Preston 1-0 Saints - Match Thread

[Hairlesshero]

14 minutes ago, Oh no Mick Mills said:

All very predictable 

Yet only one poster predicted it.

 

[Gloucester Saint]

2 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

They have parked the bus and packed the centre of the pitch with a load of big cloggers.

Would you rather we:

a) Lump it up and over the top to our triumvirate of dwarves; Dobbin, Scienza, Matsuki (or the big lad with his boots on the wrong feet)?

OR

b) Try to play it quickly to create space to work an opportunity from, take shots from outside the area hoping for a deflection/opportunity?

We went with b. With our questionable summer recruitment and the team available that was surely our best bet

B, except they didn't up the tempo much, it was down to PNE dropping deeper. Movement was very poor on and off the ball bar a 20 minute spell second half. Got away with it in a few games but not today and PNE well organised with no freebies. Fitness (lack of) is part of it. With a smaller squad, you’ve got to be fighting fit and more evidence that the players are only 75%-80% of where they should be into November.

[Harry_SFC]

15 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

The board didn’t back the manager.

are you really suggesting that after what happened end of last season?

We didn't sign a good enough alternative to Larin and a CB to replace THB. 

And it's costing us massively. 

[gammon cheeks]

Bunch of arrogant tossers !just thought they could just turn up pop the ball around and get the result .

 

[saintant]

4 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Downes & Prowse together doesn’t work for me. Should have played one with Bragg today, particularly after they were so poor first half Tuesday. 
 

2 games running we haven’t turned up till HT & you can’t do that in this league. You need to be bang on it first 20, match them, battle, get a foothold in the game and then let your football take over. 2 games running, that’s down to the manager imo. It’s his job to fucking drum it in to them, “we can’t have a first half like Tuesday”.. To go out and mince about in exactly the same way is fucking disgraceful. 

 

 

Agree. It's a partnership with no chemistry. 

[Miltonaggro]

Absolute fucking dogshit. Since Larin has been out the rest of the side have been sticking to the style / script that he is still there. A 5ft 9ins midget and a bloke with the footballing brain and enthusiasm of a tennis racquet don’t cut the mustard. Costly and avoidable, it’s the Sport Republic mission statement yet again! 

[Patrick Bateman]

Just now, gammon cheeks said:

Bunch of arrogant tossers !just thought they could just turn up pop the ball around and get the result .

 

I did think that in the first couple of minutes, then you could clearly see they panicked when Preston started playing football and being first to everything. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Caught the second half.

Despite nearly all the possession, we didn't overly trouble them. They were happy to block all the long range shots. Noticeably, we had  ery few, if a y players in the box. So, that ruled out wide delivery. They could just camp in there and look to stop passes in behind.

It changed for the better when Mubama came on. Suddenly, their defence had a different threat to deal with. A little more space appeared. Unfortunately Mubama was positionally off the mark. At least two attempt from Azaz nearly reached him, and he should really have been there. Sure, we rarely used him as a target. But he has to learn to make the most of few opportunities. At least to trouble their keeper.

But he got near getting on the end of something. The rest failed to break down that defence.

A frustrating result, after all the hard work that goes into it. And a result champions find a way to get.

[jamesfp1]

Warned you all. 

We'll be fine after the break. 

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, Harry_SFC said:

We didn't sign a good enough alternative to Larin and a CB to replace THB. 

And it's costing us massively. 

Yes on Larin, Kevan injury not ideal but we’ve not missed THB as much as spring 2026 Stewart. Whereas Dobbin bar two games and a half at Norwich is terrible VFM and the lad from City wouldn’t have scored for Sholing at Salisbury today. 

[die Mannyschaft]

11 minutes ago, benjii said:

 

What on earth are you talking about?

There is clearly a Plan B as we build up differently without Larin. You've just watched Plan B. You also saw it in the last several matches.

We over play possession football at back and across halfway line each game, home and away. Unless I'm watching Eastleigh at St Mary's and away games instead of Saints.  Eben the official stats each game shows 100s of passes. Its wasted time, wasted passing.

[Midfield_General]

2 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

We didn't sign a good enough alternative to Larin and a CB to replace THB. 

And it's costing us massively. 

We signed Schlotterbeck after THB left 

[CanadaSaint]

2 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

They have parked the bus and packed the centre of the pitch with a load of big cloggers.

