City To Play Hamburg On 21st January In The UAE.

[cibaman]

I wish someone would jet me off somewhere warm to get pampered all day with a kick about to boot in between, every time I needed a job to do. This is one of those saga's we get these days where people are scraping the barrel to find a stick to beat us with, nothing more.

Well played Boro BTW

8 days between the Everton and Arsenal games
6 days between the Arsenal and Boro games
7 days between the Boro and Chelsea games

If the club really believed the trip would be good preparation they'd have gone the week before, had an extra day or two in the sun. But there was never the remotest possibility that they would embark on this trip before the Arsenal or Chelsea games. Boro was deemed to be the acceptable risk even though it was logistically the worst schedule.

I doubt that the trip had too much impact on the physical condition of the players. But it certainly wouldnt have helped to get them in the right frame of mind for the game. We basically told the players that this game wasnt too important and that we would win despite compromised preparation.

 

[foxy]

It's not a direct excuse but it's a 9 hour flight, playing a game on hard ground in ridiculou heat, players stood all day signing autographs...

 

[Shirley]

It's not a direct excuse but it's a 9 hour flight, playing a game on hard ground in ridiculou heat, players stood all day signing autographs...

Actually I think it's closer to 8 hours but with boarding and immigration it's a long haul.

Anyway they now have a 10 day break after the Stoke game next month, maybe they can do it again and have another competition for fans to travel there ;-)

 

[Dubai Blue]

It's not a direct excuse but it's a 9 hour flight, playing a game on hard ground in ridiculou heat, players stood all day signing autographs...

It's barely got beyond 20 degrees for the last couple of weeks and it had been pissing it down for 2 straight days so the ground won't have been an issue. Still a daft trip to make, but being owned by Abu Dhabi it's just something we have to suck up and get on with.

 

[foxy]

It's not a direct excuse but it's a 9 hour flight, playing a game on hard ground in ridiculou heat, players stood all day signing autographs...

It's barely got beyond 20 degrees for the last couple of weeks and it had been pissing it down for 2 straight days so the ground won't have been an issue. Still a daft trip to make, but being owned by Abu Dhabi it's just something we have to suck up and get on with.

Agreed but there's a whole summer for pleasantries....

 

[Balti]

got to show off their bauble huh?