2022/23 Matchday Thread

[SF_]

Clear cut chances wasted every game, defensively untroubled. Not sure what to think about our start.

4 clean sheets in the first 4 games must be a big rarity though.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Concern for me is that i dont think Bristol City really had to do too much to beat us tonight, game was essentially ended in the 5th Minute by Wells. All cruise control for Bristol City from there i felt and i never felt we would get back into it. Belize you are totally right that was a "Luton" goal of last season, won the ball high, got it in behind early and that was it. After that Bristol City had maybe 1 more chance, off a throw in really, scored it and that was it. Same feels true of Preston at the weekend, 1 shot goal and the rest was kind of...easy for them. Been well and truely worked out.

We dont look a threat in any way whatsoever. Sloppy passing all over the place, easy to defend against, no one capable of delivering the ball into Adebayo with any quality, no one capable of playing the defence unlocking switch to Bree. Just totally out of ideas without those things and lacking in quality to play any other way which teams arent allowing us to do. We didnt even create a proper chance against 10 men tonight.

With us having basically centred all focus on attack thats worrying especially as defensivley things are looking to be creaking with another 2 sloppy goals from our point of view. I said after the Morris signing that the side looks extremely ill balanced and thats come to fruition in these opening games.

Think we need to look again at the 352 and the approach to games, maybe go back to the attrition ball of the Dewsbury-Hall season but theres no outstanding quality individual like there was him that provided the extra bit of magic that team needed.

 

[Super_horns]

A draw - had the better chances but guess we now know how West Brom and Burnley feel so cannot grumble too much.

 

[Kenneth E End]

We are bang in trouble if we repeat these first four games. The team look rudderless and there is just no "zip" any more which is quite strange.

Some of our tactical decisions and recruitment looking quite questionable for a change.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

The energy of us at our best last season is definitely not there. Dont know if its a Playoff hangover? Huddersfield struggling too and we did have marginally shorter time to prepare but that feels weak to me.

Teams definitely feel comfortable letting us have the ball rather than letting us try and win it high, when you think of us being energetic and having zip about us, i thinking of those high pressing games we had, not us trying to generate something ourselves through an incisive play against a set defence which teams are asking us to do now.

As for recruitment, Im almost certainly over reacting and being kneejerk as its still early but Morris and Woodrow very unimpressive. Disappointing that Doughty already seemingly not available for an extended period having featured heavily in pre-season. Thats bad luck perhaps but with his history.....

Morris i question as a signing entirely given our limited resources and we already have 2 quite similar players in Adebayo & Jerome as his back up. Would have liked a quality midfield addition over doing that as the midfield group we have now doesnt look very balanced and is a key source of issues, Berry (who i rate) totally unreliable availability wise, Pelly coming off the back of injury and not sure when he will be available. Thats let alone a "Naismith replacement" which is also an obvious gap for us at this moment. Squad too top heavy.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Plus for one reason or another Eli is a shadow of his former self so far.....when he does finally see the ball it doesnt stick or find a player running thru. Defenders getting the better of him all the time and he doesnt have the same zip energy or effort without the ball.

God knows what Jones is thinking with his selections and tactics

Looks grim with some tough fixtures looming.

 

[CCFC_Charlie]

Must be nice to be playing games, although given our result on Saturday maybe it's a blessing

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Plus for one reason or another Eli is a shadow of his former self so far.....when he does finally see the ball it doesnt stick or find a player running thru. Defenders getting the better of him all the time and he doesnt have the same zip energy or effort without the ball.

God knows what Jones is thinking with his selections and tactics

Looks grim with some tough fixtures looming.

Inclined to give him a BIT of leeway and actually did pretty well last night I thought. He’s done some good things with some absolutely horrendous service into him. The quality of balls being played into him is awful and he still generated a fairly decent chance against Preston by turning his man neatly and getting into the box, won his header to set up our one goal of the season and a decent shot last night plus a few other bits of good target man play that went nowhere due to sloppiness of others (set up Clark’s horrific slice wide, played Campbell through in the right corner of the box who found no one, won a few headers).

Attacking standards are really that low at the moment though its more he’s been slightly less awful than everyone else

 

[Super_horns]

And this is after they won !

https://twitter.com/x/status/1559792385172840448

Guess he is talking about the lack of consistency in officials .

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

I’m not really sure what he is on about, it was a blatant red card tackle from Sykes, Freeman shouldn’t react (understandable that he did as he did get scissor tackled basically) but he didn’t head butt him or anything like Sykes tried to imply by going down holding his head, kind of chest bumped him. Yellow was fair for Freeman imo, thought the ref handled it well.

