Last night's friendly left me with the same mixed feeling a lot of folk have been talking about. You can see the bones of a plan, but the detail isn't there yet. Formations looked a touch tentative, transitions hazy and cohesion between the new faces and the lads who were here last season is still a work in progress.

Context matters — St Etienne looked ready

To be fair, opponents who started their pre-season late but have kept most of their squad together will look sharper earlier. If their squad turnover has been low they naturally have an advantage in terms of understanding and rhythm. Fitness levels, how long players have trained together and clarity of a manager's idea all show up quickly in these friendlies.

What I wanted to see: fight for places

When the gates open and fans are back in, I expect players to be visibly competing for shirts. That fight was scarce for long spells last night — it didn't really hit me properly until Devlin came on and injected some urgency. That's the sort of thing supporters notice straight away: energy, bite, someone making a claim. If we've signed players to lift standards they need to show that edge sooner rather than later.

Be careful with early judgements

I'm not writing off any new signings after one pre-season match. Early opinions are fine — they help set expectations — but they're fragile. Players need time to adapt to Jimmy's shape, the press, tempo and off-the-ball demands. Some will click quickly, others will take longer. The ugly truth is that a couple look a long way from the required level, but that can change with work, minutes and clarity from the coaching staff.

So, take the result and the performance with a pinch of salt. It's useful feedback, not a season verdict. We should be demanding intensity and competition, while giving time for the shape and cohesion to come together. If that happens, we'll see improvements. If not, supporters will be right to get restless.

Written by MOCBear: 9 August 2026

Tags: transfers tactics match-review injury