The Pre Season Effect

[HeScoresWhenHeWants]

I was just thinking to myself, does pre season actually help us or just make us worse? Of course there is many ways to look at this such as we've had different players over the years that haven't worked out or have worked out. We've gone down south sometimes (England, south of Scotland) and sometimes just stayed local to play highland league teams. What I mean by this is when the domestic campaign starts, we are either poor or take last season as an example, we are good! We normally start well and end up going downhill or it's the other way round, so I thought maybe the pre season fixtures have something to do with it (where we go and who we play). In 11/12 we went to England and did actually quite well down there, but of course we had a pretty poor season in the end finishing 10th. In 12/13 we just stayed up here and it didn't seem to do much harm with our league form did it! This season we've played a few highland league teams and now we are playing three teams out of the highlands/down south, Raith, Arbroath and Charlton in London. So it's basically a mix of our last two seasons, half and half with Highland League teams and teams "down south". Of course it all depends on the other teams form, how good we/they play, referee decisions, player decisions, feelings and maybe who the other teams play in pre season and what there last game and result was in the league, also there league placing. This could be a pointless topic but I just wanted to hear other ICT fans opinions on this matter.

[Sneckboy]

I suspect you're maybe over-thinking things there, HSWHW. In my mind, pre-season is just about fitness, getting to gel with new squad players and trying things out. Historically, it hasn't had a great influence on teams' seasons.

Where teams go, or who they play has no bearing on what happens come the real thing. I mean, ICT went continental a few years ago with little significance.

Last season was our most successful ever...and aside from the home game against Coventry, our preparation saw games against Clach, Buckie, Muir of Ord, Deveronvale, Elgin, Wick and Brechin. Indeed, the last 2 games we drew at Wick and lost at Brechin! Real season saw wins at Ibrox and Parkhead! I enjoy the odd pre-season game but don't place any great significance on the outcomes.

[CaleyD]

I see little point in going abroad.  I can't see how training and playing under baking heat is good preparation for coming back here where (last couple of weeks aside) the weather is totally different.  Ok, so maybe it allows a bit of "bonding", but we never seem to have had any trouble in that regard.  I think it's probably become more of a kudos type deal...and a means to getting clubs to pay for players summer holidays!

 

Our pre-season so far has seen the team pitted against increasingly physical opposition, but that's probably as much to do with luck of the draw and who was available when as it is anything else.  It's all about getting the players game time to blow out any cobwebs from the summer; getting a look at new players in a competitive match setup and experimenting with positioning and maybe a few things from the training ground.

 

Whilst "glamour" ties are great for the fans and maybe even a chance to make a few quid from pre-season, they're not going to achieve much else.

 

The Charlton game is, I imagine, a chance to piece all the bits together and get a look at what you might think would be the starting squad for the league against an opponent which is more on a par with that level of competition.

[Scarlet Pimple]

Charlton-- It's also a wee trip for the players to get them enthusiastic about the new season and the club.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Last season may well have been our most "successful"" ever but we had a terrible start - as bad in many aspects as the season before. With the weather that we have had you don't need to train abroad and we simply don't have the drachmas to do that. But we do appear to have learned - we have got practically a full squad together right from the off and we have arranged a variety of games allowing most of the squad to show their potential. The fixtures have also been well planned where we are stepping it up against better and better teams. The only thing that I feel is missing is a second game in Englandshire against 1st or 2nd division opposition. We could have played Raif and then missed out on the delights of Arbroath and travelled South to camp and play on the Wednesday evening - could easily also have been in the London area. Of course finances may have put pay to that as well but I would have preferred higher opposition.