However to associate Preston with Wolves is somewhat of an insult to Wolves. They have already lost 6 home games and even Watford beat them 4-1. We looked better than them even without all our first choice midfield.
@Malone
As a non goalscoring non assisting striker you're always going to get a lot of scrutiny though.
To be fair , a very good summary of Samuel.
Hello pal, did you enjoy the second half?
Yes I did. Not quite sure what your comment refers to . If it was Samuel , he didn’t come on until 84 minute. My comment is my thought on Samuel generally. Clearly the same as @Malone .
Samuel’s first touch is excellent. His hold up play is better than his physical size suggests it should be. His energy is 2nd to none. But he goes down too easily and doesn’t seem to read passes that well. But these 2 criticisms are down to form and not ability. Scotty Kashket has had periods of always being in the wrong place but it’s clicked again for him and he looks like a championship player. Samuel will come good. Maybe a goal will be the trigger. Maybe just a hug. But he’s certainly not worthy of the whipping boy nomination.
@TheAndyGrahamFanClub said:
Samuel’s first touch is excellent. His hold up play is better than his physical size suggests it should be. His energy is 2nd to none. But he goes down too easily and doesn’t seem to read passes that well. But these 2 criticisms are down to form and not ability. Scotty Kashket has had periods of always being in the wrong place but it’s clicked again for him and he looks like a championship player. Samuel will come good. Maybe a goal will be the trigger. Maybe just a hug. But he’s certainly not worthy of the whipping boy nomination.
Kashket has superb acceleration, generally really good finishing and more importantly has that knack of being in a position to get a chance or creating it himself with his movement.
If Samuel had been on earlier you doubt he'd have even had one of those chances to miss.
However, agreed. Shouldn't become a whipping boy.
Not being as good as most players in the league isn't a crime.
But not putting the effort in - which even his biggest critic wouldn't level at him.
Yep, I like Samuel a lot. Asides from the sheer effort he puts into each and every match he plays, I think he's a super player. Possibly one of my frustrations with him is that he doesn't always seem to realise how good he is, or certainly could be. He doesn't need to look for free kicks, he'll earn them anyway, because at his best, defenders find him a real handful.
Did someone say the ref got the decision wrong with Neil? There wasn't a decision to make, he just got in the way and I really don't think it was deliberate.
@chairboyscentral said:
Did someone say the ref got the decision wrong with Neil? There wasn't a decision to make, he just got in the way and I really don't think it was deliberate.
It'd certainly be interesting to look at again.
Did he actually move? Or was he just stood still at the edge of his box?
If it's the latter, does he actually have to move if a player runs off the pitch like McCleary did?
@TheAndyGrahamFanClub said:
Samuel’s first touch is excellent. His hold up play is better than his physical size suggests it should be. His energy is 2nd to none. But he goes down too easily and doesn’t seem to read passes that well. But these 2 criticisms are down to form and not ability. Scotty Kashket has had periods of always being in the wrong place but it’s clicked again for him and he looks like a championship player. Samuel will come good. Maybe a goal will be the trigger. Maybe just a hug. But he’s certainly not worthy of the whipping boy nomination.
More of an 'encouraging pat on the backside' boy I would suggest.
Might have been more fuss over the Neil incident if there was a crowd present. Don't think it was deliberate, but he didn't make much effort to get out of the way when he saw McLeary coming towards him. We had a good break on as well. Wouldn't have been happy if Preston had scored on the counter.
Good to see Nick Freeman back on the pitch today. Yes he had a poor game against Swansea (I think it was) but I think he’s been a bit harshly treated to be left out of the first team picture for as long as he has.
In a side that struggles to unlock defences I think there should be room for a player with his class.
For me, he’d be a good choice on the left hand side of the diamond given it allows him him to drift inside and find space or go down the flank and get a cross in as he did today delivering probably our best cross of the match with his weaker left foot.
