Preston 1 - 1 Wolves: an acceptable away point verdict thread

[Premier Quality]

Alex neil’s a massive twat - hugely underperformed at Norwich (third highest championship wage bill ever last season apparently), and now he’s at a bog standard championship club with bog standard players he’s reverted to his level of scrapping, fouling and time wasting - a Scottish lower level Warnock if you will.

The ‘cheating foreigners’ line is very poor from a professional football manager.

 

[playtheace]

Even if our players did throw themselves to the ground, which they generally don't, I wouldn't blame them as they've been kicked from pillar to post all season. I lost count of the number of times I jumped out of my seat yesterday at Preston's cynical kicks and elbows.

Also, Alex Neil, rather than calling them a bunch of cheating fairies, how about give our Portguese lads some credit for an excellent goal? A wonderful turn from Cavaleiro to start the attack and superb work by Costa to get through on goal. I'm still trying to work out if the bobble that teed him up for the goal was a slightly fortunate deflection off the defender or a bit of magic from Costa; if it's the latter then it's almost Bergkamp-esque.

Special mention for Coady. Many people's player of the season and it's hard to argue after displays like that. Talismanic.

It was a fortunate deflection back in to his path...I was right infront of it.

 

[The Bear]

I think Douglas’ set piece delivery is too important to lose at the moment.

Based on the last two or three games he's not had a sniff of a free kick he can have a go at.

Cav can take corners too.

If Douglas got involved more in attacks he'd probably be given some leeway like Doherty, but he barely does. So it's natural for the emphasis to go on his defending. Which is just average.

 

[Siggy]

I think Barry has had a few poor games recently and offered very little yesterday, if ever there was a time to drop him for Vinagre I think this is it. His set pieces are generally very good but defensively hes been very suspect of late, he seems to be stopping and passing backwards a lot more lately and certainly cant run with the ball like Vinagre can.

We will see but if I had to bet the more likely change for our midweek game will be Saiss coming back in for Alf who hasn't really taken his chance over the last couple of games.

 

[Parkins left foot]

Cav or Neves are perfectly capable of decent set piece deliveries anyway

 

[Deano]

I think Barry has had a few poor games recently and offered very little yesterday, if ever there was a time to drop him for Vinagre I think this is it. His set pieces are generally very good but defensively hes been very suspect of late, he seems to be stopping and passing backwards a lot more lately and certainly cant run with the ball like Vinagre can.

We will see but if I had to bet the more likely change for our midweek game will be Saiss coming back in for Alf who hasn't really taken his chance over the last couple of games.

Agree. Been a bit disappointed with N’Diaye in general, he has had a few good games but he’s far too inconsistent. I think he has slim to no chance of the move being made permanent. Gibbs-White May have been a better sub option than Saiss yesterday considering they were down to 10 but Saiss should walk back into the team on Wednesday.

 

[Jolemai]

Gents, if Vinagre plays next game, then who of the other five loanees misses out? Bonatini, Afobe or N'Daiye?

 

[Kenny]

Alf or Afobe

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Leo as I doubt he's fit enough to play more than 15 mins or so right now, we'll already have at least one striker on the bench and could add another in Mir if we wanted to.

 

[The Bear]

Leo. As Dan says.

Douglas couldn't have any complaints if Nuno decided to give Vinagre a run. Depends whether he thinks we have a chance of signing him permanently.

 

[Tony Towner]

I've been saying for weeks we have an issue if Douglas is first choice next season. If there is a chance of getting Vinagre then I'd be playing him now.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

He won't be first choice next season. Any more than gloves will be.

 

[Alan]

Harsh on them both but those two positions are surely near the top of the shopping list.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Sign some wingbacks. A CM to go with Neves, top notch striker and we will be very competitive.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

We will look for another centre half of at least equivalent standard to Boly, I have no doubt about that.

No slight on Bennett at all, he has been excellent but Willy is the benchmark, not him.

 

[Alan]

I'd definitely want a new CB before a new CM. Neves and Saiss will be fine with MGW as an understudy. I'd bet we'll bring in another CM on loan rather than purchase one.

 

[Premier Quality]

Wing backs are the key to our system, we need quality there next year.

 

[PuntsWolf]

I’ve just finished watching the game as just got back from London. First half just missing the finishing touches but got into decent positions.

Kept giving soft fouls whenever we lost the ball in their third easing the pressure so we couldn’t get any sustained pressure. Wasn’t many tackles going in apart from the 2 they were rightly booked for.

Second half we started slow and weren’t in it and they scored. Sending off soon after changes that. Certainly was a foul and a second yellow. Not sure the rolling around was necessary though.

Cav was playing well and set up a good chance for Costa with a backheel but he didn’t cut it back to the unmarked Jota on the pen spot.

Over complicated things in the second half when just pulling the trigger on the edge of the area was the best option.

Didn’t see a great deal of dirty ness from PNE and didn’t too much theatrics from Wolves other than maybe Cav for the red. We went over a bit too easy at times(Doc just threw himself to the floor oddly at one point and Costa fell to the floor easily when losing a 50:50) but nothing too offensive.

Decent point really with us not being at our best but possibly could have won it. Back 3 solid. Neves and Costa good, Alf anonymous. Jota made the wrong choice and gave it away a lot but had good moments as well. A real mixed bag and one moment of quality from him and we would have won it but wasn’t his day. Cav MOTM.

 

[White Wolf]

Was there yesterday but only just had the chance to write about it.

Not much to say about first half, uneventful. Costa had a good chance but fired over and there were some yellow worthy tackles from the Preston players. Robinson was tricky down our right and had the beating of Doherty a number of times.

The second half for the first 15 minutes we were awful. Preston were all over us, hit the post, and got their goal from the corner. I think it was the corner they scored from and I couldn't tell whether it was or not from the other side of the grond, looked like it went over rather than Ruddy saving it but I may be wrong. Regardless our marking from the corners was rubbish and they had two other decent chances from them. Ours meanwhile was really poor, Douglas kept hitting the first man.

Sending-off was deserved, no complaints and Neil should be more concened about why his player committed that stupid foul when on a yellow than whether we were rolling around, not that I think we were. From there we were the only team in it, great turn from Cav for the goal but it was lucky that it came back to Costa. Afobe had a decent chance towards the end to win it but well saved but otherwise not that many chances, overplayed it a few times. Did we do enough to win the game? I'm not sure.

Ref was poor, as was the lino closer to the away fans. Missed a few obvious throw-ins and a foul or two.

Ruddy seemed a bit shaky today, not his best game but goal wasn't his fault. Coady was really impressive in the first-half and made some key interceptions. N'Diaye was a total passenger throughout and never looked like getting into the game. Wasn't very impressed by Douglas forwards. Cavaleiro had a fantastic game and looked unstoppable, and Costa too played really well. Cav or Coady MOTM for me.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Red was poor,as was the lino closer to the away fans. Missed a few obvious throw-ins and a foul or two.

Seen a lot of this in the match day and on social media so when I watched it was expecting tackles flying in everywhere and getting kicked to shit. Quite the opposite. They put in 2 bad tackles in the first half and were rightly booked. A cynical foul in the second half saw him go. Few soft fouls given against us and a few throw in fouls he maybe got wrong but largely it was an easy game to referee and he managed it pretty well.