Sullivan gets a 90 minute Hernandez hurry up
David Sullivan got a Javier Hernandez hurry up this evening as the Irons opened their pre season campaign with a 0-0 draw against Sturm Graz in Austria.
The uncomfortable stats showed an empty goals column after 16 attempts on the Sturm goal who are three games into their pre-season and managed to find the net three times in their last game.
But to be honest the Irons never looked like emulating that as first Fletcher, then Ayew wasted four first half chances from close in against a youthful Sturn outfit.
Feghouli appeared in the second half but like Snodgrass before him carried no real finishing product when on goal although in fairness looked a better proposition than the Scot.
The upside was the Irons – after double training sessions since arriving in Austria – looked fitter and stronger than they did at the same stage last season.
And the arrival of Manu Lanzini certainly lifted the tempo of the second half with Declan Ricce looking very comfortable at the back.
It was probably satisfactory rather than sensational as an opener but Thursday night against Fulham will probably tell us an awful lot more than this match – played on a training pitch rather than in a stadium.
I liked the look of Toni Martinez – a second half replacement for Fletcher and Nathan Holland also caught the eye but we all know the issue at hand – the strikers!
Over to you Mr Sullivan.
IRONS: Adrian (Randolph 46), Zabaleta (Byram 46), Collins (Rice 46), Burke (Ogbonna 46), Masuaku (Cresswell 46), Noble (c) (Cullen 46), Obiang (Makasi 46), Holland (Fernandes 46), Snodgrass (Lanzini 46), Ayew (Feghouli (46), Fletcher (Martinez 46)