Leicester v PNE Post Match Thread.

[maddog]

The last time we lost 2 league games in a row was over 1 and a half years ago

And that is how far we have come in recent times.

[lildave3]

First half was quite even I thought, possibly us edging it even. Second half though we were really poor. PNE are a very good side though, Chris Brown and Neil Mellor is a decent (and MASSIVE) partnership up top and Chaplow ran the show today. Not too disappointed.

Although N'Guessan and Neilson were absolutely shite.

[acooling08]

I have to say WELL DONE PRESTON

A very well organised, motivated, physical side. They did what they needed to do, get the goal(s) and then control the game and see it out.

Apart from no. 25. He's a shit.

[Budweiser]

Forget that bollocks when I said Neilson needs time to settle, he's shite.

It was a shit performance, from most of the team.

Berner yet again was quality.

But can someone explain to me, when Howard was subbed we decided to launch the ball into the box? Was Dyer ever going to score a header?

Neil Mellor and Ross Wallace are very classy, let alone Champlow.

Looks like play-offs for them again.

[lou]

I can.

So can I - we left on 88 mins and I couldnt give a flying toss what anyone thinks.

[Webbo]

So can I - we left on 88 mins and I couldnt give a flying toss what anyone thinks.

Boooooooh!!!

[Koke]

Preston are no mugs. A very good side who controlled most of the game. Chaplow and the other fella ran the midfield. Neil Mellor and Chris Brown are a pretty good partnership. The better team won by a landslide. We weren't anywhere near as good as them. Top 8 finish for Preston I reckon.

We were disappointing.

[Bluefoxtim]

No wonder we lost! What was Weale doing?!

90:00+2:35

Shot by Chris Weale from outside the box goes high over the crossbar.

Thank you BBC.

[Ultra]

Spurs showed in midweek how good Preston really are. The fact they're doing so well this season shows what a poor league the Championship really is.

Sadly, we were so lacklustre for large spells we made them look like Real Madrid.

Neilson can't hack it in English football, N'Guessan looked like a poor man's Momo Sylla, while Oakley and Howard are no better at Championship level than they were last time around.

As for Gallagher, while he has undoubted talent, neither he nor his team-mates seem to know where he's supposed to be playing, so his presnce disrupts both the balance and the rhythm of the team.

Pearson has some thinking to do. On today's evidence, and that of the previous two games, the current side is nowhere near strong enough to challenge for the top six.

[lou]

Boooooooh!!!

Whatever!

Bet I can out-fan you anyday matey!

[Ultra]

Real fans never leave before the final whistle.

And real teams would have put up more of an effort to defend a year-old unbeaten home record..

[Budweiser]

Spurs showed in midweek how good Preston really are. The fact they're doing so well this season shows what a poor league the Championship really is.

Sadly, we were so lacklustre for large spells we made them look like Real Madrid.

Neilson can't hack it in English football, N'Guessan looked like a poor man's Momo Sylla, while Oakley and Howard are no better at Championship level than they were last time around.

As for Gallagher, while he has undoubted talent, neither he nor his team-mates seem to know where he's supposed to be playing, so his presnce disrupts bothe balance and the rhythm of the team.

Pearson has some thinking to do. On today's evidence, and that of the previous two games, the current side is nowhere near strong enough to challenge for the top six.

Calm down it was one game, I though I was bad slating them, you've ran out of fooking nappies!

[Webbo]

And real teams would have put up more of an effort to defend a year-old unbeaten home record..

And real butter tastes better than margarine. What's your point?

[Koke]

I'll say it again, PNE are a very good team. Disappointed that we lost but at least we can put our hands up and say we lost to a superior team, rather than losing to a tinpot side like Barnsley or Peterborough.

We'll bounce back against Middlesbrough next week.

[Darkzzz_]

They were the better team, no complaints there. If today wasn't a wake up call I don't know what is. We looked awful today, we had no bright ideas and why we tried to play the long ball up field like Howard was there (when he was subbed) is beyond me. Oh and I don't even want to talk about Wayne Brown.

Bounce back v Boro, unlikely, I just hope we can turn up at the Ricoh next Saturday.

[maddog]

The table is very very very tight, we are still up there in though.

It's crucial we get 4 points from these 2 away games coming up though, or we could end up out of reach of the top six and sucked into a relegation battle.

Hats off to Ollie, Blackpool are 5th!!!

I never thought id say this but if MATTY FRYATT gets injured or leaves, we are screwed.

He was class today, and on another day would have scored a couple of world class goals.

[Guest Mee-9]

Well the highlight of my day was being on radio leicester.

That's how i felt.

Neilson + Brown = Worrying, how about micheal morrison.

EDIT - Dont worry i wasnt that pratt saying about Fortress Walkers

Was interviewed be4 game

[lou]

Thrac has been lurking for a long time... I sense a long rant is on its way and a lot of questioning why King wasnt playing.

[Koke]

I think Fryatt must have bought some pace when he was on holiday this summer.

I mentioned that after the 2nd or 3rd game of the season as well. He looks an extra yard quicker than his usual self. He bought some pace when he was on holiday.

[FleckneyFox]

Neilson cant cut it for me bring Gilbert back in on loan now! Hobbs & Tunchev need to be starting, Brown is a liability can only head the ball and put in the occasional crunching tackle.

Also im usually a Howard fan. But he needs to sort his attitude out and grow up. Slamming the ball down toward the end of the first half, seen too much like that a little too often from him this season. He's playing poor at the minute but the problem is our team falls apart without him because hes the focal point so we're forced to play him.

