Somewhere in this uncanny hinterland between kickabout and full league match, someone risks getting hurt, especially a schoolboy trying to work out how things work, where a bitter clogger thinks he can teach him.
Yes there's a reason I'm just telling you the squad numbers now instead of talking about the football.
The best part of these two goals was Richard Keogh rolling his eyeballs and shouting at all his teammates. He's trying to play like Franz Beckenbauer these days, but, like, like Franz Beckenbauer these days, if you see what I mean.
Driving out to the former nursing college to be poked, prodded, scanned and measured has something of the school trip about it for the players, because it's not a holiday, but it's not like going to work either, and most of all because they get to wear their own clothes.