@TheatreOfChairs said:
Good to see Nick Freeman back on the pitch today. Yes he had a poor game against Swansea (I think it was) but I think he’s been a bit harshly treated to be left out of the first team picture for as long as he has.
In a side that struggles to unlock defences I think there should be room for a player with his class.
For me, he’d be a good choice on the left hand side of the diamond given it allows him him to drift inside and find space or go down the flank and get a cross in as he did today delivering probably our best cross of the match with his weaker left foot.
Played a lovely clever ball to Samuel just before the unfortunate run of action that saw us concede the second.
But I thought at the time no-one else in the squad would have played a ball as supremely as that.
I think the move to 4-4-2 will suit him too as I think his lack of midfield snap was slightly exposed as part of a 3 man midfield.
He’s never going to be a midfield battler, he’s much more refined than that but I think we need to have a mix of both if we’re going to start winning games.
Clearly while we get less time for recovery in the Wed to Sat period versus clubs playing on a Tue, we benefit from the extra day from Sat to midweek!
So not sure it's much odds this season.
Players are allowed to use that run off area and managers aren't, could easily have awarded us a free kick and sent him to the stands, although technically if it was off the pitch is it punishable? and would it have made much difference.
Freeman can look ponderous at times and can give the ball away but he can take the ball, evade challenges and look at a pass and opportunity for us to attack whereas some of the alternatives for his role would receive the ball and just bang it forward and it immediately comes back, without Curtis he has a part to play.
From the starting XI prematch then I would have taken a point, and again at half-time.
Having done so well to get ahead we have to hold on. We were so naive. Ainsworth needs to take the blame for the substitutions. We went 4-5-1.
Fred was extremely disciplined and continually covered that left hand side. Why was he taken off and Kashket left on to play that role? We all know Kashket cannot defend and gets out of position.
Samuel should have got the ball out to McCleary but we had Kashket, Bloomfield and McCleary beyond the ball. Freeman then comes in and we are dreadfully exposed. It was an absolute shambles.
We suddenly had five players in the final third all ahead of the ball with three minutes left and 2-1 up. Completely shot ourselves in the foot. Absolutely fuming.
If we want to stay up we need to be more pragmatic when we have a lead, keep our shape & discipline better.
Comments
@fame_46 McCleary was a free agent. We didn't sign him as a transfer.
He looks the most composed in the team by quite a distance for me.
Interplay between him and Horgan will no doubt be a critical part of our Plan B.
Agree with most of that @fame_46.
However to associate Preston with Wolves is somewhat of an insult to Wolves. They have already lost 6 home games and even Watford beat them 4-1. We looked better than them even without all our first choice midfield.
Yes I did. Not quite sure what your comment refers to . If it was Samuel , he didn’t come on until 84 minute. My comment is my thought on Samuel generally. Clearly the same as @Malone .
@davecz I just hoped you enjoyed our attacking creativity. Glad you did.
Samuel’s first touch is excellent. His hold up play is better than his physical size suggests it should be. His energy is 2nd to none. But he goes down too easily and doesn’t seem to read passes that well. But these 2 criticisms are down to form and not ability. Scotty Kashket has had periods of always being in the wrong place but it’s clicked again for him and he looks like a championship player. Samuel will come good. Maybe a goal will be the trigger. Maybe just a hug. But he’s certainly not worthy of the whipping boy nomination.
Kashket has superb acceleration, generally really good finishing and more importantly has that knack of being in a position to get a chance or creating it himself with his movement.
If Samuel had been on earlier you doubt he'd have even had one of those chances to miss.
However, agreed. Shouldn't become a whipping boy.
Not being as good as most players in the league isn't a crime.
But not putting the effort in - which even his biggest critic wouldn't level at him.
Man of the Match Award for me goes to Ainsworth for the post match interview, reminding us where we were and where we want to go.
Sometime I am going to watch the replay to see how much Alex Neil was a participant in the game itself.
