v Preston North End (a) - 21/11/25

[arbitro]

4 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Honestly think the 352 is such a good system for him. Hes at his best covering ground and it suits him. I expect him to have a good full season in this setup.

If the season ended now he would be my POY.

[Andy]

4 minutes ago, arbitro said:

If the season ended now he would be my POY.

I think most people would agree.

And it shows that, as much stick as we get for being overly critical of players, we just give an honest opinion on what we see.

Hedges has been mostly shite since joining us, with the odd good game = generally criticised.

This season, he's been really good = generally praised.

Edited 20 hours ago by Andy

[chaddyrovers]

Excellent performance and well deserved by us. 

Miller my man of the match. Thought he was excellent..

Pratt had a good debut. Tronstad and Hedges best games this season. Morishita good..Ohashi good. 

Great support tonight. 

Ismael showing passion at end of the game was great to see. Best away record in the league

How Whiteman didnt get a red card for that high challenge. Clear as hell. Penalty probably should have been given. 

PNE Fans very quiet tonight at work. Going to be peaceful shift 

COYB🔵⚪️

[Exiled_Rover]

15 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Honestly think the 352 is such a good system for him. Hes at his best covering ground and it suits him. I expect him to have a good full season in this setup.

Yes, he's an excellent WB at this level. He's also a L1 AML/R, which is where he's played most of the time he's been at Rovers.

I'd just be looking at his age and his limitations and move on - but clearly I'm in the minority. 

[arbitro]

The little nobber who gave it the big 'un in front of us after scoring scurried off the pitch quickly at the end. His celebration was almost as embarrassing as having a baked potato on the front of your shirt.

[Exiled_Rover]

13 minutes ago, Angry_Pirate said:

Premier League referee, of course. Good job them posh boys up there have VAR to do all the heavy lifting.

It's a joke of a tackle - and Tronstad's reaction should have been all the ref needed (as clearly he missed it live) to know it was a bad one.

You don't steam in like that for a player trying to cynically stop a counter attack. It was a deliberate leg breaker.

[RevidgeBlue]

1 minute ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Yes, he's an excellent WB at this level. He's also a L1 AML/R, which is where he's played most of the time he's been at Rovers.

I'd just be looking at his age and his limitations and move on - but clearly I'm in the minority. 

I agree with you, he put a shift in defensively tonight but he's still pretty woeful in the final third of the pitch.

[Exiled_Rover]

19 minutes ago, arbitro said:

I spoke to several Rovers fans before the game and every one of them would have taken a draw so the delirium in the ground at the final whistle was perfectly understandable.

I thought we started quite slowly and were really careless in some of our play particularly our passing. But in fairness we grew into the game and aside from the first fifteen or so minutes were the better team.

Going ahead just before half-time should have been the perfect fillip but to concede in the next minute should really have knocked the stuffing out of us but from the first whistle in the second half we were excellent. Morishita showed what a talent he can be as he seemed to play a bit more centrally and his creativity had us on the front foot on many occasions. Defensively we were excellent as a unit as we headed, kicked and blocked any threat that they posed. 

I thought Tronstad was outstanding tonight as he ran the midfield both defensively and offensively. They simply couldn't match him. Ohashi once again never stopped running and Hedges showed what an important player he is for us as he worked the line.

Special mention to George Pratt tonight though. Making your debut in a local derby live on Sky must have been daunting for him but he came through with flying colours. Why didn't Ismael trust him to play against Derby and release Hedges to his best position.

I had some doubts about the triple substitution which I thought was too many to make at once but to be fair to Ismael it worked as we saw the game out comfortably.

There are many things wrong with our club but nights like tonight make me realise why my love affair of many decades is still strong.

I'm going to assume because Chorley extended his loan on 3 Nov and we only recalled him on 7 Nov. The Derby match was the next day.

[Exiled_Rover]

19 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

I really had a problem with Morishita first half - so powder puff, but have to say he really fought his way back in and got better and better. Respect.

