Pre-season 2026

We'd all rather not. Chris, tall, mighty.

He was in Lion King wasn't he? And The Pet Shop Boys song 'In the Night'.

First pre season outing for CHO. Looks like this is the b team as it stands.

Udinese line up:

John Victor
Moreira Abbott Morato Netz
Dominguez Yates Schlager
Kalimuendo Wood CHO

(complete guess at formation)

Subs Willows, Taiwo, Bindon, Richards, Bakwa.

Are we all up for the Friuli Venezia Giulia cup?

Wot no Murillo?

Not played yet pre season but Morato playing the first game suggests he might be in v Barca.

Keinan Davis alert!

Late change - Bakwa in for Wood.

Couple of easy saves for Victor, couple of corners for Forest. Kalimuendo blazed a volley over from about 5 yards from the second.
Yates is dropping in between Abbott and Morato to be some sort of deep lying playmaker.
So far Forest's attempts to play out from the back have mainly broken down on halfway. Either because Kalimuendo can't hold the ball up (or has no runner to lay off to) or because passes (Morato, Dominguez) have gone straight to the opposition.

Somewhat telling that Bakwa and Awoniyi were/are on the bench for the backups.

Jesus up front with MGW and Hutch behind in the second game?

Some nice play releases Netz inside left. He dithers a bit and pokes a shot with his weaker foot at the keeper.
Udinese go straight up the field and score. A corner is played to the far post. Victor is in no man's land and it's an easy header.
We seemed to solve back post headers from set pieces under Vitor. Although he did largely have a first choice defence on the field.

It was all a bit shit. Yates vs Davis was probably the most entertaining part of the game. Our Ryan playing almost centre back ish. Kalimuendo missed an absolute sitter and Moreira should probably have scored before Udinese went down the field to score from a corner.

Schlager looks busy and angry and okay.

Victor is rubbish. Does he know how to command the box? I say nah.

Hudson Odoi doesn't look match ready yet with some pretty dodgy passes. I feel bad for Dom but hey ho.

Chicago: At Work trying to get a look see.

All over. 1-0.
I like what we were trying to do (at times). But even allowing for the line up it looks like a work in progress that still has some way to progress.
Also, at risk of stating the bleeding obvious if we are going to play out from the back we need some players - particularly defenders - who can play out from the back.
Hopefully Murillo and Diomande will help.
You can also see why the club are chasing a RWB.
Also Bakwa might as well have not been on the field.
Schlager looks like a competent water carrier, although he had a bit of a mardy air about him. Perhaps it was because a defender went through him and left him on the floor.
Set pieces remain (or are once again) a bit of a concern.

Schlager is surely just there as a transitional voice of the manager. Don't see him starting 20 games.