We'll Need It ....

.... if tonight's first home friendly of the pre-season is anything to go by!

With 15 new players in our squad after a mass clear-out following last season's relegation, we were looking forward to new ideas and enthusiasm from the new faces. Instead, they seemed it difficult to pass the ball accurately to each other or keep hold of it when they did.

Admittedly we were playing Bournemouth who are on a high, having been newly promoted to the Premier League, and seemed reluctant to let's us have the ball for any length of time by the simple expedient of doing those very two things we couldn't very effectively.

We can only hope that we can be more competitive against teams at our level in League 2 when the season proper gets under way, otherwise it's going to be a long, hard winter!

It makes you question the value of friendlies against far superior teams as you don't get a really competitive match and it's dispiriting for the fans and, presumably, the players who must get fed up chasing around after the ball and not getting a touch.

On a brighter note, we enjoyed a blustery round of golf in the morning and I booked a first holiday for us with Kate, Joel and Sophie for later in the year. I reckon Joel is very brave to agree to spend a week with the "in-laws"!