Newcastle United can vouch better than anyone that pre-season friendly results offer little indication of the season ahead.
Nobody likes their team to lose a match, even a friendly. West Ham co-owner David Gold tweeted yesterday that he hates to lose one.
But pre-season games matter less than any other, so why do we get so worked up about them?
For many they are the beginning of a hopeful new journey, and fans watch them, waiting for an inkling of magic to feel positive about. After a summer of no club football, supporters are itching to see their team back in action.
Across England and around Europe pre-season games are beginning, Newcastle won their latest one 1-0 against Monaco, while Manchester City suffered a shock 1-0 loss to Saudi side Al Hilal.
But results don’t matter in pre-season, despite the deflation felt by fans when all they want to see is their side cruising to a comfortable 4-0 win.
Just take a look at Newcastle United, who fell victim to one of the heaviest pre-season defeats of any major club back in 2009, shortly after their relegation from the Premier League.
In case you don’t recall the match we are referring to, let us refresh your memory. It was July 25 2009, when Newcastle traveled to East London to play Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road.
Despite fielding a team packed with household names, Joey Barton, Alan Smith, Jose Enrique, Obafemi Martins and Tim Krul, Newcastle were utterly embarrassed 6-1.
It was a result which many saw as a sign of impending meltdown at the club, with many kneejerk reactions fearing they could do a Leeds and plummet into League One.
Let’s take a look at some excerpts from match reports follwing the game;
The Mail: “The painful saga of Newcastle’s demise under Mike Ashley continued yesterday as they were humiliated at Leyton Orient.”
The Telegraph: “Newcastle reached a new low on Saturday night as League One side Leyton Orient inflicted a humiliating 6-1 defeat on the Tyneside club at Brisbane Road.”
The Mirror: “Disastrous does not come close to describing Newcastle’s sad show, and the 1,500 travelling fans made it clear who they hold to blame. Mike Ashley has become a figure of genuine hate. And as soon as he gets an offer for Newcastle, he should cut his losses and go.”
Now look at them. Two years on Newcastle are busy scouring the continent for new signings as they prepare for a Europa League campaign after finishing fifth in the Premier League.
Newcastle ‘bounced back’ from the defeat, with Chris Hughton correctly describing it as a ‘blip’. Perhaps it highlighted the challenges which lay ahead, and showed the players that adapting to the Football League would not be easy.
When the season proper kicked off, Newcastle showed focus and team spirit, winning promotion as Champions with a superb 101 point haul. They were back.
It simply proved to show that anybody casting aspersions and predictions on the back of that pre-season game, were wrong to. And so they would for any club after any pre-season game this season.
Even the early league games in August we often can’t read too much into, with teams only getting into their rhythm once the transfer window closes and the usual September internationals are out of the way.
So this year’s pre-season games? Enjoy them, but remember them for what they are. Don’t try to over-analyse them, and hope for answers to long standing questions.
They are glorified training sessions, just that, and a chance for younger players and squad fringe players to stake their claims.
Savour the excitement, football is back, new signings in action, new kits, new hope, just don’t get down if your team gets stuffed, it really couldn’t matter any less.
What was your standout pre-season nightmare?
image: © mickyb59
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