Preston North End home match thread

[W-S-M Seagull]

9 hours ago, Jose said:

As we are all having a good moan, two things. The atmosphere was surprisingly flat even early doors. Secondly why did the clock not keep going on the scoreboard? Stopped at the usual 45/90. As for the screens, one was faulty and both were taken up by the score and advertising so don’t see the point in the game being shown while playing.

Awww I’ve missed having a good moan.

Yep for the 1st game of the season it was a shocking atmosphere. 

But it's always the case these days for the opening game. I think flag day being on the opening day spoils the atmosphere. By the time people get to the ground they've already been on the piss all day and are done in. Used up all their energy at flag day.

[Club and Country]

1 hour ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Yep for the 1st game of the season it was a shocking atmosphere. 

But it's always the case these days for the opening game. I think flag day being on the opening day spoils the atmosphere. By the time people get to the ground they've already been on the piss all day and are done in. Used up all their energy at flag day.

Also, people are catching up and just generally having a chat 

[Jerseybean]

This from Bristol Live resonated with me….

For all the expectation, anticipation, butterflies and hype (which we’re mostly all guilty of) that comes with the first day of the season, this was a match that was a representation of a team (BCFC) starting a new campaign, albeit eventually outplayed by the opposition in exactly the same set of circumstances.

Had this perhaps been a midweek game in October with a sub-20,000 crowd, the narrative could well be how City wrestled a point from an under-par display against a well-organised fellow Championship side. Those Tuesday night 1-1s over the years tend to bleed into one, irrespective of the other side also in possession of a “hard-earned draw”.

[redkev]

I did post before the game started that this was no gimme, Preston are a well established usually middle of the table / flirt with play off championship team . 
on yesterdays performance they would have given any team in the championship a good game .

we were average at best and done well to get a point , Preston tbf we’re better on the ball than I expected , I knew they would be big difficult & hard to play against but was surprised how well they knocked the ball about .

on another note if Scott does go ( which looks very likely) we deffo need a similar type player to bring in missed him badly .

this late in the window though even if we use a fair chunk of the money to find someone new you ain’t got get anybody .This was my fear all along the longer it rolls on the less time you get to get in someone else . I know it’s not as easy as that deal should have been done in June but I suppose if no one bids you can’t sell

[Loosey Boy]

Let’s be honest, it was never likely to be a thrills and spills type of game - Preston at home never is……..PNE are always a well drilled, workmanlike team who look to frustrate their opponents….

Having said that, we didn’t play well, looked a tad disjointed - there’s always the danger that this happens on match day one.

As many others have said, midfield was where we struggled the most - we definitely lacked Scott’s creativity - if he does go, I’d hope that we replace him (I’m sure we will). Let’s hope that next Sat, our MF is James, Knight and Scott

Lets also remember that whilst it was the same for both teams, the conditions were hardly conducive to a decent game of football (as referenced by Bell in his post-match interview)

On to next Sat against another seasoned, well drilled team at The Den

COYRs

[Bazooka Joe]

Very unimpressed with both the game and atmosphere.

We were disjointed and lacklustre. Surprisingly, some of our players looked leggy and not prepared to do battle.

It looked as though some of our players had never played together, and we still haven't learnt how to use throw-ins to our advantage.

Surprised Cornick started. He was poor and, apart from his long throw which led to our goal, he didn't really do much of note.

Vyner was MOM. Knight looked like a battler.

Preston, on the other hand, looked sharper, hungrier and fitter. They played some neat, clever passes. I was particularly impressed with Keane, who was good with head and feet, and their Danish midfielder.

Their goal was preceded by a handball, but we should never have allowed them to get that close in the first place.

I can, sort of, understand, the absence of Scott due to "injury", but where were McCrorie and Naismith? Injured? Lack of match fitness?

Pleased to hear that Pearson was not prepared to offer or hear any excuses.

I was sat in the Lansdown to the left of the press boys. Off the pitch, they need to turn down the volume on the tannoys (we ain't deaf, but probably will be with more of that ear-bashing). Don't know how bad it was in other parts of the ground.

Play less of that dire music (who the hell picks those awful sounds?). Get the fans singing to provide a rip-roaring atmosphere that will lift our team, Also, get those screens working properly.  Hundreds of people must be heading for Specsavers are trying to read those blurred Preston team sheets.

Onwards and upwards.

[winsaw]

One of the things that surprised me most about yesterday was how much fitter Preston looked, some of our players looked out on there feet by 80 minutes, was not expecting that after seeing many reports on the club site about how fit everyone was and what a good preseason they all had, 

[FNQ]

10 minutes ago, winsaw said:

One of the things that surprised me most about yesterday was how much fitter Preston looked, some of our players looked out on there feet by 80 minutes, was not expecting that after seeing many reports on the club site about how fit everyone was and what a good preseason they all had, 

Wow.. I only watched the game on Robins TV, but to me I thought that the Preston players looked to be pulling up across the pitch with cramp towards the end.. I was even mildly optimistic that we might capitalise on it too.

 

[Leveller]

12 minutes ago, FNQ said:

Wow.. I only watched the game on Robins TV, but to me I thought that the Preston players looked to be pulling up across the pitch with cramp towards the end.. I was even mildly optimistic that we might capitalise on it too.

 

Exactly. Bell made the point in his interview that Preston players cramped up and ours didn’t, reflecting our improved fitness. Ours just couldn’t kick a football very well!

