Preston NE 1-1 Aston Villa Post Match Thread

[Matt Collins]

Seemed lucky today. Tho could have snatched it at the end

That midfield three just doesn't work. Especially when they're knackered

Am surprised Smith hasn't picked more adventurous formations at times. Think we're crying out to move to 4231. Maybe he's too worried about the defence

Next game is put elphick at cb and bree at rb. Plus bjarnason, adomah must start surely?

[ChicagoLion]

The concern was how we completely lost shape as the game went on.
We make too many basic errors, Whelan was the only midfielder functioning.
Hourihane anonymous again.
Nylon can make world class saves, has a great throw and then flaps and panics.
Full backs continue to be a major problem.
A slog but I think we can still make the play offs.

[Edvard Remberg]

Derby score

[john e]

all very Bruce like the last 3 games
no imagination just send the same team out and hope for the best

[AlexAlexCropley]

Didn't look on it till Whelan was hooked. Too slow and backward.

[CT]

Diasppointing considering PNE fans were laughing at their own line up and how poor their bench was.

I've just seen BB's open goal Miss as well.....😫

Must beat QPR now next year.

[Edvard Remberg]

all very Bruce like the last 3 games
no imagination just send the same team out and hope for the best

Would be 0 points under Bruce

[Loxton01]

We are clearly struggling without Grealish. A win against qpr and we would have had a decent Christmas spell bar the Leeds game where we should have got a draw minimum

We need to find out where Grealish is urgently and when he is back?

Can’t also understand why Kodj seems to be out in the cold all of sudden. Will he start next game otherwise don’t get why he doesn’t come on in the game if players were struggling?

[mr underhill]

disappointing as we could have won - as we could have won on several other occasions throughout the season - but to go into the New Year only three points outside the top six given all the shit that has gone on since Wembley isn't too discouraging. a few judicious acquisitions in January and we could make the play offs.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

We are not quite right ........just yet. With this defence 1-1 away is ok.

The lack of creativity up front concerns me more right now. Other than lumping the ball into the box for Tammy, what else do they do? Piss poor.

Overall, we seemed to prefer to move the ball around rather than bring it forward. It was as if Dean Smith told them to save their energy and let the ball do the work, so they all stood around like statues. The other fault in the plan was we can't string a couple of passes together. Piss poor all over the pitch today. Players look knackered, thank god we don't have another game until next year.

[Villafirst]

Kodjia should be on. He can win you a game. Strange decision.

[Legion]

As long as Smith can strengthen the defence and Grealish makes a return sharpish once fit (unless he goes elsewhere in January), play-offs it will be.

[KRS]

3-4 Derby!!!

[CJ]

Poor, disjointed performance against an average team who've got so many players out they had to bring a 16 year old Academy kid on near the end. They probably feel they should nave won having hit the woodwork a couple of times, and we actually should have nicked it with the Thor miss.  So a point is probably a fair but disappointing result.

Still think we'll make the playoffs as long as Deano sorts the defence out in January. Obviously Jack is a huge miss and nothing creative comes through the middle without him. If he's likely to be out longer term we should look at a replacement - maybe the rumours around Sawyers will come to fruition, but FFP and higher priority positions may rule that out.

[mr underhill]

 unless he's caught Bruceitis Dean will have to shake things up for QPR