Just wait until the real action starts again next week…
So, Wimbledon Dog Track 2 White City Dog Track 3. An ultimately disappointing outcome in a game that became more exciting than perhaps a PSF should be.
Admittedly, your editor has only done two of these games this time round, and I was working last weekend, but there was a definitely improvement from Sutton.
Yesterday was as close to a starting XI as we’ll realistically get for the moment, with only Bishop and Sessegnon to come back, and it didn’t really tell us anything we didn’t know.
Our defence looks a bit more solid these days, although the first goal to somebody who came off after 30 minutes was a bit disappointing.
I did notice that reading around afterwards, McDonnell got a few “hmphs” against him, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Bishop starts against Newport.
I’ve forgotten how their second goal went, although it seemed to wake us up a bit. We had been a bit lethargic/ineffective up front, but all of a sudden – we started having a go.
And after many notes written (OK, typed on Google Notes these days) by SW19 on the effectiveness of one A Sasu – he scored.
A well-taken goal, at that, one you would have expected from Stevens or Browne.
Suddenly, he wasn’t a lightweight who ducked at the first sight of a ball coming towards him, or with the distribution of Parcel Force.
He was Pau Sasursí and Barcelona were already looking forward to offering us €130m.
Well, maybe not. None the less, it seemed to galvanise him as well as ourselves, because he then netted our equaliser with a cross from Seddon.
Will that be the last time you read that this upcoming nine months? Probably, but hope springs eternal.
Alas, any thoughts of the ultimate comebacks were snuffed out with the deciding strike, which I thought was a bit unfortunate.
They showed it on the TV screens in the west stand concourse after the game, and I think we were just a bit caught on the hop in a way I doubt we will be in proper games.
At least, I hope we are, anyway.
I toyed with the idea of writing this report up after the game, though I’m going to do them on Sundays now for the most part, as it makes it easier for so many reasons.
Like giving myself a chance to read JJ’s post game comments. And he seemed happy with the PSF workouts, to be fair.
It was interesting to note about him mentioning about “upping the intensity”, which I guess was referring to how we got our arses into gear after their second goal.
That’s the problem with these sort of games – because they don’t matter, you mentally don’t put it about as much as you otherwise would.
And yet because they’re irrelevant, you can still miss the warning signs that they do bring up.
Perhaps the one big takeaway was how much we need more firepower up front, which to be fair to JJ he seems to cover.
We’ve got just under another month to add to what passes off as our crack goalscoring ensemble (no, that doesn’t mean they’re on crack), and there’s already been one or two rumours this weekend.
At this stage, the higher tier clubs will be figuring out who to let out on loan. Which is why we’ve already got Ollie Harrison from Chelsea.
He came on yesterday, and to be honest was a bit anonymous, although it was for about the last ten minutes.
There’s also still senior players без команда who now need to start thinking about their wages for next season, and the PFA are doing their usual pre-season training camp.
I hope we had somebody keeping an eye on their trip to Fulham’s u21s yesterday, players like John Marquis and Connor Wickham were featuring…
Still, that’s it for the phoney war that is the close season. The next game is this upcoming Saturday, and it actually matters from now on.
Unless we do one of those behind-closed-doors friendlies against a Premier League side again.
Even if we do, it does feel like we’re a little bit more prepared this time round, and a stuffing of Newport would be a nice way to open 26/27.
Although I reserve the right to call everyone a bunch of cunts and put a formal motion in place to liquidate the club if we lose…
Plus points: Defence looking a little better despite the three goals. Sasu’s strikes. Going up a gear when needed.
Minus points: We lost. Could have been 2-0 down quicker than we actually were. Their goals.
The referee’s a…: I’m sure the linesman (sorry, assistant referee) gave some offsides that weren’t offsides.
But then, it’s their pre-season as well. Although in the case of too many officials, they never improve after that.
Them: I don’t know if it was their main first XI, although they did give Bromley a big 7-0 spanking** on Friday evening.
Even if it wasn’t though, they definitely proved the difference between a second-string Championship level forward line and a L1 side with L2 level strikers.
** – I also don’t know if that was a full strength Bromley outfit, but losing 7-0 in a friendly can do a lot of damage…
Their first goalscorer, Koki Saito, didn’t feature in the World Cup for Japan, but he has played for their national team.
