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Pre-season (2023/24)


bowlingcrofty

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Very promising first half, maybe even hour or so. Some of the moves we put together were the best football I’ve seen us play since probably the 5th placed season. Where we had a few games where we looked unplayable using the 4-3-3. 
 

I thought Athletic were a decent outfit and once they started making subs. We understandably looked a bit leggy and they really should have scored again. 
 

Botman looks really assured. Wilson looked fantastic at times. But then just totally disappeared out of the game. Willock was the same. 
 

I know it was a mixed lineup yesterday. But we really do need another attacking option or two. 

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Either of those sides against Atalanta or Bilbao would be bottom half PL sides IMO but not relegation sides, but a combination of the two sides is easily a top 8/10 side.

 

What's encouraging is that with two weakened sides, we came out with two wins and two very credible performances. Which again tells me what an incredible manager we have.

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Also, we have a first team that well and truly knows that Howe is not afraid of bringing in a squad player to do a job, no-one's spot on the team is guaranteed. This is great and something we've not had for a long time. 

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I think the pre match music, it’s about time Sam Fender got in on the act just before kick off. Aside from being great, he’s more relevant to what the players and probably most of those attending can relate to.

 

That little drum fill they do with local hero just before kick off grinds my gears.

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33 minutes ago, Dr Jinx said:

I think the pre match music, it’s about time Sam Fender got in on the act just before kick off. Aside from being great, he’s more relevant to what the players and probably most of those attending can relate to.

 

That little drum fill they do with local hero just before kick off grinds my gears.

 

Yeah I definitely wouldn't be against that. The sax solo in Seventeen Going Under would be great as the players are coming out, it isn't even a million miles away from the sound of Going Home.

 

I'll always enjoy the Dire Straits music but fucking hell the timing of it has been a bit of a car crash the last two or three times I've  been. They had to turn it off with 20 seconds of it left yesterday. Miles away. :lol:

 

Feel like I'm just whinging for the sake of it but the music pre-game in general is a bit of a mess, really. The Enemy track is ear-splitting, then you've got Ramones which totally jars with that operatic piece (with unnecessary synthesized crowd noise), then you're crossing your fingers that they manage to squeeze Local Hero in before the players are stood there fed up waiting for it to finish. :lol:

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3 minutes ago, Optimistic Nut said:

Also class that Raul Garcia scored. 36 years old and still going strong. Just looked at his Wiki page and he's only made less than 29 league appearances once since the 05/06 season. Incredible.

Bilbao are my favourite club other than the obvious.  Just the fact you have to be Basque to play for them.  One hell of an academy and they always do ok or well.

 

I don't think a lot of people know they aren't just some mid level Spanish club.

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Just now, relámpago blanco said:

Bilbao are my favourite club other than the obvious.  Just the fact you have to be Basque to play for them.  One hell of an academy and they always do ok or well.

 

I don't think a lot of people know they aren't just some mid level Spanish club.

 

Yep, they are part of the true big 3 in La Liga. Never been relegated, always top flight, and some true success in their past. The fact they're still competitive with their selection policy in today's economic football landscape is incredible. And even more so when you consider that the best Basque players often don't play for them, Azpilicueta, Arrizabalaga, (Chelsea love a Basque eh?), Laporte, Monreal and further back Xabi Alonso, Fernando Llorente etc.

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10 minutes ago, relámpago blanco said:

Bilbao are my favourite club other than the obvious.  Just the fact you have to be Basque to play for them.  One hell of an academy and they always do ok or well.

 

I don't think a lot of people know they aren't just some mid level Spanish club.

Don’t have to be Basque - just come through a Basque youth team. Aymeric Laporte became the first Frenchman to graduate from Athletic’s youth system in 2012, was not born in the French Basque region and his only connection is a blood link from his great-grandparents.

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Guest neesy111
6 minutes ago, Kanji said:

Has there ever been bother for them to change the policy?

 

They had to change it under franco dictatorship.

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