Preston North End v Leeds Utd Match Thread

[whiteswan]

Also you don't need to play two holding midfielders against the low block. Either play Gray in midfield, switch Rutter and Piroe, or promote an u23 for a game or two.

Well I did ask

[SG90]

Also Farke spent £5m on a midfielder and never uses him. That money could've gone towards a creative midfielder instead.

[Cjay]

I guess everyone has their own ideas Cjay....don't get me wrong I'm not happy with our losses either but can't do owt about it so I try and stay cool calm and collected. I'm hoping the 49ers are watching and act accordingly regarding players.

I'm calm Swannie I'm not raging round the house I assure you

But can see this 1 season where we have all the advantages being wasted by a manager I personally didn't want near the club (know many agree).

I hope the 49ers are shortlisting replacements, even if the players can carry us to promotion it wont work in the Premier League under Farke I'm convinced.

Literally the worst manager with 25+ Premier league games ever and you can see why

[1964white]

So what would your team have been and what subs and when. I'm not having a go Cjay, you know me better than that, but for folk to be constantly whining and not give alternative solutions grates a tad.

Apart from Byram, Daniel played his best XI, the alternative options are not good.

We desperately need to invest in January if we want automatic promotion.

[Jaydog]

What a clown Meslier is. Push him in the arm but not the face. Don’t touch the face. Clown.
I’d be using Darlow for a while now and teach the clown a lesson. Beyond an idiot.

[JoeDenver]

I often give my ideas lol.

I'd have started Gnonto for one, James vs a deep block is largely useless as his pace can't be as effective, Gnonto is a better dribbler.

I'd have switched Gray and Spence earlier on 1st half because it was obvious Preston were targeting him and deliberately keeping play on the opposite side to Spence and Summerville. Gray was struggling same as vs Sunderland and Farke did nothing to help him and has even blamed him in the press conference.

As we all keep saying I'd have ordered Piroe to play up front and Rutter to drop deep and rotate position with Summerville to make them harder to track.

I'd have tried to pull Preston to our right and focused the attack down our weaker side whilst asking Summerville or Rutter to play very tight to the left touchline and stretch the pitch with the other asked to remain central.

Then used sporadic switches of play or quick passing to get the ball left as fast as possible to hopefully get Summerville or Rutter isolated 1v1 whilst the other would by now be fairly close for support.

This tactic we keep facing and struggling with is very common, it isn't some mythical genius tactic.

Ways exist to counter it, what doesn't work is what Farke does, messing about with meaningless passes between the back 4 for 15 minutes at a time then a pass into Summerville or Rutter who are totally surrounded in a packed midfield

AMEN! I was in the middle of writing something similar. I think Farke got spooked because of the Stoke result, however that was a case of too many changes, too soon. He should’ve compartmentalized that by implementing only part of that strategy instead of scrapping the whole thing. Further, Gnonto has recovered more and Gruev has gotten more bedded into the squad. The taking off of Spence absolutely cemented our fate, especially as Byram was on the bench to help there in the limited minutes needed.

Another idea to attack the low-block is to play with a three man midfield which will help retain possession even more and further thwart the potential for counters. Would make for a dreadful watch, ala a war of attrition, but it would be effective with our individual quality being the difference-maker.

[Cjay]

[SG90]

Apart from Byram, Daniel played his best XI, the alternative options are not good.

We desperately need to invest in January if we want automatic promotion.

How do you know they're not good enough if they never play? I don't mean the likes of Cooper, Ayling, Bamfraud or Firpo, as we know already, but more the likes of Anthony, Gnonto, Cresswell, Gelhardt and Gruev.

[Scoobychief]

As predicted soton 3rd now. What a load of s**t didn't they say non here summerville gnonto rutter etc.. would smash it smash f**king what exactly ffs. Get a reality check you morons

[JoeDenver]

I'm calm Swannie I'm not raging round the house I assure you

But can see this 1 season where we have all the advantages being wasted by a manager I personally didn't want near the club (know many agree).

I hope the 49ers are shortlisting replacements, even if the players can carry us to promotion it wont work in the Premier League under Farke I'm convinced.

Literally the worst manager with 25+ Premier league games ever and you can see why

I’d be asking Potter in depth questions on his ideas surrounding how to defeat a low block…

And for those concerned about chemistry if there were a change at the top? I think the chemistry of the squad is already in jeopardy. Farke throwing his players under the bus today, and the continued inconsistent results…players are going to start having doubts. And think about what the players being consistently left out might be saying…

At a minimum, Farke is in serious danger of getting his authority undermined. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a high-level consultant brought in to offer expertise in how to “tackle” the low block.

[Carrick Dave]

I don't see why people are making a case for Gnonto to start, he's made zero impact coming on as a sub lately and lost a winnable ball in midfield which led to the winner today.