Our internationals tend to be ex-players who featured for the likes of Lebanon (Bugiel) or Montserrat (Lyle Taylor).
Decent turnout from them, over 1300 making the not-particularly-difficult tube ride down from Shepherd’s Bush to Wimbledon Park.
In good voice at the beginning too, although your editor still remembers them bringing 12000 to Selhurst Park.
Their ground is the sort of venue I’d like to see us get drawn at in the Carabao Cup, as I’ve always liked it.
I know we used it inbetween leaving KM and returning home back during Covid, which would have been interesting if crowds had been allowed in.
In fact, I remember somebody once describing the 20K Plough Lane design as a “modern day Loftus Road”, which I take as a 100% compliment…
Point to ponder: Whither Aron Sasu?
Yesterday might have been his obligatory great game in six months, but you do have to wonder if half of his problems are in his head.
Your editor just read back the notes typed about him on the SW19 communications device (no, not my middle finger), and it said the following:
“Still can’t see why Sasu features…. Sasu seems scared of his shadow…. Sasu distribution awful, can’t find the man at all.”
Then he scored. And I now have to own those comments.
To be fair, they weren’t inaccurate up until that stage, and the half time views on him were similar.
The thing is – he clearly has some talent.
His first goal yesterday was a genuinely good finish, and his second was the kind that you hope somebody of his height would put away.
He also showed some decent skill for the decisive goal at Wigan too (seriously, have a watch back of it after you’ve finished here), so on that score I understand why he features.
Maybe we should just play him as an out and out striker? He has some aptitude in that department and could be useful on that if he comes off the bench.
I still think we missed a trick not sending him on loan for at least three months to non-league last season, although we had no squad depth back then.
That might have helped overcome the mental block he seems to have, although yesterday should have given him some encouragement too.
Who knows, if he could do that he might be a huge asset to us after all? It’s up to him though…
Truth is stranger than fiction: 1) The group wearing the Canada national shirts. Turns out they were a stag-do from Ireland, although they should have gone the whole hog and worn Mayo GAA ones instead. 2) New electronic ad hoarding inbetween the main entrance and Topps Tiles. A good potential way to advertise, methinks. 3) Sorry to say, the Dave Beasant statue already looks like it needs a new lick of paint.
Anything else? To be honest, I don’t have quite the trepidation this upcoming campaign as I did this time last year.
It’s been a decent enough pre-season campaign, though losing to Wealdstone then QPR in the space of four days has soured that a little.
We seem more organised, there’s been less obvious panic-buying in the transfer window too.
I don’t mind holding off until even when the league kicks off if it means we get a more suited player coming in.
Our forward line is still a concern, and I expect for the first couple of weeks we’ll need to rely on the likes of Browne, Hippo, Tilley and Sasu (yeah, I said it) to find the net.
We seem to have our glut of midfielders now, so whether a couple will be leaving (even on loan) remains to be seen.
My guess is that it probably will, especially if there’s a transfer fee involved.
At the back, Sweeney seems to have made a difference, although I’d be happier if we get another centre back in too.
Maybe we’ll see Joe Lewis in an AFCW shirt again? He hasn’t got a club at the time of typing, and I assume the offer we, er, offered him still stands.
One gets the sense we’ve got more additions to make, that this isn’t what we’re going to go with for the upcoming season.
Finances are the big factor, needless to say, although one suspects we have a little bit in the transfer kitty.
I know the club got the begging bowl out again over the whole PL Bond thing (£315k when I checked just now), which tells its own story.
I do have a little bit of sympathy with them over people pledging then literally not coming up with the wonga when push comes to shove.
Although the bond is not nearly such a good financial deal these days, especially as you can get an instant access account for 4.5%.
But then, I think people are now expecting external investment, and they’re just not willing any longer to put the money en masse into the club.
That will be the crunch for 26/27, and while you obviously don’t want a bad investor – you can’t negotiate thinking you can carry on as you are when you try to bring in non-fan money.
As for the rest of it, I think I just want to get started on the proper games now. The three-month break has been nice, but it’s long enough.
Who knows what the upcoming fun and games will bring us? Hell, we might even beat Burton at their place…
So, was it worth it? Hmm.
In a nutshell: Roll on Newport.