Pre-Season Results - Do they ever mean anything?

Also it's a great motivation for smaller teams to beat us in friendlies. Every team has their own targets but at the end of the day nobody wants to lose 'em though.

It's usually all about getting fit and movements for many teams. We heard from Dr Brunker that the boys are fit as they had their own fitness program during holidays, so it's not about fitness anymore. It's about quality and getting know each other more and more. With every game the better players show their quality like Charlie Adam done so far and they naturally get their place concrete right from the start of season.

Interesting hearing both sides of this.  Maybe we should add a poll as well.

My own feeling is that friendlies serve a purpose but they don't mean anything in terms of how a team will perform during a season.  The other side of the argument seems to focus on we shouldn't be losing against lesser teams (we've lost ONCE) and we shouldn't be letting goals in against lesser teams (surely the purpose of friendlies to iron out mistakes?).  I cannot see how saying 'we're Liverpool' should mean we win every pre-season game regardless.

I fear some pretty strong knee-jerks come the season starting if this is how strongly some people feel about friendlies where there is nothing at stake.

No.
They don't.

I'm a passionate hater (if that makes sense) of friendlies. The games are boring, and I can accept that, but what really does my head in is people overreacting because of them. Probably because we all can't wait for a new season of club football. But it's too soon, there's no intensity in the game, nothing to lose or gain from them... No wonder why some of the most questionable talents are the ones who excel in those games (Ngog, Voronin) or youngsters, as they're willing to prove themselves.

There are some laughable conclusions made during pre-seasons that I can think of. I remember when Paletta became the next Carragher because of some games against Crewe and/or mighty Wrexham. Agger was hardly noticed but now we know who was the better one.

Not for me, too many questions that the manager needs to get answered for there to be any bearing on the league. Would Hull beat us in the league when the game is competitive? Nope.

I seen an article the other day where the same question was asked and the same statistics were used for the top 6 teams and the answer was a resounding no for all of them.

Being a student myself, I see pre-season as the test and the league an ongoing exam!!!

We need to have a good result only against Valencia because it is the closest to the start.

Yes they do mean something, no they can't be used to judge whether you'll hav a good season or not

If you win in pre-season, you were supposed to because you have superior players. If you lose in pre-season, it's because your team wasn't ready and the result isn't important.

Couldn't care less, I just want to see signs of good play and fit players. 

i don't think a negative pre-season is any indication on the coming league

a positive one maybe but not a negative one

especially when there've been a lot of new players brought in

everyone's trying to find their place, tactics are being worked around players

a positive pre-season says a team's got it together early on but when a team's being switched up so much and players are playing their first ever games for the club in these matches, i don't think it has any bearings on the coming season, there's still time for everyone to get settled, it's just a teething period

I think the only thing a positive pre-season does is build confidence, players then go into the early matches of the season with the knowledge that they have been playing well both individually and as a team. So it may have an effect on the first few games of the season..... which if things again go well has a knock on effect for more games.   

To this point I'd say that the pre season performances don't mean a thing.  The reason for this, we have not seen anything close to our first XI on the pitch together.  Four of our best players haven't even started training with the team yet.  Once our best back 4 (IMO Kelly,Carra, Agger, Johnson) plays together, behind our best midfield, with our best attack, we won't have a clue as to how things are looking.

For example for the next friendly.   If we saw something like

                              Doni

Kelly                                                      Johnson

             Carra                  Agger


Henderson     Spearing    Adam      Downing


            Kuyt
                         Carroll

As our team for say 60 minutes, I think things would look alot better.

The sides put out so far have been too much of a mix of our good players with youth or deadwood

I think the only thing a positive pre-season does is build confidence, players then go into the early matches of the season with the knowledge that they have been playing well both individually and as a team. So it may have an effect on the first few games of the season..... which if things again go well has a knock on effect for more games.   

that too

my point was, i don't think a negative preseason is anything to worry about

They don't mean a great deal in terms of results IMO. The strongest line up wont be payed all throughout pre-season, there will be many different players used throughout and the important thing is the fitness and conditioning of the players. A lot of times the so called big teams don't have great pre-seasons, we certainly haven't had a cracking pre-season for a long time.

