The Pre-season Friendly Hub

The Pre-season Friendly Hub

Pre-season friendlies have begun. The time of year where you sit down to watch a game and then it is ruined in the second half by subs being made every two minutes of the second half. You forget who is playing where and generally drift away to write an article about it! This happened yesterday – Preston North End v Liverpool had 43 substitutions and so as my interest waned, I checked out all the Premier League teams and how their pre-season either shaped up or had begun. From a fantasy point of view, it is worth while keeping an eye on these matches regardless of how meaningless you think they are. They often throw up little nuggets of information which can help you settle your initial squad and prepare you for future transfers. Bear in mind though that it has been known for players to play all pre-season and then the search party is out for them on GW1! But it is better having pre-season information and basing your selection policy and your transfer strategies on them than going in completely blind. Here follows some information on what has already gone on. Our grand plan here is that you use this article to post as normal for now but then refer back to it as and when tou have any relevant pre-season info to add and post relevant comments to keep it updated over the next few weeks. So please take it upon yourself to add in the comments, any information from pre-season games, training or whatever… You might just be helping one fellow manager with a nugget of information but that’s what FF247 is all about.

ASTON VILLA
Mansfield Town 1-3 Aston Villa – 17th July 2014
First half team:
Given
Lowton, Okore, Clark, Bennett
Bacuna, Carruthers
Delph, Tonev, Cole
Agbonlahor.

Second half team:
Steer
Hutton, Herd, Baker, Richardson
El Ahmadi, Westwood, Gardner, N’Zogbia
Bent, Weimann

GOALS:
Darren Bent (assisted by Alan Hutton) 61 mins
Craig Gardner (assisted by Darren Bent) 85 mins
Darren Bent (assisted by Andres Weimann) 90 mins
Aston Villa now travel to the USA to meet Dallas and Houston Dynamo. They will play Groningen in Holland which is sandwiched between trips to Chesterfield and Walsall before finishing off their preparations at home to Italian Serie A side Parma.

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ARSENAL
Boreham Wood 0-2 Arsenal – 19th July 2014
First Half:
Szczesny
Jenkinson, Ajayi, Hayden, Monreal
Ramsey, Coquelin, Zelalem, Willock
Toral, Sanogo

Second Half:
Martinez
Miquel Plequezelo Bellerin Gibbs
Rosicky Diaby Flamini Olsson
Akpom Afobe

GOALS:
Kris Olsson (assisted by Tomas Rosicky) 68 mins
Benik Afobe (PENALTY won by himself) 85 mins

Arsenal will now travel Stateside, for a meeting next Saturday with a familiar face in the form of Thierry Henry and his New York Red Bulls. After this they welcome Valencia, Benfica and Monaco for the Emirates Cup where they will play the Portuguese and French across the 2nd and 3rd August.

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SOUTHAMPTON
EHC Hoensbrook 0- 4 Southampton – 15th July 2014

Kelvin Davis (Paulo Gazzaniga 46), Calum Chambers (Jason McCarthy 46), José Fonte (Jack Stephens 46), Jordan Turnbull (Jos Hooiveld 46), Nathaniel Clyne (Matt Targett 46), Jack Cork (Jake Flannigan 46), Harrison Reed (Steven Davis 46), James Ward-Prowse (Dušan Tadi? 46), Jake Sinclair (Lloyd Isgrove 46),
Sam McQueen (Billy Sharp 46), Emmanuel Mayuka (Sam Gallagher 46).

GOALS:
Sam McQueen (no assist) 11 mins
Calum Chambers (assisted by Sam McQueen) 44 mins
Billy Sharp (PENALTY won by Steven Davis) 62 mins
Steven Davis (no assist) 64 mins

Sporting Hasselt 0-6 Southampton – 17th July 2014

Southampton: Kelvin Davis (Artur Boruc 46), Jason McCarthy (Calum Chambers 46), Jack Stephens (José Fonte 46), Jos Hooiveld (Maya Yoshida 46), Matt Targett (Jordan Turnbull 46), Jack Cork (Jake Flannigan 46), James Ward-Prowse (Harrison Reed 46), Steven Davis (Billy Sharp 46), Dušan Tadi? (Sam McQueen 46), Lloyd Isgrove (Emmanuel Mayuka 46), Graziano Pellè (Sam Gallagher 46).

GOALS:
Graziano Pellè (assisted by Lloyd Isgrove) 5 mins
Graziano Pellè (assisted by Jason McCarthy) 32 mins
Sam McQueen (assisted by Calum Chambers) 59mins
Weerts own-goal (no assist) 67 mins
Emmanuel Mayuka (PENALTY won by a handball) 78 mins
Sam Gallagher (no assist) 87 mins

Saints now play Swindon Town (21st July) and then two teams from the south coast in Bournemouth (25th July) and Brighton & Hove Albion (31st July). They will complete their schedule by welcoming Bayer Leverkusen to St. Mary’s on 9th August.

