Preston (home)

[Cherry Blue]

Just now, Ossydave said:

A few blokes shouted "you're shit Mowbray"

think I heard all 3 Ossy!

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Riverside under the drip said:

I sit in the Riverside close to the Blackburn End and didn't hear a peep of this supposed criticism. No chance Mowbray heard it.

With respect that’s the complete opposite end to where mowbray stands and where the criticism came from, which was the top left. He heard it. 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

A performance full of spirit and effort but not enough quality. Players gave everything. 

Armstrong's goal was good and exactly why he need to play up front. Shame he missed the second chance. 

It was a game that I felt we would never lose imo. 

Ref was abysmal and don't know how he missed a clear pen on Gallagher. 

Felt sorry for Gallagher stuck out wide. Wasted. 

Mowbray had to change to system second half when Graham as we were losing the midfield battle to 4-3-3

If we didn't had used 2 subs for injuries then I feel Rothwell and Champan could have been game changers for use. 

I have no time for Ben Pearson who is nothing more than a cheat after his performance today

Ben Pearson is a perfect example of what we’re missing. When was the last time we went to a ground and got their crowd as irritated as ours today? Boring and vanilla throughout the team just like our manager. When Evans was clattered where were our players crowding the ref and picking fights? Nobody within 10 yards of him. 

[G Somerset Rover]

Not a bloody chance of the play-offs Chaddy.

[tomphil]

Cancelled each other out as often happens in these games with both sides taking the 'dare not lose' approach rather than going for it. Both sides in poor form and it showed, very little inspiration and the usually disjointed trademark stuff from Rovers.

At least they didn't get tactically undone today but as usual defending an early lead is an alien concept in the Blackburn team.

Poor home turn out but no surprise whatsoever and the usual mass invasion of the home stands that only exists in Preston minds was nowhere to be seen.

It's going to be another boring January.

[Cherry Blue]

2 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

A performance full of spirit and effort but not enough quality. Players gave everything. 

Armstrong's goal was good and exactly why he need to play up front. Shame he missed the second chance. 

It was a game that I felt we would never lose imo. 

Ref was abysmal and don't know how he missed a clear pen on Gallagher. 

Felt sorry for Gallagher stuck out wide. Wasted. 

Mowbray had to change to system second half when Graham as we were losing the midfield battle to 4-3-3

If we didn't had used 2 subs for injuries then I feel Rothwell and Champan could have been game changers for use. 

I have no time for Ben Pearson who is nothing more than a cheat after his performance today

Pearson should have been booked for his unprofessional antics. After his second antic he was walking like he had glass in his boots. Then ball came near him and he sprinted at speed. Gallagher worked hard and won a few decent tackles..  

[Mattyblue]

6 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Cancelled each other out as often happens in these games with both sides taking the 'dare not lose' approach rather than going for it. Both sides in poor form and it showed, very little inspiration and the usually disjointed trademark stuff from Rovers.

At least they didn't get tactically undone today but as usual defending an early lead is an alien concept in the Blackburn team.

Poor home turn out but no surprise whatsoever and the usual mass invasion of the home stands that only exists in Preston minds was nowhere to be seen.

It's going to be another boring January.

13,700 home fans is more than I thought at £28-£30 just after Christmas. Couple of thousand up on a standard game.

Edited January 11, 2020 by Mattyblue

[Sparks Rover]

13 minutes ago, Riverside under the drip said:

I sit in the Riverside close to the Blackburn End and didn't hear a peep of this supposed criticism. No chance Mowbray heard it.

You are wrong. Mowbray will have heard the Blackburn end asking why Gallagher was on the wing.

[chaddyrovers]

5 minutes ago, Mellor Rover said:

Ben Pearson is a perfect example of what we’re missing. When was the last time we went to a ground and got their crowd as irritated as ours today? Boring and vanilla throughout the team just like our manager. When Evans was clattered where were our players crowding the ref and picking fights? Nobody within 10 yards of him. 

I wouldn't that in my team. He a soft boy who is nothing than a cheat. Can give it out but soft as shit when it given. so you want a cheat in your team who drop to the floor when Gallagher did nothing to him? 

