Preston v Swansea

CroJack

Key Player
I think if we want to play passing football then we either have to say goodbye to three at the back and wing-backs, or improve our pressing game and push opposition into their own half more than we do. We are simply too defensive both on and off the ball.
 

ivoralljack

Grizzled Veteran
Staff member
I’m beginning to realise just how much Andre Ayew contributed to our results. He was looked up to and he led by example.
He was everything!! He pulled our chestnuts out of the fire so many times and led by example. Our midfield, never good before, have now become abysmal because he's not there geeing them up. Honestly, I think they were sleeping yesterday in football terms.

Interesting to note on MOTD, Micah Richards was tearing into some team (it might have been Arsenal) because their midfield totally lacked ENERGY and he said that the one thing a midfield must possess is ENERGY otherwise the team doesn't function. I make no apologies for repeating myself. Someone has to because our lot of idlers are getting away with it on a weekly basis and no one seems to be doing so much as a fly's fart about it.

I'll tell you this. If I had that lot in training I'd get them hopping about for sure. If they don't do it on matchdays then they can do it on the training field. They'd soon realise that they'd start earning win bonuses if they did it during games instead of strolling around as they do now.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
We have players with the energy and desire. We're just not playing them. Martin seems insisting on surrounding himself with known old-bodies and trying to turn those sow's ears into silk purses. Not likely to happen any time soon.
 

Yankee_Jack

Key Player
Martin wasn’t happy with the loss, but he didn’t change his midfield up, he weakened it with his subs IMO. And yet again he passively aggressively referred to the prior management.

 
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CroJack

Key Player
Martin wasn’t happy with the loss, but he didn’t change his midfield up, he weakened it with his subs IMO.
In the first half we had these weak links:

Grimes

Dispossessed three times in the defensive midfield in a dangerous area.
Not tracking back for Preston first goal.

Bennett

Sloppy in possession, letargic and too passive. Made two sloppy passes, one forward and one sideways, in our own half, and we were lucky not to concede. Apart from one excellent forward pass to Cullen it was a terrible performance.

Laird

Apart from an excellent cross to Piroe in the beginning of the game and one time when he cut in to attack Preston box showed nothing. Made a stupid sloppy backward pass which could have cost us a goal. Always chose backward passing when he had better options.
Didn't closed down his man to block the cross for Preston first and second goal.

Bidwell

Ok going forward but partly his fault that Preston scored first goal. He marked his man by turning his back to the player who he was supposed to mark??? C'mon.

Cooper

A nervous performance in the first half. Played long a couple of times and lost possession when he had better options. Looked lost.

The players who played well in the first half:

Benda

Excellent

Fulton

Mr. Reliable

Paterson

Did well up front. Heavily involved in Piro's goal and Cullen's shot. Together with Piroe and Cullen run a lot to press high. Unfortunatelly, we forced our attacking play through the right side so he didn't see much of the ball, which is criminal, because almost everything we created we created through him. Also, I don't know why Martin insists Paterson should play in a wide position and not centrally as ATM.

Piroe

Did a lot of running up front, dropped back to help our midfielders and scored.

Cullen

He played really well. Run a lot, and like Piroe made himself available and dropped back to recieve the ball. Great assist.

Manning

He shouldn't be playing as CB because he is too small to defend crosses. Otherwise, an ok performance in the first half.

Latibaudiere

The only one who had 100 % passing accuracy. Showed great commitment when he tried to prevent that counter-attack when he was injured.
 
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