v Reading (a) - 17/8/22 - Mark 1

[Sparks Rover]

1 minute ago, JoeH said:

 John Buckley is better than Ben Whiteman

Absolutely not.  Man v Boy...we will see as the season rolls on

Edited August 18, 2022 by Sparks Rover

[Guest]

Just now, Sparks Rover said:

Absolutely not.  Man v Boy...we will see as the season rolls on

You've removed a key part... wonder why lol.

In all seriousness they're different players. The real comparison is Travis and Whiteman and I know who I prefer. But yes, let's see as we go on. And no, PNE finishing above us after 46 games doesn't mean Whiteman is better than what we have. It's about individual performances.

[Sparks Rover]

7 minutes ago, JoeH said:

You've removed a key part... wonder why lol.

In all seriousness they're different players. The real comparison is Travis and Whiteman and I know who I prefer. But yes, let's see as we go on. And no, PNE finishing above us after 46 games doesn't mean Whiteman is better than what we have. It's about individual performances.

He's a much better player than either Trav or Bucko simple...anyone can see that.

Go speak to some nobbers who watch him week in week out.  They will tell you

Edited August 18, 2022 by Sparks Rover

[den]

Fans seem to be split into 

1) we’re top of the league, first loss of the season. There’s a lot of overreacting going on

and

2) last nights display should open manager and fans eyes to exactly where we are.

Ill take option 2 every day of the week.

[K-Hod]

10 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Any more?  No, just the one...🙄  after a 4 month break too

Does that not count then? With the amount of eye rolling you do, I’m amazed your eyes don’t get stuck there…

[Sparks Rover]

Just now, K-Hod said:

Does that not count then? 

Not really last game of season everyone on beach...no it doesn't 

[K-Hod]

2 minutes ago, den said:

Fans seem to be split into 

1) we’re top of the league, first loss of the season. There’s a lot of overreacting going on

and

2) last nights display should open manager and fans eyes to exactly where we are.

Ill take option 2 every day of the week.

I do get a bit frustrated with people saying fans are over reacting. All I can see is Rovers fans being angry and frustrated that we played badly….

Saying Broughton is a dud is probably the only OTT reaction so far for me….

[K-Hod]

1 minute ago, Sparks Rover said:

Not really last game of season everyone on beach...no it doesn't 

You’ll have to tell the EFL then, as we ended up with 3 points for that match.

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

He's a much better player than either Trav or Bucko simple...anyone can see that.

Go speak to some nobbers who watch him week in week out.  They will tell you

I've seen Whiteman live over the past 12 months I'm sure many more times than you have (5). Unless you're a PNE fan.

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

He's a much better player than either Trav or Bucko simple...anyone can see that.

Go speak to some nobbers who watch him week in week out.  They will tell you

Fans of Club A think Player A is better than Player B for Club B... Breaking News.

[Sparks Rover]

22 minutes ago, JoeH said:

Fans of Club A think Player A is better than Player B for Club B... Breaking News.

Go and speak to them Joe, see how they view him....go on...trouble is you don't want to hear it...

[Sparks Rover]

25 minutes ago, JoeH said:

I've seen Whiteman live over the past 12 months I'm sure many more times than you have (5). Unless you're a PNE fan.

Ha ha...you reckon?  He's a friend mate...

[Sparks Rover]

26 minutes ago, K-Hod said:

You’ll have to tell the EFL then, as we ended up with 3 points for that match.

Ye but Bucko likes his 4 months off after chrimbo...hopefully not this season...

[K-Hod]

4 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Ye but Bucko likes his 4 months off after chrimbo...hopefully not this season...

So did the entire squad that season. Funny, as you’re quick to talk about people giving Buckley a free pass, but you’ve done that with the rest of the squad here?

[Sparks Rover]

2 minutes ago, K-Hod said:

So did the entire squad that season. Funny, as you’re quick to talk about people giving Buckley a free pass, but you’ve done that with the rest of the squad here?

They aren't all touted as 10m wonder kids without any evidence...

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Ha ha...you reckon?  He's a friend mate...

Well you don't surprise me. How can you pretend to be non-biased about it then? And if you've seen him live more than 5 times in the past twelve months then I definitely question allegiances!

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Go and speak to them Joe, see how they view him....go on...trouble is you don't want to hear it...

Why would I ask Preston fans if they prefer a Preston player over a Blackburn player? That would be a pointless exercise. I've seen Whiteman plenty myself live & on video.

