Plenty of Positives

[steveo1]

Spinner and Sodje, another clean sheet, Guttridge looked very dodgy early on but started to look like the player from last season. Francis - outstanding tackle when the dangerous Nugent was through in the first hal. Both full backs are looking more comfortable.

Preston have won 5 of their last 6, so this is a big point for us. Crowd got behind the team for the whole game, personally I'm well pleased with a point. Now we need all three next week.

 

[Southendsleeper]

Quote[/b] (steveo1 @ Nov. 11 2006,17:47)]Spinner and Sodje, another clean sheet, Guttridge looked very dodgy early on but started to look like the player from last season. Francis - outstanding tackle when the dangerous Nugent was through in the first hal. Both full backs are looking more comfortable.

Preston have won 5 of their last 6, so this is a big point for us. Crowd got behind the team for the whole game,  personally I'm well pleased with a point. Now we need all three next week.

Cant believe I didnt mention that tackle by Francis, that was exceptional

 

[callan]

Definately happy with the point...actually felt we had done enough to shade it.
The back 4 looked a lot more comfortable of late.
Great work from Gower throughout the match and JCR got a standing ovation when he went off.
Eastood looked sharp though faded a little towards the end as previously mentioned.
If I have any negatives it wold only be about the Lino on the west...absolutely shocking.

 

[MightyShrimper]

Dont think anybody has mentioned him yet but IMO Clarke had a great game today. Between him and Harrold or man of the match.

 

[* ORM *]

Quote[/b] (Mighty Shrimper @ Nov. 11 2006,18:03)]Between him and Harrold or man of the match.

Do you mean Luke G ?

 

[steveo1]

yep Clarke looked better than he has. In fact we looked like a proper team today, whereas in the last few weeks we seem to have been disjointed and all over the place.
Nextgame cant come soon enough.

 

[overseas shrimper]

The improvement is highlighted perfectly in the fact that we kept a clean sheet against a high flying team that have scored an average of 3 goals per game so far this season. Not bad considering what our defensive record has been like in the league.

 

[Smiffy]

Yep, pleased enough with todays showing..

Much, much better.

Still badly lacking creativity in the centre of the park though, something that needs addressing sharpish..

Anyway, something to build on....

3 points next Sat are a must.

 

[sufcintheprem]

Quote[/b] (steveo1 @ Nov. 11 2006,18:05)]yep Clarke looked better than he has. In fact we looked like a proper team today, whereas in the last few weeks we seem to have been disjointed and all over the place.
Nextgame cant come soon enough.

Agree entirely.

Past weeks we have looked like a League One team misplaced in the league. Today we looked like a team in the same division. We could learn a lot from Preston's awareness of each other's position. Either they've played a lot of football together or they;re doing something in training we're not because across the park, their players knew everyone's strengths and where they would be.

In terms of my reaction, I'm pleased that we performed today. We were streets ahead of anything we've produced pre-manu. However, I'm a little disappointed that we didn't get that little slice of luck to win the game. I'm praying we can take the positives in to the Plymouth game

 

[Andy_S]

Sticking my neck out for a chopping, IMHO, the defence looks FAR better without Barrett.

At the back, Francis was outstanding, whilst Efe was again his usual self. Gower and JCR got through bundles of work between them and worried the Preston defence, whilst alongside them, Clarke looked a different player. yes there were times when he stuck out like a sore thumb but more often than not he did the right thing today and he actually caused trouble in an advanced position.

Freddy and Harrold once again looked comfortable up front together as well. I can't help but to be impressed with Matt. He's got so much more about him that a lot of us thought and for that I'm eating my humble pie right now.


Funniest moment of today (other than Freddy scaring the wits out of McCormack by putting ice cold water down his back) was in the first half when Luke preferred to take the easy pass instead of trying to find an unmarked JCR on the right, he told Jamal he didn't want to try that ball because "I'm having a sh!te game, what do you expect"

 

[steveo1]

Quote[/b] ]Sticking my neck out for a chopping, IMHO, the defence looks FAR better without Barrett

The stats prove you are right. Dunno if its Ads fault particularly but Sodje is playomg out of his skin, and Spinner uses his experience to be in the right place nearly all the time.

In the proggy Efe says he might need an operation on his broken finger which will put him out for a while which will be a shame

 

[sufcintheprem]

Think I agree with you Andy. Barrett seems to get drawn out of line with the back four too easily and it seems to give attackers the chance to get round the back. They definitely created chances today but then they have quality players and will against most teams.

For me, the main part is that Sodje and Prior both make sure they either get the man or the ball. Neither of them can pass out but they make sure. In any defence, that should be the first step before you look at anything more fancy.

Now, if Francis continues like that and Hammell can improve his positional discipline supported by more hardwork from Gower, we might actually look like a solid team defensively.

 

[Streaky]

loads of positives from today. To echo comments above - Sodge & Prior looked solid, francis and hammell looked better.

 

[shrimpermatt]

back to our usual selfs today. solid defence. hard working midfield. and two very good strikers. i thought clarke played extremely well today, a completely differant player. broke up attacks, passing was improved, and even had a few shots. shows glimpsis of why blackpool rated him so highly

 

[Sandbach Shrimper]

Interesting because I thought Clarke was very average today. His passing wasn't improved at all in my opinion, still conceded possession far too much. Made up for it with good tackling but still, he shouldn't be in central midfield if he can't pass.

 

[Beefy]

I thought Clarke was quality today. He looks a much better player when he hasn't got Kevin Maher running around five yards away from him all the time. He and Gutts looked a proper midfield pair, particularly second half. Gutts started very poorly, but he hasn't played a lot recently. Second half he looked like he was getting back to his old self.

It'll be interesting to see which one of the midfielders is left out for the un-droppable Maher. I thought that Clarke shaded it between the two this afternoon, but today really showed for me why Clarke and Maher don't work well together.

 

[sufcintheprem]

Certainly is something of a conundrum. Didn't think Clarke did particularly well today but it's quite clear that he doesn't have the touch that every other midfielder in this division has and it's a question of whether he brings enough defensively to the table.

The best thing today in the centre of midfield was that they alternated position generally pretty well. When maher's in the team, he sits back and people have to adapt to him. Given that he's been (arguably) our best player this season, that should be the case but neither Gutts nor Clarke seem to fit alongside him.

What to do?

I expect it may well be Maher and Gutts when Kev inevitably steps back in but it's certainly no clear decision on it.

 

[Westcliff Shrimper]

Sorry to out a downer on today's MUCH improved performance, but Clarke played today like a defender out of position - which, to be honest he is.

Gutts played well - to a fashion. He started badly, but got better as the game progressed. Assuming no injuries between now and next Saturday, I'd expect Maher and Gutts to be starting, with Clarke on the bench (assuming that Sodje hasn't had his operation on his finger).

 

[Uncle Leo]

Quote[/b] (Andy_S @ Nov. 11 2006,19:14)]Sticking my neck out for a chopping, IMHO, the defence looks FAR better without Barrett.

No argument here. Barrett's goalscoring exploits and the fact that he's effectively a 'fan on the pitch' have helped to mask quite a few deficiencies. He's still relatively young and has plenty of opportunity to improve, but I've no doubt Prior and Sodje are our best centre back partnership.

 

[Beefy]

The concern is, of course, that with both of them getting on and with Spinner having a terrible recent fitness record, how many games are we going to get out of the Sodje/Prior partnership?

I hope its a lot, because we look a different side with the two of them at the heart of the defence.