Match Day Thread Preston North End vs QPR

We have an outside if unlikely chance of Promotion this season. Otherwise it looks to like we should be trying to get Eze and BOS to sign new extended contracts so we don't end up losing them for nothing, or a fraction of what they are worth.

 

Great sentiments (and hope) Oslo; but a top 10 finish would be a good outcome for the season and a surprise to many at here at 606. We need to finish strong and good young prospects will see that this is a club you can do well at if you work hard. We may be a stepping stone for a few years now, but we DO have the optimism that our management team, at board level, can turn things around. We just need to please the fans with a high standard of entertaining football (though an improved defence would be a nice bit of cream on the cake).

 

Wages will be the stumbling block currently. Rightly and necessarily, we now have strict limits around how much we can pay people, and our best players could command bigger wages in the Premier League or with big-spending Championship clubs. That doesn't mean we have to sell them this summer, though. We can't give them what they want in this league, but we could if we got promoted. I think we should have a strong push for promotion next season, which we will be able to do within FFP constrictions.

 

I'm very pleased with the result and my prediction.

 

Shows how quickly we could have been sucked into a relegation battle!

 

The Wells Effect

 

We’ve been here before but theoretically we could finish the season with an already-relegated Luton, Wall having nothing to play for and West Brom after a week on the beers post-promotion.

All relies on six points from these next two but if we can get them then we’re right in it. We won’t, of course.

The dream is to relegate Luton and win the final game at Griffin Park on the way to doing Fulham at Wembley. 50/1 for top six with Bet365.

 

Will work in central London the day of Charlton and should finish at a reasonable hour so expect to be around London Bridge for a while pre-match.

 

Sorry late to party .
I have an excuse, will explain some other time, or if I meet any of you

We were magnificent and also a bit lucky too
Two off the post/bar....and if Hugill had missed that second sitter that their forward got just after our first goal, he would not have got out of Preston alive.

Having said that, the team came alive in the second half (excellent subs, Warbs) and Amos held the whole midfield together following Camerons dismissal.
But the team really took the opportunity. We know its is an excellent counterattacking unit, especially when they play aagainst a team that "assumes" it can win after we went down to 10. But Manning , BOS and Eze wre outstanding...more than outstanding...but words for hidden heros like Rangel (can we get another (part) season out of him?), Hugill and Barbet.

This renaissance has started when Barbet and Hall came together (Warbs always wanted that as our two CDs), the defence is stronger, but still far from perfect.

Can we get to playoffs, with most of the bottom teams playing (well) for their lives (obviously excluding Hull here), I think we will lose or draw a couple of unexpected matches. So probably no.

I would love us to take the gamble of hanging onto our players to January, but suspect one or two will go in summer. Eze to Palace I would think, as a replacement for Zaha. BOS too, but feel that Shodipo is ready to step up. (if you do not believe me, take a look at his goal for u23 last week...a near carbon copy of BOS goal away at Brum),

Finally...it is unlikely we will get relegated on 50 points isn't it (asking for a friend)

 

I don’t think we’ll go down now, nor do I think we’ll squeak the playoffs. I actually think if we remain 12th, it will be a good season and I for one will be a happy rangers supporter.

 

I would have been happy with mid table - however I would love to see us reach out for a play off spot. Would we get promoted....doubtful but a push to get top 6 would show the youngsters that perhaps they could get to the top tier with us. I still feel that MW will duck and dive in the transfer market in the summer, we have players on one year deals only and I would like to see Rangel stay for another year (as there are things that go on behind the scenes that help the younger players). I hope that we can to do Barnsley what they did to us earlier in the season and take something from the derby game against Charlton.

 

I know you rate him Beth but personally the elation at the unexpected win yesterday is severely tempered by the prospect of having to watch another 90 minutes of Amos' negativity next weekend. It's no coincidence that our decent form has coincided with him being replaced by Cameron in the starting XI and that's not because Cameron has been exceptional but mainly just that the hugely negative influence of Amos that has held our creative players back has been removed. Fulham aside, I've not been to away matches this season, and I often get the impression from you that Amos does for more for us away from HQ. Assuming that to be the case, he desperately needs to bring some of that next weekend. If I see him pointing backwards one more time...

 

Overall I think it’s fair to say Amos has been ****e but apparently he was excellent yesterday so deserves a chance.

 

IF we continue with this form and get 20 points from the last 9 matches (27 points) then we could sneak into the playoffs.

A massive long shot with it is always possible with consistency!

 

Just caught the short highlights and I love that for Manning's goal there were three men around BOS. Meant that Manning had all the time in the world when he got the ball to pick his spot and fire away.

Obviously taking nothing away from the great finish, but three men on BOS is what fear looks like.

 

Actually QPAAAAGH I don't really rate him "that" much. I have seen him play a couple of good games, yesterday 's second half was one of them.
I rated him much more than Smith, Pugh and until a month ago Ball, but then Ball seriously got a grip with the CDM role and has blossomed. Amos was asked yesterday, after Cameron got sent off, to hold the midfield together, he did that well. I do not think his job was to think quickly and to be creative. So yes I do think he is better away from home; at home we are supposed to be on the front foot and he is not that fast thinking.

He came to us as an attacking midfielder, and Matt Smith was a DCM. Amos always seemed better in that role than Smith. Perhaps that is where his future lies