Preston North End away match thread

[italian dave]

3 minutes ago, nickolas said:

How did McCrorie do? I know probably a pointless game to come on but where did he play, did he show anything of worth?? 

Yes it was fairly pointless by then. He played RWB. No he didn’t do anything worthy of note.

Impossible to judge anything from his brief appearance today to be honest. Except, maybe, that he gives us an option to go 3 at the back. 

[fisherrich]

1 hour ago, ChrisJ said:

Very Bristol city, average players - average manager (who I think will turn out good) and average fan base (not a dig I think we are!!!). 14th in the league,

 

as my good friend says Preston v Bristol might as well fast forward because it will be the same championship fixture on 2034/2035

The club is what it is.
A mid table team that gets lost in the ether. Nothing will change until new owners take over. Frustrating.

[fisherrich]

4 hours ago, Glen hump said:

I work all over the country, other fans see us as a bit of a nothing club, I can sort of see there point of view if you try and look at it from the outside, we never really threaten to do anything, we just sort of go round in circles 

I’ve mentioned on here several times, the football club is going nowhere under the Lansdowns.
Needs a change. Find it really frustrating. Big city like Bristol, deserves better.

[Bobtherobin]

5 hours ago, UncleRed said:

Judge the end of one managers spell to the beginning of another. Come on.

I judge based on the players at their disposal. Nige inherited a mess and Manning hasnt. I really like Manning and want him to do well but in my view we are going backwards. One point from the last three teams we have played is simply not gpod enough. 

[redkev]

3 minutes ago, fisherrich said:

I’ve mentioned on here several times, the football club is going nowhere under the Lansdowns.
Needs a change. Find it really frustrating. Big city like Bristol, deserves better.

 

3 minutes ago, fisherrich said:

I’ve mentioned on here several times, the football club is going nowhere under the Lansdowns.
Needs a change. Find it really frustrating. Big city like Bristol, deserves better.

The people of Bristol do I totally agree but not the council or councillors or mayor all they have done is stuck objects in the way of both clubs for years and still do , but watch them jump on the back of any promotion to the prem by any of the 2 clubs 

[ChrisJ]

2 minutes ago, Ryan said:

I judge based on the players at their disposal. Nige inherited a mess and Manning hasnt. I really like Manning and want him to do well but in my view we are going backwards. One point from the last three teams we have played is simply not gpod enough. 

I was at Birmingham , impossible to see on tv but Brum were so so negative and I thought we played well. Brum stuck 10 behind ball and couldn’t break them down - we had chances Mehmeti didn’t take them - it was a good performance, other 2 been poor

[Mr Popodopolous]

1 minute ago, fisherrich said:

I’ve mentioned on here several times, the football club is going nowhere under the Lansdowns.
Needs a change. Find it really frustrating. Big city like Bristol, deserves better.

I would praise the infrastructure, improved academy both in terms of profitability of sales and indeed first team ready..the commercial revenue in theory can help us spend more. They always pay their bills too.

I would criticise whether they get when to back, vs when to conserve...Lee Johnson got some outstanding backing, neither brought so well nor did he get the best out of what he had I'm sure.

NP was getting a solid level out, improving us while cost cutting, miniscule by comparison to Lee Johnson, squad 2-3 light..starved of funds! Even TGH felt a reluctant and emergency signing.

This summer felt the time to back more, not recklessly, five a new contract etc.

Wider points about Lansdowns, vision, or cash or I dunno flip flipping on ideas, out of ideas..this summer felt the end of the road.

[fisherrich]

1 minute ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

I would praise the infrastructure, improved academy both in terms of profitability of sales and indeed first team ready..the commercial revenue in theory can help us spend more. They always pay their bills too.

I would criticise whether they get when to back, vs when to conserve...Lee Johnson got some outstanding backing, neither brought so well nor did he get the best out of what he had I'm sure.

NP was getting a solid level out, improving us while cost cutting, miniscule by comparison to Lee Johnson, squad 2-3 light..starved of funds! Even TGH felt a reluctant and emergency signing.

This summer felt the time to back more, not recklessly, five a new contract etc.

Wider points about Lansdowns, vision, or cash or I dunno flip flipping on ideas, out of ideas..this summer felt the end of the road.

The last 12 months has been a car crash IMO.

No direction, no business accumen, no strategy etc. Rich Gould, Nige P left. Just more of the same. The sooner the Lansdowns go the better. Becoming farcicle IMO. Pissed off tonight.

[UncleRed]

24 minutes ago, Ryan said:

I judge based on the players at their disposal. Nige inherited a mess and Manning hasnt. I really like Manning and want him to do well but in my view we are going backwards. One point from the last three teams we have played is simply not gpod enough. 

Also played a strong team 6th in the prem in the middle of these games, away, and drew 1-1 deservedly.

Not the first time City have got one point from 3 games, and won’t be the last.

And if you think this team now is far better than what it was at the end of last season, sorry but it isn’t.