 

[Super_horns]

Well tbh managers (and fans) never think the refs are fair to them and always complain decisions go against them.

Haven't seen the incidents so cannot comment personally.

Mind you getting letters of apologies for errors made by officials isn't going to help anyone's mood - and he is a bit of a grumpy sarky person anyway!

I'd just be enjoying the win tbh.

 

[jhe10]

Well tbh managers (and fans) never think the refs are fair to them and always complain decisions go against them.

Haven't seen the incidents so cannot comment personally.

Mind you getting letters of apologies for errors made by officials isn't going to help anyone's mood - and he is a bit of a grumpy sarky person anyway!

I'd just be enjoying the win tbh.

Pearson has moaned about refs his whole career, and let's not believe his description of what that letter said unless the club want to publish it.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Inclined to give him a BIT of leeway and actually did pretty well last night I thought. He’s done some good things with some absolutely horrendous service into him. The quality of balls being played into him is awful and he still generated a fairly decent chance against Preston by turning his man neatly and getting into the box, won his header to set up our one goal of the season and a decent shot last night plus a few other bits of good target man play that went nowhere due to sloppiness of others (set up Clark’s horrific slice wide, played Campbell through in the right corner of the box who found no one, won a few headers).

Attacking standards are really that low at the moment though its more he’s been slightly less awful than everyone else

I agree with all of this..... But it was a comparison to last seasons Eli and the two arent close

 

[SF_]

Watford at home on Saturday, we've been playing really well, just need to shin one of these chances in or something.

Hopefully Fernandez starts, Riis comes back in, and maybe play Brady centrally,

Woodman
Storey, Lindsay, Hughes
Whiteman
Potts, Browne, Brady, Fernandez
Riis, Parrott

Cornell, Bauer, Cunningham, Ledson, McCann, DJ, Evans
​

 

[Super_horns]

Blackburn well beaten and WBA drawing ?

Unpredictable as ever

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Swansea away for us today. In theory a game we might like, Swansea like to keep the ball - almost obsessively so in fact and that opens up our preferred style of game for us which is to press, win the ball and counter against an out of position defence. Having said that we will need to be much more switched on defensively ourselves than in recent weeks.

Getting to the point where A win hugely needed to stem the build up of a negative momentum that can be tough to get out of

 

[SF_]

Sounds like Fernandez won't make this one.

Riis in for Ledson hopefully.

 

[Super_horns]

No Sarr , Davis or Pedro today for us .

PNE ought to fancy their chances of another clean sheet !

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

We are starting Muskwe today which says a lot about where we are and the impact Morris/Woodrow have had so far. Cornick is a big miss in games like this and assume Muskwe starts as our closest player to him (which is not very close)

 

[BelizeHatter]

Im very worried for us today. Could well get a spanking. No Bradley too

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Doing well so far, Swansea play in a way that suits us, we’ve been able to be far more direct and pressing has been a big factor in the game. Good away performance but Swansea are definitely going to gather some momentum in the second half, just about if we can weather it. So far we’ve looked solid

 

[BelizeHatter]

Im gonna worry more often.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Swansea away for us today. In theory a game we might like, Swansea like to keep the ball - almost obsessively so in fact and that opens up our preferred style of game for us which is to press, win the ball and counter against an out of position defence. Having said that we will need to be much more switched on defensively ourselves than in recent weeks.

Getting to the point where A win hugely needed to stem the build up of a negative momentum that can be tough to get out of

Good call this. Almost exactly how you predicted.

 

[Kenneth E End]

This division is crazier than usual this season. Only 5 games, but absolutely no pattern. Like always, everyone beating everyone.

As I keep saying, those are the margins in this league.

 

[Super_horns]

Sounds like both teams could play till next week and not score !

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Game suited us perfectly, Swansea like to keep the ball, probably had well over 70% of the play but that’s exactly what we want as it opens up our preferred game style. They do rather keep it TOO much if you ask me, some really unnecessary extra touches and passes at times.

Really good to get Morris off the mark too, very smart finish and the way he created the space for the shot was excellent. Hopefully upwards from here

 

[SF_]

This is the strangest opening to a PNE season I've ever known.

 

[Kenneth E End]

This is the strangest opening to a PNE season I've ever known.

How’s the goal of the season comp going?

 

[Super_horns]

This is the strangest opening to a PNE season I've ever known.

TBF our keeper did make some good saves .

We just missed the goal completely!

 

[SF_]

How’s the goal of the season comp going?

I think we could score 8 a game and that Potts goal would still win.