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MANCHESTER CITY
Dundee 2-0 Manchester City – 13th July 2014

First half:
Caballero
Bossaerts, Boyata, Denayer, Kolarov
Navas, Fernando, Rodwell, Huws
Jovetic, Guidetti

Second Half:
Caballero
Richards, Mastasic, Rekik, Leigh
Nasri, Garcia, Zuculini
Sinclair, Negredo, Huws

Heart of Midlothian 1-2 Manchester City – 18th July 2014

First half:
Wright
Richards, Leigh, Nastasic, Rekik
Garcia, Zuculini, Sinclair, Nasri,
Navas, Negredo

Second half:
Caballero,
Bossaerts (Clichy, 71′), Boyata, Kolarov, Denayer,
Fernando, Rodwell, Sinclair, Huws,
Jovertic, Guidetti.

GOALS:
Scott Sinclair (assisted by Alvaro Negredo) 24mins
Alexsandr Kolarov (PENALTY for foul on Emyr Huws) 79 mins

Having begun their preparations in Scotland, including helping commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Main Stand at Hearts’ Tynecastle Stadium, the Citizens now head across the pond to face-off Sporting Kansas City for the ‘Summer in the Soccer Capital – Champions Shield’ . But you knew that already, right? This is all a warm-up for the International Champions Cup where they are in a group with Liverpool, AC Milan and Olympiacos. If they win the group and only if they win it, they will face a final against Roma, Real Madrid or their chums from across the way, Manchester United!

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LIVERPOOL
Brondby 2-1 Liverpool – 16th July 2014
B Jones (Ward 81)
Kelly (Wisdom 45), Ilori (Stewart 22), Agger (Skrtel 45), Smith (Flanagan 45)
Lucas (Peterson 45), Rossiter (Coady 45), Coutinho (Allen 45), Suso (Adorjan 45)
Borini (Phillips 45), Teixeira (Ibe 45).

GOAL: Kristoph Petersen (assisted by Jordan Ibe) 47 mins

Preston North End 1-2 Liverpool – 19th July 2014
B Jones
Kelly (Robinson(Enrique)), Flanagan (Coates), Skrtel (Stewart), Wisdom (Coady)
Lucas (Peterson), Allen (L Jones), Can (Ibe), Coutinho (Rossiter)
Lambert (Suso), Borini (Adojan).

GOALS:
Suso (assisted by Jordan Ibe) 75 mins
Peterson (assisted by Jordan Ibe) 78 mins

Liverpool will now face Ashley Cole’s AS Roma (23rd July) in the US, where they will also take part in the International Champions Cup against Olympiacos (27th July), Manchester City (30th July) and AC Milan (2nd August). They could play one more game in the form of the final if the win the group. A glamour home friendly against Borussia Dortmund on 10th August rounds things of for Brendan Rodgers’ men.

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SUNDERLAND
Darlington 1883 1-5 Sunderland – 19th July 2014

First Half:
Mannone
Watmore, Jones, Roberge, O’Shea
Cabral, Ba, Larsson, Honeyman
Clayton, Fletcher.

Second Half:
Pantilimon
Mavrias, Ferguson, Diakite, Brown
N’Diaye, Cattermole, Gomez, Moberg-Karlsson
Giaccherini, Wickham.

GOALS:
Steven Fletcher (assisted by Max Clayton) 10 mins
Steven Fletcher (assisted by George Honeyman) 20 mins
Emanuele Giaccherini (assisted by Connor Wickham) 55 mins
Connor Wickham (assisted by Charis Mavrias) 77 mins
Jordi Gomez (no assist) 88 mins

Sunderland have two further matches on 22nd and 23rd July against Carlisle Utd. and Hartlepool Utd.

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CHELSEA
Wycombe Wanderers 0-5 Chelsea – 16th July 2014

First-half:
Mark Schwarzer
Todd Kane (Kurt Zouma 20), Nathaniel Chalobah, Andreas Christensen, Nathan Ake
Oriol Romeu, Marco van Ginkel; Lucas Piazon, Lewis Baker
John Swift; Patrick Bamford.

Second-half:
Mark Schwarzer (Mitchell Beeney 73)
Branislav Ivanovic, Kurt Zouma, John Terry (c), Jay Dasilva
Oriol Romeu (Jordan Houghton 73), Nemanja Matic; Mohamed Salah, Jeremie Boga
Izzy Brown; Dominic Solanke.