[Mr Popodopolous]

36 minutes ago, fisherrich said:

The last 12 months has been a car crash IMO.

No direction, no business accumen, no strategy etc. Rich Gould, Nige P left. Just more of the same. The sooner the Lansdowns go the better. Becoming farcicle IMO. Pissed off tonight.

Definitely feeling a sense of drift and have been for a while.

The structure is terrible..Gould and NP were driving us forward. Now nothing much.

[pillred]

4 hours ago, slartibartfast said:

Once again ,their choice..........nothing guaranteed in this sport .

Maybe so, but you can't blame them for expecting a little more from the team considering the previous week's performance. I know nothing is a given in this world but we do flatter to deceive a little more than most don't we?

Edited January 13 by pillred

[redkev]

1 minute ago, pillred said:

Maybe so, but you can't blame them for expecting a little more from the team considering the previous week's performance. I know nothing is a given in this world but we do flatter to deceive a little more than most don't we.

Funnily my wife uses that last sentence a lot , I wonder what she means 

[Superjack]

6 hours ago, Rossi the Robin said:

How many managers jobs have we saved this season? Lowe today, Rooney temporarily, Wagner and the Stoke manager? And that’s without looking 

Shame we didn't save the one that mattered.

[W-S-M Seagull]

2 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Definitely feeling a sense of drift and have been for a while.

The structure is terrible..Gould and NP were driving us forward. Now nothing much.

That's it. During those times, if we played badly at least you could see what we were trying to do. 

Now it seems the solution is to just spend money. 

[BigTone]

10 hours ago, Glen hump said:

Thought you were millwall 

No, BCFC for 60 years

[Bobtherobin]

9 hours ago, UncleRed said:

Also played a strong team 6th in the prem in the middle of these games, away, and drew 1-1 deservedly.

Not the first time City have got one point from 3 games, and won’t be the last.

And if you think this team now is far better than what it was at the end of last season, sorry but it isn’t.

When did I mention the end of last season? 

[UncleRed]

4 hours ago, Ryan said:

When did I mention the end of last season? 

Saying NP inherited a mess and LM hasn’t. I used last season as the example seeing as you know…NP was in charge then, and we’ve had injuries all the way up to and including now this season.

The people that think this squad doesn’t need a lot of investment still clearly don’t understand the game.

Sorry for coming across as rude, but it’s the truth. 

[EstoniaTallinnRed]

19 hours ago, petehinton said:

Probably why he hasn’t, and in my opinion won’t, sign a new deal

Yes, I think Conway will be gone in the summer.

[maxjak]

17 hours ago, Jefferz said:

I’m keen to point out that my offer of a wager some weeks ago still stands. 
Wrexham to play in the Premier league before. Bristol City

As a betting man.........putting money on Wrexham to reach the Prem ahead of us seems a pretty solid bet.....you should check with Betfred, the owner used to like taking unusual bets when i worked there?  Not sure about now?

[maxjak]

1 hour ago, EstoniaTallinnRed said:

Yes, I think Conway will be gone in the summer.

Do you think he might have already signed the obligatory Bournemouth pre- contract....seeing as we are their feeder club?

[Bobtherobin]

3 hours ago, UncleRed said:

Saying NP inherited a mess and LM hasn’t. I used last season as the example seeing as you know…NP was in charge then, and we’ve had injuries all the way up to and including now this season.

The people that think this squad doesn’t need a lot of investment still clearly don’t understand the game.

Sorry for coming across as rude, but it’s the truth. 

I think this is a midtable squad, and even that depends on injuries as it is so thin. However I was enjoying the football being played at the start of the season. I remember really enjoying the Ipswich game for example even though we lost. Pearson was sacked because of results not performances as far as I can tell, so its right to use this season as the comparison. I genuinely like Manning and want him to do well but its becoming really clear we are beginning to see the risks of having an inexperienced manager / head coach / gaffer or what ever that role is called at the moment. We didnt learn anything from Birmingham and 3 games and no goals later I still cant see a plan. 

[UncleRed]

1 hour ago, Ryan said:

I think this is a midtable squad, and even that depends on injuries as it is so thin. However I was enjoying the football being played at the start of the season. I remember really enjoying the Ipswich game for example even though we lost. Pearson was sacked because of results not performances as far as I can tell, so it’s right to use this season as the comparison. I genuinely like Manning and want him to do well but its becoming really clear we are beginning to see the risks of having an inexperienced manager / head coach / gaffer or what ever that role is called at the moment. We didnt learn anything from Birmingham and 3 games and no goals later I still cant see a plan. 

Just a question. What was the result, stats and performance (if you can remember, I can) like from the reverse fixture against Birmingham, millwall and Preston games earlier in the season?

The people that say they enjoyed the football before the manager change more are either lying or easily pleased.

How someone can watch the last couple of months and say there isn’t a plan is bizarre. People moaning he hasn’t switched anything up. Look at the subs bench and the players that did come on, changing the system with what he got is near impossible.

