2024-25 Championship Match Day Thread

[SF_]

That was very Comfortable. Viva Heck.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Okay… footballing gods, listen to me please.

I know we smashed everyone’s footballing darlings B&HA 4-0 on 30th January, but can the punishment now stop? 1 win in TWENTY.

A bit of a loss on that one. Felt we dominated probably 75% of that match. Preston had the perfect game plan but Woodman not tested anywhere near enough. Our final third play was woeful. Set pieces, which was our most effective way of scoring last season are now the opposite and lack ideas. This team (now minus Barkley of course) were 1 goal short of Man Utd last season.

I sense we’ll get it right sooner than later, but a lot of players are underperforming at the moment.

 

[SF_]

Okay… footballing gods, listen to me please.

I know we smashed everyone’s footballing darlings B&HA 4-0 on 30th January, but can the punishment now stop? 1 win in TWENTY.

A bit of a loss on that one. Felt we dominated probably 75% of that match. Preston had the perfect game plan but Woodman not tested anywhere near enough. Our final third play was woeful. Set pieces, which was our most effective way of scoring last season are now the opposite and lack ideas. This team (now minus Barkley of course) were 1 goal short of Man Utd last season.

I sense we’ll get it right sooner than later, but a lot of players are underperforming at the moment.

You're shite. Bottom half this season

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

You're shite. Bottom half this season

We are paying the price for coming into this well under prepared on multiple fronts. The pre-season and summer has been rubbish on multiple fronts leaving us well under cooked for the season start, and only now are we getting things together with transfers and players coming back from injury.

I think we will likely be at best indifferent for a while but will hopefully have things gel as it goes on although I think overall it’s going to be a transitional season

Well..that’s the hope at least.

 

[nelsonpfc]

Another point on the board. Seem to be able to dig in away from home and be extremely clinical with our chances. That's 3 goals from 7 shots on target. Also going into the 90th mins we've been ahead. Considering our CB pairing was our RB and 4th choice CB. Had a forward at LW. Team have such a strong never say die mentality, just hope when we get people back fit we'll be able to go at sides abit more as we'll be more solid at the back.

 

[SF_]

We are paying the price for coming into this well under prepared on multiple fronts. The pre-season and summer has been rubbish on multiple fronts leaving us well under cooked for the season start, and only now are we getting things together with transfers and players coming back from injury.

I think we will likely be at best indifferent for a while but will hopefully have things gel as it goes on although I think overall it’s going to be a transitional season

Well..that’s the hope at least.

I was just joking. I think you'll be fine after a few more games, but probably need to a good week in the transfer market yo think about playoffs.

 

[91SPP]

Good to get the win .

Tough game against a strong physical side.

Cracker by Bayo and Sissoko showing the value of following up a shot ..

Good work by Baah before hand .

Missed the game, but saw the stats and highlights. The concern when we got the early goal was that we would just low block and play on the counter, we don’t really have the team for it as we struggle to hold the ball up in the final third. It can often look disjointed. I think our defensive shape is generally good, so we can make life difficult for teams but struggle to really get out of it and players up the pitch.

We have a relative lack of quality, certainly in depth, so it’s probably the best approach for us but definitely need help at the top end of the pitch.

 

[Super_horns]

Missed the game, but saw the stats and highlights. The concern when we got the early goal was that we would just low block and play on the counter, we don’t really have the team for it as we struggle to hold the ball up in the final third. It can often look disjointed. I think our defensive shape is generally good, so we can make life difficult for teams but struggle to really get out of it and players up the pitch.

We have a relative lack of quality, certainly in depth, so it’s probably the best approach for us but definitely need help at the top end of the pitch.

We did get lucky in a way to get back into it with a very good goal out of the blue from a pretty average striker tbh .

Neither goalie had much to do and we just nicked it really .

 

[SF_]

Oxford away.

Heckingbottom has worked out he has a proper striker on his hands in Osmajic within a week. Lowe couldn't work out how to use him in a year, the wanker completely wasted Emil Riis too.

Osmajic has to start on Saturday, other than that I think it might be the same team that beat Luton.

Very happy to see Ali McCann back on the pitch but maybe too soon to start games.

Woodman
Storey, Lindsay, Hughes
Potts, Whiteman, Thordarson, Kesler-Hayden
Frokjaer
Osmajic, Keane

Cornell, Whatmough, Best, Ledson, McCann, Holmes, Greenwood, Okkels, Riis​

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

We have totally forgotten how to win football matches. Seems to me a lot haven’t really got past last season and confidence is low. We were the better side for large spells, still didn’t really create enough with it, but largely in control - we make 1 mistake in not dealing with a straight ball over the top and everyone falls to pieces. Second comes in a blink of an eye later and in reality it’s all over from a position of relative comfort.

