****The Official Lapps Match Thread v Preston (H/L) ****

[Ken Hairy 3,805]

Absolutely ****ing ridiculous by Hanley 

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

What a strange decision that is. **** sake

[kirku 1,339]

Terrible from Hanley - with his experience and captaincy. Shocking

[chicken 2,680]

1 minute ago, kirku said:

Personally, I think it's a combination of three things

1) The result (currently) has caught up with the below par performances

2) Smith doesn't have a system, he doesn't drill patterns, we have no identity. Lots of signs the players aren't comfortable in this diamond, and why would they be?

3) Dean Smith drinks tea

Personally I think it's a combination of things:
1) We have just gone 9 games unbeaten, the longer that goes on, naturally, the more likely you are due a duff performance.
2) We have a side more changed than any of the prior two championship winning teams. Nunez coming to us in the middle of the season he was already playing in, gave a false initial impression as he was arguably far more match fit and now is adapting - for example. We have plenty of identity, lots of signs of what we are trying to do, just lacking consistency of doing it for 90mins. Any decent manager will change formations - Lambert actually did it far more frequently than people give him credit for, for example.
3) Some fans are just never happy, we have to win every game or it isn't good enough. Despite our strongest start to a season for quite some time.
4) Lastly, as @Feedthewolfhas pointed out, we have several contract situations in the squad, as much as there is clearly a togetherness of the squad, I would like to see some of these sorted out and soon. Too many players on final years of their contract which could be an issue considering the WC break.
5) Some players being here so long, having been brought in to play pure Farkeball, and are struggling to adapt to a more pragmatic approach. Eg; the complaint we are too weak in midfield can be applied to every midfield we have had since Howson went. He could play alongside Tettey and Johnson and do the hard work and pass the ball. Not only have we not replaced Tettey, Skip, Reed - we haven't got that CM balance right really for Farke's time either.

[Mason 47 1,420]

That's a pathetic decision. A little coming together of no consequence, ridiculous 

[chicken 2,680]

1 minute ago, Hank shoots Skyler said:

What a strange decision that is. **** sake

Absolutely nothing in it. He did blow before the shot, but shouldn't have been a free kick.

[cambridgeshire canary 6,873]

Robbed by the ref. What a bunch of ****

[KeiranShikari 1,487]

Results catching up with performances. 

[Robert N. LiM 4,664]

Very frustrating. Our own worst enemy today. Giving the best defence in the Champs three goals is severely careless. 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

Well now we need to go on another unbeaten run. I said to my Grandson that anyone who can go on a 10 unbeaten run will walk this league.

[Dean Coneys boots 1,423]

Didn’t take our chances 

Didn’t control the game 

didn’t concentrate at times 

VERY disappointing  yet positives were Sara and Sarg 

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

Just now, chicken said:

Absolutely nothing in it. He did blow before the shot, but shouldn't have been a free kick.

Very bizarre. I don’t think I’ve seen a ref blow for an off the ball foul against the team in possession like that before. It was miles away from the ball and didn’t impede the player at all.

Just adds to the weirdness of a very freaky game. Can’t believe we’ve lost that!

[Robert N. LiM 4,664]

One bright spark: Sara was excellent. Looked a real asset.

[chicken 2,680]

Just now, KeiranShikari said:

Results catching up with performances. 

Nope. But keep telling us it's 5mins past 1 every ten minutes.

 

[kirku 1,339]

1 minute ago, KeiranShikari said:

Results catching up with performances. 

This

[Ken Hairy 3,805]

Disappointing result more so because the better football was played by us but my god we can't keep defending like this, utterly pathetic at the back, with special mention to Aarons who, again was very poor. 

[Dr Greenthumb 753]

Ref was hopeless, defence is pathetic and I really wouldn’t be bothered if Aaron’s gets sold. Omo is nowhere near the standard people think he is. Krul needs dropping, he has been poor all season. Ramsey cannot start games, he is too lightweight and cannot finish.

All in all, that was as bad as people have been saying we are, but it’s going to happen!

[chicken 2,680]

Just now, kirku said:

This

We have a number of broken clocks here don't we? 

[kirku 1,339]

1 minute ago, Robert N. LiM said:

Very frustrating. Our own worst enemy today. Giving the best defence in the Champs three goals is severely careless. 

And perhaps the worst attack? 

[ron obvious 1,517]

How the hell did we lose that.

Freak result. Still we've had the rub of the green a few times, so bound to happen eventually.

Not happy with Sinani. Saw him have one good game & thought I might have misjudged him, but now convinced he' just not good enough.

[Hank shoots Skyler 2,094]

Very reminiscent to the early season games. Plenty of chances, some periods of good dominant play - but some absolutely calamitous individual errors at the back which throw everything away. Just one of those games.

[baldy09 163]

Just now, Dr Greenthumb said:

Ref was hopeless, defence is pathetic and I really wouldn’t be bothered if Aaron’s gets sold. Omo is nowhere near the standard people think he is. Krul needs dropping, he has been poor all season. Ramsey cannot start games, he is too lightweight and cannot finish.

All in all, that was as bad as people have been saying we are, but it’s going to happen!

In other words the majority of the team is poor and no where near a top 6 champs side 

[Rock The Boat 1,332]

Totally undisciplined performance. Hanley play games in the penalty box costing us a point. Defenders out of position allowing the opposition to score. Second to every ball, gives the ball to the opposition. This is a mindset problem that the coach needs to sort out

[chicken 2,680]

1 minute ago, kirku said:

And perhaps the worst attack? 

It's clear you don't watch any of the games... 

Their third goal was a deflected cross. So and og. 

[Mason 47 1,420]

We had far too many players off it today. Krul in particular (and a few times recently) causing us issues. You also don't see Pukki mangle 2 chances from 6 yards, and Omobamidele looked for the first time like a young man in professional football (only as it contrasts with his usual smooth performances)

Special shout out however to the referee- although let's be honest, we played pretty terribly and the result reflects that- for one of the worst decisions I've ever seen at the end there 

[Robert N. LiM 4,664]

Just now, kirku said:

And perhaps the worst attack? 

yeah, didn't express that very well. I just meant that given how hard it is to score against Preston, giving away such soft goals ourselves was really poor. Don't think it was too bad a performance box-to-box, and we were a bit unlucky in the second half (deflection for the third, Kenny's disallowed goal), but we were certainly architects of our own downfall today. (And we could easily have been down to 10 in the first half, too)

[chicken 2,680]

1 minute ago, baldy09 said:

In other words the majority of the team is poor and no where near a top 6 champs side 

You can't say that! 

If we're not a top six champs side, Smith really is working wonders! 

[Mike w 47]

MAYBE, JUST MAYBE....,. We will learn from this ugh performance..

[KeiranShikari 1,487]

We also feel pretty fragile mentality wise. Really reminiscent of Neil Adams Championship games.

Oh well, Only Sheffield United, Watford and Burnley away in the next couple of weeks.

[Herman 9,859]

2 hours ago, Herman said:

I have a feeling this will be a really exciting game.

Told ya so.😬