GOALS:
Patrick Bamford (assisted by Nathan Ake) 20 mins
Izzy Brown (assisted by Jay Disalva) 47 mins
John Terry (assisted by Jeremie Boga) 50 mins
Branislav Ivanovic (assisted by Jeremie Boga) 66 mins
Izzy Brown (no assist) 86 mins

Wimbledon 2-3 Chelsea – 19th July 2014
Chelsea
First half:
Mark Schwarzer
Ola Aina, Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christiansen, Nathan Ake
Marco van Ginkel, Nemanja Matic
Mohamed Salah, Jeremie Boga, John Swift
Patrick Bamford.

Second half:
Mark Schwarzer (Mitchell Beeney 69)
Branislav Ivanovic, Nathaniel Chalobah, John Terry (c), Jay Dasilva
Oriol Romeu, Marco van Ginkel (Jordan Houghton 69)
Mohamed Salah, Lewis Baker, Izzy Brown
Dominic Solanke.

GOALS:
John Terry (assisted by Lewis Baker) 74 mins
Mohamed Salah (assisted by Lewis Baker) 82 mins
John Terry (assisted by Lewis Baker) 89 mins
Chelsea set off on a mini-European tour in preparation for the new season. They will be calling at Wolfsberger (Austria, 23rd), Olimpija (Slovenia, 27th), Vitesse (Netherlands, 30th), Werder Bremen (Germany, 3rd August), Ferncvaros (Hungary, 10th) before signing off pre-season at home to Real Sociedad on the 12th August.

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SWANSEA CITY
Chivas Guadalahara 1-1 Swansea City
Swansea
First Half:
Lukasz Fabianski
Angel Rangel
Kyle Bartley, Chico Flores, Stephen Kingsley, Jazz Richards,
Jonjo Shelvey, Josh Sheehan, Wayne Routledge
Alex Bray, Bafetimbi Gomis.

Secnd half:
Gerhard Tremmel
Dwight Tiendalli, Jordi Amat, Ben Davies, Neil Taylor
Leon Britton, Adam King, Josh Sheehan (Alex Bray, 72; Jazz Richards, 82), Nathan Dyer
Rory Donnelly, Marvin Emnes.

GOAL: Nathan Dyer (assisted by Marvin Emnes) 57 mins

Minnesota Utd. 2-0 Swansea City
Swansea:
First Half:
Gerhard Tremmel
Angel Rangel Chico Flores, Kyle Bartley, Stephen Kingsley
Jazz Richards, Adam King, Jonjo Shelvey, Nathan Dyer
Rory Donnelly, Bafetimbi Gomis.

Second half:
Lukasz Fabianski
Dwight Tiendalli, Chico Flores, Kyle Bartley, Neil Taylor
Leon Britton, Jonjo Shelvey, Marvin Emnes, Wayne Routledge,
Alex Bray, Bafetimbi Gomis (Josh Sheehan, 59).

Swansea will now face Plymouth Argyle on the 27th July, Exeter City on the 29th, Bournemouth on the 1st August and Reading on the 2nd– all away from home before rounding off at home to Villarreal on the 9th August.

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TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Seattle Sounders 3-3 Tottenham Hotspur – 19th July 2014
Tottenham Hotspur
Friedel
Naughton (Fredericks, 46), Dawson (Kaboul, 46), Fryers, Rose (Veljkovic, 46)
Carroll, Capoue (Mason, 63)
Holtby (Falque, 68), Townsend (Lamela, 46), Lennon (Ceballos, 46)
Kane (Soldado, 46)

GOALS:
Lewis Holtby (assisted by Harry Kane) 10 mins
Roberto Soldado (PENALTY won by himself) 55 mins
Yago Falque (PENALTY won via handball) 82 mins

Tottenham next visit Toronto FC (23rd July) then Chicago Fire on the 26th. After that they play Celtic in Helsinki, Finland on 2nd August and then finish at home to Schalke 04 at the Lane on 9th August.

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STOKE CITY
Borussia Moenchengladbach 1-1 Stoke City
First Half:
Butland
Wilkinson, Shawcross, Wilson, Muniesa
Shotton, Nzonzi, Ness, Ireland
Arnautovic; Diouf.

Second Half:
Sorensen
Bardsley, Huth, Teixeira, Pieters
Walters, Sidwell, Whelan, Adam
Shea; Crouch.

GOAL:
Crouch (assisted by Jonathan Walters) 65 mins

Stoke kicked off with a decent draw against Borussia Moenchenflapjack (sic) today and will continue preparations with two more games in Germany 1860 Munich on 26th July and then Schalke 04 on 29th. They return to England to take on Burton and Blackburn in two days (2nd and 3rd August) before their ‘glamour’ home friendly on 6th August against relegated Real Betis. Strangely, they then go back to Germany to meet SC Freiburg on the 9th to cap a busy pre-season schedule.

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Thanks for reading The Pre-season Friendly Hub. This article was written by The Gallant Pioneer (@mitchellcraig81).