Matchday Thread PNE v Swansea City | 05.11.25 | KO:7:45pm | Championship
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2022
- Messages
- 724
Looking forward to tonight. A damp, dark night at deepdale on bonfire night, a few pints of alcoholic beverages, maybe a spud or parched peas for tea & (hopefully) 3 more points on our road to having an exciting season. COYW…..
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2019
- Messages
- 51,819
I hate playing Swansea. Feels like it always a tough game
They feel like the most irrelevant team in the league. I’ve no idea who plays for them except Vipotnik abf Galbraith, no idea what their form is like, or their playstyle, or whether they like their manager. Just feel like they’ve been involved in nothing notable
They feel like the most irrelevant team in the league. I’ve no idea who plays for them except Vipotnik abf Galbraith, no idea what their form is like, or their playstyle, or whether they like their manager. Just feel like they’ve been involved in nothing notable
Hope we keep the momentum going tonight.
Recent home games against Swansea have been tight affairs.
We will finish tonight in either 4th, 5th or 7th place but hopefully 4th.
Recent home games against Swansea have been tight affairs.
We will finish tonight in either 4th, 5th or 7th place but hopefully 4th.
The whole mood surrounding football can change very quickly can't it. Less than a fortnight ago after a really good start to the season things suddenly seemed to have gone wrong. After a good performance and unlucky defeat at West Brom we went out against Birmingham with a shocking team selection devoid of all our creative players and after going behind waited far too long before making the necessary subs so that we paid the price with another defeat. Then against Sheff Utd our defence went to the pieces so that before 20 minutes had passed we were 2-0 down and looking at what seemed likely to be a third consecutive defeat and maybe the start of a slide right down the table.
Well we all know what happened after that both in that match and on Saturday so that we now find ourselves looking at the prospect of getting a third consecutive win that could not just keep us in the play-off positions but right on the tail of the automatic spots. We can certainly do so but nothing can be taken for granted. One of the key factors in the Birmingham defeat was that we had all three of Whiteman, McCann and Armstrong in the centre of midfield - a formation in which the sum is less than the parts because when played together they tend to crowd each other out with Armstrong in particular suffering from a lack of space in which he can do the things he does best which are to collect the ball, control it, keep possession and make relatively simply but still telling passes. Ironically therefore the injury to McCann has had the effect of making a repetition of that situation impossible though I am not for a second suggesting it is a good thing - his absence is a real blow but I hope that even if he were available PH would have recognised that it only needs two of those three players at any one time to give us what we need in central midfield and have acted accordingly.
What is necessary then, of course, is to use the platform that our midfield and defence can provide to give our creative attacking players the freedom to do what they do best. That means ideally having both Devine and Dobbin on the field together with Osmajic providing a spearhead upfront. But one of the really good things about the last two wins is that both Thordarson and Frokjaer have looked to be up for it and made important contributions - they are both still important players.
Sure our resources are stretched a bit thin at the moment but providing we can maintain those essential conditions then we can approach every match we play with confidence. Let's hope that is what we do tonight.
Well we all know what happened after that both in that match and on Saturday so that we now find ourselves looking at the prospect of getting a third consecutive win that could not just keep us in the play-off positions but right on the tail of the automatic spots. We can certainly do so but nothing can be taken for granted. One of the key factors in the Birmingham defeat was that we had all three of Whiteman, McCann and Armstrong in the centre of midfield - a formation in which the sum is less than the parts because when played together they tend to crowd each other out with Armstrong in particular suffering from a lack of space in which he can do the things he does best which are to collect the ball, control it, keep possession and make relatively simply but still telling passes. Ironically therefore the injury to McCann has had the effect of making a repetition of that situation impossible though I am not for a second suggesting it is a good thing - his absence is a real blow but I hope that even if he were available PH would have recognised that it only needs two of those three players at any one time to give us what we need in central midfield and have acted accordingly.
What is necessary then, of course, is to use the platform that our midfield and defence can provide to give our creative attacking players the freedom to do what they do best. That means ideally having both Devine and Dobbin on the field together with Osmajic providing a spearhead upfront. But one of the really good things about the last two wins is that both Thordarson and Frokjaer have looked to be up for it and made important contributions - they are both still important players.
Sure our resources are stretched a bit thin at the moment but providing we can maintain those essential conditions then we can approach every match we play with confidence. Let's hope that is what we do tonight.