Yep, I like Samuel a lot. Asides from the sheer effort he puts into each and every match he plays, I think he's a super player. Possibly one of my frustrations with him is that he doesn't always seem to realise how good he is, or certainly could be. He doesn't need to look for free kicks, he'll earn them anyway, because at his best, defenders find him a real handful.
Did someone say the ref got the decision wrong with Neil? There wasn't a decision to make, he just got in the way and I really don't think it was deliberate.
It'd certainly be interesting to look at again.
Did he actually move? Or was he just stood still at the edge of his box?
If it's the latter, does he actually have to move if a player runs off the pitch like McCleary did?
@Malone I think he just did what a lot of managers do and aimlessly wandered outside his technical area. I can imagine it's very easily done.
More of an 'encouraging pat on the backside' boy I would suggest.
He was well beyond the technical area
Might have been more fuss over the Neil incident if there was a crowd present. Don't think it was deliberate, but he didn't make much effort to get out of the way when he saw McLeary coming towards him. We had a good break on as well. Wouldn't have been happy if Preston had scored on the counter.
Good to see Nick Freeman back on the pitch today. Yes he had a poor game against Swansea (I think it was) but I think he’s been a bit harshly treated to be left out of the first team picture for as long as he has.
In a side that struggles to unlock defences I think there should be room for a player with his class.
For me, he’d be a good choice on the left hand side of the diamond given it allows him him to drift inside and find space or go down the flank and get a cross in as he did today delivering probably our best cross of the match with his weaker left foot.
Played a lovely clever ball to Samuel just before the unfortunate run of action that saw us concede the second.
But I thought at the time no-one else in the squad would have played a ball as supremely as that.
Yes agree.
I think the move to 4-4-2 will suit him too as I think his lack of midfield snap was slightly exposed as part of a 3 man midfield.
He’s never going to be a midfield battler, he’s much more refined than that but I think we need to have a mix of both if we’re going to start winning games.
I thought he was great when he came on and, at least at the moment, think this sort of cameo might be the most we could hope for from him.
We were scheduled to play Stoke on Tuesday, but moved it so we could have fans in.
I don't think that's correct, Stoke was always Wednesday
Away to Barnsley also Wednesday (9th).
Clearly while we get less time for recovery in the Wed to Sat period versus clubs playing on a Tue, we benefit from the extra day from Sat to midweek!
So not sure it's much odds this season.
Unless of course a Wednesday week is followed by a Tuesday week like we are about to experience before the visit to sunny Bournemouth.
Players are allowed to use that run off area and managers aren't, could easily have awarded us a free kick and sent him to the stands, although technically if it was off the pitch is it punishable? and would it have made much difference.
Freeman can look ponderous at times and can give the ball away but he can take the ball, evade challenges and look at a pass and opportunity for us to attack whereas some of the alternatives for his role would receive the ball and just bang it forward and it immediately comes back, without Curtis he has a part to play.
From the starting XI prematch then I would have taken a point, and again at half-time.
Having done so well to get ahead we have to hold on. We were so naive. Ainsworth needs to take the blame for the substitutions. We went 4-5-1.
Fred was extremely disciplined and continually covered that left hand side. Why was he taken off and Kashket left on to play that role? We all know Kashket cannot defend and gets out of position.
Samuel should have got the ball out to McCleary but we had Kashket, Bloomfield and McCleary beyond the ball. Freeman then comes in and we are dreadfully exposed. It was an absolute shambles.
We suddenly had five players in the final third all ahead of the ball with three minutes left and 2-1 up. Completely shot ourselves in the foot. Absolutely fuming.
If we want to stay up we need to be more pragmatic when we have a lead, keep our shape & discipline better.
By my count Kashket made at least three absolutely superb defensive interceptions at the back yesterday.
@Commoner clearly has a blind spot to Kashkets' last ditch toe pokes away in our own box!
Not slice it into his own net?