v Preston North End (a) - 21/11/25, 8:00pm ko Sky TV

[47er]

2 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

This team is nowhere near as bad as some are making out.

The thing is it soon will be. Everyone's for sale.

[47er]

3 minutes ago, bazza said:

Maybe they should play the home games in that beautiful gold kit too. They look at each other and think they're Brazil.

I love that green kit but its virtually never seen.

What's the point----money?

[StHelensRover]

Great performance that I didn't see coming. We do seem to be a completely different outfit away from home. Maybe playing with less pressure and not expected to take games by the scruff of the neck. Regardless, we were definitely the better team last night.

Apart from the crazy 15 seconds which led to the Preston goal, that back 3/5 looked okay. Very pleased for Pratt to see him step up and deliver. 

I couldn't really fault the performance of any of the starting 11 who all worked their socks off. The subs all did well when they came on. One exception was Maktar Gueye, who honestly. I give up with. I know he has put the ball in the net on a couple of occasions, but he might be the least gifted striker we've ever signed and his attitude stinks to boot. The poor man's Grabbi

[rigger]

36 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I’ve only seen the highlights so I can’t really comment on performances. I thought the header from Gudjohnsen was top notch, they are very easy to get wrong at that angle. The lad can finish, not much doubt about that. Gueye should have scored with his header, how can a big guy be so poor at heading the ball ? 
 

All in all a great win. I couldn’t see that coming at 8.00 pm with so many players being out for one reason or another.  100% effort from every player and that’s all I ever ask for from Rovers players. Has I’ve said before the players are playing for the manager so we might has well get behind him. The set piece coach is earning his corn, that’s good to see. Top marks for Miller playing after flying all over the world last week. 

I doubt they actually practice heading goals at training, its a fading art.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

To be fair to our friends on PNE online they have admitted we were the better side on the night and deserved the win...just need to stop all the cocky pre match bollox and eat that humble Spud!.

Edited 1 hour ago by SIMON GARNERS 194

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 minutes ago, rigger said:

I doubt they actually practice heading goals at training, its a fading art.

I predicted a while ago that heading the ball will be banned at some point in the future.

[RevidgeBlue]

43 minutes ago, sharpysharps86 said:

Well, this team continue to surprise me with their away form. Also couldn't be happier to be proven wrong on the set pieces comment I made on here yesterday. Two well worked goals off the training ground.

It was definitely the right call to stay with a back 3, and Pratt seemed to cope ok given he was chucked in at the deep end. Maintaining this shape with injuries / suspensions with Rovers thin squad is going to be difficult.

Delighted that Gudjohnsen bagged another, hopefully he can keep up a consistent run of scoring.

Hopefully the lads can kick on and start turning that home form around now, starting with QPR on Wednesday.

"Pratt seemed to cope ok"?

He was brilliant!

[Exiled_Rover]

3 hours ago, arbitro said:

He was on the bench against Derby.

Yes, exactly. 

[Tomphil2]

13 minutes ago, 47er said:

The thing is it soon will be. Everyone's for sale.

That's the worry and whilst Pickering and Ribero aren't being used and are clearly being eased towards the door (10k pwk guys probably) they do give us some depth on the bench.

Cantwell is also clearly a gonner and of course the biggest question is shove two or three of those out the door who replaces them ?

 

[Elrovers]

Wrexham our next away game. I hope we can break the curse of not winning against newly promoted sides. Would take a draw there. 

[arbitro]

2 hours ago, Ossydave said:

I was thinking last night why does Yuki get twatted so much, he's always in the wars. I would absolutely hate to play against him though, he doesn't give you a minutes peace all night it's relentless. Pretty sure he gets a stray elbow or a late challenge as a direct result! Morishita to a lesser extent was similar last night, I think being in the same team as Yuki is helping him adapt too, I don't think we've seen anything like the best of him just yet.