Would you rather we:

a) Lump it up and over the top to our triumvirate of dwarves; Dobbin, Scienza, Matsuki (or the big lad with his boots on the wrong feet)?

OR

b) Try to play it quickly to create space to work an opportunity from, take shots from outside the area hoping for a deflection/opportunity?

We went with b. With our questionable summer recruitment and the team available that was surely our best bet

Those weren’t the only choices. We very seldom play early balls through the channels and force defenders to turn. Instead, we play lots and lots of passes to feet, so the next pass is much more likely to be sideways or backwards. Other teams know this, so they just keep pressing each pass recipient and we oblige with yet another nothing pass.

[SaintTex]

28 minutes ago, obelisk said:

And that, folks, is why this lot will be no more than play-off material.

bad performance today, but come on.

2/3 of the season still to be played and we are in a playoff spot currently.

[obelisk]

9 minutes ago, Patches O Houlihan said:

b) Try to play it quickly to create space to work an opportunity from, take shots from outside the area hoping for a deflection/opportunity?

We went with b

Apart from the play it quickly bit.

[Pilchards]

That was pathetic today.

Get the bloody striker in that’s banging goals in for fun for the U21’s.

He’s 21 years old and not a baby that needs bedding in.

[Chez]

17 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Can’t agree with spanked. They dropped off for sure but how much did we create? How many times did we get in behind them and cut back from the 18 yard line? How many PNE defenders did we go past and commit? Did we get 1-1 with their keeper?

We didn’t do any of that. It was all in front of them.

not easy getting behind a them that is playing 6 at the back and defending as deep as they did. you dont get 1 on 1 with the keeper in that type of game. we should have tried to get to the byeline a bit more often. scienza has to try and beat his man more often perhaps.

Edited 1 hour ago by Chez

[Paul_B]

2 hours ago, sfc4prem said:

Yeah, pretty shit though

What me as a human? 😅 

What is pretty shit is the fact far too many of our fans are so entitled/ arrogant/ deluded to think we're going to beat anyone 5/6/7 nil and that we should piss the league.

Fans need a kick up the arse almost as much as the players.

[RedArmy]

1 minute ago, Midfield_General said:

We signed Schlotterbeck after THB left 

And he is an upgrade. Abbott looked good today as well. That should be the partnership going forward if both are fit and you won’t find many better CB pairings than that in this league. 

[Harry_SFC]

3 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

We signed Schlotterbeck after THB left 

We did but he wasn't signed as the direct THB replacement. The club (through Alfie House) even admitted that. We missed out on the main replacements on deadline day and ended up signing Abbott (who did look ok today)

Edited 2 hours ago by Harry_SFC

[saintant]

2 minutes ago, die Mannyschaft said:

We over play possession football at back and across halfway line each game, home and away. Unless I'm watching Eastleigh at St Mary's and away games instead of Saints.  Eben the official stats each game shows 100s of passes. Its wasted time, wasted passing.

Agree, too much horizontal passing - it's vertical passing that gets you up the field quickly and efficiently. 

[tdmickey3]

Just now, Paul_B said:

What me as a human? 😅 

What is pretty shit is the fact far too many of our fans are so entitled/ arrogant/ deluded to think we're going to beat anyone 5/6/7 nil and that we should piss the league.

Fans need a kick up the arse almost as much as the players.

What the actual fuck, how are you having a pop at fans after that shambles, idiot

[Gloucester Saint]

9 minutes ago, benjii said:

Not sure about that. Azaz and Mubama had great chances. Scienza had two very good chances. 

Leo’s finishing needs coaching during the break. Has been below par for a while. Finn is quality, and the keeper does very well there. Mubama - well, Obama would have done better with that. Can’t see him being in the higher levels of English football by 25 with his attitude and application (lack of). More crap from City. You can tell by Flynn, JWP and Finn’s reaction to him over the last two games that they think he’s a lazy waster. Give Prince a few cameos, at least he’ll run and put himself about, and not be a lazy cunt from a big name academy.

Edited 1 hour ago by Gloucester Saint

[tdmickey3]

The news about KS is anxiously awaited

[Harry_SFC]

1 minute ago, saintant said:

Agree, too much horizontal passing - it's vertical passing that gets you up the field quickly and efficiently. 

