Match Thread Preston North End FC - Coventry City Match Thread - Saturday 4th Nov (26 Viewers)

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

Wigan in November, 12 months ago. My bad.

'Play him further forward'

It makes me laugh. Our stats when Sheaf doesn't play actually spike upwards generally. He's great at mopping up in front of the defence, sideways passing, and the odd long cross-field ball, but when he's pissing around on the edge of the box it slows us down and comes to nothing the majority of the time. He also cannot shoot.

Eccles has played as well as him this season, if not slightly better, he also has a bit more bite and caused a goal from his shot today. He's probably more of a threat, yet for some reason is one of the first go-to 'boo boys'.

Whilst Sheaf is a good player for us, some act like he's world class. One poster on here has actually given him man of the match for every game he's participated in I think.

In general our midfield needs an upgrade. We need to be honest about that and there are no exceptions. We are so conservative as a rule, but look today what happens when we go for it. We looked... Different. I suppose that's on the management.

 

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[pusbccfc]

'Play him further forward'

It makes me laugh. Our stats when Sheaf doesn't play actually spike upwards generally. He's great at mopping up in front of the defence, sideways passing, and the odd long cross-field ball, but when he's pissing around on the edge of the box it slows us down and comes to nothing the majority of the time. He also cannot shoot.

Eccles has played as well as him this season, if not slightly better, he also has a bit more bite and caused a goal from his shot today. He's probably more of a threat, yet for some reason is one of the first go-to 'boo boys'.

Whilst Sheaf is a good player for us, some act like he's world class. One poster on here has actually given him man of the match for every game he's participated in I think.

In general our midfield needs an upgrade. We need to be honest about that and there are no exceptions. We are so conservative as a rule, but look today what happens when we go for it. We looked... Different. I suppose that's on the management.

I actually agree. People hammer Eccles. There were people singing negative songs about him in the concourse earlier. He's been as good as Sheaf, no doubt. Credit to Eccles for having the guts to shoot from the edge of the box.

We were desperate for Sheaf to return after his injury but we've lost every game since.

I love Sheaf, but like many in this side are very soft when the going gets tough. He and Eccles are perfect players to have alongside an energetic, progressive player like Hamer but now they are being expected to do way more.

 

[fernandopartridge]

'Play him further forward'

It makes me laugh. Our stats when Sheaf doesn't play actually spike upwards generally. He's great at mopping up in front of the defence, sideways passing, and the odd long cross-field ball, but when he's pissing around on the edge of the box it slows us down and comes to nothing the majority of the time. He also cannot shoot.

Eccles has played as well as him this season, if not slightly better, he also has a bit more bite and caused a goal from his shot today. He's probably more of a threat, yet for some reason is one of the first go-to 'boo boys'.

Whilst Sheaf is a good player for us, some act like he's world class. One poster on here has actually given him man of the match for every game he's participated in I think.

In general our midfield needs an upgrade. We need to be honest about that and there are no exceptions. We are so conservative as a rule, but look today what happens when we go for it. We looked... Different. I suppose that's on the management.

Sheaf was our best player and the best player on the pitch today, Eccles was good when he came on. You are not going to be proven correct in your 3 year anti Sheaf campaign.

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[Evo1883]

Sheaf was our best player and the best player on the pitch today, Eccles was good when he came on. You are not going to be proven correct in your 3 year anti Sheaf campaign.

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Thought their 23 was the best player on the pitch if I'm honest .. Sheaf was OK, but has been a bit shite overall since his return

 

[skybluepm2]

'Play him further forward'

It makes me laugh. Our stats when Sheaf doesn't play actually spike upwards generally. He's great at mopping up in front of the defence, sideways passing, and the odd long cross-field ball, but when he's pissing around on the edge of the box it slows us down and comes to nothing the majority of the time. He also cannot shoot.

Eccles has played as well as him this season, if not slightly better, he also has a bit more bite and caused a goal from his shot today. He's probably more of a threat, yet for some reason is one of the first go-to 'boo boys'.

Whilst Sheaf is a good player for us, some act like he's world class. One poster on here has actually given him man of the match for every game he's participated in I think.

In general our midfield needs an upgrade. We need to be honest about that and there are no exceptions. We are so conservative as a rule, but look today what happens when we go for it. We looked... Different. I suppose that's on the management.

It wasn’t ‘Sheafisgod’ by any chance?

 

[Nick]

Sheaf was our best player and the best player on the pitch today, Eccles was good when he came on. You are not going to be proven correct in your 3 year anti Sheaf campaign.

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Really? Their left winger was much better.

 

[Evo1883]

Really? Their left winger was much better.

