Friendlies; not fair on the supporters
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As an exiled Evertonian living in Cambridge, I will be taking the opportunity to watch our favourite team this Saturday. The seat prices are in line with CUFC matches in the Blue Square. It will be the first time my children will have seen Everton.
However, my point is this, having seen the team that we put out in Switzerland, I'm now expecting to see an Everton team of maybe 3 first teamers plus a load of kids. I know that a lot of the squad are still not back, injured and so on but the match is billed in advance as Everton and is it therefore fair to the Everton and CUFC fans who have paid good money to watch?
Still, I may yet be one of the few Evertonians to have seen AVDM play a game....
So, not the end of the world but yet another example of the way football takes the piss?
Jonathan Tasker,
London Posted 15/07/2008 at 08:17:53
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It is Everton. Unless some players are signed we could well be seeing these players more this season.
Can’t really complain when they will put out the best team they can . There are half a dozen injured (already) and 4 having a holiday after playing until mid June.
It’s not like it’s being done just to spite you.
I am going to the game on Saturday as well Jon, and hope it will be a decent 11 put out by Moysey, but will have to wait and see. I will be annoyed if Johnson is kept on the bench due to his impending sale, but hope to see a couple of future stars (as well as old stars in the case of Andy Van) starting to make an impact.
However my main annoyance is that pre season should be an opporunity to see new signings starting to intergrate in the team and making their first appearance in Everton colours, but this isn't going to be the case! Surely you don't need to be a rocket scientist to work out when you have to buy players so they will be avaliable for pre-season??
And don't give me that rubbish about not knowing what the funds will be, the players we are being linked with - Riki, Lichensteiner and Topal, arent going to break the bank! A bit more urgency in the summer months would help us start the season well like we need to, I don't think we will be able to give the likes of Man City and Villa such a head start this year and get away with it!
Jonathan,
I wouldn?t worry too much. I would expect to see all fit first teamers play at some point against Cambridge.
We don?t have too many pre season friendlies and Phil Neville has already gone on record saying the players wanted more match action last pre-season so I would expect the strongest possible squad available.
You can?t account for injuries etc.
What?s more worrying Jonathan is the fact that even when the Nigerian boys and Howard are back from their hols, the team will still have kids filling the gaps due to the lack of signings.
Personally, I'd sooner see some of the kids play as I rarely get the chance otherwise (due to being an out of town season ticket holder), but I can see your point if you cant get to many games. Let's just hope that 1 or 2 pluses come out of it in the shape of players being able to play a big role in the coming season that we may not have expected ? ie, Kissock, Rodwell, VDM.....
It is pre-season and I expect Everton and Moyes to treat these games how he likes. Everton are not obliged in any way to the spectator. I would expect pre season to be geared to maximising the condition of all our players for the start of the season proper.
Lay off Davey will you ... you lot moan when he doesn’t give the youngsters a chance and moan when he does!!
I understand were your coming from Jonathan, but as Dan McKie said I prefer to see the kids coming through just to see if they are actually good enough to make the breakthrough!! I'm sure if all the first teamers are available to him, he will play them, because personally i don?t think Moyes likes to play the young lads, or at least try them anyway.
Adam Croft; VDM an "old star" ? is that a brewery?
No matter what happens.... I guarantee you all starting 11 and subs will be EVERTON players!!!
New, old, young, borrowed, patched-up, whatever... but still EVERTON players!
I must admit I was going to go but I am not prepared to pay £17 to watch a pre-season friendly which is just a run out. I?ll save my pennies for the season.
I like seeing whatever team the Blues put out. I was fortunate enough to have a business trip coincide with the friendly up in Aberdeen a couple of pre-seasons ago and am looking forward to watching the game at Forest a week on Friday.
I’m travelling up from Cornwall, I will still be supporting Everton Football Club. I support Everton, not only the first team squad, it doesn’t matter who play’s. COYB.
Went to Palace friendly last year, game was awful. Was very worried for the upcoming season and look what happened. Don’t expect a classic!
I can’t understand your point. It is a friendly and its all about getting the players fit. If the players aren’t fit or they are still on holiday what do you want. Save your money and take them to Goodison instead.
Adam Croft, I fear you may have missed the point somwhat. Pre-season friendlies are an opportunity to ’bleed in’ younger players to the first-team set-up. Anyway, rumour has it you are a muppet and have only ever been to one Everton game in your whole life! Your post proves this undoubtably.
The last time I said how fickle some supporters are I was shot down. Again certain people complain about the most idiotic things.
Really friendlies have always been about trying every person you have in your squad out. To build fitness or to gel diferernt groups of players. Since when would one buy a ticket to a friendly and expect the biggest names to play? Those sort of games nowadays are 1 in 10 in pre season terms, where the big team is paid to come play a glamour fixture and are obliged to play their stars. Otherwise, it's whatever team the manager sees fit or has at his disposal.
Like someone said, save your cash go see a league game. And for god sake stop moaning about an insignificance.
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1 Posted 15/07/2008 at 13:37:41
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Can’t really complain when they will put out the best team they can . There are half a dozen injured (already) and 4 having a holiday after playing until mid June.
It’s not like it’s being done just to spite you.