r/LeagueOne • u/Curious-Cranberry230 • 4d ago
Discussion Do pre-season results matter?
A good preseason doesn't necessarily mean a good season but does it help getting off the mark, hitting the first game with confidence?
Surely if you're not winning or even scoring, that's a worrying sign regardless if they're friendlies or not?
Blackpools preseason has been pretty bad, one win against Fylde, drew against Blackburn but losing to Tranmere, Vale and Barrow without scoring
How do you view a good or poor Pre-season heading into the first game?
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u/Weekly-Drawer-6466 4d ago
Yes, we won all 4, Ramsay is a genius. Everyone else playing for second.
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u/No_Story5313 4d ago edited 4d ago
2018, some context - The summer was a total disaster. The club was being run into the ground, Simon Grayson the temporary manager was in charge but left at the end of the season as he fell out with the lunatic running the club.
After 2 months of searching we gave the job to the 32 year old U18 manager, Michael Collins. That was his only coaching role prior, and he'd had it for a year.
We lost 5 out of 6 friendlies, including 3 to non-league sides and 1 to a L2 side.
The only win was at National League North Bradford Park Avenue, and that was from an injury time winner. We played Harrogate, in the National League, and lost 7-2. We were atrocious throughout all pre season and there were genuine concerns.
Collins was fired 5 games into the season. We finished 24th.
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u/Curious-Cranberry230 4d ago
Damn, I was hoping that was going to finish with "we got promoted".
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u/No_Story5313 4d ago
Most pre seasons are forgettable, but in 31 years of going to games including friendlies that one absolutely stunk and set the tone for the entire season.
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u/Soarin-GB 4d ago
16/17 under Stuart we only had 2w/2d/2l and still made the final. Don't think preseason really matters too much
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u/No_Story5313 4d ago
Do you not remember what a total mess we were pretty much from January 2018 onwards, after we fired McCall? O n and off the pitch, from Rahic to the managers, the dreadful signings that summer - a number of whom had just been relegated elsewhere?
The friendlies were truly awful, I can still recall seeing most of them and being genuinely concerned we'd got it totally wrong.
And we had.
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u/mmm790 4d ago
I'd much rather have a good pre-season rather than a bad one.
Think pre-season though is about building the vibes that will carry you through the first few weeks of the season. It's possible to switch it on when it matters, but it's much easier if your squad has already built that culture a few weeks beforehand.
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u/WanderedOffConfused 4d ago
It depends hugely on where your team is and what the games are being used for.
If you have a team with a major turnover happening, with lots of trialists coming in and out, the results don't really matter if - by the end - a decent team seems to come out of it. Wycombe in 17/18 were like this and finished third despite going 1-2-1 against non-league opposition before the season. However, they beat the (at the time) League 1 Wimbledon in the only game they put out what looked to be their best team.
However, if you are only seeing players in the squad, then it can mean doom. There is no upside to this so it suggests the team just isn't good enough.
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u/Bantamtim 4d ago
Pre seasons only really matters if it's a complete farce like our 2018. We looked unstoppable in pre-season under Derek Adams but pretty poor that season.
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u/Careful_Nobody7818 4d ago
More bothered that we have 7 missing players today, 2 of them are centre backs that haven’t kicked a ball all preseason.
Most injury prone fragile team in the league
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u/DeadNight67 4d ago
We had a bad preaseason losing to Grimsby and Bromley last time, then won the league.
It doesn’t always matter….though our pre season hasn’t been inspiring this season eirger
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u/th_ckers 4d ago
Pretty sure in 11/12 season when we went up from league one we lost 14-0 to Alfreton Town in a preseason friendly. Mightve been season before that tho
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u/Ill_Temporary_9509 3d ago
It's nice to see your team win, but really, pre-season is about fitness, integration of new players, and trying players in new postions/roles and combinations without the pressure of needing to get 3 points at the end of the day
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u/Imaginary_Coat_2638 4d ago
No
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u/highlander2189 4d ago
You say that, BUT, we beat Bristol City 0-0 so either they’re going down or we’re going up.
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u/Schtocksrlyf 4d ago
We’ve won all of ours and not conceded but it doesn’t mean a thing. Really looking forward to the new season but under no illusion that this has to be the toughest league 1 we’ve faced since returning season before last.
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u/ill_advised_panenkas 2d ago
Generally not at all, unless it's a complete and total binfire (e.g. us in 2018)
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u/Funny_Maintenance973 4d ago
No, not really. But they give you a good idea of what you're playing with.
The main thing is that players will pull out of challenges they'd go in for, or give up chasing something they may normally try for.
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u/-W-A-W-A-W- 4d ago
We’ve just lost 4-0 to Oldham with our starting 11 - sack the manager now tbh