Most liked posts in thread: Vs PNE (football league cup)

Thought you might pick up on it! It is hard not to be disappointed with the way we have started, for me its not so much the results but the way we are performing (or rather not) with a total lack of style.
To be honest what makes it worse for me is I am surprised as I thought we were coming into the new season with some momentum, but somehow GB has squashed it so quickly

 

True Petrov - I guess the most staggering part of that comment is that 8 of last years gash are still in GB's team !

 

I think that is the issue, for all his great PR he has given us absolutely nothing to get excited about ON the pitch so far

 

He hasn't neglected it, he's just signed shit

Anderson
Devine
Colville

All Bowyer's signings this season

 

Well that’s two hours and £15 that I’ll never get back. How many managers does it take to realise Doyle can’t play as a lone forward? Not that that was our biggest problem tonight.

 

Our last league 2 team,......

 

Cracking team for that level. To be honest, probably under performed, that team should have walked the league instead of sneaking into play offs!

 

The worry is that his blueprint was based on bonding, steely mentality, commitment and physical presence. Initially what he preached as the paramount requirement to get us out of this league. Well, we are way short up to press. I expected to be seeing the green shoots of a recovery, but sadly, management clarity is just not there. He has had the full pre-season to build a platform, but yet again their are too many holes in our formations. We ought to be seeing a team that looks ready and prepared, displaying technique along side ability and belief in whatever system we adopt. I am concerned about his assessment of players who seem to be a liability and whilst we all recognise he has inherited a few poor signings, his managerial skills are employed to create improvement.

 

Hornby 5 - don’t think you can blame any of the goals on him

A O’Connor 4 - Badly at fault for the third goal. A killer after we came out of the blocks after half time with more purpose.

French 5 - grew into the game after initial nerves. Lost his striker for the first goal, but considering where he was last year and now playing against Championship opposition he did OK.

Longridge 7 - a rare bright spot I thought.

Akpan 3 - did absolutely nothing.

Anderson 3 - ditto Akpan

Devine 4 - only slightly better than Akpan and Anderson.

Scannell 5 - thought he was poor tonight.

Wood 5 - offered no more than Scannell. Not the wide man we need. Maybe give him a go in central midfield!

Doyle 4 - not the player to be a lone striker. I actually get sorry for him because he was asked to play a role that’s not his game.

People saying the formation was a 4-3-3. I saw it as a 4-5-1. Scannell and Wood were not far enough forward to make it a 4-3-3.

4-4-2 please Mr Bowyer.

 

Oh to be even close to McCalls nearly team now

 

The modern day player not capable of Tuesday/Saturday games especially this early in the season. We have players that have to be nursed through pre-season and into the season proper and we have some that don't want to be involved at all. It's not experimenting it's managing the snowflake generation.

 

Just compared the Preston starting line up to the one which started Saturday against Wigan and there wasn’t a single player who started Saturday who started last night.
So did we really get hammered by a Championship team? I’d say no we got hammered by a Championship reserve team.
If only we’d have played our strongest team, we had an opportunity to proceed.

 

Yet he offered contracts to three midfielders who were part of last year's squad when he could have got rid of them. And they're not very good as we knew.

 

The biggest concern is just like last season we go behind and collapse. Agree the opposition we decent but we shouldn’t be losing by 4.
AOC needs to go. Akpan needs to go.
We’ve such a soft centre.

 

You've got it ! . My first look at us this season and even before a ball was kicked I predicted 4-0 PNE !

Like me you were probably thinking 4-3-3 ? Why not 4-4-2 ? and go for it ? Bowyer set up to stay in the game as long as we could and therefore he chose a defensive line up. Circa doubling up with Longridge & Wood on the left, with French right.Then Akpan, Anderson & Devine centre mid. Scannell right to supply Doyle a lone target.

But ! against a better, fitter, stronger, swifter set of players this was never going to workout ?. Aside from the two OC's and Wood on the left City were never good enough here. It was dejavu for Doyle upfront with a 90 minute reminder of last seasons toil and woe.

It took Scannell 20 minutes to touch the ball !
While the midfield three could rarely hold the ball or get the ball out to Wood and Scannell on the flanks. Not good enough by a long way. We do need a leader in there and the ability to cycle and recycle the ball through the midfield and left and right.

So to me it was not so much that Bowyer chose the wrong tactic. He appreciated the need to stay in the game. But it is the wrong tactic if you do not have the players to carry out that instruction.

In that case Bowyer should have realised he needed to attack the game. We are at home so you may just as well go 4-4-2 and have a go !? I would have played much of the team who may play v Oldham on Saturday and get some rhythem into our play. Its only three games in and we are making all those changes. PNE can afford to switch the entire team but we dont have the ability to do that no way.

So it throws the light on Bowyer and brings added expectation that he has to deliver a win on Saturday. I believe we will win that game. But it is clear to me that we need better in the midfield if our expectations are going to be met this season.

Some of the ££££McBurnie "heist" has to be made available to GB to address this.

 

Surely Paudie gets a game, I wouldnt be suprised if Hornby did in goal too.

 

I'm seeing us being on the wrong end of a real tonking if we go with the same line up and formation as we have in the first two games!

 

During a power outage.

 

Power cut m8. We’re not in states

 

Should of put the game at a tenner, Lot will be put of at 15 especially when most of us around here barely touch £8 quid an hour working.