Preston North End (A) build up

[YoungWolf]

It's an extremely lazy stereotype I agree and unfair in the player. As Lycan says he has scored two good goals and just needs a chance in a better organised team

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

While expectations for Seyi/Doumbia were probably a bit wide of the mark among the fanbase, principally they failed because they were the products of piss poor scouting. DJ and Jez actually went over to watch Seyi in Norway at least once, he should have been marked out for exactly what he was before we even thought about starting the process of signing him - such an obvious dud. Then we clearly didn't do enough research into Doumbia's character, it wasn't ability with him, it was attitude. I'm sure he had form for downing tools at Rennes.

I'm not going to judge Prince until we actually start using some tactics rather than sending a team out in an approximate shape and hoping for the best, which is all it's been since we beat Blues.

 

[The Bear]

Prince is more of a combative attacking player than a holding DM. He needs to be played with a license to get forward. The one time I saw him do this was I think Rotherham away when we were pushing for a goal and he hit the foot of the post. I might be getting my games mixed up actually, but once he started to push forward he looked decent.

 

[Lycan]

Prince is more of a combative attacking player than a holding DM. He needs to be played with a license to get forward. The one time I saw him do this was I think Rotherham away when we were pushing for a goal and he hit the foot of the post. I might be getting my games mixed up actually, but once he started to push forward he looked decent.

I don't think we'd signed him by Rotherham, that was the first game of the season.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

He came to close to scoring at Huddersfield with a volley (probably should have scored tbf).

He definitely isn't a DM, not even close. If we're playing a midfield three then it's wide open to have one of the central players given licence to get forward, support the striker and grab 8-10 goals a season. No reason why Prince can't do that based on what I've seen. But as I say, we haven't been giving the midfielders that kind of instruction. One sits 5-10 yards in front of the back four, the other two aren't told to do anything in particular. So they don't do anything in particular. Above anything else, it was that (and continuing to do it every game) which showed Zenga up to be a total chancer tactically.

 

[Jinky]

Not seen anything from Prince yet. Needs to step up and actually start winning some tackles/headers and do something with the ball when it's at his feet. Far from convincing.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I don't know why you'd expect him to start winning tackles/headers, or at least expect that to be a dominant feature of his game. He's got more in common with Oscar than he has Michael Essien. Both physically and in terms of style of play.

If we play him as a sitting/holding midfielder or assign him the duties one would expect a defensively minded player to perform then he'll look shite.

 

[Jinky]

I don't know why you'd expect him to start winning tackles/headers, or at least expect that to be a dominant feature of his game. He's got more in common with Oscar than he has Michael Essien. Both physically and in terms of style of play.

If we play him as a sitting/holding midfielder or assign him the duties one would expect a defensively minded player to perform then he'll look shite.

So because he's not a defensive midfielder he shouldn't have to win a header or tackle?

I expect everyone on the field to be able to execute basic traits of a footballer, irrespective of their position.

At time of writing, Prince has shown very little of anything.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I said he shouldn't be judged as if he's some kind of midfield destroyer. If you're waiting for him to become a rampaging physical presence then I think you're going to be very disappointed.

He should primarily be judged in the end on what he provides in the final third. We aren't even giving him the chance to show that most of the time.

 

[Langers]

He's really not been that bad at all.

But as has been said, very harsh to properly judge him when he's been shoehorned into the side.

 

[Johnny75]

I said he shouldn't be judged as if he's some kind of midfield destroyer. If you're waiting for him to become a rampaging physical presence then I think you're going to be very disappointed.

He should primarily be judged in the end on what he provides in the final third. We aren't even giving him the chance to show that most of the time.

I think that's fair. It's been pretty poor recruitment to have Prince, Edwards and Tex in the side as they essentially all play behind the striker. Oh how it would've been nice to buy an actual midfielder who can do the box-to-box job.

Still I think this will all be mute as Lambert goes with the diamond he had at Norwich and plays Saiss, Price, Tex and Costa behind Bod/ Dicko. Poor old Cav.

 

[Deano]

So because he's not a defensive midfielder he shouldn't have to win a header or tackle?

I expect everyone on the field to be able to execute basic traits of a footballer, irrespective of their position.

At time of writing, Prince has shown very little of anything.

I agree with you, I've not seen what it is he's actually supposed to do in the appearances from him so far. Some of it may be down to playing out of position and adapting to new surroundings but as you say the basics should still be there. Needs to play much better when he gets back in the team as on previous appearances he's no better than what we already had.

 

[Tredman]

I think he has the makings of an improved version of Edwards - given he's been played everywhere but there and still scored as many as Jon Dadi I think he deserves more of a chance.

 

[The Bear]

He came to close to scoring at Huddersfield with a volley (probably should have scored tbf).

Ah yes that was it. That and Rotherham were my early away games.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I think he has the makings of an improved version of Edwards - given he's been played everywhere but there and still scored as many as Jon Dadi I think he deserves more of a chance.

Absolutely. However we're currently at Peak Edwards where he's had two or three reasonable (no more) games, knocked in a couple of goals and general sentiment is "I don't understand why he gets so much stick". At which point he'll get a new contract and be fucking rubbish for six months again.

 

[TornadoTed]

So where do people see Prince's best position?

The number 10 role in a 4-2-3-1, one of the central 2 midfielders in a 4-1-4-1, one of the 3 in a 4-3-3?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I think that's fair. It's been pretty poor recruitment to have Prince, Edwards and Tex in the side as they essentially all play behind the striker. Oh how it would've been nice to buy an actual midfielder who can do the box-to-box job.

Still I think this will all be mute as Lambert goes with the diamond he had at Norwich and plays Saiss, Price, Tex and Costa behind Bod/ Dicko. Poor old Cav.

If he plays Jack the mediocre ahead of our biggest ever signing then he needs his fucking bumps felt. I will never understand this bloody Price obsession. He is at best bang fucking average.

 

[Johnny75]

If he plays Jack the mediocre ahead of our biggest ever signing then he needs his $#@!ing bumps felt. I will never understand this bloody Price obsession. He is at best bang $#@!ing average.

I agree with you Paddy, I think we have the players to play 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 every time. It's just not what I think the manager will do.

 

[slink]

Prince is definitely an attacking midfielder who is best at arriving late in the box. We haven't let him do that yet really but he has shown that he can finish and will get on the end of chances with the couple of goals he has got already. His passing is better than many think too and i think he could be influential if we let him play that role.

Ordered my tickets for this today as i'm not at work Saturday and just slightly looking forward to it.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

If he plays Jack the mediocre ahead of our biggest ever signing then he needs his fucking bumps felt. I will never understand this bloody Price obsession. He is at best bang fucking average.

Not really competing for the same spot, are they.

I'm not sure there is a Price "obsession", however at the moment we aren't keeping the ball anything like well enough and we are exacerbating the issue of a collectively poor back four by not protecting them well enough. Price would help us with both of those aspects in at least the short term.

For the record I'd play 4-2-3-1 for now, with Price alongside Saiss and Cav on the left hand side.

---------------------------Ikeme (if fit)-----------------------------

Silvio--------------Stearman----------Hause------------Borthwick-Jackson

--------------------Price-----------Saiss---------------------------

-----------Costa---------Oniangue----------Cavaleiro-----------------

--------------------------Dicko-------------------------------------------

That'll do for Saturday.