Pre-Season Italian job!! (5 Viewers)

Astute said:

What a bloody joke today has been. Had a debate with my wife this morning. Wanted to go to the game so cancelled our day in Venice. Got a message from orange that I had nearly reached my limit unless I sent a text to remove the limit. Only just now got net working after a couple of hours altogether on the phone to them. What a joke. Only got anywhere with them once through to UK centre. Had been told limit had been taken off but it hadn't. Missed the game because of them. Didn't have a clue where it was. Ended up staying here and getting pissed. What a bitch.

Getting a little worried about the lack of goals. Hope we had more chances today.

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You and your lad got a mention from AT in the CT today.

Steven Pressley described the Sky Blues third pre-season not-so-friendly as a farce after four red cards in the first 29 minutes from a referee he described as having “lost the plot”.
Kalloni’s Paul Keite was the first to walk after appearing to punch Danny Pugh in the head following a string of crunching tackles in a feisty opening 15 minutes.
Tempers flared as City players waded in as Pugh was also dismissed despite not appearing to retaliate, provoking more angry scenes as winger Jim O’Brien had to be held back.


Both managers, backroom staff and subs entered the field to attempt to diffuse the situation with the Greek top-flight side’s manager Ionnnis Matzourakis grabbing his own offending player by the throat.


Bizarrely, the match official then let each side put on a substitute to make the numbers back up to 11-a-side, with Ryan Haynes taking Pugh’s place at left-back.
The game was delayed for about two minutes during the incident but it wasn’t long before it all kicked off again when Manuel Delgado, more commonly known as Juanmo, was given a straight red for taking a swipe at Andy Webster’s head as they challenged for a 27th-minute aerial ball.


And less than two minutes later Billy Daniels was sent off for the softest of fouls that was worthy of a free-kick at the very most, reducing both teams to ten men for the remainder of the goalless draw that suddenly went from one extreme to the other and almost became non-contact as players appeared concerned that they would be next.


Daniels protested his innocence afterwards and revealed that the referee had told Jordan Clarke that the next player to commit a foul following the third red card would be sent off.
“It was farcical,” said a surprisingly calm Pressley.
“The referee completely lost control of the game and made some bizarre decisions which ruined what could, potentially, have been a really good game.”
Asked about the first incident, he said: “Danny was punched in the head, although it was more of a slap, and for some bizarre reason the referee sent them both off. I have got absolutely no reason why because Dan didn’t retaliate at all.
“He let us replace Danny and their player to keep it 11 v 11 because I had a conversation with their coach and we both wanted to try to keep the game as normal as possible. But as far as the referee goes and his control of the game, he just lost the plot.”


He added: “And then Billy Daniels was sent off for what you would consider to be an everyday foul that is committed all day long. There was no malice in it, just a normal foul. It wasn’t even a booking and yet he felt he had to send him off to even the game up.”
Looking at the positives, although City struggled to break down the Greeks – who had former Celtic and Wigan forward Henri Camara in their side – Marcus Tudgay impressed again, holding the ball up on his return from injury on a night when Reda Johnson sat in the stands with a thigh strain and won’t feature until the team return home.


“The opening exchanges were excellent and I was really pleased with the intensity of how we started,” said Pressley.
“Obviously bringing it down to ten v ten was a good workout for us, but it was a game we dominated and got a great deal out of. In the end it was a good performance but just couldn’t break them down. They were well organised and well drilled. Almost the entire second half was played in their half and we were in total control of the game.


“I was really pleased with the application and work-rate, and keeping another clean sheet which is two from the three games, which I think is important.
“There was a lot of really good football in the final phase but we just couldn’t find a breakthrough.”


Asked if their are likely to be an repercussions in terms of fines or suspensions if the referee reports the dismissals to UEFA or FIFA football authorities, Pressley said: “I don’t believe so, certainly not given the manner in which he refereed the game. If it was a game where he was to report the incidents then you can’t send players off and then allow additional players to come on, so I don’t imagine the game will be reported by the referee.”

Quite enjoyed reading Andy Turners article in today's (I think) CET. Seems the tour has definitely been one for future stories!!

Police escort, mistaken identity and gate-crashing an Italian birthday party... all in a day's work for a City reporter
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/sport-opinion/sky-blues-tour-coventry-city-7501602

Shared by the Coventry Telegraph App

iOS: http://smarturl.it/CoventryTelegraph

Android: http://bit.ly/coventrytelegraphandroid

So refreshing to read with no politics and just football, well all based around football

sw88 said:

Quite enjoyed reading Andy Turners article in today's (I think) CET. Seems the tour has definitely been one for future stories!!

Police escort, mistaken identity and gate-crashing an Italian birthday party... all in a day's work for a City reporter
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/sport-opinion/sky-blues-tour-coventry-city-7501602

Shared by the Coventry Telegraph App

iOS: http://smarturl.it/CoventryTelegraph

Android: http://bit.ly/coventrytelegraphandroid

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Good read that. Nice that Astute's lad got mentioned by name too.

reda Johnson now with a different injury, thigh strain now.

so Johnson and the reading guy both injured and unlikely to get a decent pre season ?

ccfcway said:

reda Johnson now with a different injury, thigh strain now.

so Johnson and the reading guy both injured and unlikely to get a decent pre season ?

