I agree with Tom, i would've thought it pretty much guaranteed that any Bournemouth player will be looking forward to the Madrid match far more than our game.
I suspect that the Bournemouth manager and coaches look upon this "celebratory exhibition match", as the club website airily bills it, as an unnecessary distraction. They will be striving to get their players geared up to competitive Championship level, not relishing the possibility of having to lift their confidence after a meaningless tonking....
Therein lies a huge potential problem. If Madrid play to their full potential, they could well knock up a score in double figures. Will that happen? I very much doubt it. Supposing they go 2 or 3 goals up early on, will they be encouraged to go for it? I'd be amazed if they were. I'd think it's far more likely that they'll be under orders to knock it around, keep it pretty, show off a few tricks and don't worry if you gift The Cherries a soft goal late on to even it up a bit. That's not sport, that's The Harlem Globetrotters.
In short, if Madrid play their best, Bournemouth will be annihilated and could start the season with a motivation problem. If they don't, anyone who's payed £60 has been mugged-off. I'd rather us play Welling thanks.
Absolutely spot on, Stig. If Real Madrid go 2-0 up early on, of course they are going to be gracious and not want to humiliate a club they've never even heard of before, so they'll step off the gas. So, after fifteen minutes, all the Bournemouth punters who are watching the "star" players they love from TV will think they are being short-changed. If, however, Madrid power on and win 8-0, the fans will go away bamboozled and the manager has the problem of lifting the confidence of his players for the next game. Now, let's say, hypothetically, that Bournemouth beat Real Madrid 1-0. I feel certain that Eddie Howe will be reminding his players in the dressing room afterwards: "OK, you've had a bit of fun for the kids - the real meat starts in twelve days' time, when the Championship comes to town." Professional managers - and pro players - know that playing for the three points at stake, against Barnsley, or Boro - and it happens to be us - is infinitely more important than a farrago of candy-floss.
Left-back Charlie Daniels says the celebratory exhibition match against Real Madrid will be the highlight of his career.
The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka will descend on the south coast later this month to pit their wits against the Cherries in a one-off fixture to celebrate the club’s promotion to the Championship.
And 26-year-old Daniels says he can’t wait to test himself against some of the world’s best players.
“We were all surprised that we were going to be playing an established team like Real Madrid,” he told Hot Radio. “We heard there were a couple of rumours going around a couple of days before but no one took any notice of it really.
“Then when Jason Tindall told us just before it was released, we were as shocked as everyone. The main talk has been about who we are going to be up against, but we just can’t wait to play against them whoever it is.
“Hopefully the likes of Ronaldo and Modric will play, but you can go through the whole team really.
“It will be amazing. That’s the whole reason why you want to play football - to play against players of that calibre so to actually get a chance to play against them and test myself means it will probably be the highlight of my career. “
Entertainingly, I'd already arranged to visit my sister down in Bournemouth that weekend, and she's emailed me this evening to see if I want to go to the game with my brother in law.
i wouldn't be too bothered but if the majority of RM's 1st team was playing i can guarantee my 13 yr old would be in my ear about going and i wouldn't want to deprive him seeing the likes of Ronaldo (who wouldn't get past Solly once), Benzema, Ozil etc.
Nothing can piss me off now; off to Gib on Monday for the wife's birthday, complimentary tickets for the game and meeting up with our mates Vince and Sarah who fly in for the game on Wednesday - happy days!
I would absolutely not pay £55 for a pre-season friendly, although I can understand Bournemouth's wish to make a bit of a splash.
I don't know when the game is but hopefully, it might encourage them to get their new stand finished, so that we can have a bigger ticket allocation for 3 August.
I don't agree that RM are relatively better than us, when compared to us playing at Welling. What an outcry if Welling had charged £25 quid to get in.
Many of us have seen Ronaldo play at the Valley. He was bloody good and got kicked a few times by Kish. You wouldnt se him taking on someone who was willing to kick him at every opportunity in an exhibition match. I've seen all of Bobby Charlton, Georgie Best and Jimmy Greaves play (not at the Valley admittedly ) and I maintain that £60 for a friendly is too much. If people pay it the game will continue on a path that old gits like me find regrettable. I wouldn't. Definitely.
It's an interesting question whether playing Madrid is actually good preparation for the start of Bournemouth's season. Surely preparation should be about building up to the Charlton game, not a meaningless friendly a week before.
Will the Bournemouth players see playing against Ronaldo and co as more important than Kermorgant and co? What if they get stuffed by Madrid, with their defence being ripped apart, is that good for morale? Will their supporters cough up for the Madrid game, at the expense of games versus us and the likes of Barnsley?