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2022
- Messages
- 4,148
Are you still at School?
I think this is their sixth season in the Championship, before that they did seven in the Premiership.
League Cup winners 2013.
UEFA Cup seven times (I think)
Welsh Cup doesn't count but it's got to be double figures
Recent managers include Michael Laudrop, Brendan Rodgers, Roberto Martinez.
Back to your other points.
Form:- Inconsistent.
Style:- Pragmatic. They've recently changed to a back five. They have periods where they play a high press. Realising this is taxing and they can't keep it up, they revert to periods of possession based football and knock it around at the back with little intent. They are not afraid to play long diagonals particularly aimed towards Ronald (Brazilian winger). He plays on both the right or left depending on who Swansea are targeting (I fancy he will start on the right tonight and target Small). Burgess and Cabango are big old-school defenders, similar to Lindsay. Galbraith who you mention has been outstanding this season but I think (hope) Harrison will come out tops 🫰. Vipotnik is out, his replacement, £6 million signing Adam Idah is similar to Jebbbison tall, quick, awkward but his body language is poor and looks like a pound shop Riis at times. Finally, their keeper Vigeroux is very, very good.
Swansea always a tough game . And will never forget the horror of last season at there place with mick marsh in charge. On of the worst I’ve been to.
Never feel confident against swansea . Just feel we are running on fumes a bit with the injuries piling up . Can see another tight game .
Heart says 2-1
Head says a draw .
Not sure if there striker vipotnik is playing tonight would be a big miss for them . But they do have idah who I’m sure scored a hatrick against us for Norwich.
Looks like a cracking home crowd on .
Never feel confident against swansea . Just feel we are running on fumes a bit with the injuries piling up . Can see another tight game .
Heart says 2-1
Head says a draw .
Not sure if there striker vipotnik is playing tonight would be a big miss for them . But they do have idah who I’m sure scored a hatrick against us for Norwich.
Looks like a cracking home crowd on .
Play as we can and have done, we win. Simple. Very few always fans so let’s get on top them early doors.
Hoping for a kind M62 else it might be second half only for me.
Hoping for a kind M62 else it might be second half only for me.
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2019
- Messages
- 51,819
WTF does any of that have to do with them being involved in anything notable this season? I’ve always suspected you to be a Swansea fan based on your weird defence of anything about them, but that’s a whole new level
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2019
- Messages
- 51,819
Trust me. Just because I feel like they’ve been ordinary and unremarkable in an extraordinary and remarkable aeason absolutely does not mean I think they’ll be an easy game. There’s no such thing
I just have no idea what to expect from them, whereas there’s usually a vague idea of what you might get from a side before you play them
I'm optimistic for tonight.
I think tonight’s and Saturdays games will be affected by injuries to key players and their non availability.
Hopefully we haven’t lost anyone else since Saturday.
Swansea I think are missing their star striker, and Millwall seem to be suffering as much as we are with about 10 players possibly on the sick list, Azeez and Leonard missed their Brum game , hopefully they will still be missing.
And then it’s regroup time in a fortnight for the Rovers game and see if we have any players back from injury to bolster the squad because it’s an intense period throughout Dec and Jan.
Hopefully we haven’t lost anyone else since Saturday.
Swansea I think are missing their star striker, and Millwall seem to be suffering as much as we are with about 10 players possibly on the sick list, Azeez and Leonard missed their Brum game , hopefully they will still be missing.
And then it’s regroup time in a fortnight for the Rovers game and see if we have any players back from injury to bolster the squad because it’s an intense period throughout Dec and Jan.
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2022
- Messages
- 4,148
Yes. I've lived down here for almost fifty years, so yes I'm a Swansea fan, but when your born in Deepdale with several family members who've played for Preston it kind of trumps those fifty years.
P.S. Your comment, 'Just feel like they’ve been involved in nothing notable' doesn't mention this season so I can only reply to what I read.
Yes, I enjoyed watching Toshack's Swansea in the eighties, Yes, I enjoyed watching Swansea in the Premiership, and should Preston get to the Premiership, I'm sure I'd enjoy the ride, and I'd be one of the first to buy a season ticket.
As far as my 'team analysis' goes I'm just providing an insight into what I've seen at Swansea this season in reply to your statement:- 'no idea who plays for them except Vipotnik abf Galbraith, no idea what their form is like, or their playstyle'
I thought that was the general idea of this forum!