Exeter, Schmexeter? who cares? Pre-season friendlies are for goodie-goodies anyway!
You'd never have caught Mickey Channon busting a gut or Flecky sweating cobs on a summer jaunt in Devon. Taking that sort of nonsense seriously is much more the territory of Jerry Goss or Gary Holt.
Mind you, they'd have run around like 'Yifter the Shifter' if you'd set them loose in a game of indoor bowls!
Losing to Exeter? It doesn't matter, it really doesn't ? At least that is what Stan has decided now he has stopped intermittently crying out loud and laughing hysterically.
First things first. Stan wasn't there; that's for you're real hardcore. He's done Love Street to see City's all yellow kit get it's debut against St Mirren, but Exeter in July was an ask too many.
Therefore Stan admits his musings are based on the scribings of the Wag himself and a load of completely unfounded pre-conceptions. Such nonsense as Doherty isn't a midfielder and Eagle ain't a left back!
If we're honest this pre-season was always going to be a bit odd, after-all McTinkerman loves a good old fiddle at the best of times.
So, pre-season must be an absolute, kid-in-a-sweetshop-joy for the man. 'Marshall, you go left wing… Gilksy, you can have a run at centre forward and Hucks? you fancy yourself between the sticks, here's the gloves!'
But hey, these sort of games are about fitness levels, getting the touch back and trying to remember people's names, not winning for heaven's sake.
So what are we going to glean from Exeter, Lowestoft, Kings Lynn, Apledoorn, and Zwolle? Mmm?Nothing at a guess. The real team will step forward closer to the Hammers' game.
Pre-season games should not be fretted about. Stan read Rick Waghorn's article written prior to the Exeter match, and puffed his chest out, 'Yep, bring it on..!' Stan said to himself.
We have indeed been 'very un-Norwich' getting the players in early-doors and dictating the pace of events, rather than vice-versa.
One little return to being 'very Norwich' shouldn't be seen as a disaster, a bit predicable, but not a disaster. Ok, ok, winning is indeed a habit, but I'd rather be on a winning streak in September than July.
Stan still remains excited. It's that bright-eyed 10-year-old who thought Jimmy Neighbour was God that believes that Dave Stricihavka-Ka will prove to be, well, just that, and Johnny O will prove not to be the next Fernando Develd.
It's a wonderful time of year when dreams run wild and reality can wait for November.
The week ahead will reveal a lot more about what is to come than Saturday did. The Safri situation will be bubbling to a conclusion of sorts and the team skipper will step forward, to mention nothing of who may trot out at Preston bedecked in the No 5 shirt.
Stan used to hate pre-season in years gone by, but right now despite the Exeter, ahem, 'blip', he's loving it. It certainly beats the 'real thing' of the last three years.
Bring on the Linnets, that's what Stan says, he just can't wait!
Leave a Reply