Geordies: market leaders in optimism?

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Jesus: it's scary when everyone is more miserable than me. Is ANYONE feeling any sort of positivity? Please someone, say "yes".

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

Answers

I can't say I am brimming with optimism but I am not suicidal like some people on here. We have to give the new players time to settle in and get the injured players back and take it from there.

Maybe it will do us some good to start the season feeling so down, we usually think we're going to win the league! Then fail miserably!

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001


At least playing competetive matches so early will prevent them repeating last season's lame approach to getting fit. We spent the whole season holding it all in reserve for the big push which only came on the last bloody day of the season. It is my fervent hope that our Inter Toto opponents stretch those idle buggers to the limit so that they will have something to draw on come January. Is it only Rugby players and the military who push themselves beyond the limit in training to make the games easier?

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

No - Ruud Gullit tried it in his sole pre-season here. He didn't get it right as they were all knackered for the first couple of months of the season - and as we recall, it showed in the results.

However, I believe that Gullit's fitness regime did actually pay off later in the season when, under BR, we looked the fittest team in the PL and overran several teams - notably including Sheff Wed.

In contrast, and based to some degree of my own occasional observations at The Riverside, I felt our overall fitness level was lacking compared to other teams last season. This translated to several other teams outmatching us physically - as we had done to others the previous season - and contributed to the poor results. I strongly suspect this also contributed to the excessive injury situation.

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001


You'd almost think I'd been fishing for that response, wouldn't you ;- )

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

...... never one to knowingly disappoint, Softie! ;-{))

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001


The thing is, as I recall, we barely played any first teamers during that Gullit pre-season: Jeemy Knackers, Gullit played himself at Reading. I honestly think that, for us, it's less about pre-season and more about our general training - Bobby admitted that he was terrified to train at the Riverside on occasion last year because the ground was bad and we couldn't afford any more injuries. We trained ONCE in nine days prior to the infamous Charlton game. In terms of summer fitness, last year, the Demon of the Black Country (AKA John Gregory), had his players electronically tagged so they could ensure that the players were keeping fit during the summer and Villa had among the fewest injuries in the PL...

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

Something may happen in the next few weeks to change my mind but as of now, I think we may go down.

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

I'm not suicidal. Nor am I bounding around feeling we'll win the league. I'm looking forward to the new season and figure it can't possibly be any worse than the one just ended. I am hoping we can fight our way to a European place, beat the Mackems at SJP, and win at least 1 match in London.

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2001

I'd like to see us win ALL the games in London + Southampton, OT and SOL. IN addition I'd like to see us qualify for Europe. A Champion's League place would be good particularly if the other English CL contenders can all be charged under the Trade Descriptions Act for not being champions.

"Foo'ball is a fanny gayme" to quote Jimmy Greaves amongst others. We probably need it to be bliddy hilarious this season but I'm still hoping.



-- Anonymous, June 26, 2001

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