Preston is now a Must Win

[Yorkie]

I think we should try to win every game.

Do you think someone has told the team that?

 

[Safeway]

I don't know. Shall I ring Mark McGhee tomorrow? Got to worth a go, innit.

 

[Yorkie]

 

[oapdodge]

I think we should try to win every game.

I think some games are more important not to lose.
I think Mr McGhee has told his players that.

 

[Blackadder]

OK time for a reality check.

We knew it wouldn't be easy BUT............

We haven't exactly had an easy start! The three teams we have lost to are currently the top Three in the division. (I know we can argue that we helped put them there but Wigan won at West Ham and Millwall and Plymouth turned the Taffs over at their place and beat Sunderland!)

I would be more concerned if I was QPR! They were expecting to get far more points out of their first four games. Remember they still have to go to Wigan and Reading!

I would like to think we would get something out of Preston on Saturday as they are going through a tough time themselves! (but there again we expected that two seasons ago!)

It's the home games we need really concentrate on.

Hopefully Chippy and Roberts will be fit soon.


Just think, we could be in the postion Bristol City are in at the moment!

Keep the Faith in Mark McGhee!

 

[London Irish]

I think every game, if not a must-win, is a "cup final" for us......

Feel free to add your favourite cliche.

 

[Safeway]

I think every game, if not a must-win, is a game of two halves.

 

[sams dad]

Every game is a game of two halves(Unless it goes to extra time)

 

[oapdodge]

It's not over till the fat lady sings.

 

[Blackadder]

It's not over till the fat lady sings.

Is Hattie clearing her throat?

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

I would agree, if we are to lose so easily away, we need to have a bloody good home record. As DP says, just because the games are early in the season, doesn´t mean they don´t count as much. 3 points on the opening, day, 3 points on the last day - we need to get our act together quickish and stop making excuses

 

[Exiled in Exeter]

Watched a little bit of the PNE – Sheffield United game and Preston looked pretty poor against 10 men. But I also caught the highlights and it seems Preston did create some decent opportunities.

Preston at home is certainly a game we should look to try and win and at least winning does look achievable.

At least the Pompey scum have done us a favour and brought Fuller.

 

[brighton rock]

49 more points to stay up

 

[Stumpy Tim]

I will start to worry if we're in the same position at the end of September. By then we'll get more of a picture of who we'll be struggling with. By then we would have played Preston, Wolves & QPR at home, and Leicester, Watford, Gillingham & Forest away. Realisitically we can get points from all the home games, and get something at Watford & Gillingham (and even Leicester if their strikers keep firing blanks).

Keep the Faith

 

[Brovion]

'Must win'? How can you have 'must win' matches in AUGUST? A better description would be "nice to win, a draw will do but a defeat isn't the end of the world". You should never look at the League table until the end of October (not my words - Bill Shankly's). These days with three points for a win a team can say, lose twelve games on the spin and still go into the last game of the season with a chance of staying up.

If we don't win on Saturday I shall have a little bet with myself as to how many "WE'RE DOOMED, WE'RE RUBBISH, LET'S NOT EVEN BOTHER FULLFILLING THE REST OF OUR FIXTURES!" threads there will be. Judging from this weekend's crop it could be about 50.

We knew it would be hard. Surprise surprise it is. If we've still only got 1 point at the end of September then you can start getting mildly uncomfortable.

 

[Jim D]

We've got to be careful how we approach these games. If we go into them with the attitude that we must win then we could easily over commit in attack and leave ourselves exposed at the back - and we don't have the midfielders capable of stopping the opposition coming through.

If we had all our players available I'd say Preston was a 'mustn't lose' instead of a 'must win'. But without Chippie and Rodger I'm concerned about the midfield - although at least we're likely to have Roberts and Oatway available for Saturday. For this reason I'd be happy with a 0-0 as this would give the defence confidence and would allow us to start building.

We've got 42 games to play and need about 49 points. That means 7 points every 6 games. There's no need to panic just yet - although I know that won't stop many of you.

 

[Lush]

I remember the last time we played Preston at home and we all thought we would win.

Yes. Fortunately this time North Stand Chat AREN'T sponsoring the match.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Yes. Fortunately this time North Stand Chat AREN'T sponsoring the match.

You mean I'm coming all the way back for the Sunderland game for a definite defeat?

 

[chips and gravy]

If we play like we did against Reading and Coventry we should win. However, we can't take these sort of games for granted - last time we played Preston in a must win game we thought we would stroll it, and got a bloody nose. That game in my opinion was the final nail in the coffin for our Div 1 status last time

 

[BensGrandad]

I can't remember the year at the moment but we once went seveval weeks before we won our first game, a good few years ago.

It was in the same division that we are in now and it was a certain team called LEEDS United, that we beat. We went on to stay up that season, no problem.

It was early 90 or 91 when Barry Lloyd was manager.

The same will happen this season.