Preston NE preview / thoughts...

What an absolute melt.

 

Improved display today, Lambert will get this team performing better and there was plenty to be positive about today.
A shame we couldn't grab a late goal and unfortunate that we gave away the most dangerously positioned free kick right after Gallagher came on. It was one of those subs that had me thinking he'd score or create or something.

I'm happy enough with Lambert's first game in charge.

 

An improvement on the last few games, but poorer than the games before the international break and interview process. Also against very weak opposition who failed to expose us. A good spell at the end of the first half and beginning of the second in terms of tempo and energy, but not sustained and no clear cut chances.

 

Simple fact is that we played 20 minutes against 10 men with an outfield player in goal and still couldn’t score. This is nothing to do with Lambert and more to do with the squad we have. I fear we will be too far adrift in January fo4 any signings to make a difference - really hope I’m wrong

 

I assume you are referring to Lambert

 

Lambert is calling the shots now, he has only had a week but he took the job so presumably he believes he can get results and isn’t just at Town to collect a pay cheque.

 

To lazy to look up stats, but don,t 10 men up their game as a rule ?
Not listened to this game so cannot comment.

 

Hamps, my tongue was firmly in my cheek with that comment.

 

I don’t think any more or less of Lambert, it was always going to be a roll of the dice - but I am disappointed that we didn’t do something different than what has not been working all season for us.

 

In a traffic jam leaving your gaff according to Sky it wasn't a pen we were shocking in the second half until the goal went in, after that thought we more likely to win even after the keeper went off but both sides should be winning these types of games

 

Yeah it wasn't a pen but we will take it!

 

Ultimately that was very disappointing.Yes we played much better for a good proportion of the match but that was largely down to PNE being very poor and Lambert micromanaging just about every move from the sideline.
One shot (brilliantly saved) in 20 odd minutes against a stand in keeper is a disgrace.
Sorry but that's another two points p/££ed away.

 

One point from two vital games. Anything less than a win against Reading and I think we have to say that's us dead and buried before Lambert even gets a chance to get his teeth into anything.

 

This is going to be a very difficult season for us, who knows if Lambert will keep us up or not but we're now 5 points off safety.

In general based on where we are and the situation, I thought this was a decent performance, the drive was back, maybe not quality but effort, intensity and organisation all good. If we can build on this display we have a shout of staying up. I fear we haven't got quite enough up top though.

Roberts looked half decent and gave us a focal point uptop, not sure I should reference this but he had a bit of a Grunt Holt about him, being very clever with his body, our game seemed to change when he got knackered. I thought we were the better team for the majority of the game, although in strange way Preston seemed to step up their game when they got a man sent off.

That was probably the most disappointing thing about today, that we didn't step up when they got a man sent off.

I was pleased to see Skuse giving the sitting role today, I thought this was his best game for a while and he actually seemed to try to dictate the play a little. This felt like the first game in years where we've played positive on the front foot football (I know we tried under Jewell but we were so unorganised at the back), I just hope the change hasn't come too late.

 

Honestly,unless Lambert performs an absolute miracle I think we are completely effed.

 

Looks tough. Hull Rotherham Reading all winning not helpful.

Hurst should have gone 5 or 6 games back. Lambert will improve us but it’s quite the ask with this pathetic squad.

 

While pleased to hear a greater urgency, passion, commitment, desire and teamwork, coupled with some fine individual performances - like Freddie has it in his tank after all - we are clearly short of several key players, and short of safety too, by growing gap of 5 pts. One or two injured, but serious funds to be spent in January, but fear too late by then.

I shall continue to back this new manager, who must have been shattered after his touchline performance!

We have to believe he can do it. Whether Evans will give him his unstinting support we don't know.

 

I went to the game yesterday and enjoyed it, there was 100% commitment from every player and Paul Lambert was fully involved from the touchline which was good to see, and the crowd responded which was also good to see.
The down side is that despite dominating the first half we created very little in the way of genuine chances and its difficult to see where the goals will come from, we have never been very successful defending one goal leads and so it continues so our need to score at least 2 goals a game becomes more urgent, who will score them? I've no idea but there is a glaring lack of quality up front, thanks Evans.
So I can't fault the enthusiasm and commitment of the players which enthuses the crowd, but we come back again to goal scoring quality or the lack of it, I'm sure Lambert is aware of this already and hopefully this will be addressed in January, can we survive? We will soon find out but it's looking precarious.

 

All bar four of the starting line up yesterday were Mick's men.

 

I noticed this, but there were the same mistakes and lack of chances, so it’s hardly a ringing endorsement.