Team for Preston

[Indy 3,283]

Clean sheet is always good to have, Hanley & Klose looked pretty good tonight.

If we can get young Buendia and Leitner ticking linking up with that front three, it could be the hole plugged we’ve been missing.

Great result and controlled the game to be honest, not much apart from one run a shot from Preston.

[Darth Canary1 91]

Very happy with that, onwards an upwards😀

[Guest]

I just hope this result, and that is basically all it was, will inspire us to push on.

Buendia looked to have skill, which is very important, and I would like to see Pukki pushed further up to help poor old Jordan who never faced their goal.

I think our front three have the makings but they need the right ball.

[Rock The Boat 1,324]

All changed when Preston hit the bar. Seemed to sting us into action.

[Feel The Force 0]

80 minutes of dry humping and then wham bam thank you ma''am.

[kick it off 1,948]

Tettey was pretty atrocious tonight, but my god what a finish. The technique to hit that ball when it was bouncing, behind him and under his feet is ridiculous. Really was a bit of quality in a poor game and a poor individual performance.

Pukki took his goal really well too. I said after Birmingham that Pukki might be the most important player for us this season and it''s looking prescient. His finishing really is top notch.

Buendia looked like a rabbit in headlights for the first 5 minutes but really grew into the game. Think he will be fun to watch this season as he grows in confidence.

Credit the defence and Krul too, aside from the one run from Tettey''s mistake, they looked rock solid tonight and defended really well.

[Herman 9,712]

Bizarre. City''s worst game. Win. Tettey''s worst game. Scores. Is this the way to go this season??

[lincoln canary (& Golden Coppel) 0]

I just hope Farke realises and plays either Godfrey or Thompson instead of Tettey.

Tettey made a 3 or 4 danergous mistakes, including the one which led to Preston hitting the bar. Yes his goal was a beauty, but in another game he’d have cost us two goals.

With Pukki, is he suited to the role behind Rhodes? Bar his goal, he was virtually anonymous. Hasn’t he played the last three years at Bronby as an out an out striker?

[Nuff Said 5,088]

Of all the players to take their shirt off though. I know he doesn’t score often but not the cleverest of things to do. When he gets a ban after 5 yellows who will remember the goal?

[lincoln canary (& Golden Coppel) 0]

Positives tonight, bar the first win of course, were probably Hanley, Klose, and Lewis. Hernandez had a good first half too. Apart from that, it was poor.

[sonyc 5,489]

Pete on here will be gutted tonight as we may not be bottom now.

Onwards and upwards

[Making Plans 936]

Gives us hope of being able to avoid relegation [;)]

[BroadstairsR 2,138]

Neil has done a good job at PNE. They are a good unit who play to their strengths and are hard to break down.

We could have done with that resolve when he was at Carrow Road.

Yet another manager who is at his best without funds to waste

[Crafty Canary 495]

We shouldn''t let the exciting last ten minutes blind us to the fact that the first eighty minutes were a turgid affair in which we looked like relegation fodder. Had Preston had a go at us we were there for the taking. At this stage I had taken two positives from the game, firstly I hadn''t fallen asleep and secondly I hadn''t paid to see such lacklustre dross.

However football being the game it is we might go on a winning run to the top of the table. No let''s be serious, we will probably get stuffed on Saturday.

[Indy 3,283]

So Crafty, open game against Leeds like we did against WBA and likely lose 3-2 or tight and boring holding on to a draw, what would you prefer?

[Crafty Canary 495]

Well Indy my preferences in decreasing order are:

An exciting win

A boring win

An exciting draw

A boring draw

An exciting loss

A boring loss

However we should not overlook what a woeful display tonight was for eighty minutes. Great we won yet had Tettey''s cross field pass to a Preston player led to a goal rather than the underside of the bar we would be now be looking at the bottom three not mid table.

[hogesar 9,616]

I mean the fact you are questioning Pukki''s role in the team Lincoln should tell everyone all they need to know.

[Nuff Said 5,088]

“I mean the fact you are questioning Pukki''s role in the team Lincoln should tell everyone all they need to know. ”

This. I’ve only been to Sheffield Utd then watched tonight but from what I’ve seen Pukki’s speed, coverage of the pitch and physical presence makes the biggest difference to the team compared to last year. Hernandez too, but we had Murphy last year who had his moments so the improvement is less in his case.

[lincoln canary (& Golden Coppel) 0]

[quote user="Nuff Said"]“I mean the fact you are questioning Pukki''s role in the team Lincoln should tell everyone all they need to know. ”

This. I’ve only been to Sheffield Utd then watched tonight but from what I’ve seen Pukki’s speed, coverage of the pitch and physical presence makes the biggest difference to the team compared to last year. Hernandez too, but we had Murphy last year who had his moments so the improvement is less in his case.[/quote]

Pukki was completely anonymous for the majority of last nights game, first half especially. His finish was top draw though, my point being is he better suited as the out and out striker? A postion he’s used to playing?

Rhodes is decent, but can’t play every game. Perhaps with Buendia coming in, Pukki may be moved up top to rotate with Rhodes?

[hogesar 9,616]

Pukki has had quiet spells in every game but his touch and ability to find space in between the lines are his greatest assets - you''ll lose that playing him up front by himself.

[king canary 7,578]

For me, Pukki is exactly what Marley Watkins was supposed to be. Hardworking, flexible, intelligent and has an eye for goal.

[Hackedoff 0]

It was prob one of the worst games i’ve ever witnessed. Both teams were beyond awful but the way PNE fans are going on you would believe they were a Premiership team just come down and we were a Burton Albion.

[ZLF 271]

Pukki can finnish well, and that seems to be a skill missing from the rest of our attacking midfielders.

His movement intelligent and his energy is fine, but, like Tettey, I thought this was his worst game so far in a city shirt ;-) and he was anonymous for 79mins. But he did score and has hopefully given us a confidence boost.

He was involved about a third less than in previous games; He isnt a striker here but one of 5 midfielders, I want to see him making himself available for the ball and demanding it more often - much in the way wes used to, and to a lesser degree both leitner and marshall did yesterday - Marshall created 4 chances to Pukkis 1. Teemus influence can be greater but he is shaping up to be a great signing.

It is probably a reflection of the team nerves yesterday that we were not a fluent going forward as the last few games, as Onels influence waned in the second half two. The passing was impacted by prestons pressing, which affected their energy in the last 15 mins, which meant that tettey was not even the player who gave away the ball most often - 4 other players were as bad or worse in making 10 or more poor passes. Hopefully some confidence will be restored, as much in the fans as the players.