Preston Fans - Confident bunch or realistic?

[hogesar 10,762]

Do Preston have a much, much better side than us? I personally don''t think so but then again i''m biased (as are they).

However, a quick look at their forum and it is literally universally agreed that, and I quote:

"We should be beating sh*t teams like Norwich at Carrow Road"

"We should be battering sides like that"

"How disappointing we couldnt beat little Norwich"

"We are a much better team but played awfully and conceded two flukey goals"

I''ve taken (some of) the poor language out of the comments but they''re all available to see over at pne-online. Now personally, I don''t see Preston as a ''big'' club in this division, nor do I see their squad as anything special - maybe I''m out of touch with the Championship?

[ZLF 335]

I think last season has raised their expectation levels and they feel a top 6 position is possible. Unrealtistic expectation levels is a disease to all clubs harmony.

In reality they probably over performed last year by being well organised with limited squad rotation and are likely to finish mid table ish again this season. As with c12 clubs they could kick on, but it seems unlikely to me.

They did not play well yesterday and their negative stifling tactics did surprise me a little; that may be down to us restricting their play, but other than the start of each half, where we seemed to start slowly, I thought we were marginally the better side and deserved our win.

[king canary 8,754]

Our squad doesn''t have a great deal of household names these days so on paper I could see how they might think that.

However we were kind of there for the taking based on the first 75 minutes last night.

[Mike 68]

I think they, like us, are a mid table side.

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

I blame Alex Neil.

They seem to be a bit like the binners in always considering that all their players are superstars and that their team are just a bit of luck away from a decent run of wins, whilst top six will be inevitable.

This involves a total disregard for and ignorance of the talents of every other side in the league. Hence " Shite teams like Norwich."

We are all guilty of it as we are need belief in our own team, but that is rather excessive considering their reduced role for decades now.

As for the binners? They''e re-building for next season... again.

[Yellowbeagle 0]

[quote user="BroadstairsR"]I blame Alex Neil.

They seem to be a bit like the binners in always considering that all their players are superstars and that their team are just a bit of luck away from a decent run of wins, whilst top six will be inevitable.

This involves a total disregard for and ignorance of the talents of every other side in the league. Hence " Shite teams like Norwich."

We are all guilty of it as we are need belief in our own team, but that is rather excessive considering their reduced role for decades now.

As for the binners? They''e re-building for next season... again.[/quote]

Maybe just like the binners they hold an inflated opinion of themselves over a distant glorious past the vast majority of their support arnt even old enough to have witnessed.

[lincsy88 106]

I too had a look at there forum and conclude them to be almost as deluded as the binners. There Preston for Christ sake! They''ve never been in the premier league, they are nowhere near as big as us. We have possibly our worst squad on paper in 7 or 8 years and they still couldn''t beat us. Flukey goals made me laugh, first was a fantastic move second was a quality striker. Getting a bit big for their boots if you ask me.

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

Their average attendance last season was around the 13, 000+ mark.

Says most of it.

[capricorn1 18]

13k, so bigger than the binners then!

[Indy 3,471]

No better no worse really, difference is that their fans see their club on the up, they built from promotion to the championship about the same time we cam down the last time from the premiership.

So we’ve seen a huge transition in reducing wages and offloading players building a cheaper squad, they’re building from a cheap squad.

As for their fans, funny but they are a touch delusional but then why shouldn’t they be, it’s their club.

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

"As for their fans, funny but they are a touch delusional but then why shouldn’t they be, it’s their club."

Quite right, but slagging off our club in the process warrants a response.

[TIL 1010 5,246]

Seems to me hoggy that they are Numbskulls similar to your description of sections of our support in that thread you started which has received the response such name calling of your fellow fan so richly deserves.

[hogesar 10,762]

[quote user="TIL 1010"]Seems to me hoggy that they are Numbskulls similar to your description of sections of our support in that thread you started which has received the response such name calling of your fellow fan so richly deserves.[/quote]

What should I call them? Blithering F*cking Idiots? I was trying to be kind...

[Jim Smith 2,610]

Its a sign of how our stock has fallen due to our level of performance since relegation and I suppose the perceived lack of ambition at our club but yes we still have better players and a better team than Preston so I too find their comments a little amusing. Whilst they have a rich history they are are not a big club or anything more than mid table if things go well for them in my view.

To be fair to them though we were absolutely sh*t for much of last nights game and I suppose they are not to know that we have played considerably better in our other games yet failed to win due to defensive errors and poor finishing and that last nights first 75 minutes is therefore not totally indicative of our standard of play so far this season.