Yea their 23 was great showed lati up several times

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Thought their 23 was the best player on the pitch if I'm honest .. Sheaf was OK, but has been a bit shite overall since his return

That dude of theirs who looked like Draco Malfoy was for me, may have been the same player I can’t remember.

 

[Evo1883]

That dude of theirs who looked like Draco Malfoy was for me, may have been the same player I can’t remember.

Left wing

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Left wing

I thought Malfoy was the wizard equivalent of the EDL

 

[skybluepm2]

Really? Their left winger was much better.

he was quality

 

[clint van damme]

Yea their 23 was great showed lati up several times

Commented to my mates about him, very good player.

 

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

Sheaf was our best player and the best player on the pitch today, Eccles was good when he came on. You are not going to be proven correct in your 3 year anti Sheaf campaign.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

I am correct, and it is just realism. He gave the ball up for the third goal today by and large. If that had been Eccles the grim reaper would have been out.

I like Sheaf, he is a good player. Some of our fans just see him in a holy light and it is getting boring, especially with the complete contrasted treatment Eccles gets.

Also, don't come at me about player anti-campaigns... I didn't breathe a word when he was terrible against WBA. Or start a thread calling him a clown...

 

[Evo1883]

Thomas gave the ball away for their 3rd goal didnt he ?

 

[Great_Expectations]

No way time for MR to go yet.

But that team selection was absolutely mental on every level and I’m not surprised it backfired. He’s looking a little lost and desperate at the minute.

Again though, we have good players, he just needs to find the right tactics and stick to a consistent team. He’s done it before and he’ll do it again.

If we line up with another bizarre selection against Stoke with no clear game plan and lose; questions will certainly be asked.

 

[shmmeee]

Ayari? What for? To give the opposition an easy skittle to knock over?

Well the midfield is full of them but we may as well have a skittle who can pass the ball.

 

[shmmeee]

433 is the tactics. Stick with a team for a few games and see how it goes.

 

[shmmeee]

It isn't, clearly. They scored from a completely free header in the middle of the goal.

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Doesn’t matter how many CBs you have if they defend like schoolboys.

 

[SeaSeeEffCee]

People keep saying that we have good players and we’ll be fine but what is this actually based on? The defence looks completely rotten, the keeper appears to have lost all confidence in himself, the midfield has neither any creativity nor defensively solidity and we’ve got three strikers who seem incapable of imposing themselves on games at this level. Are we just assuming these players are good because we spent money on them and therefore must be good? Because the judgment surely can’t be coming from the performances they’ve been putting in. We started off the season drawing too many games and all I was hearing on here was ‘well we’ll start turning these draws into wins soon and fly up the table’ and we’ve gone in completely the opposite directions. The draws have become losses and we’re getting worse as the season goes on. Robins seriously needs to come up with something soon that will salvage this season else we’re in big trouble. Relegation simply cannot happen. It would be a complete disaster and would probably set us back years again.

 

[MalcSB]

Well the midfield is full of them but we may as well have a skittle who can pass the ball.

But he doesn’t keep the ball long enough to pass it. He is genuinely useless.

 

[skybluecam]

Ayari is so ineffectual it’s painful.

 

[BackRoomRummermill]

People keep saying that we have good players and we’ll be fine but what is this actually based on? The defence looks completely rotten, the keeper appears to have lost all confidence in himself, the midfield has neither any creativity nor defensively solidity and we’ve got three strikers who seem incapable of imposing themselves on games at this level. Are we just assuming these players are good because we spent money on them and therefore must be good? Because the judgment surely can’t be coming from the performances they’ve been putting in. We started off the season drawing too many games and all I was hearing on here was ‘well we’ll start turning these draws into wins soon and fly up the table’ and we’ve gone in completely the opposite directions. The draws have become losses and we’re getting worse as the season goes on. Robins seriously needs to come up with something soon that will salvage this season else we’re in big trouble. Relegation simply cannot happen. It would be a complete disaster and would probably set us back years again.

Maybe MR just does not have the capacity and skill to play these players in their best position and overall formation - if that’s the case what do we do ? Note yesterday he came up with a new formation that seemed to work better - surely though a live fixture is not the place to experiment with formations and players ….

 

[TomRad85]

People keep saying that we have good players and we’ll be fine but what is this actually based on? The defence looks completely rotten, the keeper appears to have lost all confidence in himself, the midfield has neither any creativity nor defensively solidity and we’ve got three strikers who seem incapable of imposing themselves on games at this level. Are we just assuming these players are good because we spent money on them and therefore must be good? Because the judgment surely can’t be coming from the performances they’ve been putting in. We started off the season drawing too many games and all I was hearing on here was ‘well we’ll start turning these draws into wins soon and fly up the table’ and we’ve gone in completely the opposite directions. The draws have become losses and we’re getting worse as the season goes on. Robins seriously needs to come up with something soon that will salvage this season else we’re in big trouble. Relegation simply cannot happen. It would be a complete disaster and would probably set us back years again.