Not so easy when you've got two forwards who couldn't trap a bag of cement 

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, tdmickey3 said:

The news about KS is anxiously awaited

Far worse than the result.

[ButtikonSaint]

Hope that's our kick in the arse.
Got a couple of weeks to reset and a few truths need spoken.
No more excuses.

Edited 1 hour ago by ButtikonSaint

[Harry_SFC]

1 minute ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Far worse than the result.

Trying not to think about how much Lankshear (if fit) would shit on us without Schlotterbeck 

[saintant]

4 minutes ago, Pilchards said:

That was pathetic today.

Get the bloody striker in that’s banging goals in for fun for the U21’s.

He’s 21 years old and not a baby that needs bedding in.

Yeah, I'd be giving Princewill a chance because currently the bar he needs to be higher than is very low and he might just rise to playing at a higher level. He's not a young lad at 21 so give him a try.

[Patches O Houlihan]

36 minutes ago, CanadaSaint said:

Those weren’t the only choices. We very seldom play early balls through the channels and force defenders to turn. Instead, we play lots and lots of passes to feet, so the next pass is much more likely to be sideways or backwards. Other teams know this, so they just keep pressing each pass recipient and we oblige with yet another nothing pass.

You get precious few chances to play an early ball into the channels against a defensive team that is playing a back three with the middle of the park stuffed. 

I agree we should have been more creative in midfield in the first half when they were in a more attacking mindset. 

Ducky against his natural instincts boldly called for it at half time 😁 Bragg & JWP is a better pairing than Downes & JWP, at least when Downes is still recovering from injury 

Edited 1 hour ago by Patches O Houlihan

[badgerx16]

BBC PotM is their keeper.

[Topcat]

9 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

Scored 10 last year as a second striker in a two. Can’t lead the line though. 

And he was £9m not £10.5m

yes euro 10.5m not £10.5m but he was not a main striker he was a 2nd to the main striker.  Which winger was he replacing to get 10 goals from the left by being a 40 game starter?  Scienza?

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, ButtikonSaint said:

Hope that's our kick in the arse.
Got a couple of weeks to reset and a few truths get spoken.
No more excuses.

I’d rather have actions such a new fitness coaching coming in so games are started quicker.

We’ve been very slow starters at home too but frequently scored first and improved a lot from there. We’ve shown more resilience second halves away but didn’t get the goal today. 

Patterns and data are there, it’s what’s done to address them.

[die Mannyschaft]

25 minutes ago, benjii said:

 

What on earth are you talking about?

There is clearly a Plan B as we build up differently without Larin. You've just watched Plan B. You also saw it in the last several matches.

We over play possession football at back and across halfway line each game, home and away. Unless I'm watching Eastleigh at St Mary's and away games instead of Saints.  Eben the official stats each game shows 100s of passes. Its wasted time, wasted passing.

[Harry_SFC]

2 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

Trying not to think about how much Lankshear (if fit) would shit on us without Schlotterbeck 

He's dislocated his shoulder according to Eckhart. That's likely 6-8 weeks out. Uh oh. 

[Cabrone]

Well I thought this would be tough and that they would park the bus and it's turned out that way.

This team have no divine right to win, they have to earn it against every other team in this league.

That starts by showing some respect and playing competitive football from the first whistle, it's inexcusable to start playing after 45 minutes.

We are lucky that the teams around us are wobbling otherwise we'd be a long way back now. Not good enough.

[Topcat]

8 minutes ago, saintant said:

Agree, too much horizontal passing - it's vertical passing that gets you up the field quickly and efficiently. 

This has always been the downside of JWP.  It is this tendency that harmed his career at WHU.

[Disco Stu]

2 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

He's dislocated his shoulder according to Eckhart. That's likely 6-8 weeks out. Uh oh. 

And the rest.

[bpsaint]

16 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

We signed Schlotterbeck after THB left 

Didn’t we sign Kev before THB left, and then tried to sign a marquee replacement who rejected us near the end of the window and we bought in Abbott as a panic loan.

[die Mannyschaft]

All this ball possession for 8 shots on target. Look at the forward passes and passes in final 3rd its shows the entire game we just play the same way. Over passing all over the pitch trying to create some Man City intricate football.  Then look at long balls. We dont have any one who's any hood as a front man apart from Larin and he's not playing today. So why not change to plan B or plan A of plan C. 

