Preston Pre-match - Wellens touch and go for Saturday

[Edmund]

http://www.thebluearmy.co.uk/news/Payback-...il/article.html

It will be payback time for Leicester City when they face Preston at the Walkers Stadium today, captain Matt Oakley has said.

Oakley and his team-mates are still smarting from being dumped out of the Carling Cup last month at Deepdale and will be looking to put the record straight against Alan Irvine's side .

On that occasion, City started well and led through a Nicky Adams goal after just five minutes, but a brace from Chris Brown inflicted City's first defeat of the season.

Ironically, that victory set up Preston's clash with Tottenham Hotspur, who hammered the Lillywhites 5-1 on Wednesday night.

"Is it payback? I think so, yes," said Oakley. "We started pretty well up there in the cup and went in front but then couldn't hold on to the lead. We do owe them one. They are a strong team, they are every year. They keep their squad together and add one or two and are always challenging. It will be a tough game."

Preston are perennially around the play-off picture, despite having modest resources at Championship level, but Oakley believes that may be the secret to their success.

"I think the managers that go in at Preston know what they have got," he said. "They have a squad of hardworking players, a limited budget and they know where they are. There are managers who go into different places and they are given a little bit too much money and they go in, spend it and change the team too much.

"Preston know what they have got and they can produce the results, and they are always up there. It is a difficult place to go up there, as we found out."

After scoring eight goals already this season and five in the last three games, Matty Fryatt will be the man Preston will have to keep quiet. With extra-special attention expected for City's main striker, Oakley has admitted it is time the rest of the side started to relieve some of the pressure on Fryatt.

Fryatt has contributed all but five of the goals scored this season. His strike partner Steve Howard and Oakley himself, who chipped in with eight last season, have yet to get off the mark this campaign and the skipper said it was time others started to help out.

"The goals are going to come and at the moment Matty is putting them in," he said.

"We have to help him out. It isn't just Steve who hasn't scored, I haven't scored yet. At the moment Matty is getting the headlines, which is great for him and for us, but it would be nice to help him out.''

[Edmund]

http://www.thebluearmy.co.uk/news/Nigel-Pe...il/article.html

Nigel Pearson believes today's opponents Preston North End will not be suffering a hangover from their midweek mauling at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lillywhites were battered 5-1 by Spurs at Deepdale, but any thoughts that Alan Irvine's side will be vulnerable when they visit the Walkers Stadium have been dismissed by the Leicester City boss.

Pearson believes that result, and the fact City have already suffered defeat to Preston this season when they were dumped out of the Carling Cup at Deepdale, will have no consequence on today's Championship clash.

"They played very well against Spurs, they were unlucky," said Pearson.

"I don't think it will have a lot of bearing on the game.

"They will probably feel in that game that they were slightly unfortunate to be on the receiving end.

"The Carling Cup game was a few weeks ago now so I can't see it having any bearing. It will be another tough game. They have had a good start and they are a difficult team to beat."

Preston are not the only side looking to banish the demons of a performance. City are also keen to shake off the memory of last week's slip-up at Watford, when they squandered a two-goal lead and ended up needing a late Dany N'Guessan equaliser to salvage a point.

Pearson said his side had gone over the defensive lapses that allowed the Hornets back into the game but were now focused on putting in a better performance at the Walkers today.

"We have worked on a few things this week," said Pearson.

"The players have been, generally speaking, very solid defensively. Our defensive play is always fairly steady so I am not going to over-react to it, but it was disappointing that we dropped two points in that fashion.

"But we have moved on from that now. It is something we talked about after the game and the early part of this week, but the focus is now on being right for this game.

"It is good to play at home and after last week it is important to get back playing again."

[Edmund]

http://www.lcfc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10274~1808591,00.html

Strikers thrive on goals, but City front man Steve Howard is definitely not letting his wait for his first of the season prey on his mind.

His partner in attack, Matty Fryatt, has eight to his name but, as everyone who watches City knows, Howard always makes a huge and at times selfless contribution and the steady start to the season is due in no small measure to his efforts.

Howard said: "No, it is not preying on my mind because obviously we are scoring goals as a team. It happened last season. Matty's on fire and hopefully I will keep setting them up and he will keep banging them in.

Foxes boss, Nigel Pearson, certainly backs the big man by picking him every time he is available and Howard acknowledges that this has boosted his morale.

He said: "He has given me a lot of confidence by picking me every week. I just have to keep banging away and if I can create chances for Matty that will do me. It has happened to me before. As for Matty, I have every confidence in him."

Preston come here next and it is the first chance to make amends for what everyone in the camp felt was two points lost rather than one gained at Watford last Saturday.

Howard said: "First and foremost we want to win this game. If we play the way we played in the first half at Watford we will be all right. Hopefully, if we do that then we will kill the game off and be ruthless. They are always a good, hard working side and we have to be on our toes."

[clazkel]

i suggested a 3-4-1-2 formation could be perfect for us a few games back, but i'm not inclined to think that today would be the game to uinleash it....

Actually thats very true, its going to be a difficult game today, so maybe if Mcgiven is fit then play him left back and Gallagher or N'guessan on the right

[lou]

i suggested a 3-4-1-2 formation could be perfect for us a few games back, but i'm not inclined to think that today would be the game to uinleash it....

Totally agree - not today