Every single player that has spoken since the change has implied in a round about way that they enjoy their football more now than before. (Knight post hull game I believe and Williams the other day of the top). That has to stand for something.

Suppose if he just came out after every poor performance and said “we are where we are” he’d get a lot more of the OTIB members on his side.

[Davefevs]

23 minutes ago, UncleRed said:

Just a question. What was the result, stats and performance (if you can remember, I can) like from the reverse fixture against Birmingham, millwall and Preston games earlier in the season?

The people that say they enjoyed the football before the manager change more are either lying or easily pleased.

How someone can watch the last couple of months and say there isn’t a plan is bizarre. People moaning he hasn’t switched anything up. Look at the subs bench and the players that did come on, changing the system with what he got is near impossible.

Every single player that has spoken since the change has implied in a round about way that they enjoy their football more now than before. (Knight post hull game I believe and Williams the other day of the top). That has to stand for something.

Suppose if he just came out after every poor performance and said “we are where we are” he’d get a lot more of the OTIB members on his side.

You may recall that I wrote quite a bit about these 3 opponents earlier this season and how certain opponents (these three in particular) are unlikely to be free-flowing games.

You don’t have to be easily pleased or be a liar to have a different appreciation of matches / performances.

I can probably go into chapter and verse on each.  I had quite a big debate with @Spike about the Brum game about control and building pressure, only to let Brum off the hook.  I stand by that.  For 30 first half minuyes if you watched it back now, you’d probably think it was LM in charge (that’s a positive comment, not a dig)!!!

I was praising of some bits of those games, critical of other bits.

I’m taking a similar view this time around, ie we were decent value first half yesterday, but poor second half, but that’s also why I didn’t get over excited after Watford (following Sunderland and Hull)…because I knew what was coming up.  Had we played similarly to Hull and Watford and imposed our game on any / all of Millwall, Brum and Preston that would’ve been a big tick for LM.  We didn’t, or didn’t for long enough in any of them, so we are back to where we were.  That’s not a cross for LM either, just a bit of reality that he’s not a magician either.

Sometimes the sequence / order of fixtures can play a part in building / dashing our hopes.

~~~~~~

On switching things up - that doesn’t have to be personnel (subs) based.  Can be much more subtle.  The “moaning” yesterday was a failed reaction to Preston’s change.  Completely fair to moan / critique that, right?

~~~~~~

FWIW no player is gonna come out and say they aren’t enjoying it are they, especially in the relatively early days of LM’s tenure.  I wonder what Harry Cornick really thinks for example.

Edited January 14 by Davefevs

[maxjak]

Tommy stated on the club's seemingly party line 3Peaps podcast that he was learning all the time from the new manager, and loves his solo striker role in the team. .........really TC?  Pretty sure you will be off in the summer anyway, so perhaps making waves is not a good idea?   OK, he might be grateful to be learning some new strings to his bow, and the art of   being a lone striker might pay off later in his career, but at the moment it is not serving his present club very well IMHO?   The one up top striker role is just not working, and whatever Tommy and LM may come out with, just does not convince.   As  can be seen from our goals record against Birmingham, Millwall and Preston being a big fat zero.

Edited January 14 by maxjak

[Numero Uno]

6 minutes ago, maxjak said:

Tommy stated on the club's seemingly party line 3Peaps podcast that he was learning all the time from the new manager, and loves his solo striker role in the team. .........really TC?  Pretty sure you will be off in the summer anyway, so perhaps making waves is not a good idea?   OK, he might be grateful to be learning some new strings to his bow, and the art of   being a lone striker might pay off later in his career, but at the moment it is not serving his present club very well IMHO?   The one up top striker role is just not working, and whatever Tommy and LM may come out with, just does not convince.   As  can be seen from our goals record against Birmingham, Millwall and Preston being a big fat zero.

Doesn’t matter who is in charge, three league games in a row without a goal against teams that were bottom half when we played them  is crap and deserves to be called out as such.

[maxjak]

11 minutes ago, Numero Uno said:

Doesn’t matter who is in charge, three league games in a row without a goal against teams that were bottom half when we played them  is crap and deserves to be called out as such.

According to Tommy, and i am not having a go at him, because he is young man doing his best.   But when i hear him say....that he is learning all the time, and  it's  getting better and better      , and he  is apparently going from strength to strength?   It is just not true, and it is not doing TC any favours, and as far as going from strength to strength, it is most definitely NOT playing to his strengths............ and for me it is just not working.  

[j1974]

On 13/01/2024 at 17:18, Supersonic Robin said:

Think that's harsh on Conway.

He's avergaing a goal every 170 mins this season. Not bad at all, especially for a 21 year old striker. I reckon a number of other Championship teams would be perfectly happy to have him in their starting XI.

Sorry I don't mean ability wise as I think he is going to be a decent striker but for the burden placed on Tommy to be our match winner when still learning his trade. Having a more experienced striker playing either alongside or sharing the load with Tommy would only benefit him more.