Ref wasn't strong enough today and he had been Preston wouldn't have got away with what they did time after time

5 minutes ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Not a bloody chance of the play-offs Chaddy.

good for you. I have different opinion. 

[glen9mullan]

Very poor game, 2 sides lacking in confidence and ideas. A draw a very fair result despite us nearly winning in stoppage time.

Walton - might be doing him an injustice but their goal apprared where I was sat to go straight down the middle, but that maybe the angle I was sat, bar that never had too much to do -7

 

Nyambe - didnt half get grief from me last season as he had more touches than anyone but always went backwards. This season different player and was arguably our best outlet until he went off -8

Tosin - comfortable game and good improvisation at other end that nearly bagged a winner - 7

Lenihan - Like Tosin, never put a foot wrong and kept Pne quiet - 7

Evans - wasnt on long enough , but a better player than Johnson and we were evidently not ad good when he went off -6

Travis - one of his quiter games in a dour fixture where we cancelled each other out -6

Gallagher - played wide again, never beat the first man with a number of crosses, was ineffective in the air and despite a bit of running closing down, id be looking for a refund if he had cost half a million - 5

Downing- Steady enough game without creating too much of note -7

Holtby - took 25 minutes before he touched ball, but had a couple of good efforts on gosl snd looked most likely to create or score a goal -7

Armstrong - was very lively, scored a good goal and 3 times raced past Gallager to chase a ball down Gallagher  should of chased, needs some support - 8

Bell - was much better defensively and came to rescue 3 times when it looked like North end were in. Not as effective going forwards, but defensively solid - 7

 

Subs

Bennett - looked off the pace and brought very little to the party -5

Graham - had a couple of chances at back post but failed to control - 5

Johnson - Never got forwards too much and struggled on the ball in a scrappy game - 6

 

[chaddyrovers]

1 minute ago, glen9mullan said:

Holtby - took 25 minutes before he touched ball, but had a couple of good efforts on gosl snd looked most likely to create or score a goal -7

Armstrong - was very lively, scored a good goal and 3 times raced past Gallagher to chase a ball down Gallagher  should of chased, needs some support - 8

didn't Holtby pass it to Armstrong for goal?

 

2 minutes ago, glen9mullan said:

Walton - might be doing him an injustice but their goal apprared where I was sat to go straight down the middle, but that maybe the angle I was sat, bar that never had too much to do -7

don't think Walton could see the shot until very late. 

 

[Waggy76]

2 Lancashire clubs destined for mid table mediocrity , not a decent forward between them !!

[Ossydave]

                    Walton

Nyambe  Tosin  Lenihan   Bell

      Travis    Johnson  Holtby 

                Armstrong 

  Graham  Brereton/Gallagher 

 

I'd be tempted to give this a whirl next game

[Exiled_Rover]

16 minutes ago, Mellor Rover said:

Ben Pearson is a perfect example of what we’re missing. When was the last time we went to a ground and got their crowd as irritated as ours today? Boring and vanilla throughout the team just like our manager. When Evans was clattered where were our players crowding the ref and picking fights? Nobody within 10 yards of him. 

I don't want Ben Pearson anywhere near a team I support.

There's no place for his antics in football.

[JHRover]

Never really felt we would win the game after we conceded the equaliser.

Truth be told in the second half we didn't do enough in front of goal to deserve a win. Yes we had the better of it but nowhere near enough to force the issue against a side happy with the point.

Preston a poor side but we knew that already. Another opportunity for revenge and 3 points after an awful Christmas passes by. 6 without a win and an away game next at a decent side.

I warned about Preston's cheating ways and true to form they delivered. Tried the dive for a penalty but thankfully the referee wasnt having it. One of the few positives I can attribute to the officials today.

Absolutely appalling performance from the referee who should be embarrassed to collect a wage after that. The worst of the lot was when Johnson was clattered by Stockley and went to ground holding his face. Not only did the referee bizarrely decide not to give a foul but also ignored the head injury, allowing Preston to attack and only stopping the game when we had come in to possession. To come out of that game with 2 yellows to their 0 has to be one of the most ludicrous things I have ever seen.

The lineman in front of me succeeded in getting through the whole game without putting his flag up and spent half the game explaining decisions to their manager in the dugout. 

