The debacle which was Hearts’ mid-season bounce game with UD Almeria in Spain is a reminder to clubs of the pitfalls which come with playing friendlies abroad.
Robbie Neilson’s team took on the La Liga outfit on Sunday during their World Cup break warm weather camp, and were 1-0 down when the match was abandoned during the first half amid a mass brawl.
38' | UDA 1-0 HMFC
Alex Cochrane and Rodrigo Ely are both shown red cards after a heated argument breaks out following a challenge.
— Heart of Midlothian FC (@JamTarts) December 4, 2022
In my experience as a player, then a manager and director, I always think the risks involved in these friendly games can outweigh the benefits if you aren’t careful.
These training trips are primarily about getting or keeping players fit for the domestic action returning. Getting minutes in their legs, and maybe working on things like formations and tactical tweaks.
If you take a friendly game and it descends into a bad-tempered grudge match, it can be counter-productive – risking injuries and any attempt to work on patterns of play or similar falling by the wayside.
The biggest problem I always felt with these games on trips abroad was always around the officiating.
Invariably – whether it was Spain, Germany, Scandinavia or wherever – you would always end up with a low-level, local referee, and they can lose control of things.
If they don’t stamp out early tackles which should be punished, for example, the resentment on both sides starts to grow.
Robbie Neilson’s post-match comments about their friendly with Spanish top-flight Almeria suggested the officiating contributed to the eventual rammy which exploded following a tackle from Alex Cochrane.
🆕 Robbie Neilson speaks to Hearts TV pic.twitter.com/NR2Tap2Tcc
— Heart of Midlothian FC (@JamTarts) December 4, 2022
He said: “There’s a line you can’t really cross and I think it was crossed several times. The referee just didn’t do a good job of controlling it.”
Although Hearts were playing a strong Spanish side when things went south, often managers aren’t looking to be tested in these training trip friendlies, so will instead choose to play a lesser team – which can create more of a risk of things going wrong.
Can end up being anything but a friendly
The problem is these games mean a lot more to lesser teams, who, if they’re inferior in footballing terms, can turn to tactics which mean the game ends up being anything but a friendly.
These teams go into the matches feeling they have got something to prove, and, if they can’t prove it with the technical side of the game, they try to impose themselves physically – and this is where, in my experience, things sometimes get out of hand, especially combined with weak officials.
When I took my Aberdeen team to Germany in the summer of 1993, we played a particularly fractious game against minnows Rot-Weiss Oberhaussen.
Although we won 3-2 via goals from Mixu Paatelainen and Duncan Shearer, the local referee fell for the theatrics of the German side throughout, leading to constant stoppages and a mountain of yellow cards.
Although this didn’t appear to be an issue on Sunday in the Hearts game, another problem you can face is the local fans.
In the Oberhaussen game mentioned above, fans were thrown out for chucking beer over our dugout.
Another interesting friendly environment which stands out came when I was director of football at Aberdeen and we went to Egypt in pre-season with Jimmy Calderwood in 2007.
We played against one of the local sides, Al-Ittihad, and were beating them 2-1 in another ill-tempered friendly match where the referee lost control amid the Egyptian side’s aggressive behaviour – with two Dons players unjustly sent off in addition to the two home players who were dismissed.
With 20 minutes to go, riot police – about 20 of them – suddenly appeared and marched down to the dugouts with face guards, body armour and shields in case the home fans attacked their manager when the full-time whistle went.
Although it was a moment where the Aberdeen staff and players were not really the ones in danger, it still wasn’t ideal for a friendly where you’re only looking to get your players minutes and tune up your play ahead of getting back to domestic action.
Positive to see signs Aberdeen will look to strengthen in January
Aberdeen have once again been linked to Tranmere Rovers defender Josh Dacres-Cogley ahead of the transfer window opening in January.
Although the Dons had a positive first part of the season, securing a League Cup semi-final and going into the World Cup break in third place, I think it is vitally important they don’t rest of their laurels.
Not every performance in every game has been good in the early months of the campaign – as you would probably expect given the scale of Jim Goodwin’s summer rebuild.
Increasing competition, especially in the defensive department, is the most important thing from a recruitment perspective next month.
When I look at the squad, the Reds have plenty of cover in forward areas and midfield, but less depth at the back.
So far, there haven’t been too many injuries to deal with, but I’d expect they will have to deal with this issue in the months ahead as well.
But I’m pleased to see the signs are there the board will back Goodwin’s fresh efforts to strengthen his squad, reinforcing all at Aberdeen’s determination to have a successful season.
David Robertson has skills and support to take on huge task at Peterhead
My old team-mate David Robertson has a huge task on his hands to turn around Peterhead’s fortunes – but he has the pedigree to do so and I’m sure the Balmoor board will be fully supportive.
Ex-boss Jim McInally did a great job over the course of his long spell in charge at the Buchan club, and the club’s hierarchy were loyal to him over this period.
There are plenty of positive people at Peterhead and it isn’t good to see them languishing where they are at the foot of League One.
They need to find consistent results – which will be new manager Davie’s primary task.
Davie’s had a colourful coaching career which has included time in the United States, as well as a well-publicised spell in Kashmir.
He’s got plenty of dugout knowledge and experience, as well as playing experience at the top of Scottish football – including, of course, in the north-east.
However, it will certainly be a difficult challenge, given some of the team’s results this season and the long-standing problems Peterhead have had with recruitment due to their geography.
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