Back from the game - Preston

['lista]

Anyone who says they are worried by the fact that if it was not for Federici last night we would not have got 3 points needs shooting. His performance is as encouraging as Kebe's, just at 2 opposite ends of the field, thats what he is employed to do. The retardation of some people's comments no longer fail to amaze me.

You have to remember that people on here are a little bit simple.

If it wasn't for Bryn and Karajan putting balls through to Church and Kebe then we would have lost the match

If it wasn't for the midfield breaking down Preston attacks they would have had loads of shots on goal and won ther match.

If it wasn't for defenders defending well then Preston would have won

If Kebe anbd Church didnt score then Preston would have won.




Players are paid to do their job and as a whole the team did its job, yes some were better than others but Fedders job is to save shots and he 'did his job'.

If it wasn't for the team bus not breaking down en route to Deepdale we would have had to conceed the tie and Preston would have taken all three points.

[I was there at Elm Park]

I'm surprised people are criticising the team for sitting back after Peterborough where the team were ripped apart from being too open. I said at half time that we'll need to get men behind the ball and see out the first 15 minutes and we did. After that Preston played the ultimate long ball and with their three beastly strikers you are always going to have a tough time. I said to my mate that a neutral probably would have said that a draw would have been a fair result but he pointed out that the second half was exactly what everyone expected to happen, that if the game had been 0-0 it would have been completely different and if McAnuff had scored on the hour it would have been game over.

As for Rodgers, his tactics were spot on, the only criticism was maybe not taking off Church and Howard for fresh legs but we won so I'm not going to complain. I can't believe people are saying the Mills sub was the wrong decision, I think Rodgers deserves praise for acting so quick when he saw Parkin was coming on. If we'd allowed them 2-5 minutes to play with three massive strikers against just two central defenders then they may have pulled a goal back much earlier. Yes we lost our shape after the substitution but we had to compromise and defend our lead. Remember until then we were comfortable, came close and we forced Preston to go long ball.

Every player deserves at least 7 out of 10.
Special mentions:
Federici 9/10 - Some world class saves, commanded his area and made the right decisions when to come out or not.
Gunnarsson 8.5/10 - My mate said that at times he looked a level above and he did.
Karacan 8/10 - Usual all action display, complete with necessary injury. For the second time this season we won with a defensive midfield partnership of Jem and Bryn and it is no coincidence. It may be too early but they look a natural partnership and must continue fitness permitting.
Howard – Not Mr Popular and I can see why but I think he worked hard for the team today which he didn’t do at Peterborough and with The Sig and Marek on the bench he knows he’ll have to perform which he did.
Church – Played well, took his goal superbly but still got caught offside too much though in his defence you could say that was because he was trying to make runs. Like Howard, knows he’s got to perform with Hunt and Rasiak waiting.

[winchester_royal]

As mentioned by an earlier poster, I do feel that Howard does a fair bit of work which goes unnoticed. Listening on the radio last night, he always seemed to be involved in our attacking moves, whether that's just a subtle flick, or a 10-yard carry, he's always looking forward, which is needed in this formation.

Very good signing IMO, though I'm sure some/most will disagree.

[Sun Tzu]

As mentioned by an earlier poster, I do feel that Howard does a fair bit of work which goes unnoticed. Listening on the radio last night, he always seemed to be involved in our attacking moves, whether that's just a subtle flick, or a 10-yard carry, he's always looking forward, which is needed in this formation.

.

He sounds like the new James Harper !!

[winchester_royal]

As mentioned by an earlier poster, I do feel that Howard does a fair bit of work which goes unnoticed. Listening on the radio last night, he always seemed to be involved in our attacking moves, whether that's just a subtle flick, or a 10-yard carry, he's always looking forward, which is needed in this formation.

.

He sounds like the new James Harper !!

Just goes forward a bit more.

[Ryn]

And falls over more. And wears proper shinpads.

[Ian Royal]

I'm surprised people are criticising the team for sitting back after Peterborough where the team were ripped apart from being too open. I said at half time that we'll need to get men behind the ball and see out the first 15 minutes and we did. After that Preston played the ultimate long ball and with their three beastly strikers you are always going to have a tough time. I said to my mate that a neutral probably would have said that a draw would have been a fair result but he pointed out that the second half was exactly what everyone expected to happen, that if the game had been 0-0 it would have been completely different and if McAnuff had scored on the hour it would have been game over.

