31 Aug 2019 20:18:57
Coming on the heels of two excellent home performances today was possibly a bit of a reality check as to what life in this league is more likely to be about from a Preston side who came with a clear game plan and certainly for the first half basically smothered us and gave no opportunity for the quick movement and crisp passing we have seen before.

In all honesty we did not exactly help our own cause with at times some very sloppy play, wayward passing and wrong decsions being made by players in possession.

Jenkinson and Robinson had a pretty torrid time of it with Ameobi and Lolley being called upon to do a lot of tracking back to help out leaving us at times with no real outball at all.

Silva and Semedo in particular also struggled throughout the first half wuth Preston offering little time on the ball and for me it was only Watson who seemed to be shoring things up in that first half.

Dawson and Worrall, whilst doing nothing wrong, did not look as dominating as they have been previously in a pretty lacklustre first half which saw us go in only one down perhaps courtesy of good work by Samba who seems to be rapidly cementing his place as first choice.

The introduction of Sow for Semedo once again bolstered things up in the midfield and whilst we rarely looked threatening Grabban became more involved out wide looking for the ball which is perhaps not ideal for a lone striker but the effort was to me apparent and a difference to the first half.

A game that was looking like drifting to a defeat was changed by the introduction of Adomah who seized on our only real opportunity in the game to snatch the equaliser following decent work from Carvalho and it was from Adomah that any thing half decent we did for the remainder of the game came from.

I don't think that Preston are the only team we will see at the City ground this season adopting the same tactic and in truth we will have to find a way of overcoming this kind of spoiling attitude which whilst perfectly legitamate makes for pretty tough watching .

For me both Sow and Adomah would be regular starters as whenever they come on they inevitably make a difference and things happen but as is often said there are 46 games to be played in a season and roation may be key.

So August comes to a close with us 10th on 9 pts and for me a decent start to a season that as usual for us had a pretty traumatic start to it.
Mr Lamouchi has made his choices and cast the remaing players into the wilderness and does for the most part seem to have a system and a plan to work to which is in itself a pretty solid platform.

Next stop is Welsh Wales against Swansea who are flying right now and will be another stern test so see you there and

As always


COYR.

1.) 31 Aug 2019
31 Aug 2019 20:33:50
Think every game will be a test this season that's why last season was a waste would of been our best chance last season of getting up but realistically creepy next season with the same manager and team we can only get better.

2.) 31 Aug 2019
31 Aug 2019 20:38:07
Creepy we delt Fulham the same deal last week and we don't complain, what the difference is we don't like it when sides do it to us on our own patch?
Didn't like the antics of their no 4 but thought they thoroughly deserved their half time lead and as you know when you go a goal up away you try to hold onto it
Its early days but so far we are a side that is suited to counter attack and when you play the likes of Preston it's about taking the game to them at home?
We couldn't do that today but did a better job second half with sow dictating play, a point gained for me and a strong learning curve for Lamouchi in seeing what teams will do on our patch.
Lamouchi has done well so far and exceeded my expectations from the opening fixtures, so well done to him and got two weeks to work more of his magic on the players, as you can see they are buying into his ways.

3.) 31 Aug 2019
31 Aug 2019 21:37:51
Quite agree with all that ff.
Most certainly a case of the boot being on the other foot today compared to Fulham.
We do look harder to beat at the moment but this may seem a little odd considering we put 6 in over two games I still think we are lightweight up front insofar as Grabban is to me simply not a lone striker and thrives on what others can supply.

Its far from a stellar start but bearing in mind who we have played its been a decent enough one.

4.) 31 Aug 2019
31 Aug 2019 21:38:50
Three very good posts boys. 💪.

5.) 31 Aug 2019
31 Aug 2019 21:47:38
Will be there creepy always a good day out to Swansea albeit a long one.
Last season we played em off the park and got a point this season I expect us to defend and hit them on the break?
Quietly confident we will get a result there .

6.) 31 Aug 2019
31 Aug 2019 22:19:27
Creepy I agree mate but the sides we got results against play football and suits our play of soaking it up and then hitting them fast and hard, Preston just played and controlled the first half and both semedo and Silva were easily bypassed, we have to play a different game against some sides because they enjoy coming here to a big crowd and showing their metal.
Like I've said Lamouchi has impressed me so far and with carvalho now fit he has a new dimension attack wise.
Lamouchi has said we are looking at the free agent market at the moment which doesn't suprise me.
We are no different from most sides in playing one up top and I thought grabbon did a great job today with very poor service, mir doesn't do it for me as Walker is better and scored two today,
When we talk about grabban not being a lone striker I think we are saying he struggles to hold the ball up?
That being the case the problem is easily remedied by not play long high balls to him, its not his game and it's not most goalscoring forwards game.
The goals he scored against Fulham showed his game, neat one touch football and a brain to make the run and finish it.
Two up won't help the team but think about it it's actually three up at times when lolley and uncle Albert join in?