We Are Enjoying the Championship So Far - Notes for Preston Saturday, 22nd Aug 2015 10:00 by HarryFromBath HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday’s game at Deepdale by delving into their forums. “This is where we have wanted to be after four arduous, even if finally triumphant years. Let’s get out there and re-establish ourselves as a force in this league”, “At least we haven’t got battered from day one which should give the players confidence in their ability at this level.” Preston have made a solid start to their league campaign. Goals have been a rare commodity with Tuesday’s 0-0 draw at Rotherham following last Saturday’s win by a solitary goal at Milton Keynes. Lilywhites also took great heart from their scoreless season-opener at home to Middlesbrough. “The framework is there for a decent season”, “A great start but it’s too early to tell anything about the season yet”, “I honestly thought we would struggle but we have looked comfortable and composed. The standard of football with this step up seems to suit us.” “We all know it’s early and there are still plenty of games but come on! If we were offered two months ago that we would be 10 places above Blackburn and Burnley and forgetting about Bolton with no goals conceded I reckon we would have all said ‘Yes please!’ Enjoy the moment.” Simon Grayson“I think that Grayson is amongst the best managers we have had over the past 50 years. He was certainly about the best we could have expected or attracted at League One level”, “I trust him to make the right decisions to stabilise us in this league and then hopefully push on.” The former Leeds boss “has done a good job in picking up the shambles he inherited. He’s a good man-manager and is his own man. He has a quiet confidence about him which breeds faith”, “He can spot a good player who won’t cost a fortune. Doing this well depends on the manager’s ability.” “Despite the negativity over transfers, it looks like Grayson has found a few gems for nowt again.” Fans trust his judgement over players and are hopeful of a change in the team’s style of play. “Leeds played decent attacking football in this division. He’s canny enough to adapt and just needs time.” A Patient Transfer Strategy“Flash the cash? I think not”, “We have gone down the route of restructuring financially, rebuilding at a steady pace, adding to the squad methodically and building a side that fans can relate to, an honest hard-working bunch of players with what looks like a tremendous team spirit.” Fans pre-season anxieties about their lack of activity in the transfer window have now largely been set aside. “We have a great team spirit and buying in a big signing might upset that”, “We all panicked before the season began but so far the new signings are all showing great promise.” “The last time we threw money around, we confused ambition with idiocy. Hang on to the money and spend wisely as the season progresses,” “Let the other clubs blow their budgets on the vanity of having overpriced ‘marquee’ players on their books.” Formation“Our game plan is to be very organised and deny teams space. We focus on the defensive part of the game so the strikers can lack midfield support and battle hard for little reward”, “We are conceding possession and doing teams on the break, basically.” “I think that North End will find it easier to get points on the road this year with our ability to hit teams on the break”, “It will be pretty much the same at home as well. Most clubs will be targeting three points against us rather than parking the bus. That will be to our advantage.”
PickfordWrightClarke (c)HuntingtonCunninghamHumphreyGallagherWelshJohnsonKeaneGarner
Preston’s starting XI (above) for Tuesday’s game at Rotherham has been little changed from their other two league games. Their three centre-backs are screened by at least two midfielders and two wing-backs. The plan is to frustrate opponents, snuff out their attacks and hit them on the counter. “This season will be more about competing against better squads who won’t be sitting back when they visit Deepdale”, “There are bigger and better teams to come who will have a go at us which will suit us. It’s a bit early maybe, but we really are a Championship team.” PickfordWrightWoodsHuntingtonCunninghamVermijlBrowneBrownhillKilkennyKeaneHugill
“Simon Grayson seems to prefer playing 3-4-1-2 at the moment.” To give everyone an idea of Preston’s squad players, this was the starting XI for their 3-1 Capital One Cup win at Crewe which followed the same system and set up used in league fixtures. “We go into the next game with no striker in reserve. One injury to our centre-backs and there goes our 3-5-2 formation. We are going well so far but how far can this squad actually take us?” Lilywhites harbour concerns about their squad depth and the continued absence of striker Jermaine Beckford. “Will Keane and Joey Garner aren’t a particularly good pairing. So often they both come towards midfield with their backs to goal and then everything is congested in the middle. When Beckford is back, spinning opposition defences into space I think we will be cooking on gas.” Rotherham 0 - 0 Preston“I’m on the coach back now. It was an awful game of football to be honest. We had a bit of a spell in the second half but other than that it was