Which we might all be thinking come 3pm tomorrow…
So, the games start again this weekend. Which means no more free Saturdays from now until May 2023.
Let’s see if we can ruin a few less of them this time round, eh?
Admittedly, going to Bedford Town** is an odd one, and I don’t just mean the 1pm kickoff.
** – and it is Bedford Town, not Bedford FC who play in the Spartan South Midland League.
And yes, I know we’d struggle to beat *them* too.
I guess JJ felt we weren’t getting enough PSFs, and just went for whoever was available at whatever level they play at.
No idea who he knows at tomorrow’s opponents, but it’s a feature of his selections this close season.
We’re playing Farnborough presumably because of Ricky Holmes and him being at Charlton at the same time.
Six PSFs is more or less a decent number though. I still shudder at remembering Chelski’s new u23 manager saying only three were needed…
Tomorrow might be one of those games where it really is all about fitness. I’m sure it will be the standard two-starting-XIs-each-half setup.
JJ himself seems more of a “traditional”, no-nonsense manager, so don’t expect too much experimental nu-wave stuff from him.
The biggest interest tomorrow will be whether Jack Rudoni features, who is looking ever more likely to leave.
It appears that we’ve been offered a maximum of £500k, which hasn’t gone down well with some.
I definitely think we should push for more, but in truth anything north of £650k will be a very good deal for us.
Assuming we get good add-ons and/or sell-on clauses.
Your editor gave a few heads up to Sunderland fanzine A Love Supreme about him, and I stick by what I said about his price tag.
Why a Championship club will want to pay £1m for him I don’t know. He’s not worth that, and they know it.
I wonder whether deep down we know it too? Even if some of our fans clearly don’t.
It will give us something to think about when the game starts tomorrow, because unfortunately there’s no parade of new signings due.
Unless we make a job lot of transfers-in today, or we get the mysterious A. Triallist types playing.
Already, there’s a bit of unease at our lack of new players, especially as we said a week or so ago that a couple are close to getting over the line.
I think I said it last time on here though – patience is needed. Even if it’s starting to drain away a bit.
Things might not get moving today, but from Monday decisions start having to be made. Not just by clubs, but by players too.
Today, out-of-contract footballers are officially unemployed, and they now need to find out who’s paying their mortgage next season.
I don’t doubt that we’ve come close to making contract offers for players, if we haven’t already.
Not just existing ones, who now need to shit or get off the training ground pot, but incoming ones too.
Tomorrow has come too early for New Player Spotting, although you won’t blame anyone for feeling apprehensive if we’re in the same spot come Farnborough.
Still, at least we’re back playing games again, and I’m actually quite glad of that.
Your editor should be there tomorrow, and there should be some kind of SW19 report on it on Sunday.
I think quite a few others will be too.
As news we’ve sold over 4200 season tickets reaches us – more than last season, I believe – people just want to move on from last season and start afresh.
And really, what else are you going to do on a Saturday for the next nine months?
I have to admit, while I always enjoy the downtime of life ohne Fußball, last weekend was probably the first time that I wanted to be back at a game.
OK, I went to Slovenia v Serbia in the Nations League last month, which was more enjoyable than I imagined it would be.
But transfer nervousness aside, even a pre-season friendly reminds you why we spend so much money to be miserable during after the game.
This time of the year isn’t usually one for milestones, but we’re guaranteed at least one of two things come tomorrow evening.
We’ll either win for the first time since the old King was alive, and they’ll announce a public holiday for people to process the enormity.
Or we won’t, which will ensure the first collective meltdown of the 2022/23 season…