He has a lot of quality on the ball - put in several good dead balls today and of course slid in both Ohashi and Gudjohnsen in dangerous positions (their first touch let both of them down).

He's either got to learn to ride the initial 'tackle' (I say tackle 'cos he often gets manhandled) or he's got to be cleverer about drifting into space. Once he has the ball under control he's a dangerous player.

[Neal]

We look a different team with a back 5. Miller and Mcgloughlin can't be trusted to play as a 4, as proven against Derby. Alebiosu and Hedges are great wing backs. Alebiosu is unplayable at times, way too good for the championship. Beradji looks like he has something about him but will need time. Pratt did a job, chuffed for him. The two boys up top rolled into on player would cost 10's of millions. Ohashi grafts his balls off and Gudjohnson is a poacher. 

 

With a back 5 we're top half material, with a back 4 we're relegation material. Crazy. 

[Exiled_Rover]

4 minutes ago, Neal said:

We look a different team with a back 5. Miller and Mcgloughlin can't be trusted to play as a 4, as proven against Derby. Alebiosu and Hedges are great wing backs. Alebiosu is unplayable at times, way too good for the championship. Beradji looks like he has something about him but will need time. Pratt did a job, chuffed for him. The two boys up top rolled into on player would cost 10's of millions. Ohashi grafts his balls off and Gudjohnson is a poacher. 

 

With a back 5 we're top half material, with a back 4 we're relegation material. Crazy. 

Did I miss the Derby game?

Hedges played LCB in a 3 with DeNeve LWB and Alebiosu RWB, no?

[M_B]

Nice to walk off having not just won but having won deservedly.

Credit to everyone tonight, but Tronstad excelled,Montgomery must have been thinking why does that ball keep going to him?

Nice finish from Gudjonson, both forwards just keep nudging the scoreboard along.

4 wins from 5,nice little run developing. 

[TruRover]

Interesting question. Is this team more enjoyable to watch than under Eustace? 
 

Under Eustace we were very solid and organised, but we were pretty defensive and lacked creativity and pace going forward. No doubt that we were set up very well.

However, while there is no doubt we are lacking abit of quality, I have really enjoyed watching us this season. There’s an energy and pace about the team, particularly with the wingbacks and two strikers in the channels.
 

VI proving a lot of people wrong - including myself.
 

Also whisper it quietly, but a lot of our summer additions are looking like good finds ( Miller, Gudjonsen, Alebisou, Morishta, Mchloughlin). Jury is still out though!  

[Upside Down]

4 minutes ago, TruRover said:

Interesting question. Is this team more enjoyable to watch than under Eustace? 
 

Under Eustace we were very solid and organised, but we were pretty defensive and lacked creativity and pace going forward. No doubt that we were set up very well.

However, while there is no doubt we are lacking abit of quality, I have really enjoyed watching us this season. There’s an energy and pace about the team, particularly with the wingbacks and two strikers in the channels.
 

VI proving a lot of people wrong - including myself.
 

Also whisper it quietly, but a lot of our summer additions are looking like good finds ( Miller, Gudjonsen, Alebisou, Morishta, Mchloughlin). Jury is still out though!  

We looked the opposite of the Eustace team today. Going forward we looked like we could score and created a lot of chances. Lots of crosses coming in as well, two of which we scored from. 

Defensively though we were not convincing and the goal was entirely down to shit defending and a really shit keeper. If we sort out the defence then there's a slim chance of a late playoff push, although bear in mind we haven't had our annual January sabotage yet.

[Exiled_Rover]

4 minutes ago, Upside Down said:

We looked the opposite of the Eustace team today. Going forward we looked like we could score and created a lot of chances. Lots of crosses coming in as well, two of which we scored from. 

Defensively though we were not convincing and the goal was entirely down to shit defending and a really shit keeper. If we sort out the defence then there's a slim chance of a late playoff push, although bear in mind we haven't had our annual January sabotage yet.

