Pre-season Friendlies

PARlance

tom_k wrote: »

Stoke City team v Real Betis: Begovic, Bardsley, Pieters, Whelan, Ireland, Arnautovic, Wilson, Nzonzi, Shawcross (c), Diouf, BOJAN THE TROJAN.

So Bardsley, Pieters, Wilson, Shawcross I suppose.

fyp

FHFC

RichFTW wrote: »

You know you're a true FPL addict when you start worrying about the Stoke starting line up! In pre season.

Was just thinking its pretty bad to even know that Stoke are playing tonight!!

PARlance

"I can't believe it's not Bojan" hits the net again.

FHFC

PARlance wrote: »

"I can't believe it's not Bojan" hits the net again.

Fup sakes!

You're supposed to be a SECRET weapon wee man!!

PARlance

Everton also in action tonight

@Everton: Everton to face Celta Vigo: Howard, Hibbert, Baines, Distin, Stones, Barry, McCarthy, McGeady, Osman (c), Barkley, Naismith.

PARlance

Colman not on the bench either.
There was talk of him missing a few earlier preseason games as precaution.

Anyone got any news on him?

Ziegler1988

Pieters scored. Easy switch from Huth for me

PARlance

Baines assist McGeady goal.

Swiftly followed by a Celta Vigo goal.

CSF

I feel like I have to bring in Bojan now...

km79

FHFC wrote: »

Fup sakes!

You're supposed to be a SECRET weapon wee man!!

he is making it harder and harder to resist

PARlance

@stokecity: Every Potters fan is on their feet as they applaud Bojan off the field as he is substituted by Peter Crouch #SCFC

tom_k

Don't want to knock the Trojan too much but I remember this time last year Anelka had scored 6 in pre season for WBA. I even put him in my team :eek:.

Bad comparison maybe...

tom_k

Bojan's promise to his many FSA admirers.

PARlance

The Bojan Supporters Club have a... ahem... have a Bebo page
http://archive.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=4816525378

Paully D

Understandable that Hughes appears to be sticking with Wilson alongside Shawcross at CB if that line-up is anything to go by, but Huth is a far, far better player.

Like Ziegler, Huth to Pieters is likely to be my switch. I definitely want Stoke defensive coverage given their start.

I'll put my neck on the line and say that Bojan will have a relatively poor FPL contribution this coming season. He'll flop when it comes to the proper stuff IMO, he could be a bit caught in the middle in the sense that I don't see him as a natural striker and he's probably not good enough to build the side around as a #10. Though Hughes has a very good record in the transfer market in the £5m and under bracket so that is a positive for Bojan (£3m) as things stand.

KevIRL

Hughes after the game

The City boss also highlighted the performance of Bojan as another huge positive from his side’s penultimate pre-season encounter.

“He’s a good player, but we knew that when we were trying to bring him here in the summer,” he added.

“He has grabbed the headlines again and rightly so because he put in another really good performance and capped it off with another superbly taken goal.

“We can probably exploit his abilities in an even better way, but I am sure that will happen the more we play him and the more the other lads and him become accustomed to what they are each trying to do.

“It is still early days with him and there is a lot of work to be done yet, but from what we have seen so far we are really encouraged because he has come in and made a good impression on everybody here at the club.”

roryc

Quite frustrating having Pieters and Bojan in your line up while that game was on... He does seem to be the better choice over Huth, although if both were guaranteed to start I would go with the latter. He almost scored last week and you would have to assume he is still odds on to start. Need certainties though.

Ziegler1988

Paully D wrote: »

I'll put my neck on the line and say that Bojan will have a relatively poor FPL contribution this coming season. He'll flop when it comes to the proper stuff IMO, he could be a bit caught in the middle in the sense that I don't see him as a natural striker and he's probably not good enough to build the side around as a #10. Though Hughes has a very good record in the transfer market in the £5m and under bracket so that is a positive for Bojan (£3m) as things stand.

I'm sticking with Fletcher for GW1 since he's a proven PL goalscorer and WBA's defence could be understrength. But I'd probably jump on the Bojan horse if he runs riot against Villa :pac:

CSF

Ziegler1988 wrote: »

I'm sticking with Fletcher for GW1 since he's a proven PL goalscorer and WBA's defence could be understrength. But I'd probably jump on the Bojan horse if he runs riot against Villa :pac:

I want to do the same, but I'm alot more confident that Bojan will start than I am that Fletcher will start.

Ziegler1988

Sunderland starting XI: Mannone, van Aanholt, Bridcutt, Larsson, Rodwell, Wickham, Johnson, O'Shea, Giaccherini, Vergini, Roberge.

