much you're schlepping. Düsseldorf Hbf I'm pretty certain does, Bochum Hbf on a quick Google does as well. Obv if you're staying close and can check in and/or leave at hotel that's preferable but mentioning should anyone be on a tight schedule

 

[Dkc]

Long time ago now but I stayed in Dusseldorf for the World Cup and traveled to Cologne for the fanzones. Didn't see much of Dusseldorf but Cologne is a fantastic city. Top choice of bars in the old town and the cathedral is amazing.

While I was there I got a taste for Kolsch that I still have to this day. It's a Cologne beer that is served in tiny glasses with someone coming round refilling them constantly. Didn't find a single place where you could get it in a big glass.

 

[jt64]

It's the same with alt, why would you want larger glasses if they have the staff to keep it continually coming in a fresher manner?

 

[S64 Blade]

I don’t get the point in having Huddersfield behind closed doors

Really? It’ll be a ferocious clash. I think fans will be lucky not to see it. Could turn real nasty otherwise.

 

[Digger]

Anyone else staying in Cologne Friday and Saturday???

2 of us are.

 

[Keen Blade]

At the Algarve stadium there were some Real Betis ultras armed with knives who ran through the peaceful crowd of fans.
I saw a few Blades at close quarters with blood streaming from injuries , which was quite disturbing.
The riot police were obviously aware of the threat because they were already on the scene in their vans and it was reassuring to see their quick reaction.
Very little was said in the media.

Does anyone have knowledge of what to expect at Bochum ?

 

[Bladeloyal]

At the Algarve stadium there were some Real Betis ultras armed with knives who ran through the peaceful crowd of fans.
I saw a few Blades at close quarters with blood streaming from injuries , which was quite disturbing.
The riot police were obviously aware of the threat because they were already on the scene in their vans and it was reassuring to see their quick reaction.
Very little was said in the media.

Does anyone have knowledge of what to expect at Bochum ?

I'm sure it will be a party atmosphere,with the long standing ties the two city's have . Embrace the city and the people .

 

[ISZA ⚔️]

100% sounds like a disaster for the players.

Didn’t do them no harm last year.

 

[ISZA ⚔️]

Anyone doing anything like fly to Belgium and then drive? That’s appealing to me. Don’t mind stuff like that.

Didn’t book anything initially and now flights are ridiculous.

 

[yamyamblade]

Anyone doing anything like fly to Belgium and then drive? That’s appealing to me. Don’t mind stuff like that.

Didn’t book anything initially and now flights are ridiculous.

Few lads in the Whatsapp group are saying they have booked flights to Brussels or Eindhoven then getting train as flights are really cheap and train is way cheaper than car hire so depends on timings etc

 

[Mickyb]

Anyone doing anything like fly to Belgium and then drive? That’s appealing to me. Don’t mind stuff like that.

Didn’t book anything initially and now flights are ridiculous.

We are doing train there and back which includes aeurostar tgen train Dusseldorf where were based. So why not fly to and from Brussels then train .
Train to Bochum for match day

 

[Mickyb]

We are doing train there and back which includes aeurostar tgen train Dusseldorf where were based. So why not fly to and from Brussels then train .
Train to Bochum for match day

Excuse my dyslexia

 

[SwissBlade]

Didn’t do them no harm last year.

I didn't follow them that closely, but did they have the same programme? They also just missed out on the play offs, so perhaps they had dips in form during the season.

Perhaps Wrexham will be ok with not having the extended season in the play offs.

Talking generally, you often see sides that have extended seasons having these dips in form during the season. Sometimes catastrophic dips. Think Spurs post Champions League, Spurs post Europa final, City post Champions League win, Man U, Liverpool. Same with Play off finalists, especially the losers. You can often predict their dips in form because they haven't had the proper rest.

I'd normally expect Arsenal, Villa and Palace to have their dips before xmas but there is also a big difference in that its a World Cup year which will impact a lot of teams with players being away. Is it sensible for the top teams to then be flying around the world to appease sponsors.