Sadly we don't seem to be a win at all costs team. We'll huff and puff and keep going to the end but we won't turn to dark arts or cynical play or be ruthless enough to snatch wins from these sort of games.

 

[Ossydave]

We need a poll

Does ANYONE bar Chadddy consider playoffs a possibility l?

[arbitro]

I'm beginning to feel a bit for Gallagher and become more angry with Mowbray for his crass stupidity and stubbornness in playing him out wide. He looks like a fish out of water and without a shadow of doubt has had his best moments down the middle. Mowbray is making a fool out of himself and Gallagher here. It's like he's trying to prove a point but is embarrassing himself.

Into the game and I thought we were alright. On the balance of chances could have won against horrible opponents. Their players blatantly cheat and the weak referee allowed them to get away with disgusting tactics. I would put their manager in that category too. Our best player by a country mile was Downing who was excellent. His use of the ball was better than any player on the pitch and his performance belied his years. Some of our players would do well to watch how careful he is with the ball, hardly ever giving it away. Overall I feel disappointed not to have won but my dislike of all things Preston has intensified.

 

[West Yorks Rover]

6 minutes ago, Ossydave said:

We need a poll

Does ANYONE bar Chadddy consider playoffs a possibility l?

Chaddy's a dreamer, if Swansea beat Cardiff tomorrow the gap will be SEVEN points and very likely to be 10 after we play Sheff Weds

away next.

Edited January 11, 2020 by West Yorks Rover

[Stuart]

Not much can really be said about today’s game. But I’ll have a go...  

The team pretty much picked itself and there were no real controversies in the starting line up. The substitutions also picked themselves due to injury (is that another incoming transfer fee gone for a burton now?) and although I’d have brought off Gallagher not Holtby it had to be Graham who came on next. The only real gripes would be the continued and stubborn insistence on trying to get a tune out of Gallagher out wide and maybe having a more effective full back cover on the bench.

Our problems are more deep rooted than just this game though, because of the squad Mowbray has assembled and his inability to play them correctly or motivate them. We have no bite and aside from the absolute gimme from PNE’s defenders (thanks) we didn’t really look like scoring. We need a goal scorers now and fast. Our over-reliance on Dack all this time to paper over the cracks of two failed big-money strikers has now been badly exposed.

The fact is though that without a big change - a new manager, or a huge, and unlikely, talismanic signing - nothing is going to change.

The referee. Oh dear, the referee.  His one-eyed view of the decision making part of his job was evident from early on and he never got to grips with, let alone clamped down on, the PNE histrionics. Every marginal call went their way and many of the less marginal ones - incredulousLT - still went to them. It only got worse after the first chorus of “You’re Not Fit...” as he basically F.U.’d his way through that second half. Not a single yellow card for a Preston player despite some bad fouls (practically GBH on Evans and Johnson), persistent fouling, time wasting and diving (including simulation for the attempted-robbery of an early second half penalty - one worthy of being marched to the security office while awaiting the police on a charge of petty theft) says it all really. I expect our disciplinary record will be worsened after Paul Gallagher quietly removed the bottle of Lucozade thrown on and nonchalantly handed a coin or similar to the fourth official.

The upshot of a failure to assemble a decent squad worthy of £20m of spending (astonishing really - money some clubs above us can only dream of) or to spawn a lucky smash-and-grab winner means we are now 5 points off sixth (while PNE are 2) - but which will become 7 and 4 respectively if Swansea beat rivals Cardiff at lunchtime tomorrow.

Back to the drawing board but I expect we will just see more of the same for the foreseeable future. Over the next five games we play three teams who we are in and amongst and we don’t do well when the stakes are high. After a tough game away at Sheff Weds we could be looking up at both QPR and Boro, needing to beat both to stay in the top half of the table.

All in all, it certainly wasn’t a stale game today and a neutral would have been entertained. However, we need to get a couple of wins from somewhere, fast, and I don’t know where they are coming from.

[joey_big_nose]

36 minutes ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Not a single member of this mediocre Rovers squad excites or enthuses me.

As somebody has mentioned we are moulded in the mirror image of our Manager.

