The traditional "Just got back" post (Long)

Well...rather unsurprised, really. Basically, our lads were knackered before they kicked off, and although Preston offered absolutely nothing, they got the breaks. If ever a game said "0-0", it was pretty obvious after 5 minutes that this was it.

A few observations;
Someone needs shooting for the first goal; everyone was picked up, there was nothing on, and someone (I couldn't see who, I was in the Barclay), decided to bugger off 5 yards into the middle of nowhere and leave a simple ball into the box for the now unmarked player to score. What the f**k was that about?!

The referee. Well, what can you say? Conned atrociously into booking Pocket (Never, EVER a card), let most things go either way (It looked like WWF Wrestling at the back), but what the hell was the "Penalty" about? Flem marking relatively tight, arms down by his side, and the guy backheels it onto his hand from less than a yard. The players were simply gobsmacked. You will go an awfully long way to see a worse decision. And if you are going to give that, why not penalise the Preston player deliberately punching away a cross in the box? Or the chap who flattened Peter Thorne when he had a free header 10 yards out?

The penalty killed us. We didn't really show much all day, but after that the legs went and the heads dropped. It was a bridge too far.

Greeno was a bit ordinary. All he had to do was open his gob to help Flem and Brennan out, and instead it turned into the Keystone Kops. Ditto the third goal - any one of Brennan, Fleming, or Greeno could have told Charlie "Man On" or helped him out, instead he got mugged. A real shame as he was probably one of our best players.

Dickson...Whereareyou? Whereaaaaaaareyoooouuuu??? I was strangely disappointed to open the programme and see that Dickson's transfer had gone through. And boy did he live up to my expectations. Fucking awful. A big, lazy, lumbering oaf who can't pass to save his life, doesn't tackle, and pulls out of any physical contact whatsoever. Always on his heels, and he looks like he needs a cattleprod up his arse to get him to actually move. The worrying thing is, I think he may actually be quite quick but is far too lazy to use it.

Colin...Oh dear. Poor lad had a shocker, but I don't think 4-3-3 does anything for him at all. Also, it was pretty obvious that Robinson shouldn't have played full stop, but we looked worse without him.

Pocket was strangely disappointing. If we are going to lump it at Deano, he needs to be much closer to him so Deano has something to aim at. Also, there were several chances just screaming for him to run across the backline and hit the corner, where a simple ball would have put him away and in prime crossing position. Maybe he was tired.

Huckerby...Two words, f**king woeful.

Hendo showed some great touches when he came on, but he is absolutely and totally wasted on the right of a 3-man midfield. Very, very silly booking, too.

Right, the sharp end.

Greeno 6
Colin 3 - Very hard day at the office
Flem 7.5 - Totally mugged by the penalty
Doc 7.5 - Dealt well with everything that came his way, looked and played like Hulk Hogan
Drury 6 - Just knackered, but did his best
Robinson 6.5 - Valiant effort, but why replace him with Brennan?
Charlton 7.5 - Would have been 8, bar the cockup for the 3rd goal. Probably MotM, with Doc a close second.
Etuhu 1 for turning up
Huckerby 4 and luck to get it
Deano 6 Got nothing all day
Pocket 5 - hit the corners!

Subs;
Brennan 5 - shaky in the middle and at the back
Hendo 6.5 - put him up front for f**k's sake
Thorne 5.5 - Only real contribution was to get blatently fouled in their box.

Posted By: Iwan Husarmi, Jan 2, 20:37:44