Match Day Thread PNE our bogey v CITY .....

MansionBet Match Preview: Preston North End (A)
Thursday, December 17th 2020
As Dean Holden put it himself, there are “no excuses” as City look to recover their earlier good form and put together a better run of results in the festive period.
. But three losses in December – two in a row after Tuesday’s game against Millwall in BS3 – has seen City slide out of the play-off places.
City know they haven’t been at their fluid, attacking best and will be working hard to get back to the sort of form seen earlier in the campaign.
Going up against a 'bogey' side in Preston may not be the fans' ideal fixture in that case. Much has already been written about City's long run of games without victory over the Lilywhites - 14 previous fixtures without success - but then again, the past plays no part in the fixture and records are always there to be broken!
The Robins last beat Preston on February 5th 2011 in a 4-0 win with Kalifa Cissé, now of the coaching staff, featuring in that game.
They did come close to three points in this fixture last year, however they were held to a 3-3 draw as the rain pounded the North West, and again the sides shared the points in a 1-1 draw in the 2019/20 season finale.
Strong on the counter-attack and good in the air (Andrew Hughes, Patrick Bauer and Jayden Stockley average more headers won than Tomas Kalas who leads the City charts), Preston men pose a real threat but they are prone to conceding chances, so if City can get their rhythm going, they could put the hosts under the cosh. The Robins may also find success on the counter so it could be an open and lively contest in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
As for Alex Neil's team, they have secured only two wins at home in the league all season and like City, enter this latest fixture on the back of two consecutive defeats.
Despite taking an early lead through Sean Maguire, they succumbed to a 2-1 loss in the week to Barnsley as the Tykes battled back with two second-half goals.
It's all to play for in this pre-Christmas encounter with Head Coach Holden and his players aiming to bring home the perfect present in the form of three points.

MATCH DETAILS
Where: Deepdale
When: Friday, December 18th, 8pm KO
Competition: Sky Bet Championship
Referee: Geoff Eltringham
Assistants: Steven Meredith and Mark Jones
Fourth official: Darren Bond

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Head to Head...
DOWN MEMORY LANE
Bristol City 3-0 Preston
Ashton Gate
Sunday, May 4th 2008
Sky Bet Championship
City clinched the play-offs with a 3-0 Ashton Gate victory against Preston North End. Lee Trundle fired Gary Johnson’s side ahead, before he turned supplier for Michael McIndoe.
The damage was done inside the first 45 minutes but David Noble added the icing on the cake early into the second half.
City went on to defeat Crystal Palace en route to the Wembley final, where it was heartbreak at the hands of Hull City.

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Lee Trundle scoring against Preston in May 2008
HEAD TO HEAD*
Preston v Bristol City
Played: 91
City won: 26 (29%)
Drew: 32
City lost: 33
Bristol City goals: 26
Preston goals: 32

Bristol City top goalscorers: Nahki Wells (5)
Preston top goalscorer: Scott Sinclair (7)
Bristol City most assists: Antoine Semenyo (6)
Preston most assists: Ryan Ledson (3)
Bristol City clean sheets: 8
Preston clean sheets: 5

League positions
Bristol City: 9th (30 points)
Preston: 16th (23 points)
*All competitions unless stated

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Han-Noah Massengo earned his third start of the season on Tuesday night

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Diédhiou's red card means he is suspended versus Preston

 

this is a game that we are most likely to lose when employing the bogey formula!
As published our injury list could field a full team that would do well in DIV1 & WIN DIV2 [ and have our 3rd string keeper between the sticks! ]

 

PNE 13/10 5/2 DRAW 5/2 CITY bookies got it right Tuesday … hopefully not tonight / Friday …!!!!

 

I came across this mural a few weeks ago in a cathedral. It seems the big man upstairs must be a PNE fan - which might explain our poor run of results against them of late!!!

Bonus point if you can name the place......

 

We have a very poor recent record against PNE, so I fully expect a defeat tonight.

 

PNE over the past 6 games have a record is similar to our own, we have lost one more and they have drawn one more.

But they are not only a bogey side to us but also another physical side, I see nothing other than being out muscled all over the park but especially in midfield, loads of passing around at the back, zero ideas in and around their box, pissed off strikers wondering why did I join and ultimate defeat.

But hey this is Bristol City and I always expect the unexpected, but whatever the outcome I fully expect another post match improvement speech.

Groundhog day has arrived early this season.

 

wonder how close this will be! usually manage name 8 or so … I would like to see them try something a bit different... prediction assumes Paterson Wells and Kalas are fit! maybe along the lines of 4 - 2 - 3 - 1?

 

Difficult to imagine a weaker midfield than that.

 

Brunt and Massengo would arguably be even worse.

Terrible options.

We await turgid.

 

Can't argue with that.

All options are mainly slow, predictable, gutless and non creative.

 

And some on here blame Holden.

It's just the legacy of a failed plan implemented 4 years ago.

 

Holden has been here 4 years, the midfield was poor then, ok the mystery injuries to Walsh and Williams (I still don't believe the official version that was forced out of him) haven't helped but he has certainly exacerbated the situation with the sale of Morrell, the loaning out of Palmer instead of Massengo and the signing of Brunt, especially with the unravelling injury problems at the club.

Also he got arsey when asked about the Rowett comment after Tuesday game about City struggling against physical teams, that was evident 4 years ago as well and 3 of our last 4 defeats were against physical teams, with another on the cards tonight.

He was with us during those 4 years and still those problems persist and if anything are actually worse.

 

Looks like a long night for Wells and Martin and probably the back 3 as well.

But hey this is BCFC who knows.

 

I think there’s been a definite improvement under Holden.
The post-match debriefing is a breath of fresh air....... - AND he’s taller, plus his dad didn’t work for the club either.

 

Don't despair we are crap at home not made up my mind whether to watch yet progamme on walking Britain's lost railways sounds far more entertaining

 

And then there's lucky old me being finally able to watch us live (or whatever condition we show up in) and I fear the worst but hope for the best because that's what being a Bristol City fan means.

 

The last post match interview was utter nonsense, he actually saw an improvement?????

 

I must admit I couldn’t bear to watch it.
Besides, I’m simply fishing.....