[luke_bristol]

Can’t see the atmosphere being the issue. Absolutely nothing to get excited about. Chicken and egg I suppose.

[Leveller]

7 hours ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Yep for the 1st game of the season it was a shocking atmosphere. 

But it's always the case these days for the opening game. I think flag day being on the opening day spoils the atmosphere. By the time people get to the ground they've already been on the piss all day and are done in. Used up all their energy at flag day.

Atmosphere feeds off good football though. If you’re not even slightly excited by what the team is doing, you will naturally get quieter. A “singing section” can make noise, but to me that isn’t the atmosphere you get from an exciting match.

[Mr Popodopolous]

5 minutes ago, luke_bristol said:

Can’t see the atmosphere being the issue. Absolutely nothing to get excited about. Chicken and egg I suppose.

 

Just now, Leveller said:

Atmosphere feeds off good football though. If you’re not even slightly excited by what the team is doing, you will naturally get quieter. A “singing section” can make noise, but to me that isn’t the atmosphere you get from an exciting match.

Chicken and egg for sure. I thought it was a bit flat from the get go however relative to crowd size, cautious optimism about prospects, Opening Day, Flag Day etc.

[Davefevs]

32 minutes ago, Leveller said:

Atmosphere feeds off good football though. If you’re not even slightly excited by what the team is doing, you will naturally get quieter. A “singing section” can make noise, but to me that isn’t the atmosphere you get from an exciting match.

So agree.

[Supersonic Robin]

1 hour ago, luke_bristol said:

Can’t see the atmosphere being the issue. Absolutely nothing to get excited about. Chicken and egg I suppose.

1 hour ago, Leveller said:

Atmosphere feeds off good football though. If you’re not even slightly excited by what the team is doing, you will naturally get quieter. A “singing section” can make noise, but to me that isn’t the atmosphere you get from an exciting match.

Agreed. As of half time, there had been one shot in the match. Neither team had really taken control or shown much quality. I remember saying to those sat around me that I'd be surprised if there had been a less eventful first half in the Championship that afternoon.

It's understandable that the lack of excitement translated to the crowd. In fairness, I thought the home crowd did pick up a bit for a short while after we scored.

[WessexPest]

Official attendance - 27,000?!? That’s more than the Man Utd and both Man City games. Indeed, that’s more than seats available given the netting at the front of the Atyeo. For that to be accurate PNE would have had to sell out their stand. I know it was officially a sellout but I cannot believe there were that many at the game!

[weepywall]

1 minute ago, WessexPest said:

Official attendance - 27,000?!? That’s more than the Man Utd and both Man City games. Indeed, that’s more than seats available given the netting at the front of the Atyeo. For that to be accurate PNE would have had to sell out their stand. I know it was officially a sellout but I cannot believe there were that many at the game!

There wasn't it was 23k

[WessexPest]

5 minutes ago, weepywall said:

There wasn't it was 23k

I don’t doubt that’s closer to reality but according to the BBC website:-

[The Bard]

2 hours ago, Leveller said:

Exactly. Bell made the point in his interview that Preston players cramped up and ours didn’t, reflecting our improved fitness. Ours just couldn’t kick a football very well!

I thought football wise we looked disjointed.  Probably a reflection of our preseason being completely mixed ( Don't think Vyner and Dickie played together before yesterday).  Was most disappointed with the midfield which got locked into 3 x 1 on 1 battles and left us isolated wide. 

Think.he got the strikers the wrong way round- Wells would've been far more effective off the bench, Conway better starting. Full backs were decent defensively but not good with the ball.

Hopefully we'll soon settle as we are clearly match fit

[mozo]

2 hours ago, Leveller said:

Atmosphere feeds off good football though. If you’re not even slightly excited by what the team is doing, you will naturally get quieter. A “singing section” can make noise, but to me that isn’t the atmosphere you get from an exciting match.

To get the atmosphere going, City need to come out of the traps fast. Surely Nige and Co told them too, but we just got into a funk right away and didn't manage to play our way out of it.

[W-S-M Seagull]

2 hours ago, Leveller said:

Atmosphere feeds off good football though. If you’re not even slightly excited by what the team is doing, you will naturally get quieter. A “singing section” can make noise, but to me that isn’t the atmosphere you get from an exciting match.

But to be fair Ashton Gate just felt flat even before a ball had been kicked. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

4 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

But to be fair Ashton Gate just felt flat even before a ball had been kicked. 

Agreed. We almost got the perfect start with the attack after a minute too.

Relative to the hope for the new season, the large attendance and so forth it wasn't great. From the get go I mean.

Edited August 6, 2023 by Mr Popodopolous

[Barrs Court Red]

Did we have a message from the owner, or even the chairman yesterday?  Must be a first if not?

[bcfc01]

2 hours ago, WessexPest said:

I don’t doubt that’s closer to reality but according to the BBC website:-

As already said it was 23k

We cannot get 27k into the stadium.

BBC and Flashscore had it as 29k before changing it to 27k - both wrong.

https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/championship/attendances

 

 

Edited August 6, 2023 by bcfc01

[Roger Red Hat]

59 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Agreed. We almost got the perfect start with the attack after a minute too.

Indeed. I don't have a downer on Cornick, but someone with better control would have been in on goal with that opportunity.

[Jerseybean]

Highlights: https://www.pnefc.net/news/2023/august/highlights-bristol-city-1-pne-1/

[Ealing Robin]

Decent result this was in hindsight! Only team as it stands to have taken any points of Preston this season.