[Archived] Preston - 23 July

[blue_n_white99]

England are utterly bereft of midfielders, when Parker Carrick Lamps Barry and Gerrard retire in a few years we'll have Jordan Henderson and Shelvey ：S

Wilshire

Cleverley

Zaha out wide

I'm sure there are others who I can't remember off the top of my head

[ABBEY]

People need to calm their tits. Pre-season is very rarely any sort of indicator of the season ahead. We managed to get a solid run of results under Bowyer last year with arguably a weaker squad (seriously, who have we lost in midfield that made a difference? ...Murphy?). Whereas now we have people like Judge, Taylor & Marrow to give us more options, and possibly more on the way. And no, this isn't some deluded, blind optimism that we'll be tearing up the division next season, but if Bowyer is still up to the task then I don't think it will be all doom and gloom either.

Of course it's doom n gloom , every second them clueless retarded VENKYSCUM are here... Just laughing at first sentence , I've been banned for less .

[super_arran]

Amazing how the lad gets so many games for the U21s, just shows the paucity of talent available to the national team.

Or, he's not AS bad as people make out?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Indeed den.

'We are where we are' and all that, but I left the game just in depsair at how readily 20 years of achievement has been tossed down the toilet.

All so unecessary. *sigh*

What more is there to say.

[Amo]

I've been banned for less .

Somehow I don't believe that.

[ABBEY]

Somehow I don't believe that.

Er yes I have.

[rovers11]

I watched the 90 minute coverage of the match on rovers player.

Thought judge looked excellent. A very busy player who is not afraid to run with the ball and puts an excellent cross into the box. His shooting wad a bit off tho.

Marrow did well. Kilgallon did ok but got caught out a few times and was clear lb is not his favoured position.

Taylor also looked really lively when he came on. An all action player who also put some excellent crosses into the box.

There was still a bit too much pumping the ball forward aimlessly from the back in the 1st half. Passed it around nicely in the 2nd half and controlled the game when we went to a 4-2-3-1 system. Marrow and Judge sitting in front of the back 4, Rhodes up top on his own and Judge, king and Taylor all providing the flair just behind Rhodes.

[Parsonblue]

Indeed den.

'We are where we are' and all that, but I left the game just in depsair at how readily 20 years of achievement has been tossed down the toilet.

To be fair, the players worked hard and it wasn't a particulary bad performance, but you look through the squad and it is now chock full of journeyman. It's the Championship, so of course, we have a puncher's chance of promotion. But we could also be marooned outside the PL for many a year.

All so unecessary. *sigh*

I couldn't agree more. The games against Crewe, Rochdale and Preston simply highlighted what we have lost. But, as you say, 'We are where we are' and have simply gone back to something similar to what we had in the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. For those of us of a certain age this is nothing new. We have seen it all before with the decline of the club during the early 1960s. However, external factors were responsible for that implosion - this is a decline has been self inflicted and that is what is so sad. Nonetheless, on the evidence of the pre-season games I still believe we will stay above the relegation battle - although it might be touch and go - and after the past few years a season of mid-table football will hopefully give Gary time to rebuild on solid foundations.

[Rover_Shaun]

Amazing how the lad gets so many games for the U21s, just shows the paucity of talent available to the national team.

Not many that play regularly for the U21's who make the grade to first team englans regular. Hence why the U21 is like the League 2 of international football where all the very best young players are fast forwarded to the first team.

Lowe being picked for the squad says more about the paucity of coaching talent in this country too.

[Baz]

People need to calm their tits. Pre-season is very rarely any sort of indicator of the season ahead. We managed to get a solid run of results under Bowyer last year with arguably a weaker squad (seriously, who have we lost in midfield that made a difference? ...Murphy?). Whereas now we have people like Judge, Taylor & Marrow to give us more options, and possibly more on the way. And no, this isn't some deluded, blind optimism that we'll be tearing up the division next season, but if Bowyer is still up to the task then I don't think it will be all doom and gloom either.

CKR will be a big miss in midfield.

[Amo]

Er yes I have.

Go kick up a stink in the Admin forum, then. You're due.

[ABBEY]

Go kick up a stink in the Admin forum, then. You're due.

No just watching and laughing at what warrants me a ban and what others get away with .

[mhead]

All this begs the question: When did you last see the Rovers play well?

Even when we won the Premiership there were many times we played poorly or needed to be rescued by Shearer goals.

Away matches have always been patchy. Most home matches(80%) have always been a bit 'squeaky bum". Thats life.

The trend however is down -with less and less good performances per season(3 to 5 last season?)

My sample is maybe 1500 matches since Duggie era.

Pre-season means nothing.....I would have preferred if we had got beaten so as to put some urgency into finding the right blend.