Agree entirely. I can't see what benefit the players and coaching staff will get from a friendly against Real Madrid. I feel sure the manager sees it as a disruption to his plans to ready the squad for totally different kinds of opposition in the Champs.
Clearly the Bournemouth fans are showing their disgust and holding back their interest...oh wait.
Never in doubt
Absolutely irrelevant in the context of this thread, please don't try and say "I told you so" when no-body ever said any different in the first place, including me.
As no one mentioned it a report on the local radio says they sold out the RM game and people actually camped out the night before to get tickets.
People in Bournemouth are obviously (in Harry Enfield speak) "considerably richer than you".
I very much doubt those camping out were Bournemouth fans SA, I am sure arrangements were made for regulars to get their tickets. Those camping out will probably have been happy clapper day trippers who want to see the big stars they normally watch from their armchairs on Sky TV.
If you want to go down the I told you so route, this experiment has proven to be a success already. Expect more big teams to come to England for their preseason and ticket prices to raise to more absurd levels.
Your grandkids will probably not know/care who Messi is. Bring at Barnsley 0-6 (SIX) away last season would be more impressive, a club record in a game that mattered, not some circus that sums up everything wrong with modern football.
If your grandkids are in to football then of course they'd know who Messi was. Don't you know of any past great players? My old man went to Palace in 1962 to watch them play Real Madrid, still got the programme indoors.
Your grandkids will probably not know/care who Messi is. Bring at Barnsley 0-6 (SIX) away last season would be more impressive, a club record in a game that mattered, not some circus that sums up everything wrong with modern football.
If your grandkids are in to football then of course they'd know who Messi was. Don't you know of any past great players? My old man went to Palace in 1962 to watch them play Real Madrid, still got the programme indoors.
"Absolutely irrelevant in the context of this thread, please don't try and say "I told you so" when no-body ever said any different in the first place, including me. "
Well that's not quite true if you look back at the thread.
I suggested that regardless of the steep price, many would find ways of talking themselves into going. The Bournemouth supporters have supported that idea but jumping at the chance and selling the place out in no time.
"Absolutely irrelevant in the context of this thread, please don't try and say "I told you so" when no-body ever said any different in the first place, including me. "
Well that's not quite true if you look back at the thread.
I suggested that regardless of the steep price, many would find ways of talking themselves into going. The Bournemouth supporters have supported that idea but jumping at the chance and selling the place out in no time.
Serves me right for not reading through the entire thread to find the one comment in three pages that suggests otherwise. I apologise, you are right. Well done.
Comments
The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka will descend on the south coast later this month to pit their wits against the Cherries in a one-off fixture to celebrate the club’s promotion to the Championship.
And 26-year-old Daniels says he can’t wait to test himself against some of the world’s best players.
“We were all surprised that we were going to be playing an established team like Real Madrid,” he told Hot Radio. “We heard there were a couple of rumours going around a couple of days before but no one took any notice of it really.
“Then when Jason Tindall told us just before it was released, we were as shocked as everyone. The main talk has been about who we are going to be up against, but we just can’t wait to play against them whoever it is.
“Hopefully the likes of Ronaldo and Modric will play, but you can go through the whole team really.
“It will be amazing. That’s the whole reason why you want to play football - to play against players of that calibre so to actually get a chance to play against them and test myself means it will probably be the highlight of my career. “
Sorry pel
Answer's still no.
:-D
Nothing can piss me off now; off to Gib on Monday for the wife's birthday, complimentary tickets for the game and meeting up with our mates Vince and Sarah who fly in for the game on Wednesday - happy days!
I don't know when the game is but hopefully, it might encourage them to get their new stand finished, so that we can have a bigger ticket allocation for 3 August.
Many of us have seen Ronaldo play at the Valley. He was bloody good and got kicked a few times by Kish. You wouldnt se him taking on someone who was willing to kick him at every opportunity in an exhibition match. I've seen all of Bobby Charlton, Georgie Best and Jimmy Greaves play (not at the Valley admittedly ) and I maintain that £60 for a friendly is too much. If people pay it the game will continue on a path that old gits like me find regrettable. I wouldn't. Definitely.
Will the Bournemouth players see playing against Ronaldo and co as more important than Kermorgant and co?
What if they get stuffed by Madrid, with their defence being ripped apart, is that good for morale?
Will their supporters cough up for the Madrid game, at the expense of games versus us and the likes of Barnsley?
People in Bournemouth are obviously (in Harry Enfield speak) "considerably richer than you".
Never in doubt
Well that's not quite true if you look back at the thread.
I suggested that regardless of the steep price, many would find ways of talking themselves into going. The Bournemouth supporters have supported that idea but jumping at the chance and selling the place out in no time.