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certainly agree on this, really gets to me that they use the stats when they are against us but when we win the stats then they count for nothing
How brave was that team selection today?
certainly agree on this, really gets to me that they use the stats when they are against us but when we win the stats then they count for nothing
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He made 1/2 superb saves the others you would expect any keeper to make. Did Stuckmann score 2 goals for us, give the lads some confidence.
I really did not expect even a point today and on seeing the starting XI was left wondering if this was a piss take, however that aside I thought we just about deserved the point as per norm we were playing with 10 men (Jeff being utter dogwank again).
It was strange watching young Davies play leftback as Barker did a decent job trying to get the better of him and had support in doing so, the problem was having Wright as captain who did little or nothing to help the lad through the game. Byrom was just useless why oh why he gets a game I will never know, King was left trying to fill the gaps Byrom left.
Holmes huffed and puffed without really doing much, Wroe did enough and thank god for his goal, Cummins put in a decent shift but is not a great footballer, Robertson is 4th division at best and Connolly looked soild at the back, King for me was motm but why oh why did Westley leave it so long before making changes and when he did they were hardly positive ones given he brought on Procter, Buchanan and only one striker.
Glad we got a point but we were not even the better of two poor teams and again at home.
No wonder Cummins was galloping about today and scored as we were playing on his favourite surface, a potato field.
It was strange watching young Davies play leftback as Barker did a decent job trying to get the better of him and had support in doing so, the problem was having Wright as captain who did little or nothing to help the lad through the game. Byrom was just useless why oh why he gets a game I will never know, King was left trying to fill the gaps Byrom left.
Holmes huffed and puffed without really doing much, Wroe did enough and thank god for his goal, Cummins put in a decent shift but is not a great footballer, Robertson is 4th division at best and Connolly looked soild at the back, King for me was motm but why oh why did Westley leave it so long before making changes and when he did they were hardly positive ones given he brought on Procter, Buchanan and only one striker.
Glad we got a point but we were not even the better of two poor teams and again at home.
No wonder Cummins was galloping about today and scored as we were playing on his favourite surface, a potato field.
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After finally playing our "best XI" against Walsall and watching them completely implode the whole lot of them deserved dropping! I'm sure some were injured but Cummins deserved a start and was justified to, Davies was raw and nervy but showed a good touch with both feet and Stuckman looked solid now he's the recognised number 1.
The fight we showed to get the goal for the draw is certainly promising, hopefully we can push on now with Cummins alongside Beavon/Garner and start getting that confident attacking football going again, yes we looked shaky at times but we also definitely had the spring back in our step again at times too.
The fight we showed to get the goal for the draw is certainly promising, hopefully we can push on now with Cummins alongside Beavon/Garner and start getting that confident attacking football going again, yes we looked shaky at times but we also definitely had the spring back in our step again at times too.
Team selection was brave.
However, to have Monakana up front for the first 20 minutes was moronic. He didn't get near to winning a header and Wroe hardly got within five yards of the ball stuck out on the wing.
However, when Monakana switched to the wing he did what wingers do every now and again and put a quality ball into the box and Cummins got close enough to it to force the Coventry defender to put the ball into his own net.
Davies had a shaky start but after 80 minutes he looked liked he'd played a dozen games at left-back, and then Westley took him off.
How Byrom made his way back into the starting line-up is beyond me, but I suppose Westley has to play one of his Stevenage old boys.
The pitch was shocking. So much so it's warrently its own thread, on which I've given my view.
However, to have Monakana up front for the first 20 minutes was moronic. He didn't get near to winning a header and Wroe hardly got within five yards of the ball stuck out on the wing.
However, when Monakana switched to the wing he did what wingers do every now and again and put a quality ball into the box and Cummins got close enough to it to force the Coventry defender to put the ball into his own net.
Davies had a shaky start but after 80 minutes he looked liked he'd played a dozen games at left-back, and then Westley took him off.
How Byrom made his way back into the starting line-up is beyond me, but I suppose Westley has to play one of his Stevenage old boys.