[arbitro]

I had an idea after ten minutes that we would get beat but I didn't think it would be so comprehensive. Ince outdid JDT tactically although it has to be said some of our players were listless. I just checked on some numbers and all of our back four touched the ball close to or above a hundred times. Many of the others struggled to get anywhere close to that and for me it tells the story. Much as we did at Swansea they were happy to let us pass the ball around in inconsequential, non dangerous areas but squeezed when we got in their half. I have to say though that the starting line up surprised me with Hedges and Gallagher on the bench with the ineffective Vale and Dolan starting. Last night has gone now and we can't do anything about that but the performance really highlighted how weak our squad is. If we don't get players in the key positions we desperately need them then I worry our excellent start will prove a false dawn.

Broughton has to start earning his money.

[47er]

I don't know if this has already been said ( I never read every post when we lose!) but last night's game was a mirror reflection of the Swansea game.

Then we had 30%+ possession and won 3-0, this time we had 65% or possession and lost 3-0.

Should we kick the ball to them or into touch when we've had it too long?

[DE.]

46 minutes ago, den said:

Fans seem to be split into 

1) we’re top of the league, first loss of the season. There’s a lot of overreacting going on

and

2) last nights display should open manager and fans eyes to exactly where we are.

Ill take option 2 every day of the week.

It was the same last season when the death spiral started. 'we're still 2nd... 3rd... 4th... 5th... 6th... a point outside the playoffs...'

Ignoring early warning signs is what we've been doing for years. It doesn't really matter if fans bury their heads in the sand over it, but I really hope this management team aren't so naive/unambitious as to accept the level of performance we saw last night as anything other than unacceptable and in need of serious review. 

[arbitro]

1 minute ago, 47er said:

I don't know if this has already been said ( I never read every post when we lose!) but last night's game was a mirror reflection of the Swansea game.

Then we had 30%+ possession and won 3-0, this time we had 65% or possession and lost 3-0.

Should we kick the ball to them or into touch when we've had it too long?

In one of Tomassons first interviews he said he wants us to pass the ball but not for passing sake. A big proportion of that 65% was just for the sake of passing and in truth it was the kind of meaningless, mundane passing that lots of us slaughtered Mowbray for. I said earlier that Ince outdid our manager tactically but I want to caveat that with the fact JDT hasn't yet been given enough raw materials to work with. It come back to the so far distinctly an average recruitment. To use a Tomasson quite last night we suffered from the 'Dutch disease'.

[jim mk2]

You have to hand it to Ince - he looked at how we play and got his players to do a brilliant job on us. We were 2nd best from start to finish. It was like watching a Mowbray team - Ayala etc passing it around to no purpose at the back and Reading just sitting back and waiting for us to give the ball away

The other managers in the league will have been watching and will have taken note. 

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

13 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

You have to hand it to Ince - he looked at how we play and got his players to do a brilliant job on us. We were 2nd best from start to finish. It was like watching a Mowbray team - Ayala etc passing it around to no purpose at the back and Reading just sitting back and waiting for us to give the ball away

The other managers in the league will have been watching and will have taken note. 

 

For your passing game to thrive you have to have movement in front of the guy on the ball. Anytime you get the ball you need an option short, an option mid range, and an option long. If your team mates are not giving you those options life will be hard, especially for the guys at the back. If players are reduced to taking the ball stood still the pressing players will always win out in the end. They are moving and you aren’t. 

It’s like with my rugby league team - the difference between players taking the ball stood still and taking the ball on the burst is immense.

Edited August 18, 2022 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[jim mk2]

2 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

For your passing game to thrive you have to have movement in front of the guy on the ball. Anytime you get the ball you need an option short, an option mid range, and an option long. If your team mates are not giving you those options life will be hard, especially for the guys at the back. If players are reduced to taking the ball stood still the pressing players will always win out in the end. They are moving and you aren’t. 

 

 

Our lot were like statues last night and when the ball was eventually played forward none of them had the technique to hold it up or bring another player into play. Danny Graham was the last proper centre forward we had who could do it

[Sparks Rover]

1 hour ago, JoeH said:

Why would I ask Preston fans if they prefer a Preston player over a Blackburn player? That would be a pointless exercise. I've seen Whiteman plenty myself live & on video.

Now you are being pedantic.  My opinion he is more important to them than Bucko is to us.  Much the better centre midfielder.  Do we know JB best position?