Trawling through the archives it was interesting to
read my Preston play off report !
Lets start with the positives cos thats what were
all pretending to be at the moment. Good atmopshere ,
good battling 100% performance from most of the
players. Also despite not creating one decent chance
from open play were still in the tie. For that we
have to thank our lucky stars. Thats it.
Now the reality. Blackwell is clueless. He doesnt
know his best team and he still hasnt got to grips
with our to use his players in a formation that will
allow us to play football and create chances. Despite
having a decent midfield of Derry, Bakke and Miller
neither knew where theyt should be playing. Blackwell
had to keep gesturing to Miller to get forward and
Bakke to play more centrally. They were all over the
place. Thats not the worst of it though. 4-3-3 does
not work. Despite every successful team since the
start of football playing 4-4-2 Blackwell continues to
play 4-3-3 with a striker out on the right wing. This
is despite hardly any point from the last 11 games.
Does he think for one minute it might not work ? Also,
Douglas ? Having preferred him all season he decides
to drop him for the most crucial game of the season.
The right decision of course but how come it took him
so long to get to it ? We tried to play football in
the first half but it was painful as even when we
managed to thread 3 passes together you just knew that
the fourth was going astray. The midfield werent the
only ones to blame. Kelly, Crainey (particularly) ,
Gregan and Killa all showed they lack basic passing
ability. The defence was shaky throughout with only
Kelly showing that he still knows how to defend and
then spoiling it on both occasions by giving it away.
Preston should have been 2 up early on when on two
occasions Nugent (Ted) was left completely unmarked in
the box. Both times he fcked up. Everyone shouted at
Derry but correct me if Im wrong but shouldnt one of
the centre backs be marking that top marksman ? Just a
thought.
Second half continued like the first. Preston played a
little bit of football, we battled hard and the ref
did his best to ruin the game by being unfair to BOTH
teams. Then came the goal. Now Ive read Pete from
Ozs match report and he wrote something along the
line of : Gregan 7 now looking like a centre back.
I nearly pissed my pants when I read this. I dont
suppose Sky showed the replay of the goal for you to
reconsider did they ? Ball bounces lose in midfield.
Gregan has pushed up like all good centre backs do and
it was a fifty fifty ball in midfield with Ted Nugent.
Gregan, like he always does played it safe cos he
knows his pace limitations. So Ted gets the ball and
Gregan backs off. Ted advances, Gregan backs off, Ted
advances some more, Gregan backs off, Ted advances
some more , Gregan backs off. Gregan realises that he
will soon be in the back of the net so he makes a
lunge forward. Ted skips round him as if he wasnt
there. Killa and Crainey desperately try to cover but
its too late and Ted pushes the ball past a static
Sullivan. Only one person at fault here GREGAN. He
cost us the goal, maybe the game and maybe the tie
and you didnt see. Enough said.
It was at this point that Blackwell started twitching.
He tends to do this around 60 minutes his mind was
ticking over Blake for Healy / Healy for Blake
hes programmed. But to our surprise he decided to
change the formation and do what hes wanted to do all
season (so he tells us) and go 4-4-2 with Stone on the
right. Well what a difference. We looked more balanced
and immediately Healy looked lively taking the ball
centrally and having our first shot on goal with 60
minutes showing on the clock. The NE stand erupted in
sarcastic applause. A few moments later he subbed
Healy. Id get my transfer request in now if I were
him. At least he accepted it unlike Bakke who spat his
dummy out. I didnt think Bakke deserved to go off but
you have to accept it and I think they dont get on
which might explain Bakkes limited appearances.
Then the goal Blake backs in to their defender and
the ref gives us a free kick on the edge of the box.
Just where we like it. Lewis converts and we got a
draw. Like it or not but this just emphasises how much
we have relied on set pieces to get us points this
season. Wed have never scored from open play in a
month of Sundays the only way we were going to get
anything was from a free kick or penalty the story
of the season.
Hulse is too isolated and lacking in confidence. Lewis
is in and out and Healy aint a winger. Its a
shambles. But eh , were still in it.
On, On , On
.. and into the premier league.
Sullivan 5. Poor kicking.
Kelly 6. Poor distribution, good defending and since
hes a defender thatll do for me.
Crainey 1. Absolutely crap although he did have the
greatest moment of his career in the last 10 minutes
with 2 brilliant lunging tackles. Thats why I gave
him 1. His passing was diabolical.
Gregan 3. Cost us the game through his
shiteness.Hes too fucking fat !
Killa 5. Shaky throughout, The big man up front gave
him loads of trouble. Defended well at times though.
Distribution shocking.
Miller 5. Cant tackle and really frustrates me cos
hes got ability but rarely uses it. Send him back to
scum.
Derry 7. Cant fault the lad for effort really top
effort. Well done.
Lewis 6. In and out. Good goal saved us again.
Bakke 7. Thought he showed the only glimpses of
quality. I thought he should have stayed on.
Hulse 2. Isolated but even when he does get the ball
he doesnt use it. I have to say though that the big
Preston defender was excellent and was too good for
Hulse.
Healy 4. One decent cross first half and started to
look lively in a 4-4-2 but then Blackie took him off.
Subs :-
Stone 6. Not fit but provided balance.
Blake 6. Got us the free kick it wasnt.
Crowd good atmosphere but I got the impression a lot
of it was a real effort and at full time a lot of
people realised that although were still in it
nothing has changed and this team is going nowhere.
There you are. We can still do it.
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it's a God awful small affair
