Preston North End 2 Charlton Athletic 0
Defeat today in heavy winds but we can’t be too downhearted. These days were always going to come, but we sit top half as we go into the second international break.
It’s been a long week especially for those travelling fans who today had to beat difficult train and weather conditions, but their backing was magnificent again.
Preston have assembled a decent side this summer after a poor end to last season. They looked brighter throughout even in what was an even first half.
We lacked creativity I thought and again our strikers were dry. The hard work and midfield graft was there, but a bit of craft was missing.
Tough week though at this level, and Bell woke up not 100% which was why Ramsey played at LWB which appeared to unbalance us somewhat and we lacked ingenuity on that side going forward.
It was obvious Small was going to score even though it took a deflection, but he did little else otherwise. At that point in the game they were on top as we struggled to impose ourselves on the half.
A second from Jebbison with 10 minutes left killed the game off.
A two week break now to recharge the batteries.
🎙️“We are finding our feet at level, we will learn from this and then we will be better for it.” – Nathan Jones
⭐️ Greg Docherty
🏟️ 14,991 (1,296 Addicks)
📸 Kyle Andrews
It was written in the stars that Small would score as he had a point to prove to Jones regarding his upgraded Preston contract.
We will experience defeat but the main point is the analyse the game and build systems to nullify it happening again where possible.
We have a break now and face Sheffield Wednesday….what can possibly happen ??????
Done both trips, Tues we looked well leggy in the second half and dropped off similarly today. Having said that no realm complaints, NJ’s aspirations for the club Iove, for those of us wearing the scars of the last decade, comfortable survival this season will do very nicely.
My only complaint was how cheaply we surrendered possession in the second half, look so different to the team that plays at The Valley but anyway, onwards and upwards.
Having the Sniffer Dog back after the break hopefully will be a big bonus.
Kudos to you Steve for making both games. You must be a little leggy yourself 😃
Once again our inability to score goals let us down. We didn’t even get our usual one.
T. Campbell gets yet another start, though being subbed on 58 minutes may be the earliest he’s been subbed yet?
Leaburn came on and looked woefully out of sorts
N. Jones seems to have a blind spot when it comes to striker selection, no matter how poor they perform, they get the gig.
O/K we’re twelfth in the Championship and that ain’t bad for a promoted side. I just feel we could be doing better if NJ would open his eyes to some individuals peformances.
I will take 12th any time. That is above expectations.
Not our day today but we will bounce back. We have to expect these results.
Looking at Wrexham who haven’t won at home yet, Birmingham big spend strikers not scoring.. and struggling with goals, I think we have pretty well for the early season start. Still many games to go, keep the faith Daggs!
Totally agree Daggs the logic of keeping the same starting two front men of TC and Kelman isn’t working. Between them, they have had just one effort on target in nine games, Kelman one, TC none, surely NJ must realise by now two smallish forwards isn’t working? Give Olafe a start, who has been the most impressive when coming on, with say Kelman. Olafe is the only striker who has scored, we can’t keep relying on defenders and midfielders to keep us afloat!
It does seem from his current set up that NJ is looking to pinch a one nil win or at least a draw, in games. As is seems we can’t seem to respond, if we go a goal behind. Like yesterday when he implied whoever got that first goal would go on to win as it was so even, so was blaming the ref for not giving us the throwin. Come on NJ no excuses on this one please, we were second best for most of the match, they deserved the win, we hardly had an effort on goal, and it was more your set up and wrong choices of starting players and subs that let us down.
I can see bringing on Olafe and Leaburn but why Knibbs, he has done nothing when coming on, apart from his late cameo role against Watford, why not Apter is he in the bad books? He was playing great, hes fast, takes players on and and am sure he could have played on the right when TC came off, as he can use both feet, plus someone who could have put good crosses over to the big two Olafe and Leaburn.
Then bringing on Berry was a joke, he struggled for pace last season and did absolutely nothing except getting booked. Certain players sitting on that bench, including Apter and Costello. a £750,000 buy from Blackburn, must wonder why they can’t even get on as a sub when the team are struggling!
I totally agree with Daggs about Leaburn, but think the main reason, is that he has committed to signing a new contract with Charlton, and like certain others, is not even being given a chance to start, in front of two strikers who aren’t really performing and can’t even get some shots on target, let alone score!
Also lets be honest here, as I put in a previous post the previous three teams we played Sheffield Utd, Derby and Blackburn, were all around the bottom and playing really poorly and still are, so we should have been taking at least some points from them, whereas I said, it will be much harder against clubs like Preston who are doing well, as it has proved.
I wonder what NJ would say now, if you asked him about bringing in his real old favourite chum from Luton, Danny Hylton, as First Team Coach mainly to help the strikers? 🙂
Anyway lets hope we can get a good result against Sheffield Wed’s after their thrashing by Coventry and not another poor performance and similar loss to QPR, after their heavy defeat! As we have two really hard away games afterwards.
Even I have lost all my patience with TC starting that’s all I m saying today would love to see the sniffer dog back in action soon a welcome break for all
There is some predictive texting in my last comment sorry guys