The squad really needed an injection of fresh energy after last season but we’ve not done it with out summer business and now it’s too late.

Got to say in really worried about us now. Throughout my supporting life it’s always felt like there’s been extremes of momentum, both positive and negative, that sweep this club up and down the leagues very quickly and it all feels very negative right now.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Such an infuriating second half. The fans are losing patience and rightly so. Why can these defenders not defend? Why are the tactics not changing despite it not working for the last 7 months? Edwards was apologising to the fans at the end and in his interview says it’s “on him”. But don’t apologise when lessons aren’t being learned. That’s the definition of insanity.

This team in 2023 played with a siege mentality, they were nasty and aggressive. Right now, there seems to be a huge disconnect at every level. Feels a bit like the Brian Clough Leeds Utd period for a bit of a ridiculous comparison.

QPR weren’t fantastic tonight but they took their chances. They showed a lot of character and probably deserved their win based on the last 30 minutes.

 

[Super_horns]

Good goals by QPR.

You missed some good chances too but yes were too open at times and caught out .

 

[SF_]

Ok. What are the odds on Luton going down?

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

He clearly needs to change the shape of the team, this 2 man midfield lunacy needs to end. Feel for Baptiste who is clearly a decent player and played quite well tonight I thought, but he asked to cover so much space. Morris looks a shadow of himself.

I know he likes Chong and it feels to me he has essentially built this shape to make sure he can get him in the team whilst also being able to play Morris and Adebayo but it’s not working. If that means going 433 or back to a 352 with a genuine midfield 3 and sacrificing someone it needs to be done

What worries me though is the mentality and identity. We don’t have either at the moment, on or off the pitch, we fell apart at the first sign of adversity tonight. On the pitch we’ve not got that mindset to win, everything that was great about us is missing right now. 2 man midfield or not, if you don’t have the right mentality you aren’t going to win much. Off the pitch it’s been an awful summer recruitment - I don’t think anyone hand on heart could tell you what we have tried to achieve this summer that is in anyway coherent

 

[Kenneth E End]

Had 5 hours of sleep. Still pissed off. Thought my feelings might mellow, but no, it's exactly the same.

The reaction has been absolutely scathing and rightly so. I'm starting to think the team got off lightly when they exited the pitch last night. They look completely bereft of confidence, organisation and preparation. The signs have been there for so long, including throughout pre-season.

The team have lost their identity on and off the pitch. As I've said a couple of times, change is sometimes good.

I honestly think Edwards is on borrowed time. I think he has 5 games to save his Luton Town career. Unfortunately he seems dogmatic in his approach.

 

[SF_]

Embarrassing result. I never want to see Lindsay play for us again. The man is a disgrace.

 

[SF_]

We badly need this international break.

New manager should know which players shouldn't wear the shirt again now. Robbie Brady for one.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Embarrassing result. I never want to see Lindsay play for us again. The man is a disgrace.

Is this the same Liam Lindsay who was MOTM last weekend?

 

[nelsonpfc]

Miles off Sunderland today. Considering our two CBs were made out of our first choice RB and now 5th choice Cb who wasn't good enough to play for us last season we done well in the last few games. But today is was a bridge too far. Sunderland so much better than us we couldn't really get near them, although 1st goal was very fortunate still think they had another 2 or 3 gears left. Unfortunately our fixtures have been brutal and with an injury ravaged squad to get any points is a bonus. 2 weeks to get 4 or 5 back then we get to play 2nd place West Brom then just relegated Burnley lol

 

[HoxxySoxxyOxxy]

Not sure what it is but both Blackpool fans and now Preston fans hate us. Is it some regional thing?
One of the dirtiest teams we've played in a while. Always left a foot in and ref decided he wouldn't punish it at all in the first half. I did enjoy the shithousery of McEachran sitting down as we had a man off the pitch, but the ref did the right thing in playing on.
Buzzing with the result, the team is still gelling and we've got new players to debut so hoping we'll soon cut out the sloppy passing and smooth our other rough edges.
I would have bitten your hand off for 6 points from the first 4 and we've competed in every one.
Bring on Stoke!

 

[91SPP]

In the end, disappointed that it was only 3-0 as it was a good chance to ramp up our goal difference. Plenty of missed chances, hit the bar twice. A second-half performance that was good as anything I’ve seen in almost a decade.

I wish Max Bird and Jason Knight nothing but the best, but it’s poetic that two players who decided to move on, post-administration, were on the receiving end of a milestone victory in our journey on what is and has been a significant rebuild of a club.