Coming out after the second half semi-asleep and confident you've already won, is just as bad as coming out and setting up your stall to set up a seige mentality defence to hold our victory.

The best way to deal with a team that is likely to want to come out at you hard at the break, is to come out hard at them and disrupt their play. If you sit back and try and hold, you surrender all initiative and possession to them and it becomes almost impossible to win it back, unless they gift it to you.

By all means put your foot on the ball and try to slow it down when we've got the ball, making them chase the game. But we've come out with the wrong attitude 2nd half since P'boro.

All credit to Rodgers for his first 11 choice. But I still think he's got the wrong attitude entirely for his second half substitutes and rarely gets them right. We held on, and that will be massive for the confidence. Now we need to build on it.

[Starry Blue Hooped Wonder]

For those of you who went, thanks for the reports - some good, well reasoned analysis there.

From what I can gather from reading the thread, it seems that once we made our first substitution (bring McAnuff off) the control of the game went Prestons way. In a way this sounds similar to the game against Watford when bringing 'The Sig' off marked the start of a period of play which ended in Watford scoring.

So my question to those that were there;
Do you think the substitution was made in an attempt to shore things up because Rodgers could see the tide turning (i.e. focus / concentration / energy of the team was slipping or they had changed their tactics - allowing Preston to get the upper hand) - or was the substitution itself the reason the tide turned?

I would be interested in your thoughts.

[Ryn]

'greed Ian, once again.

[handbags_harris]

CBA to read all this, but from my viewpoint 2-0 at half time didn't flatter us. We had crosses with pace flying across the box which all they needed was a touch to put them in. We looked solid in defence, and offered a genuine threat on the counter-attack. Ingimarsson and O'dea shackled Brown and Mellor well, Cummings and Bertrand had the wingers well shackled, Karacan and Bryn ran the midfield, Kebe and McAnuff offered pace and guile in attack. Both goals were expertly taken. If presented with a chance like that I fancy Kebe to take it now, unlike this time last year, and his first touch for the goal was quite superb. Church set himself up extremely well for his finish, no disguise about it, obvious what he was going to do, and he did it with aplomb. First half, in general, solid counter-attacking football which won the game.

The first fifteen of the second half more of the same, and we should have gone 3 up with 55 or so gone, Kebe beat his man, low cross to the near post from the byline, Church I think it was scuffed his shot from three yards out, the follow up was also scuffed. That would have been game over. Then Irvine and Rodgers contrived to change the game, Irvine bringing on Jon Parkin and taking off Sedgwick, and in immediate response Rodgers brought on Mills for McAnuff to go man for man at the back. I could see the logic behind the change, but boy-oh-boy how it nearly backfired! It was like the Alamo, Preston hitting the post three times, and Federici having to pull off some outstanding saves. The penalty looked a penalty from where I was sitting, although it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if Parkin had simply fallen over under slight contact because he's not exactly an honest player. Well taken penalty, and a siege mentality was adopted from then on. Federici had to make another outstanding save to keep the score 2-1, and when the final whistle went it was relief rather than happiness. Naturally happy to win, but not happy that we made things so much more difficult than we needed to. Rodgers ultimately nearly lost this one with his tactical substitution. Mills couldn't handle Parkin, and he strikes me as a defender who can't handle a big lump up front, a worrying trait for a central defender.

Three points yes, lucky to have three points at the end yes, but that's karma. We should have stuffed Preston by at least three goals last year and lost 2-1. This was payback

[The Quiet Man]

Great victory and made up for last season - shortened the drive home.

First half dodgy opening 10 minutes until we got to grips with Chaplow then we bossed the game - Kebe did well and put a series of decent crosses into the box - we had a lot of time and space and made good use of it.

Second half Chaplow off and a PNE team denying us time andd space on the ball we settled into defensive mode and did reasonably well for 25 mintues. Last 20 were nerve wracking - federici in good form but saves, woodwork and mass goalmouth scrambles weren't pretty to watch. Finally preston cheated a penalty setting up a grandstand finish.

Second half problems are still there with a disappearing midfield when the opposition up the tempo and we resort to hoof anywhere. Difficult to see how Gunnarrsson is going to last the pace and we can't afford to chase a game to the extent we did last night as is knackers all of the midfield players. If the team are going to get better then they need to be able to get on the ball and impose their game for decent periods of time in the second half.