Often commercial commitments clash with the demands of being a professional athlete. I've talked before about peaking for events, for races, big tournaments etc, but for players with such a high intensity league such as the Championship and Premier League, players can't be at their peak for 9 months.

 

[cooperblade]

Cooper agreed re longevity but if you are Wrexham fan and the Hollywood connection ended now you would still celebrate. They've gone from none league in a shit stadium to a championship side, known around the world with a big, new stand in the process of being built. Some of their new fanbase will stick with them enhancing their revenue going forward....and of course it might be their new owners are in it for the long run

Completely agree, it's definitely been an enormous positive for them as a club. I just think that, without a promotion to the PL, their profile will be a lot lower in 3-5 years time. Maybe a couple of Play-Off appearances would be enough to keep people interested but for the TV show to keep working, something has to be happening and it's the TV show driving the profile which drives the commercial revenue.

As far as I know, they haven't announced a shirt sponsor for next season yet. Doesn't mean they don't have one but maybe the first sign that the queue of brands wanting to pay top dollar to associate with them isn't as long as it once was?

 

[Dkc]

At the Algarve stadium there were some Real Betis ultras armed with knives who ran through the peaceful crowd of fans.
I saw a few Blades at close quarters with blood streaming from injuries , which was quite disturbing.
The riot police were obviously aware of the threat because they were already on the scene in their vans and it was reassuring to see their quick reaction.
Very little was said in the media.

Does anyone have knowledge of what to expect at Bochum ?

Sure it will be absolutely fine. They are looking forward to having a drink with us

 

[CrookesBlade]

Kind of get the point, but also water is wet. Whilst you can rightly critique the lack of originality or commercial benefit from this pre season, the sole purpose of pre season should be getting us ready for the new season.

Not sure spending a fair amount of money to be playing to empty stadiums in California is much different to playing elsewhere.

Wrexham are a completely different beast to any other team in this league, which makes the comparison largely useless. There’s incentives for both teams to stage high profile friendlies. What commercial benefit would there be to any other team in playing us pre season?

Each to there own and all that, but pre season fixtures rank alongside new kits in terms of importance to the season

With Wrexham you have to just hold your hands up and say “it is what it is”. They are owned by two Hollywood stars and have a Disney + show. They are a very much out on their own in terms of profile and it’s unreasonable to use that as a stick to beat SUFC (or any other club who has not had a Hollywood actor decide to buy them).

Sheffield United or pretty much any other Championship club (bar West Ham) would be on a hiding to nothing trying to do a tour of the states.

Prohibitive in terms of cost and or time for most fans. Unlikely to draw big crowds and tv audiences(and therefore much revenue)…..and all for opposition of L1 or L2 level.

I think the main ire from the fans seems to be the fact that we play Rotherham and Chesterfield every pre season. Whilst it’s a bit boring on one hand it’s also a game that plenty of fans can get to easily and cheaply. I expect most Championship clubs have teams they play every pre season.

It’s also worth remembering we have had some interesting fixtures in recent years - Stuttgart, Inter Milan, Real Betis, Reims and now Bochum.

I’ve seen some comments as well that we should be playing a better standard of opposition. I’ve no idea whether playing better sides or not is the right preparation. My guess is playing weaker sides allows you more of the ball which makes it easier to try stuff out and build confidence. Given it’s similar every year during good seasons and bad I’d say the fact that we sometimes look undercooked is more down to coaching and/or the insistence on signing the bulk of players late in the window

 

[Dkc]

With Wrexham you have to just hold your hands up and say “it is what it is”. They are owned by two Hollywood stars and have a Disney + show. They are a very much out on their own in terms of profile and it’s unreasonable to use that as a stick to beat SUFC (or any other club who has not had a Hollywood actor decide to buy them).

Sheffield United or pretty much any other Championship club (bar West Ham) would be on a hiding to nothing trying to do a tour of the states.

