First up Southport at Haig Avenue on Saturday. A rare outing down the coast to play the Sandgrounders with their ex PNE player Liam Watson as manager. Still think they are a part time club which makes last seasons performance in the Conference all the more remarkable. Team selection for us should be interesting with Stuchmann in goal with 10 others running around in the outfield. Suspect we may have a couple of players called A Triallist as well. Yours truly will be there, what will we get who knows, the countdown starts now
I suppose there will be a lot of huffing and puffing on both sides. Wouldn't expect a classy game. Will try to get to the Wimbledon game.
A chilly and windy Haig Avenue in Southport heralded the started of Preston's 2012/13, after a summer of change at Deepdale the starting XI bore little resemblance to the side that finished the last league season. A decent crowd of about 1500 mostly Preston fans who had made the short journey down the coast. The new look side started well and were two up within 15 minutes, the first from a Keane cross was majestically headed home by a Southport defender. (0-1) The 2nd came from a Byron penalty after Holroyd had been brought down. By the time Byron was approaching the goal the keeper had virtually dived leaving Byron to tuck the ball down the centre (0-2) North End dominated the half with the home side rarely threatening, Keane was unlucky not to add a third following a delightful move involving Tiago and Byron. Half time arrived and North End changed all 11 players and the early stages of the 2nd half were dominated by Southport they were unlucky twice hitting the bar, but once the North End change side settled down Gonzalez in the Preston goal had little to do, to be honest neither did the Southport keeper apart a save from a Trundle free kick. Counts fdor nothing in the grand scheme of things but a useful work out. Southport 0 Preston North End 2 Att 1500
Chorley away for the mighty whites tonight, again suspect will be mix and match, Bailey Wright, Robertson and Stuckmann may even play. Thought about going but the mud flats are not appealing on a Tuesday night especially as there is a day nighter on from Trent Bridge.
More huffing & puffing? On another site, some were saying they expected the 'kick&run' or percentage ball style of play but were surprised in the first half by a passage game.
Yes they did pass it around well from the back in the first half looked decent, suspect depending who we play may influence our style of play
1-1 draw at Chorley doesn't sound like a great result although by all accounts they played quite well passing the ball around. Two more keepers played Morais an ex Portuguese international and Tony Warner. Trundle scored the goal and was the best forward for us on the night which at the age of 36 doesn't sound like the other younger were up to much. Still think scoring goals will be a problem. Amoo, Robertson and Stuckmann yet to play this season and Hume is on the transfer list.
Is Lee Trundle the third tier's Ryan Giiggs? Did Beck's Wife design last night's kit? Were the pies any good at Chorley? And who the blazes will score for NE? Questions arising f rom reading last night's report. Not necessarily in that order of importance.
Looking forward to the Wombles game. On 31st. By then the squad should be taking shape. I hope that rather than there being a GW style of playing, so called, but variety in each match indicating thoughtful football & not formula football.
Off to the Globe (Morecambe) tomorrow for Westley's new look side, looks like Amoo may get a run out. A slightly harder game than the other two played, suspect a few trialists as well. Me, I'll either be watching the golf or catching the rays at Old Traford watching Lancashire lose.
Well the unbeaten run has ended in what sounded like a crap display and that is being kind. Trundle left the ground on crutches and according to reports possible signing Beardsley looked crap even in the warm up. The QED stadium tomorrow night Bamber Bridge, may even sneak a win. Forward desperately needed one who puts the ball in the net.
We know that the friendlies are a time to try out trialists & team formations, but by the time of the W'dom game we should be seeing a team in formation. I am looking forward to seeing NE, get the old buzz back used to get when my pal & myself tried thumbing a lift along Aquaduct St. to D'dale. Will use the uNderground & Freeedom Pass (thanks to Ken) now. The clown that is mayor will find a way of reducing if not getting rid of it.
Drew 1-1 at Bamber Bridge comments from Twitter are as follows:- Left with 10 minutes to go there's only so much dross you can watch. Got to say this is really bad, if it's just for fitness. Players should still be able to play football. I don't care if it was a friendly we were absolutely shocking Beardsley couldn't hit a barn door Amoo scored
AEK Athens, an interesting history. Go to their website, English translation available. Did not recognise most of their current squad. Should be an interesting game. Expect NE to thrash 'em, 6 - 0? On the other hand...
On the other hand indeed Barnet expect them to go home with money in their pockets after all there's none in Greece
Or some of them could play for us then they at least get some pay & at a decent rate in euros to the £! Jump ship, lads!
Wasn't going to go to this but decided to go and pick up my season ticket which wasn't ready. The gravitational pull around the ground forced to the ticket booth were by divine intervention purchased a ticket. A blowy rather chilly day for Preston's friendly with the Greek side AEK Athens. Like North End they have gone through a major player re organisation during the close season. A fairly lifeless first half in which North End dominated produced little in the way of goal mouth entertainment. Apart from a weak Wroe effort there was nothing else to trouble either keeper. The first 10 minutes of the 2nd half saw a hatful of chances for both sides, Wroe, Holmes going close for the home side whist Stuckmann pulled of a super save at the other end. Then the substitutes arrived the Greeks made 7 in 10 minutes, the play became understandibly disjointed although to be fair to the Greeks they seemed to play better and were on top with several efforts going close. With 15 minutes to the Greeks had changed the entire team and really should have been ahead when an effort was crashed against the bar. As the game drifted towards it's conclusion Moanakana who had shown some ability on the right wing got into the AEK areaand his cross cum shot hit a defender and was diverted into the net for a goal to the home side. There was only a minute left when the goal came which left the Greeks with little time to get back into the game. All in all a decent workout and a win to boot. Preston North End 1 AEK Athens 0 att2300
Thanks for that, Maclad. Some early comments on the LEP site suggested a strong defensive display but a lack of bite up front. And there is Hume, wages being paid, training in some gym in Lancs, who could be playing for NE until some club comes in for him. I suppose GW thinks using Hume would disrupt his grand scheme of things, but one could argue that having IH in the team &possibly giving the attack greater thrust would not only relieve the midfield & defence on the pitch but would also increase morale.