Still we've started the season decent and i think most will be happy with our position. Just could do with a win on the road now.

[Thracian]

While Pearson persists with playing his Chosen Men whether the effect is to unbalance the side or not we are heading for a cul-de-sac.

Let's deal with the major problems.

1) Our defence is collectively far too slow and unable to break forward fast enough or often enough.

2) To accommodate three central strikers with one in the hole, Pearson is asking Neilson to be a wing back. He's got enough to do being a full-back but is simply not fast enough or skillful enough to support quickly enough or to help get around the back of people. He tried. No-one can say the lad hides. But he just doesn't have the craft or the recovery power when we're hit on the break.

3) Many, including me, considered that Oakley/Wellens/King provided our best central midfield to date. So what dopes Pearson do? He takes King out, the fulcrum disappears and we are exposed to the counter attack without mercy. Make no mistake Preston might easily have had another couple of goals as a result with Mellor and Chaplow driving through us like a pair of supercharged JCBs.

It was such a pity because, in possession, Wellens and Oakley were among our best players.

King was much missed both in defence and attack and, when you have a hand in two goals on the previous outing, he must have wondered why.

4) The shape of the team was narrowed and our approach predictable. There was never the collective and individual movement you expect of a professional team and the big Preston defence, although threatened at times, were never stretched widthways or attacked at speed.

Wingers, with the help of their colleagues - including full-backs - need to commit defenders and get behind them so that other defenders are in turn drawn out of position.

We didn't even get behind the cause let alone the Preston defence. N'Guesson constantly looked for a brick wall dressed in a Preston shirt and ran into it. And never at speed.

Gallagher showed up wide on occasions and tossed in some well-flighted crosses but none of them really had attitude and, of course he spent less time attacking the penalty box as result.

Dyer was exactly that. I've no idea what's become of him really but as the weeks pass I wish I could see Gradel and Porter back in contention.

Gradel cos he makes things happen and Porter because he knows how to play wide, how to retain possession and how to deliver a decent final ball. Did we have one from N'Guessan and Dyer today?

5) As for our strikers, there was only Fryatt who looked likely to score or hurt Preston, apart perhaps from Kermo at the end. Fryatt was sharp and he never stopped.

Once when he lost possession and found himself 20 yards from the ball he was first to the next challenge with Howard, with only five yards to make up, had barely moved.

Yes, Fryatt frustrated us by missing his best chances and fouling up some promising moves but he was still a constant handful to Preston throughout. But boy does he need a hand.

Gallagher tried and probably got 70 minutes out of himself today so, apart from spending doing too much work outside the danger area and being a bit lightweight I'll not blame him. But Howard was ineffective. Such rare chances as he got were missed but he just looked slow and lumbering. Our attack desperately needs the pace and energy I mentioned weeks ago.

6) Tactically and spiritually we looked lacking for the most part today. Okay we did have players attacking the near post on occasions so that represented something of a collectors item. But times I looked at the team collectively and there was a total lack of drive and movement. Even at home we were reluctant to get forward quickly or to make the selfless runs which provide space for others.

7) I as much as anyone looked forward to the return of Tunchev but today, apart from two timely blocks, the man was a liability. A periphery centre-back. Hobbs aerial presence was badly missed and Tunchev's lack of pace and fitness was woefully exposed by the speed and attitude of Preston's counter-attacks.

There will still be people who see Pearson as a managerial marvel and who will refuse to recognise the flaws I've mentioned and others I've not bothered with like our shape and the previously mentioned need to have goals coming from other places in the team apart from number 12 and to have fewer players malfunctioning in the team at the same time.

But we're performing in proper football now and this team has not gone forwards in the last few weeks, it has gone backwards.

Our lack of goals continues and our defence is incresingly being shown up for its lack of pace and mobility. Much focus has been on Neilson who I've considered to be no more than ordinary since I first saw him at Ipswich. But he was by no means the major culprit today - more the man who kept trying his heart out right to the end for all his limitations.

Brown tried to but, oh dear, his passing is such a let-down at times and I saw precious little inspiration or craftsmanship from Tunchev today - just a guy who's a long way short of match sharpness.

Berner too was generally disappointing. His goal was a plus but Preston's counter-attacking left him as exposed as others. But unlike Brown he at least helps himself by trying to remain on his feet.

Satisfied with our start? Three home points lost, four points out of the last 12, a dearth of goals from every attacker we've got apart from Fryatt....you're joking. We need a rethink. We need to get our balance back, our passing back, our energy back, our width back, some movement in the team and some pace. Apart from that we're okay.

[lou]

I miss Kerrea Gilbert..... why didnt we get him back? Does anyone know?

[Guest Mee-9]

Essay much ?

[Karljohn]

Need to recall Hobbs and Morrison in time for Boro and Cov games.

Best and Morrison at Cov are proving to be a good partnership and the thought of them up against Brown and Neilson worries me.

What qualities does Nige see in Neilson?! for me...he tucks nicely in behind Tony Spearing and Nicky Platnauer in the line of piss poor defenders to play for us.

[Thracian]

Need to recall Hobbs and Morrison in time for Boro and Cov games.

Best and Morrison at Cov are proving to be a good partnership and the thought of them up against Brown and Neilson worries me.

What qualities does Nige see in Neilson?! for me...he tucks nicely in behind Tony Spearing and Nicky Platnauer in the line of piss poor defenders to play for us.

It's so long since Morrison's had a look in he's probably hibernating for the winter by now. Pearson seems to do this. Players are selected (Morrison, Gradel, Porter, Dyer, King, DJ etc) and the next thing you know they're reduced to bit parts or disappear completely).