Pre season games

[Shepperton Supporter]

Last preseason game tomorrow, should get a final indication as to what team we will field at the start of the league program .
Bishop’s Stortford are a level below so hopefully we should win.
Any thoughts on the size of the crowd?

[RogerB]

Interesting difference in attitude towards pre-season friendlies between ourselves and our first league opponents, Hornchurch. We have just had easy runouts against opponents from lower leagues whereas Hornchurch have taken on five teams from leagues above them, including 0-7 and 1-5 defeats against Leyton Orient and Bromley so the League teams presumably fielded their full 1st team squads. I hope that we will not arrive at the opening day unprepared and "undercooked", which happened last year.
Incidentally, I note that Mauro Vilhete has featured for the Urchins in their pre-season build-up.

[Josh2002]

If i remember correctly, last season we didn’t play anyone from a higher division in pre-season and ended up fine.

[Lord Elpus]

If i remember correctly, last season we didn’t play anyone from a higher division in pre-season and ended up fine.

We were very slow starters last season and it wasn't just due to the initial lack of home games.

[Josh2002]

Very true, we will see. I don’t think we can ever take a whole lot from pre-season games anyway.

[Jamie]

If i remember correctly, last season we didn’t play anyone from a higher division in pre-season and ended up fine.

Ended up fine?
Had top 3rd or 4th wage budget in the division and come 9th.
Now probably one of lowest budgets in the division...

[Josh2002]

Obviously not from that perspective, what i meant was not playing a team from a higher division in pre-season had no affect on us, we actually beat two if you recall!

[Josh2002]

A 1-0 win today, we should’ve had a lot more, their keeper pulled off several very good saves.

[TW10]

Thought we played well and good players on the bench

[ExRef]

I had some difficulty identifying players - no team announcement over the tannoy, some playing in shirts numbered to others on the website “squad” page, while the team listed on “X” didn’t show numbers. Also number 5 remains unallocated..

[Sparky]

I enjoyed that. I think Jules has done a grand job in the few weeks he’s had with most of these players.

Weren’t positive enough in the first half. But in the second, he got them looking to break lines.

It’s still going to be hard. And I hope we don’t end up suffering from big man up top syndrome, whereby he becomes the only option when we’re under pressure.

But there was already more respect than last year for keeping the ball while moving it up the pitch.

Enjoyed seeing No. 8. Is it Josh? Had a very tidy way of progressing the ball in the middle of the park.

[EastTerracer]

I think all players bar Alex Wall were wearing a subtly different designed shirt from last season which I assume is the new kit. The shirt numbers have a more modern font and I am not sure if the club crest is still integrated into the fabric design. Alex Wall's looked to be last year's shirt so perhaps the larger sizes have not yet arrived !!