I actually thought Morishita was getting caught in possession too much in the first half but he seemed to be predominately on the right side. He moved inside in the second half and had a far greater influence on the game. Let's hope last night was a turning point as he appeared to be adapting to the rigours of the Championship.

As you say Yuki must be a nightmare to play against. He is relentless in his pressing and last night worked the channels really well. His bravery is commendable too as he is not deterred by some big gorilla of a centre half.

 

[chaddyrovers]

@ParsonblueI agree this team is nowhere as bad as people think. We will have plenty of ups and down given how many signings we made and from overseas. 

37 minutes ago, ... said:

Only praising us because they know where they belong.

As Sherwelood said they're riding in a false position. Everyone knows PNEs football isn't top 6 stuff. They'll drop soon enough, and with the points being close that top box will be playing switcheroo toward the end of the season. 

One of PNE's supporting Work colleague admitted a couple of weeks they are mid table team. They lack pace and quality striker and centre back to play in the centre of back 3. He isnt a fan of Heckingbottom either. 

24 minutes ago, sharpysharps86 said:

He set out to hurt Baradji with that challenge, no doubt.

100%. Never like him.

[RevidgeBlue]

32 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

Following Rovers away from home this season, Charlton apart, has been a real joy.  We look solid at the back and swift in attack.  I thought some of our football last night was a joy to watch.  The interplay between Ohashi and Morishita really caused North End no amount of problems.  Ohashi's workrate is unbelievable as was that of Tronstad and Hedges.  These three players epitomise how Ismael wants to play and it's so enjoyable to watch.

I thought young Pratt did ever so well on his debut and looked the part.  Prior to the game I heard fans criticising his selection and saying what a state we are in when a kid has to play.  Yet I remember other youngsters in the past being thrown in - England, Pickering, Metcalfe, Faz, Barker, Jones etc - and it proved the making of them.  There is no point in having an Academy if these youngsters don't get a chance.  Yes, they'll make mistakes but that's part of the learning process.  

The home form remains a conundrum, but if we can get that right we could have a more than decent season.  This team is nowhere near as bad as some are making out.

Very workmanlike performance last night and a great result but I think that's a very blue and white tinted glasses assessment. I think we're a pretty poor outfit and everything hinges on whether we can sort the home form out.

If we can, happy days and we should be relatively comfortable this season but I don't think we'll continue in this vein of winning all our away games so I'll still be very relieved when we get to 50 points.

The one thing I do agree on is Pratt. As I repeatedly said before the game there's rarely been a disaster arising out of handing a youngster his debut and so it proved yet again last night. I dont think people were overly critical about the prospect of selecting him , they'd have been a lot more critical if Hedges had started there again. If Ismael had been braver, and not made a ludicrously bad decision to start Hedges at LCB against Derby and started with the same line up as last night, I think we'd have got at least a point there as well.

Edited 46 minutes ago by RevidgeBlue

[Dreams of 1995]

We were good all over the pitch yesterday. Well done George Pratt - fantastic game young man and looked ever so comfortable. His passing was on point and a couple of very important blocks. Didn’t look out of place even when that lump of a man Smith tried to drop on to him

Gudjohnson is becoming my favourite player. He’s a real poacher. But for those criticising his play - the chance for Smith was made harder by Gudjohnson strength. Fantastic save by Pears, but only possible due to our Icelandic super star

Morishita got in the way down the right hand side early doors. He was making good runs to underlap down the right, but that was into Alebiosus space. Once Morishita played more narrow and left that right hand side space for Alebiosu we roasted them. A small tactical switch that turned our attacking fortunes around

Lovely win and we climb up the table again 

Edited 16 minutes ago by Dreams of 1995

[Tugayisgod]

20 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Very workmanlike performance last night and a great result but I think that's a very blue and white tinted glasses assessment. I think we're a pretty poor outfit and everything hinges on whether we can sort the home form out.

If we can, happy days and we should be relatively comfortable this season but I don't think we'll continue in this vein of winning all our away games so I'll still be very relieved when we get to 50 points.