Didn't have any issues with the substitutions and I would credit BR for a sound game plan - if we can sort the midfield out for the second half of games, and some of that may be confidence to keep playing a passing game when the pressure is on, then there is light at the end of the tunnel - where that leaves Raisak will be interesting as we look a lot more mobile away from home with Church and pace on the wings.

Finally as BR chops and changes the line ups and tactical formations again, he also chops and changes his own apparel. We've had the suit, the raincoat, the tank top, and now the tracksuit - what next the shorts and football boots - sort it out now

[Tilehurst End]

As mentioned by an earlier poster, I do feel that Howard does a fair bit of work which goes unnoticed. Listening on the radio last night, he always seemed to be involved in our attacking moves, whether that's just a subtle flick, or a 10-yard carry, he's always looking forward, which is needed in this formation.

.

He sounds like the new James Harper !!

Just goes forward a bit more.

Sheff U before Harper: Pld 6 won 3 drew 3 lost 0
Sheff U with Harper : Pld 4 won 1 drew 1 lost 2 ( and could easily have lost last night )

[I was there at Elm Park]

Rodgers ultimately nearly lost this one with his tactical substitution. Mills couldn't handle Parkin, and he strikes me as a defender who can't handle a big lump up front, a worrying trait for a central defender.

Three points yes, lucky to have three points at the end yes, but that's karma. We should have stuffed Preston by at least three goals last year and lost 2-1. This was payback

Agree with the second point, after last year we definitely deserved it. As for Mills, how do you think O'Dea and Ivar would have coped with Parkin, Mellor and Brown without help from a third centre back? That is not a criticism of your point just a question as I think Rodgers was right to make the substituiton but I could also see what it took away from the team. I actually thought it was Ivar who was struggling at the end.

[I was there at Elm Park]

He sounds like the new James Harper !!

Just goes forward a bit more.

Sheff U before Harper: Pld 6 won 3 drew 3 lost 0
Sheff U with Harper : Pld 4 won 1 drew 1 lost 2 ( and could easily have lost last night )

From http://www.sheff-utd.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=15037:

Harper 4.5/10 – In the two home games I have seen I have not been that impressed and he has been pretty anonymous. It is still early doors and maybe he is lacking match sharpness not being a regular at Reading. I do expect him to get more on the ball and be more involved as when he does get involved he does look decent but for too long the game passed him by. Nearly scored a great goal at the death.

[Royal Rother]

Didn't sound like we sat back in the 2nd half with a seige mentality.

Preston were 3rd in the table and have proved over the last few seasons to be extremely strong at home - 3 losses in 27 games before yesterday - so it was surely to be expected that they would not be dominated for the full 90 minutes.

If the result / roles had been reversed the verdict would doubtless have been that "Preston came and did a job on us" or some such.

Seems odd to me that in the circumstances we can't just glory in the unexpected 3 points and give universal credit to Rodgers for masterminding a great result and performance.

[strap]

But I thought Kebe wasn't a footballer?

He's not. For every 1st half v Barnsley and Preston, we get a dozen Doncaster's!!

HTH.

[BarryWhiteRFC]

I don't think the Mills for McAnuff was a bad substitution as such, but it did invite a lot more pressure on to us, I think if at the same time as this sub brought on N. Hunt for Church it would have created an outlet for this pressure.

[I was there at Elm Park]

I don't think the Mills for McAnuff was a bad substitution as such, but it did invite a lot more pressure on to us, I think if at the same time as this sub brought on N. Hunt for Church it would have created an outlet for this pressure.

True Church did look very tired and so did Howard. I hope last night didn't take too much out of the lads because the starting line-up should be the same on Saturday.

[Royalee]

Sheff U before Harper: Pld 6 won 3 drew 3 lost 0
Sheff U with Harper : Pld 4 won 1 drew 1 lost 2 ( and could easily have lost last night )

Says it all really.

[brendywendy]

From what I can gather from reading the thread, it seems that once we made our first substitution (bring McAnuff off) the control of the game went Prestons way. In a way this sounds similar to the game against Watford when bringing 'The Sig' off marked the start of a period of play which ended in Watford scoring.

sounded like the tide had turned already, and the change was a reaction rather than the cause

but i only listened, being plastic and that