Substitutes: Pantilimon, Brown, Cattermole, Fletcher, Gomez, Mavrias.

Ugh, Fletcher on the bench. Bojan it is

Paully D

Ziegler1988 wrote: »

Sunderland starting XI: Mannone, van Aanholt, Bridcutt, Larsson, Rodwell, Wickham, Johnson, O'Shea, Giaccherini, Vergini, Roberge.

Substitutes: Pantilimon, Brown, Cattermole, Fletcher, Gomez, Mavrias.

Ugh, Fletcher on the bench. Bojan it is

Cool, Vergini's back I've been out of the loop today and must have missed that.

For those interested, the team above probably lines out like this:

Mannone

Vergini O'Shea Roberge van Aanholt

Bridcutt Rodwell Larsson

Johnson

---

Giaccherini

Wickham

I would wager on Cattermole coming in for Bridcutt and Brown for Roberge, with possibly Jones for Vergini and who knows up front for the opener next week. If Wickham and Fletcher got a half it would be interesting. One more friendly to go after this one anyway.

That will be pretty close to what we go with though.

Iused2likebusts

Paully D wrote: »

Cool, Vergini's back I've been out of the loop today and must have missed that.

For those interested, the team above probably lines out like this:

Mannone

Vergini O'Shea Roberge van Aanholt

Bridcutt Rodwell Larsson

Johnson

---

Giaccherini

Wickham

I would wager on Cattermole coming in for Bridcutt and Brown for Roberge, with possibly Jones for Vergini and who knows up front for the opener next week. If Wickham and Fletcher got a half it would be interesting. One more friendly to go after this one anyway.

That will be pretty close to what we go with though.

Would Rodwell be the most advanced mid or larrson

Paully D

Iused2likebusts wrote: »

Would Rodwell be the most advanced mid or larrson

Rodwell appears to be mate. From a journalist at the game:

Scott Wilson @Scottwilsonecho
Still 0-0, but noticeable how many breaks Rodwell is making into opposition box. Suspect that'll be a big part of #SAFC's play this season.

He also scored but it was ruled out for offside.

Iused2likebusts

Very good Cheap mid option if he can stay fit

Paully D

Fletcher and Wickham score for Sunderland in a 2-0 win.

79' Sunderland 1 Real Betis 0: Steven Fletcher - he scores when he wants! The striker skipped past the Betis defence, nicking the ball en route and coolly slotted the ball into the back of the net, leaving keeper Antonio Adan with no chance.

81' Sunderland 2 Real Betis 0: Connor Wickham smashes the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the area to double Sunderland's lead

Ziegler1988

Paully D wrote: »

Fletcher and Wickham score for Sunderland in a 2-0 win.

Suppose I'll wait until after Saturday's friendly for my Fletcher v Bojan decision. Do you think Poyet will only start one of Fletcher and Wickham? He had been putting Wickham on the left and Fletcher up front their last friendlies

Paully D

Ziegler1988 wrote: »

Suppose I'll wait until after Saturday's friendly for my Fletcher v Bojan decision. Do you think Poyet will only start one of Fletcher and Wickham? He had been putting Wickham on the left and Fletcher up front their last friendlies

He might actually be forced into going Wickham on the left and Fletcher up front for the first game or two at least.

Giaccherini went off with what looked like a groin injury that should keep him out for a few weeks. There's literally no one else in the squad who can play the role and it was one of the reasons he was so keen to get Borini in.

His system has generally always been 4-3-3 with two wide forwards tracking back and supporting the lone striker in equal measure so I doubt he'll switch to 2 two strikers up top, but Wickham on the left appears to be a definite possibility depending on a) Giaccherini's injury and b) transfer progress. That said, he hasn't ruled out a change:

Fletcher and Wickham claimed their goals in the final ten minutes of last night’s game, and having fielded a lone striker for most of last season, Poyet is considering playing the duo alongside each other in the early weeks of the new campaign. “I think Connor is feeling better with Fletch next to him,” said Poyet. “It’s an option, and these games have given me information to make a decision on how we are going to play in the next few weeks.”

Lucas Hood

Chelsea team v Fenerbahce: Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Azpilicueta; Fabregas, Matic; Schurrle, Oscar, Hazard; Diego Costa. #CFC

Fabregas back to cm and no Luis.

SpaceCowb0y

Lucas Hood wrote: »

Chelsea team v Fenerbahce: Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Azpilicueta; Fabregas, Matic; Schurrle, Oscar, Hazard; Diego Costa. #CFC

Fabregas back to cm and no Luis.

Fuck... what does it mean!!!:pac::pac::pac:

manual_man

Lovely individual goal from Costa. Matic with another sneaky assist