The pitch was shocking. So much so it's warrently its own thread, on which I've given my view.
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Too many gaps at the back, not enough protection for the defence offered by the midfield and some woeful service into the forward players.
Stuckmann was man of the match for me by far, even though a couple of the saves were ones you'd expect a goalkeeper to make anyway. That's the biggest concern for me though, if our goalkeeper is the man of the match then there's something wrong.
The players did look more interested than I've seen them for weeks / months now, but it was interesting to see how Westley set his team out, and the timing of the substitutions, - if anything he looked like a manager who wanted to be sacked particularly in the second half when he didn't seem interested for the vast majority of the half. There's plenty of work to be done, let's hope we don't get too ahead of ourselves just because we've picked up a point.
Stuckmann was man of the match for me by far, even though a couple of the saves were ones you'd expect a goalkeeper to make anyway. That's the biggest concern for me though, if our goalkeeper is the man of the match then there's something wrong.
The players did look more interested than I've seen them for weeks / months now, but it was interesting to see how Westley set his team out, and the timing of the substitutions, - if anything he looked like a manager who wanted to be sacked particularly in the second half when he didn't seem interested for the vast majority of the half. There's plenty of work to be done, let's hope we don't get too ahead of ourselves just because we've picked up a point.
Giving JR a run for his money {hope he uses the quote for his LEP article 😉 } ...good post.
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It's funny when I first heard the team sheet I thought he was asking to be sacked. Either that or he was being cocky , knowing Hemmings won't pay him off.
It shows how low we have sunk when we draw at home, and break the all time record of not winning there, and our loyal supporters say it feels like a win. Dear me, we are so used to absolute dirge that even mediocre has us excited, how flipping sad is that.
Sounds like we needed to get a grip in central midfield early on and a duo of Wroe and Byrom was never going to do that. We obviously need Welsh back as soon as possible otherwise we need to start King there and partner Cummins with Beavon or Garner upfront.
I think you're spot on there Joan. It's a sad state of affairs.
Sorry Surf I do not agree, I do not think the selection was brave at all, more desperate and we were very lucky not to go in 3-1 or 4-1 down at half time, if it was not for Stuckman. Yes, your keeper is there to make the saves, but if he had been beaten 3 or 4 times in the first half then no one could have argued and the game would have been over.
Davies was exposed at left back and had a poor first half, but again he is not a left back and this was not helped by Byrom who was again a waste of time.
We have very little creativity and neither Holmes or Monakana can beat a man. Monakana did provide the cross for Cummins goal, which I thought he deserved as he worked hard and harried the Coventry defenders.
However after the first half, 1-1 at half time aws more down to the missed chances by Coventry than North End's paly.
In the second half we did at least compete better, but both Davies and Byrom were beaten far too easily by the guy that provided the cross that lead to the own goal.
We did then show some fighting spirit and Davies had a better second half and his cross with his right foot was knocked down for Wroe to equalise.
Credit must also be given to the North End fans who did back the team and did create a decent atmosphere especially in the 2nd half and GW should be thankfull for the backing they gave.
I hope we can gain some confidence from this point gained, but will this change our season, I doubt it, will this bring back the missing fans I doubt that either.
We looked today what we are a lower half league team that will probably just about keep out of the relegation fight.
Finally the pitch was probably in the worse condition than I have seen for a long, long time at Deepdale, is this a ploy from GW to stop better footballing teams playing decent football on our large surface in the 2nd half of the season, only GW know's this. Is GW the manager to take us forward, again after this showing I doubt that either.
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I thought myself we were over-run in central midfield - too easy laying the ball off to Baker and Moussi who both gave out full-backs a torrid time - Coventry played with a lot of confidence and the rutted pitch made no difference to them
Good post and I agree.
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Oh, not you as well. This is like invasion of the bodysnatchers. Turning things round is never easy. That was an awful lot better today. Sacking the manager will not help, why not back him until the end of the season.
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King started centre mid with byrom and wroe either side of him, they both offered no protection for the defence, we were overun through middle and down right in first 30 mins and could have been 3 down quite easily