We've got 6 more games before Christmas to navigate first. That's where we'll fall down - we don't have the squad for it. 

[Waggy76]

Just got home excellent performance, feared the worst at half time but Rovers deserved to win! 

Put the never wassers back in their box! 

[Waggy76]

21 minutes ago, M_B said:

Nice to walk off having not just won but having won deservedly.

Credit to everyone tonight, but Tronstad excelled,Montgomery must have been thinking why does that ball keep going to him?

Nice finish from Gudjonson, both forwards just keep nudging the scoreboard along.

4 wins from 5,nice little run developing. 

I like it when the forwards are scoring in the six yard box! 

[Silas]

1 hour ago, Angry_Pirate said:

Premier League referee, of course. Good job them posh boys up there have VAR to do all the heavy lifting.

Not to defend the ref (who was a dick to us all night) but in real time on TV it happened so fast a yellow seemed about right....just.

Only the replay that showed the reality. VAR would have dispatched him swiftly.

But I don't ever want that in the Championship. 

The only circumstances I ever want to suffer VAR is with £100+ million in the bank. 

[AvRover]

10 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

We've got 6 more games before Christmas to navigate first. That's where we'll fall down - we don't have the squad for it. 

Absolutely! When the injuries and fatigue hit in January the usual slump will commence. We need breathing space above the bottom three by then.

Please no one get carried away because we've won a couple of games. Do not forget this season is about survival and we're going to finish bottom half. The squad is very thin. We're still going nowhere and the purgatory of the Venkys era continues. 

The club has a habit of getting results at the right moment to paper cracks.

[Bbrovers2288]

9 minutes ago, Silas said:

Not to defend the ref (who was a dick to us all night) but in real time on TV it happened so fast a yellow seemed about right....just.

Only the replay that showed the reality. VAR would have dispatched him swiftly.

But I don't ever want that in the Championship. 

The only circumstances I ever want to suffer VAR is with £100+ million in the bank. 

I thought the tackle from behind on tronstadt was really bad as well and didn’t get a yellow.

lot think that gueye should have had a pen -it wasn’t for me- but lot are saying it was

and whiteman was just disgusting. Ref had a shocker and he is meant to be a level above 

[Ricky]

Just got back to my mates place where I’ll be staying tonight before heading back home in the morning. He’s a PNE fan so I’m amazed I still have a room for the night!!

We deserved that win. I feel we offered more all night and it’s got to be one of the best away games I’ve done for many a year. 

[Silas]

19 minutes ago, Bbrovers2288 said:

I thought the tackle from behind on tronstadt was really bad as well and didn’t get a yellow.

Nailed on yellow.

But he had a little chat instead, which seems reasonable. 🙄

[roversfan99]

Great result and unexpected once the team was announced. In the first half hour we were poor, and once we conceded so sloppily seconds after scoring I feared the worse but we rallied at the start of the second half and saw the game out pretty comfortably.

Tronstad was our best player and back to his best. Pratt deserves immense credit for slotting in so comfortably considering the level hes been playing at. Hedges is certainly suited to a wing back role, Morishita and Ohashi are both pests and Gudjohnsen lacks in general play but is developing a great habit of pitching in with important goals.

Our side feels like its patched together and the subs bench highlights how thin on the ground we are going into such a busy period so whether we can maintain this is another question but a very enjoyable night to push us away further from the bottom 3.

[...]

2 hours ago, norwichblue said:

This video is giving me a lot of joy: 

 

Love Hedges reaction. Another excellent performance by him. He was great in Bristol the other week too. 

Honestly genuinely happy that he's shown to have improved of late. Every game he seems to do something now that shocks. That run down the left tonight, I think splitting the defenders and getting a cross away right across goal was superb. Fair play to him 

[chaddyrovers]

PNE Fans at work say we were deserved winners