I do think pre season results have some sort of impact. If we spin this the other way and lets pretend we have won every game, then everyone would be saying that the results do have an importance. Would give us a "winning mentality" or "confidence" or something like that. The results themselves wouldn't reward us anything in terms of prizes but the confidence and morale within the squad would be stronger.

The important thing in preseason, is fitness, performance and getting everyone physically and mentally prepared for the season ahead, the results do have some importance in terms of team morale and confidence but getting the players fit and the players prepared for the competitive games is the most important thing.

If basing on results alone, they don't matter much. I am more concern about performances.

We could play really, really well and yet not win. We can also play worse than sh*te, and yet record a win. Though it make sense that better results, generally mean a better performance but it is not necessarily always the case.

For me, pre-season is about:

a) players gaining match fitness
b) new players to gel with the teammates (though can be done in training, nothing is the same as a match situation)
c) new ideas and formations to be tested
d) for Kenny, Clarke and maybe even DC to assess and see which ares need to be improved
e) building confidence and preparing the players physically and mentally, as stated
f) players who have performed below par know they need to step it up during the season if they are not shipped out before then!

Losing during pre-season may also help as stated to see which areas need to be improved. For example, based on the Asia tour, it was pretty obvious our defence needs some sorting out, having conceded 6 goals in total in China and Malaysia.

All in all, whether negative or positive, pre-season helps the players, the team and the manager.

For me, pre-season is all about players getting match fit and ready for the start of the season. Obviously it's nice to get a few wins under our belts but just generally preparing for the first few games is what's key for me, including trying out different formations and players and not so much the results.

Probably not but our past few seasons I think our performances have been equally as uninspiring in pre season.

I look at the Mancs waltzing their way through minor teams quite easily and they just look better prepared and sharper than we do at this stage and if were honest they will be favourites for the title again.

Personally I would like to see beating the likes of Hull even at this early stage.

Any thoughts after last nights dismal display....??

Any thoughts after last nights dismal display....??

I think we all have to pray that pre-season results mean nothing...... god help us if our season is defined by them. 

The whole pre season and transfers up to now has resulted in some massive knee jerk reactions.

The results mean F**k all, and some people just need to chill the F**k out.

Judge Kenny and the players in May, not now.

The whole pre season and transfers up to now has resulted in some massive knee jerk reactions.

The results mean f**k all, and some people just need to chill the f**k out.

Judge Kenny and the players in May, not now.

Excellent!

There's been lots of 'advice' for KD too, he should be doing this, he shouldn't be playing like that etc. 

Absolute hogwash and piffle.  August 13 onwards is ALL that matters.  As someone said, back in our heyday, we had some apalling pre-season results.  It.  Does.  Not.  Matter.

Any thoughts after last nights dismal display....??

------------ Doni -----------------
Flanagan - Kelly - Kyrgiakos - Insua

Degen and Robinson on the wings as well.


Fortunately for us, we won't line-up like that against Sunderland.

Pre-season means a lot to many whether or not they'd like to say it. If we are playing enchanting pass and move system throughout the entire pre-season whilst scoring a lot of goals, we'd be looking at the start of the season with more than a glimmer of hope. Likewise, when you struggle through the pre-season you tend to have certain reservations as to how well you'll perform once the season commences.

At the moment we're not fielding our best 11, so there's still a meaningful long way to go before we can truly say or state what sort of competitive position we're in. I reckon against Valencia we should be, ideally fielding something very close to the starting 11. The pre-season all helps the players mentally, if they're off to a cracker, it's most likely they look forward to the impeding season with great anticipation, rather than doubting whether or not they're ready to perform at a high level.

 The short answer to the topic starter is yes, of course they do. If you spank Barcelona 3-1 in a pre season game by playing the new brand of high energy, high press football the manager has had you working on in training for four weeks, of course it would give you extra confidence and zip. Similarly if you get done 4-0 at home by Grimsby and most of your first team are playing, yes it would have an effect in the next match.

 For us right now we are developing a habit of conceding lots of goals which naturally isn´t a good one, while we haven´t scored a goal for two matches. It doesn´t define our season, but it would be nice to win one, that´s for sure.