painful to watch”, “Defensively we look very sound but we look very lacklustre in attack. Our passing was poor and more often than not gave the ball away.” “This is looking like a classic Grayson result, exciting stuff”, “What a thrilling result”, “I don’t think we have had a chance”, “We won’t have a chance. Our game is to soak up pressure and hit teams on the break. Unfortunately Rotherham won’t apply any pressure”, “In fairness, it is how we play.” “We were never really troubled by a very average Rotherham at best.” The consensus after the game was that both sides cancelled each other out, but some fans felt that this was an opportunity missed. “It has been an excellent start and more points than I expected without Beckford.” Milton Keynes 0 - 1 Preston“Hard work but well deserved”, “It was a great three points against the ever obliging Milton Keynes. We were happy to allow pass it about in front of us to no useful purpose before stopping their feeble and lethargic efforts in the final third”, “PNE playing the game their way.” “Getting three points out of a game in this league is tough. Well done Simon and the boys”, “The ref tried his best to make us lose but we held out.” The one negative in North End’s first win of the campaign was the late red card given to substitute striker Jordan Hugill for stamping on an opponent. Preston 0 - 0 Middlesbrough“Bloody hell - things just got real after seeing Middlesbrough’s line-up”, “Grayson’s game plan was perfect. I do love a boring 0-0 draw”, “We were solid and the back and well organised. If they are the favourites, we are going to do okay”, “A solid point against a tough team”, “I feared the worst.” “We made it difficult for Boro today.” The feeling among fans was that Preston gave as good as they got against last season’s play-off finalists. “I loved this. We were properly getting stuck into them”, “The mollycoddled Championship teams are going to hate coming to Deepdale based on that.” “We will frustrate a lot of teams playing like that and it will keep us up easily”, “We played well as a unit and had a habit of dropping deep as soon as Middlesbrough got the ball. We tried to sit in and play on the counter or the long ball which on reflection were great tactics by Grayson.” Central Defence“Nearly 300 minutes of Championship football and no goals conceded. Excellent”, “We do need another central defender though”, “I wouldn’t mind a ball playing centre-back like Sean St Ledger used to be. It is always useful to have someone who can bring it out from defence.” Jordan Pickford“Does anyone else like Pickford?”, “A goalie that can come out and catch the ball is worth his weight in gold.” The 21-year-old arrived on a season-long loan from Sunderland in July and Lilywhites have been moved by his displays. “He is outstanding, confident and his distribution is spot on.”  “Pickford is immense in goal, plucking everything out of the air or punching it well clear and that huge kick is such a useful weapon. I have absolutely no worries in the nets while he is in there”, “He is only a young lad and looks like he has been playing for years. He is only going to get better.” “He looks like a top keeper. In the last two games he has made two top-class saves as well as commanding his area well. He is rapid off his line and I was really impressed by his ability to come for crosses and we can all see how good both his distribution and his kicking are.” “Bailey Wright’s defensive performances have been first class, real body on the line performances. Yes, his distribution isn’t the best and he does dally in possession at little, but he’s there to defend firstly and that’s just what he does”, “His left foot is still only for standing on but he is getting there.” The 23-year-old youth product and Australia international “will never progress unless he becomes better with his ability on the ball. His passing is at times terrible and he needs to find his feet a lot better”, “Wright’s aerial ability is the best area of his game. His timing is brilliant despite his height.” “Paul Huntington is an absolute donkey who can’t pass or dribble and would look lost anywhere on the pitch apart from at centre-back. It’s a good job he’s a quality centre-back!” The 27-year-old ex-Yeovil man “offers height, strength and goals. His job is to clear danger and not to mess around”. “Huntington is a good defender who gets under the skin of strikers. His height gives the advantage in attacking set-pieces and he puts it in the back of the net every now and then”, “He scored nine goals last season”, “As long as he can clear it and gives the ball to ball players, then that’s all we need.” Tom Clarke“If Clarke isn’t good enough then we need an entire new defence because he’s the best defender we have”, “His strength is his tacking, but he needs to be careful with this as strikers and wingers appear to go over a lot easier”, “He is our best defender at the club. Debate over.”  “Clarke is a better footballer than Huntington and it shows when he plays the ball out of defence rather than hoofing it, but he isn’t as solid as Huntington”, “A leader on and off the pitch, a well-rounded footballer and a vital cog in the build-up of plays”, “He’d struggle at right-back at this level.” “There is only one Super Tommy Clarke.” The 27-year-old former Huddersfield centre-back has been lionised by fans after scoring an 87th minute winner to knock fierce local rivals Blackpool out of the Capital One Cup in 2013. “You can’t take the armband off him. He put the ball in the Blackpool net.” Wing Backs“We don’t need wingers. We aren’t playing 4-4-2 but we have Humphrey and Vermijl on the right and Gallagher and Cunningham on the left. They are sufficient on the rare occasions we might switch”, “Our wing-backs are tremendous assets to the club with the big men we have up front.” “Chris Humphrey does very well sprinting back towards our goal to give support to our defenders. It’s when he is moving in the opposite direction that he becomes questionable”, “At times I have felt that we needed to attack more from the wings and he didn’t”, “A one-trick pony going forward.” “There will be plenty of games this season where we have to double-up defensively. This will suit Humphrey.” The right-sided 27-year-old ex-Motherwell man “is athletic and does cover the wide areas defensively when needed”, “He has an indifferent record with crosses and is poor in the air.” Belgium U21 international Marnick Vermijl arrived on a season-long loan from Sheffield Wednesday this month but has only played intermittently. “He doesn’t look like a wing-back but might be better suited to a flat back four”, “He has some throw on him. That will be handy and is a definite plus.” “Vermijl looked lost to me against Middlesbrough, stuck in a no-man’s land between right-back and right wing. He’s clearly not used to playing the wing-back role like that. He looks to have an attacking threat but his positional awareness is off. With Humphrey in the side we looked more balanced.” Greg Cunningham“Congratulations Greg on being selected for the Republic of Ireland squad. It’s absolutely amazing news and fully deserved.” Fans have been singing the praises of the 24-year-old left-sided player signed from Bristol City last month. “A million miles ahead of what he had in the position last year.”  “Cunningham is a workhorse who tackles, passes and gets stuck in. Going forward he looks to have a decent cross on him too”, “I haven’t seen anybody neat him yet”, “He has started well, but then the Bristol City fans said he would be decent”, “Did he not cost anything? If so, that’s an absolute steal.” “Cunningham looked a class act at Milton Keynes. He is very calm on the ball and whilst he’s up there putting in crosses he doesn’t seem to get caught out of position”, “I really like what I see. He’s dependable, has a good header and a great left foot”, “He looks very composed when defending.” Central Midfield“I wonder if we are carrying too many luxury players. We have too many players who don’t tackle. If we were a free-flowing team, passing opponents to death I could understand but we’re not”, “We could do with some grit in midfield because it will be required in some games.” “Neil Kilkenny is very good when we need to retain possession”, “As well as his composure, I like the way he organises those around him.” The 29-year-old ex-Bristol City man has not featured in any league games. “He can’t tackle and isn’t strong or aggressive enough to truly protect the back four.” “Alan Browne is a box-to-box midfielder who offers something with and without the ball”, “I love his work rate and tenacity.” The 20-year-old ex-Cork City man “looks a strong lad. He went off the boil mid-season but came back strong last year. He won’t shirk any 50/50 balls and loves to get stuck in.” “Josh Brownhill seems to be a Kilkenny Mark II, which is not a compliment.” The 19-year-old youth product “is skilful but not strong enough”, “He’s not a holding midfielder. His best position is the free role behind the front two”, “Grayson has played him too deep but it doesn’t excuse his lack of pace.” “Paul Gallagher is a very good player. Technically he may be the best we have on our books.” The 31-year-old ex-Leicester playmaker “puts in good freekicks and clearly has a good footballing brain. He needs to track back more when he loses the ball and not become anonymous when we are losing.” “Gallagher needs to keep it simple at times, knuckle down and put a bloody tackle in. When he’s good, he’s good, but he’s a soft player”, “He’s a luxury we can obviously afford”, “He has been a luxury player but his attitude and work rate have improved and he’s a different player now.” John Welsh“I bloody love Welsh. His commitment to the cause is second to none”, “Players like him doing the graft in the middle allow the attacking players go and do their stuff”, “Out of nowhere he has the knack of being in the right place at the right time”, “Has shown he is still good enough at this level.”  The 31-year-old ex-Hull and Tranmere player “picked up where he left off last season. The lad is quality”, “He’s the one midfielder we have who really knows how to tackle and win a ball”, “He never stops organising the other players, keeping them focused, running and tackling.” “Under Grayson he has improved game by game”, “I would like to hope that another midfield enforcer like him is brought in”, “It’s dangerous just to rely on John Welsh as the only one who offers this, no matter how well he is playing”, “He cannot be expected to battle away by himself.” Daniel Johnson“What a gem this guy is, always available and breaking up play. He has a great engine and uses and passes the ball intelligently, barely giving it away.” The 22-year-old January signing from Aston Villa “looks a really capable player, more so than last season when it was all a bit of a game to him.”  “Johnson’s bursting runs on the counter are always a threat. He looks more comfortable at this level”, “The lad plays the game like it’s a five-a-side. He’s a floating crisp packet, making it all look easy”, “He doesn’t make many tackles but is tireless in always harassing opponents.” “He can be slow getting back to defend but he is there to be further forward to attack”, “Boro hardly gave him a chance to do what he can do best and run forward into free spaces”, “When on the ball he looked more than useful, but I didn’t like how he followed the ball without achieving anything.” Strikers“We are not creating as much as we were last season”, “Without real pace in attack teams are going to play a high line like Rotherham did.” Many fans feel that Beckford’s absence has made the team one-dimensional in attack. “We need a lightning bolt of a player to stretch defences.” The lack of variety or alternative options up front is a concern. “Clean sheets are fantastic but I worry that we will struggle if we don’t start scoring. The defence can’t hold out forever”, “With Hugill suspended and Beckford injured, Garner and Keane have to last the full 90 minutes.” “I like Will Keane but he’s an attacking midfielder for me.” The 22-year-old has joined on a season-long loan from Manchester United. “He isn’t clinical enough in front of goal and struggles to get off the ground when challenging in the air”, “He has a great touch and is both sharp and intelligent.” “Keane is going to be a top player. He makes clever runs off the defenders and creates space for his team-mates, a good link-up player”, “He works his backside off, puts himself about and is not afraid to get stuck in”, “Impressed with his touch, awareness and strength. He plays with real maturity.” Joe Garner“Long live Joey Garner in the white of PNE”, “You’ve got to love him, don’t you? If the Championship doesn’t know much about him, they soon will do. He will be the most hated striker in a few weeks too”, “He’s great in the thick of it and I admire his bravery but I am not sure he is a target man.”  “Garner’s aerial ability is exceptional.” The 27-year-old former Watford and Nottingham Forest man “is able to jump early and hang in the air. It’s not easy. For any defence he’s a nightmare”, “He’s an irritating wasp of a player, brave and effective. I heard someone on Radio Lancashire call him Joey Carnage. It suits him.” “I would encourage him to take shots from everywhere rather than waiting for the perfect chance. Fine-tune his finishing and he will do fine”, “It seems like he and Keane aren’t cooking out of the same cookery book”, “Communication between them has been poor but time should improve this.” Jermaine Beckford“I’m worried about the Jermaine Beckford situation”, “I hope he is back soon so he can reform that partnership with Garner, who has not clicked with Keane”, “The sooner he’s back the better. We literally had no back-up striker at Rotherham with Hugill’s suspension.”  “When asked, Grayson just said that you will know when his name is on the teamsheet.” Beckford has yet to feature competitively this season. Fans feel that they are being kept in the dark about the 31-year-old former Leeds and Bolton striker’s injury. “There is more than we are being told about.” “Without Beckford our other three strikers are all very similar, backs to goal, holding the ball up and looking to lay it off. Beckford is our only striker who looks to run behind defences. Without him, our midfielders have to attack the space behind the strikers, which they simply don’t do often enough.” Lilywhites’ Views on ITFC and the Game“When you keep clean sheets, all it takes is a goal to win and I fancy us to give Ipswich a run for their money on Saturday”, “Perhaps the game on Saturday will suit us more than Rotherham.” There has been little discussion of the game, but score prediction threads have made interesting reading. With 28% predicting a home win but 40% backing Ipswich, Lilywhites expect a closely fought game but they are very wary of the threat we pose. The vast majority of home win forecasts include a Preston clean sheet with their optimists backing their defence to keep us at bay. The most popular draw predicted is 1-1, but a considerable number of their more pessimistic fans have predicted a 3-1 Blues win. Freddie Sears, closely followed by David McGoldrick, are the most favoured ITFC first goalscorers distantly followed by Ryan Fraser and Ainsley Maitland-Niles. There was admiration expressed for our Tyrone Mings deal, “a great business from Mick McCarthy”, while Brett Ormerod breaking his leg in a challenge with Jonathan Douglas in a play-off against Leeds in 2006 was also mentioned. “Douglas has moved to Ipswich - some wouldn’t want him here.” They haven’t forgotten some of our recent encounters. “The best away game next season in the Championship will be our 4-2 win at Ipswich”, “Yes, with another Joey Garner hat-trick”, “Or David Nugent.” WebsitesThe busiest Preston message board is PNE Online.
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