The one thing I do agree on is Pratt. As I repeatedly said before the game there's rarely been a disaster arising out of handing a youngster his debut and so it proved yet again last night. I dont think people were overly critical about the prospect of selecting him , they'd have been a lot more critical if Hedges had started there again. If Ismael had been braver, and not made a ludicrously bad decision to start Hedges at LCB against Derby and started with the same line up as last night, I think we'd have got at least a point there as well.

Ismael has confirmed Pratt was going to start against Derby but having only returned to the club 24 hours before the game he didn't feel he had enough time to adjust to team patterns etc

Edited 27 minutes ago by Tugayisgod

[RevidgeBlue]

2 minutes ago, Tugayisgod said:

Ismael has confirmed Pratt was going to start against Derby but having only returned to the club 24 hours before the game he didn't feel he had enough time to adjust to team patterns etc

When did he say that? What a load of old tosh.

He previously said that he picked Hedges ahead of Pickering and/or Ribeiro because he was slightly taller.

Pratt is significantly taller than all 3 of them.

[G Somerset Rover]

Delighted and pleasantly surprised with both the performance and win last night. I really want to try to be more positive but it’s just so frustrating seeing us play like that with some fantastic individual performances knowing that the club will just sabotage any progression at the first opportunity.

Take Tronstad for example: phenomenal last night. Yet seemingly the club are just content for him to leave for free in the summer. Cantwell too, no doubt off.

Under any normal ownership there would be many reasons for optimism.

[NeilInBristol]

43 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

"Pratt seemed to cope ok"?

He was brilliant!

He was excellent 

not sure what some people expect!!

[Penwortham Blue]

2 hours ago, Ossydave said:

I know and I’m not criticising either those that attend and create little atmosphere or indeed those who choose not to attend, but the point remains that it’s a pretty crappy place to play. Ultimately we all know the main reason of course, the wankers in Pune. 

Couldn’t agree more and made this point many times. They prefer to play away, at Ewood the atmosphere is so funereal it is the clearest manifestation of what these owners have done to this club and its remnant and downtrodden supporter base. All a far cry from the loud and passionate cauldron that even the top teams feared playing here. Today, rather than being the twelfth man, they must feel like they are playing with ten at home. Of course, it is all very much the chicken and the egg and if the club was run properly and we could put performances and results together, ‘Rome’ could once again be rebuilt.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

8 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

When did he say that? What a load of old tosh.

He previously said that he picked Hedges ahead of Pickering and/or Ribeiro because he was slightly taller.

Pratt is significantly taller than all 3 of them.

The two statements aren’t contradictory.

Pratt may not have been ready for the Derby game for the reasons stated. So then it came down to one of Hedges, Pickering or Ribeiro for the left centre back role.
Ismael may well have chosen Hedges on account of his height. 
Myself I would have chosen Pickering in that case and left Hedges out wide.

[arbitro]

54 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Yes, exactly. 

I don't understand your point.

[Penwortham Blue]

1 hour ago, StHelensRover said:

Great performance that I didn't see coming. We do seem to be a completely different outfit away from home. Maybe playing with less pressure and not expected to take games by the scruff of the neck. Regardless, we were definitely the better team last night.

Apart from the crazy 15 seconds which led to the Preston goal, that back 3/5 looked okay. Very pleased for Pratt to see him step up and deliver. 

I couldn't really fault the performance of any of the starting 11 who all worked their socks off. The subs all did well when they came on. One exception was Maktar Gueye, who honestly. I give up with. I know he has put the ball in the net on a couple of occasions, but he might be the least gifted striker we've ever signed and his attitude stinks to boot. The poor man's Grabbi

Corrado Grabbi had loads of ability, fantastic in his first few matches but as the luck deserted him, so did his confidence and that proved fatal. He could have had a hatrick in that early match against United, think he hit the woodwork twice.