Genuinely reserving judgement on the players until Robins pulls his finger out his arse and ditches what clearly isn't working. Personally I can see something in most of them and I'm hoping we're at a crossroads now. I don't want him fired... yet, he deserves a bit of time, but he's been really poor this season.

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[Sky Blue Harry H]

Thought MVE looked really poor in his cameo mind]

Possibly because they were sat deep and he didn't have the space behind them to attack. Interestingly Oggy commented the other night that MVE doesn't have a trick to beat his man, which wasn't something I'd picked up on before. Was impressed by how powerful Simms looked cutting in from out wide and attacking the full back. Just lacked the final bit.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Possibly because they were sat deep and he didn't have the space behind them to attack. Interestingly Oggy commented the other night that MVE doesn't have a trick to beat his man, which wasn't something I'd picked up on before. Was impressed by how powerful Simms looked cutting in from out wide and attacking the full back. Just lacked the final bit.

Given his pace he’s probably best trying to knock it past the defender and go from there

 

[Sky Blue Harry H]

surely though a live fixture is not the place to experiment with formations and players ….

You can't criticise him for changing formation in that game - if he hadn't, I'd have been questioning what he was watching. People on here have a go at MR being stubborn and unable to change shape, and then, when he does, and it works, he gets criticised as well. Unless they are all 100% fit, I wouldn't want to see that midfield 3 that started together again. That was where our initial problem started from.

 

[Flying Fokker]

Ayari? What for? To give the opposition an easy skittle to knock over?

Ayari is lightweight. Our team is not physical enough

Ayari is so ineffectual it’s painful.

Hes not worth the team place at the moment. We normally let people like him out on loan.

 

[Nuskyblue]

It isn't, clearly. They scored from a completely free header in the middle of the goal.

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More an individual error than anything to do with the formation tbh but you could apply that to a lot of the goals we've conceded.

For what it's worth I thought we looked less passive with the back four.

 

[skyblue_55]

Why did it take a supposed experienced manager & coach 45 minutes before they ripped Ayari off ???
Yes there were others , just too far off the pace ( we don’t have much in this team )but what are they watching or hoping for ?

 

[ProfessorbyGrace]

Looking at MR, his interview pitchside after the game, his demeanour has changed - there’s an obvious frustration on his face, now.

Who knows, though. Maybe we’re turning a corner; just hope he sticks with 4-3-3, as it clearly worked.

 

[quinn1971]

I actually agree. People hammer Eccles. There were people singing negative songs about him in the concourse earlier. He's been as good as Sheaf, no doubt. Credit to Eccles for having the guts to shoot from the edge of the box.

We were desperate for Sheaf to return after his injury but we've lost every game since.

I love Sheaf, but like many in this side are very soft when the going gets tough. He and Eccles are perfect players to have alongside an energetic, progressive player like Hamer but now they are being expected to do way more.

Spot on with this, we’ve got the players for where we are,

 

[Frankly_Mr_Shankly]

No way time for MR to go yet.

But that team selection was absolutely mental on every level and I’m not surprised it backfired. He’s looking a little lost and desperate at the minute.

Again though, we have good players, he just needs to find the right tactics and stick to a consistent team. He’s done it before and he’ll do it again.

If we line up with another bizarre selection against Stoke with no clear game plan and lose; questions will certainly be asked.

A manager who starts making strange team selections is a manager feeling the pressure. Dropping players is fine, but dropping the wrong players isn’t.

He needs to decide who is best 11 is and stick by it and stop using Sakamoto as a scapegoat.

 

[pusbccfc]

A manager who starts making strange team selections is a manager feeling the pressure. Dropping players is fine, but dropping the wrong players isn’t.

He needs to decide who is best 11 is and stick by it and stop using Sakamoto as a scapegoat.

He had Sakamoto stripped at ready to go yesterday. The same thing happened at Rotherham.

Either there was a communication error or Robins has changed his mind as the sub is about to be made.

 

[Grendel]

He had Sakamoto stripped at ready to go yesterday. The same thing happened at Rotherham.

Either there was a communication error or Robins has changed his mind as the sub is about to be made.

I think he bought Bidwell on instead Didnt he?

I think he’d have rather played Moore at left back than put Bidwell on - there’s clearly a parting happening in January but he was forced to see reason in the end

 

[EalingSB]

Commented to my mates about him, very good player.

Liam Millar, on loan from FC Basel. Played in the World Cup for Canada.