David Ozoh has superstar potential, incredibly raw still, but what he’s doing at 18 show that he could be a very, very serious player. All our signings have been excellent in truth and give us a great chance of retaining our league position.

Eight home wins on the bounce, something we haven't done in nearly 30 years!

 

[Tea Towel]

As poor as we were, I wasn’t overly fussed about losing to Sunderland and Leeds, I fully expect both to have good seasons, but yesterday was fucking shocking at Millwall

Teams have obviously watched the Plymouth game and know to get in our faces. We don’t have a plan B after that and end up constantly giving it away in our own half

Rohl says we’ve got to be patient… try telling Chansiri that

 

[SF_]

Is this the same Liam Lindsay who was MOTM last weekend?

Basic, league one level, 6 yard box defender who is a walking calamity. He cons you into thinking he's a normal human being sometimes and then quickly reminds you he's a steaming pile of shit.

 

[SF_]

Not sure what it is but both Blackpool fans and now Preston fans hate us. Is it some regional thing?
One of the dirtiest teams we've played in a while. Always left a foot in and ref decided he wouldn't punish it at all in the first half. I did enjoy the shithousery of McEachran sitting down as we had a man off the pitch, but the ref did the right thing in playing on.
Buzzing with the result, the team is still gelling and we've got new players to debut so hoping we'll soon cut out the sloppy passing and smooth our other rough edges.
I would have bitten your hand off for 6 points from the first 4 and we've competed in every one.
Bring on Stoke!

I'd be amazed if any Preston fan gives a shit about Oxford. Most are probably just raging about pathetic individual errors costing us yet again and no defensive signings made to replace these twats.

 

[HoxxySoxxyOxxy]

I'd be amazed if any Preston fan gives a shit about Oxford. Most are probably just raging about pathetic individual errors costing us yet again and no defensive signings made to replace these twats.

Yeah turns out that's not correct, one of those where the teams we lose to think we're decent and the teams we've beaten have said we're shit.
In comparison to Blackpool who seem to have massive chip on their shoulder from the moment Brannagan rejected them, it's obvs just frustration and a couple of our fans being stupid enough to go on the wind up.

 

[SF_]

Yeah turns out that's not correct, one of those where the teams we lose to think we're decent and the teams we've beaten have said we're shit.
In comparison to Blackpool who seem to have massive chip on their shoulder from the moment Brannagan rejected them, it's obvs just frustration and a couple of our fans being stupid enough to go on the wind up.

99% of comments i've seen from Preston fans are just calling ourselves shit and realising Heckingbottom has a huge job on his hands.

Blackpool fans are just complete bell ends, this isn't breaking news to me.

 

[Super_horns]

Didn’t see the game .

Not missed much it seems.

Maybe shows where we really are I guess .

Sheffield U probably much better than anyone else we have played .

 

[91SPP]

I think this weekend was the first time since administration that our first team, u21s and u18s have all won. Obviously our first team was gutted during and after administration, but our academy was ransacked also and it’s been a huge rebuild in all the phases of the club. The u21s were hit really hard because a lot of them that we used in the first team moved on and a lot of our better u18s were picked off, as well as our u15/16s.

I know a lot of investment went in to the younger age groups and our u18s look to be one of the most talented groups in the country - currently top in the Premier League north and have comfortably beaten Liverpool, Stoke. The goal difference after 3 games is +8 which tells its own story.

I feel this weekend has been a milestone in the rebirth of the club and it definitely feels like we’re moving in the right direction.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Had 5 hours of sleep. Still pissed off. Thought my feelings might mellow, but no, it's exactly the same.

The reaction has been absolutely scathing and rightly so. I'm starting to think the team got off lightly when they exited the pitch last night. They look completely bereft of confidence, organisation and preparation. The signs have been there for so long, including throughout pre-season.

The team have lost their identity on and off the pitch. As I've said a couple of times, change is sometimes good.

I honestly think Edwards is on borrowed time. I think he has 5 games to save his Luton Town career. Unfortunately he seems dogmatic in his approach.

Was a bit sceptical on your “Edwards on borrowed time” take here but just took a look at the post international break fixtures, Millwall (a), Sheff Weds (h), Plymouth (a), Oxford (h). With full respect to those sides, that’s probably one of the “easier” run of games available in this league

If we maintain our current form over those fixtures and don’t show signs of improvement, not out of the bounds of possibility he’s gone after that if we continue to look so poor.

 

[SF_]

Boro away. We always get smashed there and I expect this time to be no different.

Free hit for Heckinbottom.

The 3 after that - Blackburn (h), Millwall (a), and Watford (h) are the ones we need to get back on track.