We were guilty of not showing Preston enough respect from the off today, they wanted it more in midfield and were willing to fight for every ball - we wanted to pussy-foot about and play cute, eye-catching flicks and weren't allowed to.

Sorry if this isn't exactly a tactical masterclass but it's how it seemed to me all afternoon.

[Johnthewhite]

I don't see why people are making a case for Gnonto to start, he's made zero impact coming on as a sub lately and lost a winnable ball in midfield which led to the winner today.

We were guilty of not showing Preston enough respect from the off today, they wanted it more in midfield and were willing to fight for every ball - we wanted to pussy-foot about and play cute, eye-catching flicks and weren't allowed to.

Sorry if this isn't exactly a tactical masterclass but it's how it seemed to me all afternoon.

Correct (In my humble opinion)

[1964white]

It's a set back for sure, nothing went right really.. The one thing was maybe find a way to stop Millar, I don't know why we aborted the usual tactic of James and Gray partnering up on the right, James hardly got back and Gray hardly got forward.. and it beat us

Mediocre championship coaches/defenders know how to stop our star players by clattering us!

Preston committed 22 fouls today, 12 of those were horrible bookable offences.

Only five PNE players received yellow cards, should have been more!

Apart from our idiotic keeper, only Rodon of our outfield players received a yellow card.

Maybe we have to start dishing out the same medicine to the opposition.

Ironically, Rotherham, Swansea, Sunderland, Middlesbro, Plymouth Coventry all could have endured red cards, but it's Leeds who end up with a red thanks to Meslier losing his head.

[DDB220]

As predicted soton 3rd now. What a load of s**t didn't they say non here summerville gnonto rutter etc.. would smash it smash f**king what exactly ffs. Get a reality check you morons

Scooby you are a poor man’s Geronimo. But decent effort to get some attention.

Incidentally, with regards to an earlier post what is a dump ass ?
So many possibilities. Jay will help me out.

[Scoobychief]

We need topics off withnthe excuses how long are we going ro go on about referee or excuses FFS we were diabolicalol and we allways are we are not consistent enough like Leicester or Ipswich and now Southampton will take 3rd place. So what does ir really mean it means unless we spend a few millions on players in the right place we ain't f**king going nowhere. A LB a Creative Centre acking midfielder And on this show a f**king Striker

[Cjay]

AMEN! I was in the middle of writing something similar. I think Farke got spooked because of the Stoke result, however that was a case of too many changes, too soon. He should’ve compartmentalized that by implementing only part of that strategy instead of scrapping the whole thing. Further, Gnonto has recovered more and Gruev has gotten more bedded into the squad. The taking off of Spence absolutely cemented our fate, especially as Byram was on the bench to help there in the limited minutes needed.

Another idea to attack the low-block is to play with a three man midfield which will help retain possession even more and further thwart the potential for counters. Would make for a dreadful watch, ala a war of attrition, but it would be effective with our individual quality being the difference-maker.

Farke has been criticised at all his previous clubs for exactly the issues we have here now.

Nothing new.

Reliance on individuals
Poor game management
Poor subs
Lack of ability to change a game

When a pattern develops as it has for us away from home then imo it becomes a manager issue not a player one.

[JoeDenver]

Mediocre championship coaches/defenders know how to stop our star players by clattering us!

Preston committed 22 fouls today, 12 of those were horrible bookable offences.

Only five PNE players received yellow cards, should have been more!

Apart from our idiotic keeper, only Rodon of our outfield players received a yellow card.

Maybe we have to start dishing out the same medicine to the opposition.

Ironically, Rotherham, Swansea, Sunderland, Middlesbro, Plymouth Coventry all could have endured red cards, but it's Leeds who end up with a red thanks to Meslier losing his head.

We have a target on us, no doubt. But I think there is also inherent bias from the officials against us, who, expecting us to be an elite team, don’t have as much latitude for our fouls. Hope that makes some sense.

[1964white]

I don't see why people are making a case for Gnonto to start, he's made zero impact coming on as a sub lately and lost a winnable ball in midfield which led to the winner today.

And unlike James & Summerville, Gnonto made no effort to get back & help us earn a point, lazy little runt.

No doubt he'll start vs the baggies after his ineffective showing today.

[Jaydog]

Scooby you are a poor man’s Geronimo. But decent effort to get some attention.

Incidentally, with regards to an earlier post what is a dump ass ?
So many possibilities. Jay will help me out.

According to the dictionary it’s when you have a donkey in the car and you decide to stop and remove it. So in essence you are “dumping an ass” or “dump ass”.
Funnily enough it’s exactly what I’d do with Meslier.
Take him 100 miles in to the woods and “dump an ass”.

[JoeDenver]

Farke has been criticised at all his previous clubs for exactly the issues we have here now.

Nothing new.

Reliance on individuals
Poor game management
Poor subs
Lack of ability to change a game

When a pattern develops as it has for us away from home then imo it becomes a manager issue not a player one.

Second this!