Pre-season Tournament

[polish]

Better not be an april fools joke!

 

[Huyton Layne]

Little bland for an April fools. If it said we're gonna play Pele up front I'd probably not take it as gospel

 

[Dutch Toffee]

Little bland for an April fools. If it said we're gonna play Pele up front I'd probably not take it as gospel

Why not? We have the Scottish one on our books

 

[Dutch Toffee]

Nothing on the official Schalke site yet about Everton. Just that Newcastle and Malaga will take part and they are looking to add a fourth participants most probably from the Premier League.

 

[Fresh Prince of Belle Val]

Gelsenkirchen looks a bit industrial. Best city to stay at ? Best airport to fly to?

 

[nikom court]

If we finish 6th we play europa the Thursday before

 

[potato]

Looks as if we are off Germany for a tasty looking pre-season tournament, according to German media.

RevierSport ‏@RevierSport1 hr
#s04 - Am 2./3 August steigt in der Arena der Schalke-Cup. Newcastle United, der FC Malaga und voraussichtlich der FC Everton sind dabei.

First weekend of August against Schalke 04, Malaga, Newcastle and ourselves.

wow probably three of the biggest clubs in each respective league that has nosedived massively.

should easily beat all 3 by at least 4 goals

 

[Toffeelover]

Do we really need this so close to the start of the new season? Looks rather Mickey Mouse to me.

 

[p-fcn]

From Schalke 04 hp:
"...Completing the lineup will be another leading international team, probably from the Premier League...."
http://www.schalke04.de/en/news/140401_kentaro-cup/page/843--86-86-.html
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Düsseldorf airport got a direct train connection to Gelsenkirchen, I think

 

[bugsy]

good tourno/weekend but why them geordie maggots.

 

[Muzumbu]

we will be in europe not this jarg pardew crap

 

[hibbos left peg]

good tourno/weekend but why them geordie maggots.

the Germans want to see us play them off one of their parks instead of watchin it on telly

 

[FTY]

Not quite the same as last years, tbf.

 

[fozzy]

remember when we played juve and madrid in pre season them were the days.

 

[Steve Wigan]

Do we really need this so close to the start of the new season? Looks rather Mickey Mouse to me.

From the point of view of getting the players fit a slightly competitive tournament just a couple of hours away is much better than the usual long haul trips to various parts of the USA . If this change in pre season is down to Martinez, and it probably is, its another improvement. We have tended to look off the pace in early season League games, and cutting out a lot of the travelling will help. But of course we'll be in the CL or the Europa, so it probably won't happen. Qualifying rounds of the CL are quite early.