This club has always had hero's the fans can warm to...totally null and void right now.

I think we've got a decent team that could make playoffs with a few additions and a good manager. Certainly in terms of quality I've seen a lot worse since we went down from prem.

Armstrong, Dack, Travis, Johnson, Lenihan, Nyambe, Holtby all look good enough for playoffs imo. Just lacking at GK, full back and up front.

[Guest]

Just now, joey_big_nose said:

I think we've got a decent team that could make playoffs with a few additions and a good manager. Certainly in terms of quality I've seen a lot worse since we went down from prem.

Armstrong, Dack, Travis, Johnson, Lenihan, Nyambe, Holtby all look good enough for playoffs imo. Just lacking at GK, full back and up front.

And back ups for every single position...

[BlackburnEnd75]

21 minutes ago, Ossydave said:

                    Walton

Nyambe  Tosin  Lenihan   Bell

      Travis    Johnson  Holtby 

                Armstrong 

  Graham  Brereton/Gallagher 

 

I'd be tempted to give this a whirl next game

Armstrong as a 10 is not a good idea for me.

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, Stuart said:

Not much can really be said about today’s game. But I’ll have a go...  

The team pretty much picked itself and there were no real controversies in the starting line up. The substitutions also picked themselves due to injury (is that another incoming transfer fee gone for a burton now?) and although I’d have brought off Gallagher not Holtby it had to be Graham who came on next. The only real gripes would be the continued and stubborn insistence on trying to get a tune out of Gallagher out wide and maybe having a more effective full back cover on the bench.

Our problems are more deep rooted than just this game though, because of the squad Mowbray has assembled and his inability to play them correctly or motivate them. We have no bite and aside from the absolute gimme from PNE’s defenders (thanks) we didn’t really look like scoring. We need a goal scorers now and fast. Our over-reliance on Dack all this time to paper over the cracks of two failed big-money strikers has now been badly exposed.

The fact is though that without a big change - a new manager, or a huge, and unlikely, talismanic signing - nothing is going to change.

The referee. Oh dear, the referee.  His one-eyed view of the decision making part of his job was evident from early on and he never got to grips with, let alone clamped down on, the PNE histrionics. Every marginal call went their way and many of the less marginal ones - incredulousLT - still went to them. It only got worse after the first chorus of “You’re Not Fit...” as he basically F.U.’d his way through that second half. Not a single yellow card for a Preston player despite some bad fouls (practically GBH on Evans and Johnson), persistent fouling, time wasting and diving (including simulation for the attempted-robbery of an early second half penalty - one worthy of being marched to the security office while awaiting the police on a charge of petty theft) says it all really. I expect our disciplinary record will be worsened after Paul Gallagher quietly removed the bottle of Lucozade thrown on and nonchalantly handed a coin or similar to the fourth official.

The upshot of a failure to assemble a decent squad worthy of £20m of spending (astonishing really - money some clubs above us can only dream of) or to spawn a lucky smash-and-grab winner means we are now 5 points off sixth (while PNE are 2) - but which will become 7 and 4 respectively if Swansea beat rivals Cardiff at lunchtime tomorrow.

Back to the drawing board but I expect we will just see more of the same for the foreseeable future. Over the next five games we play three teams who we are in and amongst and we don’t do well when the stakes are high. After a tough game away at Sheff Weds we could be looking up at both QPR and Boro, needing to beat both to stay in the top half of the table.

All in all, it certainly wasn’t a stale game today and a neutral would have been entertained. However, we need to get a couple of wins from somewhere, fast, and I don’t know where they are coming from.

Lots of good points. However I was there with 2 neutrals today and they were bored beyond belief after 20 minutes. 

[joey_big_nose]

22 minutes ago, Ossydave said:

                    Walton

Nyambe  Tosin  Lenihan   Bell

      Travis    Johnson  Holtby 

                Armstrong 

  Graham  Brereton/Gallagher 

 

I'd be tempted to give this a whirl next game

Why would you drop our best player in Downing?

[Stuart]

Just now, Mellor Rover said:

Lots of good points. However I was there with 2 neutrals today and they were bored beyond belief after 20 minutes. 

They should have stayed for the second half.