Prohibitive in terms of cost and or time for most fans. Unlikely to draw big crowds and tv audiences(and therefore much revenue)…..and all for opposition of L1 or L2 level.

I think the main ire from the fans seems to be the fact that we play Rotherham and Chesterfield every pre season. Whilst it’s a bit boring on one hand it’s also a game that plenty of fans can get to easily and cheaply. I expect most Championship clubs have teams they play every pre season.

It’s also worth remembering we have had some interesting fixtures in recent years - Stuttgart, Inter Milan, Real Betis, Reims and now Bochum.

I’ve seen some comments as well that we should be playing a better standard of opposition. I’ve no idea whether playing better sides or not is the right preparation. My guess is playing weaker sides allows you more of the ball which makes it easier to try stuff out and build confidence. Given it’s similar every year during good seasons and bad I’d say the fact that we sometimes look undercooked is more down to coaching and/or the insistence on signing the bulk of players late in the window

Good post. There seems to be zero correlation between the teams we play pre-season and how well we do in the league. Though some will use it as a stick to beat the manager with (not only Wilder. I remember Warnock regularly being slagged off for his pre-seasons, which were normally local clubs plus Devon / Cornwall)

 

[Wards]

I really don't mind the local ones. Usually a nice evening out somewhere accessible and get to see a few new players. Usually more fun than the early League Cup rounds tbh.

 

[Bladeloyal]

Everyone thinks they know better than the actual professionals , all the training and pre season already mapped out which is a big improvement on previous seasons .first round of the league cup will serve as a final warming up game

 

[I should coco]

Everyone thinks they know better than the actual professionals , all the training and pre season already mapped out which is a big improvement on previous seasons .

Are you at all surprised?

Many of our experts on here, are better at tactics, picking the team, motivation blah blah blah.

 

[ISZA ⚔️]

We are doing train there and back which includes aeurostar tgen train Dusseldorf where were based. So why not fly to and from Brussels then train .
Train to Bochum for match day

I might do that. But might drive instead of train. I don’t drink anyway and love driving abroad. What’s the Eurostar cost and from where to where?

 

[Mickyb]

I might do that. But might drive instead of train. I don’t drink anyway and love driving abroad. What’s the Eurostar cost and from where to where?

The train option isnt cheap Eurostar was £127 return , we are mainly over 60's so got cheap trains sheffield to london and return 1st class £31 going and £48 return

 

[Mickyb]

The train option isnt cheap Eurostar was £127 return , we are mainly over 60's so got cheap trains sheffield to london and return 1st class £31 going and £48 return

Sorry i didnt do the booking , that £127 Eurostar was each way ,spent £384 on the travel but he ho its an adventure

 

[Wards]

Me and CrookesBlade with our wages to get there

 

[CrookesBlade]

Me and CrookesBlade with our wages to get there

View attachment 238178

I spent £150 to get to Wembley last season and all I got was depressed so by that logic this seems a much better bet.

In any case it pales in into insignificance compared to the £300 my bro has spent on tickets to watch Chongy at the World Cup.

 

[CrookesBlade]

Good post. There seems to be zero correlation between the teams we play pre-season and how well we do in the league. Though some will use it as a stick to beat the manager with (not only Wilder. I remember Warnock regularly being slagged off for his pre-seasons, which were normally local clubs plus Devon / Cornwall)

The club got a fair old slagging off for the China trip in 2005 and got promoted that season with one of our best ever starts.

 

[Eskimo]

There's a lot staying in Bochum ,

Yep we are staying in Bochum Fri and Sat

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Didn’t do them no harm last year.

Literally meant one of their players had to stay in the States due to an injury 3 years ago as he had a lung injury which meant he couldn't fly!

 

[ISZA ⚔️]

Literally meant one of their players had to stay in the States due to an injury 3 years ago as he had a lung injury which meant he couldn't fly!

Well on that basis let’s all never leave the house.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

Well on that basis let’s all never leave the house.

your the one who said it didn't do them any harm right? Well it clearly did