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Reading guy? :thinking about:

mark82 said:

Good read that. Nice that Astute's lad got mentioned by name too.

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Andy Turner knows a lot more about football after meeting my lad. The linesman runs up and down, the referee keeps disappearing in the middle and the rest of them keep falling over. That is the view of a 4 year old

That's a succinct and intuitive summary of modern football. He's already better than Robbie Savage!

He supports Coventry. Of course he's not having much luck!

sw88 said:

Not having much luck are you Astute. I think the trek you made yesterday has made up for the two you missed alone though!

Do you not get texts from orange asking you to buy add ons? I've been getting them over here and just paid £1 for 10mb every so often, using wifi in the hotel in the meantime (I'd be lost without that. No pun intended )

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What about the bloke from Bournemouth (not the goalie), has he been playing? Not heard him mentioned anywhere.

sw88 said:

Reading guy? :thinking about:

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Johnson has thigh strain
Reading guy eye strain?

torchomatic said:

He supports Coventry. Of course he's not having much luck!

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Luck? The roads have been melting where I live. They are having the worse summer where we are that most can remember, although have been told a few times we are lucky as it is normally minimum 40 degrees and only about 30 now.

sw88 said:

Reading guy? :thinking about:

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sorry, bournemouth

Here's some clips of Maddison for those who haven't seen him play. Just walks past players and can take a good set piece.

U18 stuff starts at 7:15

[video=youtube;KLuLdKeqSIs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLuLdKeqSIs[/video]

SlowerThanPlatt said:

Here's some clips of Maddison for those who haven't seen him play. Just walks past players and can take a good set piece.

U18 stuff starts at 7:15

[video=youtube;KLuLdKeqSIs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLuLdKeqSIs[/video]

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Don't show TF this, or SISU will hang around longer to raise a few more £M. He looks good !!

SlowerThanPlatt said:

Here's some clips of Maddison for those who haven't seen him play. Just walks past players and can take a good set piece.

U18 stuff starts at 7:15

[video=youtube;KLuLdKeqSIs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLuLdKeqSIs[/video]

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He's got some talent. And what a lovely video, by his dad presumably.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - so please excuse any spelling or grammar errors

SlowerThanPlatt said:

Here's some clips of Maddison for those who haven't seen him play. Just walks past players and can take a good set piece.

U18 stuff starts at 7:15

[video=youtube;KLuLdKeqSIs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLuLdKeqSIs[/video]

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Wow what a great video. Really hope we get chance to see him in first team this year. At Ricoh!!!

@AndyTurnerccfc: Just heard today's #skyblues game been called off. Was due to kick-off at 10am (UK time). More news when I get it. #pusb

Hope you weren't making a special trip out there today Astute

Imagine if you had driven all that way like cj.Did the other night

sw88 said:

@AndyTurnerccfc: Just heard today's #skyblues game been called off. Was due to kick-off at 10am (UK time). More news when I get it. #pusb

Hope you weren't making a special trip out there today Astute

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A close escape. Was wanting to go but decided to cancel Venice for the last game.....then had internet problems. Otherwise I would have gone today.

Not a lot has gone to plan other than my love of Peroni

Astute said:

A close escape. Was wanting to go but decided to cancel Venice for the last game.....then had internet problems. Otherwise I would have gone today.

Not a lot has gone to plan other than my love of Peroni

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Bet the missus is happy isn't she, after all she thought football was going to ruin 4 days of your family holiday but has actually only ruined one (for her that is, unless she enjoyed the piece and quiet for a few hours )

sw88 said:

Bet the missus is happy isn't she, after all she thought football was going to ruin 4 days of your family holiday but has actually only ruined one (for her that is, unless she enjoyed the piece and quiet for a few hours )

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She had a day of peace. Chievo game was 4 hours away but left early. Then the game started an hour after we thought it would. Didn't get back tIl well after midnight . She is well pissed off that I cancelled day in Venice with her only not to go to the game as I didn't know where it was and have no internet. Had heard that it was a hard place to find.

Happy with it all though as my lad has seen his 1st game.

Astute said:

She had a day of peace. Chievo game was 4 hours away but left early. Then the game started an hour after we thought it would. Didn't get back tIl well after midnight . She is well pissed off that I cancelled day in Venice with her only not to go to the game as I didn't know where it was and have no internet. Had heard that it was a hard place to find.

Happy with it all though as my lad has seen his 1st game.

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So you have a bit of making up to do then! Maybe buy her a postcard with Venice on. A sort of 'and here's what you could have seen' sort of apology?

Actually, I wouldn't take on that suggestion if I were you

sw88 said:

So you have a bit of making up to do then! Maybe buy her a postcard with Venice on. A sort of 'and here's what you could have seen' sort of apology?

Actually, I wouldn't take on that suggestion if I were you

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I am not going to listen to your suggestion. Don't want her expecting more than she would normally get

Anyway she has me. What more could she want in life? Other than a peaceful life that is.

Just flood the bathroom and buy her a cornetto. Close enough.

No need for that. We have had so much rain that I have been thinking of hiring a boat.

And to think that the roads have been melting where we live