Preseason tells us nothing, but Nors ain’t coming back

Never understood why people pay much attention to what goes on at this time of the year. We're just under two weeks from the real stuff starting but none of the preseason matches have given us any clue as to what's happening, Why do people even bother with them?

Supporters speculate about who is coming to join us or why they same player wouldn't touch is with the proverbial barge pole. The same supporters usually refer to any new arrival as a 'donkey' or 'a (insert name of club they last played for) reject. Often they are 'past it' or another 'injury prone bench-warmer'. Rarely, it seems are our new signings seen as anything than a liability, other than when they move on, and then everyone decides the same player was a 'world beater'and that we were 'mad to let them go'. They will now thrive at Wrexham, Stockport, etc and make millions of quid from selling them to a Premier League club. It never happens, but the same people splurge the same twaddle.

Jamie Norwood return was typical of this. All summer, the fact that Norwood was available, has been like a piece of red meat dangled in front of a pride of lions. He was at a preseason friendly, so he must be coming. No, his girlfriend, dog, postman or accountant has said he can't sign for us because this would unsettle his pet goldfish. Then someone sprouts up that they have 'seen his car in the car park at Solar Campus, Asda or Prenton Park, so that must prove that he is bound to join us, just like Robbie Fowler did. Now it's all over for another 9 months. I wish Norwood well. His professed love for all things Super White has been demonstrated in curious ways, signing for the Tykes being the latest example.

Meanwhile, on the pitch, when we actually get to see the team, most of us spend half the time trying to figure out who is who. Preseason matches only have shirt numbers. Even the familiar become a bit uncertain. When Hawkes came on against Hearts, someone near me shouted 'come on Kieran'. This could have been because Hawkes was played out of position, or it might be because they have developed amnesia. He looked lost anyway, maintaining the same form he displayed last season. Added to this, endless substitutions, in which only the player coming on was announced, gave the game the feel of watching trains depart at Lime Street. 

I'm hopeful that if I go to the Huddersfield game players will wear their squad numbers and have their names on their shirts. That will at least lift the brain fog and allow people to get behind the team. With or without Norwood.