Roberto De Zerbi *OFFICIAL*

[NoLimits01]

I think our preseason tour strategy needs looking at:

2024 - South Korea and Japan
2025 - South Korea and Hong Kong
2026 - Australia and New Zealand

Throw in new managers and styles to learn for 2 of those preseasons, oh and a euros and a World Cup and then take into account all those missed training days for the flights, recovery days and Audi Cup fixtures and we are making an already compacted preseason even harder for ourselves.

 

[Muttley]

That team you selected still has 4 relegation battle era players. Would it have fared better? Maybe defensively but offensively it's still dog brick and wouldn't have been able to control the midfield which was the source of all of our problems.

Frankly the truth simply is that our squad and starting 11 was brick as stated numerous times over the last 2 years and we have made a massive push for improvement by bringing in 8 players but those 8 players are mostly all to replace the starting 11. If 5 of them aren't available plus our already existing missing quality in Kulu, Maddison and Kudus then you are looking at a team of very similar quality to the one that almost got us relegated last season.

It's why I've said quite a few times that yes we have improved our quality but we have no depth to that quality. If Fernandes or Tonali are missing it's the same dreadful midfield that failed last season. This is going to be more than a 1 season fix. Yes next season we will still need to integrate new players, hopefully not to the same extent as this year but all we've done this summer is get the starting 11 into a comparable state. It's not over skilled it's just matching the bare requirements at this point.

lol - I said we'd do better. I didn't say we'd win 3-0

However, we do face a dilemma as the team / squad on paper is clearly better than it is on grass right now. We're lacking the signings in forward areas and we're missing WC returnees and injury recovery players.

The only good thing is that in a week's time this transfer window would have slammed shut and we'll be able to focus on what we have versus what we haven't got.

 

[Mikey10]

I think our preseason tour strategy needs looking at:

2024 - South Korea and Japan
2025 - South Korea and Hong Kong
2026 - Australia and New Zealand

Throw in new managers and styles to learn for 2 of those preseasons, oh and a euros and a World Cup and then take into account all those missed training days for the flights, recovery days and Audi Cup fixtures and we are making an already compacted preseason even harder for ourselves.

It’s madness.

 

[Bishop]

lol - I said we'd do better. I didn't say we'd win 3-0

However, we do face a dilemma as the team / squad on paper is clearly better than it is on grass right now. We're lacking the signings in forward areas and we're missing WC returnees and injury recovery players.

The only good thing is that in a week's time this transfer window would have slammed shut and we'll be able to focus on what we have versus what we haven't got.

3-0 (they should have had 5 or 6 if we are honest) or 2-0 is much of a muchness. The team we started or the team you suggested would have been lambs to the slaughter.

The squads looks better on paper but that's because we haven't actually seen it play. We still have the injured guys to return we still need to see how the new midfield gels. We then need to see how Savio and Marmoush mesh with the existing squad. It's why when people were talking about Top finishes I thought they were mad. This is a season of recovery. This is a season to bed in the ideas and begin to see a structure and philosophy in the team.

We are going to lose games (don't hate me @thfcsteff ), but we will win some as well, but it's going to be a grind, it's going to take time for our level to settle and for everyone to get settled and all of these signings some of whom might not work so we have to have patience but importantly in comparison to the previous regime have a willingness to go again if something doesn't work.

I do think that Saturday was a good thing. It has quickly shown the fan base the reality of the task ahead. We needed some sense slapped into the fan base because reality was actually running away from everyone.

 

[metalgear]

I think our preseason tour strategy needs looking at:

2024 - South Korea and Japan
2025 - South Korea and Hong Kong
2026 - Australia and New Zealand

Throw in new managers and styles to learn for 2 of those preseasons, oh and a euros and a World Cup and then take into account all those missed training days for the flights, recovery days and Audi Cup fixtures and we are making an already compacted preseason even harder for ourselves.

add to that a world cup year and those days lost to flight time and time zone recovery, every day is precious

 

[Bishop]

add to that a world cup year and those days lost to flight time and time zone recovery, every day is precious

Money, money, monay!

 

[rxl]

Well, they reckon the tour was worth about £12m, and if each PL spot is £3.75, does 4 positions in the table make it worthwhile? I guess it's not a guarantee it would be better if we just went to Germany or alike. Don't forget Ange and Frank both had amazing starts to the campaigns after long hault pre-season tours...

It's the old adage it's not how you start, it's how you finish...

 

[revlis]

I think our preseason tour strategy needs looking at:

2024 - South Korea and Japan
2025 - South Korea and Hong Kong
2026 - Australia and New Zealand

Throw in new managers and styles to learn for 2 of those preseasons, oh and a euros and a World Cup and then take into account all those missed training days for the flights, recovery days and Audi Cup fixtures and we are making an already compacted preseason even harder for ourselves.

Add to that:
2022 South Korea
2023 Bangkok & Singapore

I went on the 2023, 24 and 25 trips and they were brilliant. Would have gone home to Australia this year had I not just had a baby. But this year was definitely overkill. If there was ever a time to just stay local, it was now. But I know these tours are usually planned at least 9-12 months in advance.

 

[Bishop]

Well, they reckon the tour was worth about £12m, and if each PL spot is £3.75, does 4 positions in the table make it worthwhile? I guess it's not a guarantee it would be better if we just went to Germany or alike. Don't forget Ange and Frank both had amazing starts to the campaigns after long hault pre-season tours...

It's the old adage it's not how you start, it's how you finish...

I think the money side isn't just directly about the receipts it's also to do with the overall marketing and presence of the club.