Am I tge only one out of 21 000 that thinks we play the same high risk over passing weak jn weak out. The amount of times at St Mary's our players pass and lose ball 12 yards in front of goal is ridiculous rather than shooting. 

[bpsaint]

4 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

And the rest.

Don’t tell Whelk, only a couple of weeks apparently.

[Saint-Reece]

32 minutes ago, die Mannyschaft said:

We are a 10th 9th, 8th or 7th finish team. The Wrexham, WBA and Birmingham Away games I went to were absolutely useless football.

Stop being such a pussy and get a grip FFS

[Football Special]

24 minutes ago, Hairlesshero said:

Yet only one poster predicted it.

 

There were a few of us calling out that it wont be easy (look back at first couple of pages) 

Had a feeling it would be a tough, anyone who sat through Lincoln, Watford and Wrexham away knows our kryptonite is lower half teams away 

That said, it was fucking shit today. 

> we didnt have a genuine striker on the pitch, just couldn't hurt Preston who had done their homework on how to defend against us. 

> injury crisis, already missing arguably our best forward and midfielder we have now also lost our best centre back 

> ultimately Preston fought hard for that and wanted it more 

Really shit way to go into a two week break 

Edited 1 hour ago by Football Special

[saintant]

6 minutes ago, Topcat said:

This has always been the downside of JWP.  It is this tendency that harmed his career at WHU.

Tend to agree.

[die Mannyschaft]

7 minutes ago, Cabrone said:

Well I thought this would be tough and that they would park the bus and it's turned out that way.

This team have no divine right to win, they have to earn it against every other team in this league.

That starts by showing some respect and playing competitive football from the first whistle, it's inexcusable to start playing after 45 minutes.

We are lucky that the teams around us are wobbling otherwise we'd be a long way back now. Not good enough.

A lot of games we do this.

inexcusable to start playing after 45 minutes.

[Lighthouse]

Just now, bpsaint said:

Didn’t we sign Kev before THB left, and then tried to sign a marquee replacement who rejected us near the end of the window and we bought in Abbott as a panic loan.

Abbott isn't a 'panic' just because he wasn't our first choice signing. We went for Falchener, who's now playing CL football, and that mush at Fulham whose name escapes me and worked our way down our list of targets. Abbott is highly rated by Forest, it's not like we've dragged Claus out of retirement.

[Football Special]

17 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

The news about KS is anxiously awaited

Hard to tell but his arm didnt look good at all,  just from an unlucky slip , we're losing all the wrong players currently

[EssEffCee]

1 hour ago, die Mannyschaft said:

Crap tactics from start just like WBA. And we dont have a dynamic aggressive team for top 2. Playoff QF v Charlton or Sheffield United and we would just roll over 

 

Fucking Charlton 🤣🤣

[Sheaf Saint]

15 minutes ago, Topcat said:

Dobbin is a winger and not a striker.  he does not get into positions inside the box that a goal hungry striker needs to do.  We paid £10.5m for him whilst Middsh1t paid £10m (so far) for Lankshear....

Firstly, Dobbin is not a winger. He never has been, despite Tonda playing him there at times earlier in the season. He can play in a left inside forward position, but to call him a winger is just wrong. Throughout his youth development he was always a striker.

Secondly, he absolutely can and does get into positions in the box to poach goals. He did exactly that for our third at WH recently. The reason he was less effective today was because, predictably, PNE marked him very tightly having played with him last season and known all about his strengths and weaknesses. One of those weaknesses is he does, unfortunately, often have a poor first touch, and that is something you cannot afford when you're receiving a ball to feet in a tightly packed defence. And because Preston defended so deep, the option of playing through balls for him to run onto just wasn't viable today either. But to say he doesn't get in the right positions is just as wrong as calling him a winger.

And finally, no we didn't pay £10.5m for him. That figure on Transfermarkt is in Euros, so it was actually around £9m. 

[davefizzy14]

Very dissappointing today. We should be winning that especially against a team bottom of the league. Still only five points off top, we have to regroup and go again after the international break. Hope Schlotterbeck is all ok, he's such a key component in our team.

Edited 1 hour ago by davefizzy14