[Icecream Snow 777]

You have thought that they would have learnt their lesson by now. Reminds me of when they got rid of Alan Irvine, who''d done really well for them, continuing what Moyes had started. Upper half of the table after a few play off finishes, Irvine got sacked, and a few seasons after that they got relegated.

[Mello Yello 2,572]

PNE average home attendance, is roughly 13,000+

So if Norwich had Manchester Utd/City or Liverpool/Everton... or even Blackburn, Burnley, Bolton, Blackpool and Wigan - all within (or just over) a 30 odd mile catchment area, we''d continually court 25,000+ attendances?.....

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

That''s far from the point.

Facts are facts and we are where we are and what we are. So are PNE.

[Mello Yello 2,572]

That is your opinion......

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

I don''t have an opinion about attendances.

Who does?

I get the facts from my newspaper or online.

[Mello Yello 2,572]

So our attendances wouldn''t be influenced with having successful bigger and not so bigger or successful club''s all within a 40 minute car/train journey......?

Ok, not your opinion.....but a fact.....But, it''s my opinion, which is not a fact......

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

Eh?

It was just stating a fact that PNE''s attendances were where they are at about 13, 000.

Nobody was setting up a point of debate about the reasons behind this is the case, their catchment or their attendances comparative to our own.

An average attendance of that amount rather goes against the notion in this thread that they seem to believe that they have a bigger clout than they have.

You might be struggling for one of your little arguments but there is nothing to dispute except the facts.

[andrew norwichcity 8]

I''ll give them credit for last night''s performance as they played a lot better than the majority of our away performances. However, they caught us on a very very bad day so you could argue that''s why.

[Mello Yello 2,572]

I remember when we got 13,000 crowds......but then, we weren''t giving it the Billy Big Ballco(ks.....

[Indy_Bones 444]

[quote user="BroadstairsR"]You might be struggling for one of your little arguments but there is nothing to dispute except the facts.[/quote]I don''t think he''s arguing the facts with you Broady, but what he''s pointing out is that whilst we can''t argue with the facts of their avg attendance, what we can provide is relative evidence to give good reason for this which mitigates the simple undisputed number.

Having a lot of competing clubs within the same distance naturally means a greater division of attendees across them all, and if this were not the case, numbers would normally be expected to be higher on average as there is less competition from other clubs in this aspect.

This can be particularly tough on clubs with a very high density such as near London or Manchester, where Spurs might easily manage 40k+ each home game, Leyton Orient (as they were) would struggle to get even a tenth of that despite being less than 5 miles from them, yet remove Spurs, and you could easily see another 1-2k more on Orient''s attendances etc.

No-one is looking for an argument here, but it''s not as simple as just giving an attendance number and saying that tells all whilst ignoring the underlying reasons.

[Mello Yello 2,572]

......''Bones of Contention''.....Indy?....

[BroadstairsR 2,273]

Yes, but we know all that. It''s been common knowledge for decades that our geographical position gives us a certain advantage over many clubs.

In many ways it can be disadvantageous as well.

The point, however, was that their measly average attendance put their condescending attitude towards our club into perspective.

Nobody needed to be told the reason behind their shortfall.

[Mello Yello 2,572]

Nobody needed to be told the reason behind their shortfall.

Sorry I mentioned it.....

[Guest]

Ask someone from most football areas who our squad is and they have probably only heard of Krul, Rhodes and Hanley.

Why wouldn''t they think, not knowing who Hernandez or Pukki are, that, knowing their own players, that they are better than us.

I constantly read on this forum how such a team and their supporters are deluded but many on here are if they think we deserve to be in the Prem. The facts say were are far from putting in a sustained challenge.

[Indy 3,471]

Spot on Keelansgrandad, I’m in the minority who thinks our squad is definitely good enough for this division but doubt it has the quality to push top 6.

I do think we have a few with potential, but will we keep them to build a team around or will they go on to other clubs.

We can forgive the club the need to restructure the finances get the big earners off the books, but there’s a point we need to start to build again.

Of course we are a selling club and if a decent offer is made then we might not be able to keep decent players, doesn’t mean we should roll over and sell to the first bid.

We do have a structure, coaches and players to build on, let’s see how it’s built on and hopefully we can become delusional again thinking we can seriously make a push at the promotion!

[Crabbycanary3 994]

Preston won the League before Man Utd, and Man Utd get 75K crowds