Credit to Warne for the half time changes and we deserved to be 2-0 up in the second half, after a very bad first half.
That will do the lads the world of good and it feels good to get the win we needed.
BUT…. I’m really fed up with Officials not getting any action taken against them for dire performances.
The linesmen were bad, very bad, but in my opinion the Ref was simply disgusting….
It’s easy to say, relax we won, but that is not the point. The point is he could have cost us 2 or 3 points very easily, and he created all of Preston’s chances in the second half and time and time again missed fouls on our players, very clear and obvious fouls, but on the other hand gave free kicks and handed out yellow cards against us like it was Christmas in Preston….
Terrible Terrible Terrible Referee and I really wish independent panels could watch games and give Refs three match bans like players get… I’d have given him at least 7 straight Reds for shocking decisions…..
Its good to say it after a win so that it doesn't come across like sour grapes. Its not easy being a referee but he was absolutely dreadful. Totally baffling decisions. There were a couple of body slams on Smith and one on Ajayi that wouldn't have looked out of place in the WWE and a couple of blatant late challenges on Wiles and nothing was given for any of them. I feel for Smith. He got the usual battering with zero protection and gets a yellow for dissent. Dissent is normally unforgivable but today it was totally understandable. I thought he must have been a novice ref out of his depth and was horrified to read just now that it was Lee Probert, a Premier League official. How I will never know.
Its good to say it after a win so that it doesn't come across like sour grapes. Its not easy being a referee but he was absolutely dreadful. Totally baffling decisions. There were a couple of body slams on Smith and one on Ajayi that wouldn't have looked out of place in the WWE and a couple of blatant late challenges on Wiles and nothing was given for any of them. I feel for Smith. He got the usual battering with zero protection and gets a yellow for dissent. Dissent is normally unforgivable but today it was totally understandable. I thought he must have been a novice ref out of his depth and was horrified to read just now that it was Lee Probert, a Premier League official. How I will never know.
"Lee Probert, a Premier League official. How I will never know."
Wow Smiler... that makes it even worse...
Encouragement though for anyone out of work.. as surely without any training or qualifications whatsover, anyone would have done a better job than him today.....
No point going on about the officials it won't change anything. We got 3pts, got the breaks for once. Is Vyner still at the club? Not fussed if he is. Was told today Dom Ball is coming back, any truth in it. Newell wouldn't say he anything other than better than what we had in the 1st half. Forde was no better than Taylor, both not good enough to start at this level. Need a right back, midfielder & left winger for the Ipswich game. Then play Williams were he should be playing on the right wing. Ajayi & Robertson are still our 1st choice centre backs.
I thought the ref did well up until the last third of the game. He unravelled thereafter. I could see he was flamboyant and way too confident from the off, but thought, its ok ian, he's keeping himself in check. Oh Dear! There then followed a 15 minute period when he did seem to lose his objectivity totally and those 50-50s went against us every time and that made the game look very uneven.
It sure was a hell of a battling performance and PNE gave it a good go in the second half, but we were outstanding in standing up to them. Very lucky to go in one nil up, but the second half was all valour and guts. Some very brave performances and a few match winners today.
Personally for me its great to see wood back and battling. I wont pick anyone out as they all did superbly...nah! I thought Vaulks was outstanding really. He was run close, but for sheer ability at close quarters and one fabulous defensive header of amazing athleticism he's my MOTM today.
No point going on about the officials it won't change anything. We got 3pts, got the breaks for once. Is Vyner still at the club? Not fussed if he is. Was told today Dom Ball is coming back, any truth in it. Newell wouldn't say he anything other than better than what we had in the 1st half. Forde was no better than Taylor, both not good enough to start at this level. Need a right back, midfielder & left winger for the Ipswich game. Then play Williams were he should be playing on the right wing. Ajayi & Robertson are still our 1st choice centre backs.
Hats off to PW for making key changes at halftime. In the first two minutes of the second half, Forde twice beat their left back and put in two great crosses. Taylor's first half performance was abysmal - can't beat a man, definitely can't cross , can't defend and I think his alleged speed is overrated. Forde's defending, attacking threat and crosses are all far superior to JT imo. Newell had one of his better performances and his cross for Smith's goal was perfection. The arrival of Newell and Forde gaves us width, impetus and attacking threat - something that was totally absent in the first half. But hey, that's just the way I saw it!
Don't think PW will bother investing in any defenders during the Jan window. Our priorities have to be a striker, a creative midfielder with the ability to score and a left sided winger/midfielder.
Re the OP, the Ref got increasingly worse as the game went on. I was surprised that we ended the game with 11 men!
Ref did nothing for little old Rotherham the tackle on Vaulks in the first half there forward definitely left something on him.
In the second half the 2 passes from Wiles to Williams and Newell were class.
Gi've him a run In the team.
Hopefully we can do a bit of business in January it might give us a chance of stopping up.
Forgot to mention Wiles. He was the stand-out outfield player for us in the first half. Looks to have some real class and when he bulks up a bit, will be a great asset for us.
It was pretty bad first half. Taylor and Palmer today were just too lightweight defensively. Pushing the midfield tighter did help but so did two quality goals. And they were quality. On another day despite how incredibly hard we fought it would have been a loss.
so. brilliant lads and let's look forward to the positives. Enjoyed wiles performance too. Newall has been off form all last year as per 2017-18. Lets hope that drive and cross is a sign of better things like last season. classic and perfectly executed football goal.
No doubt about it the officials had poor games and Smudger had little protection all game.
I totally agree with Glenn. It was the changes at half time that got us into the game (never in it in first half). How we went in 1-0 up at half time i will never know. Forde was far superior to Taylor in every aspect of wide play. Newell gave us a threat and his brilliant run and cross got us the second goal. I would be worried if Raggett and wood paired up again as their lack of pace caused us to be opened up far too easily in the first half.
All credit to the lads who battled all the way with a patched up team and got that much needed three points. Vyner and Robertson got knocks in training and became unavailable later yesterday i believe. We badly need Robertson back to partner Ajayi at the back. It looks like Towell is in discussion to sign a permanent deal. For me now we need a defensive midfield player as a top priority and the obvious striker. Wiles didn't look out of place in the championship so the loss of manning is nullified. Palmer just doesn't look a Warney type player to me and i would definitely look to get some money back on him if at all possible. Taylor was poor again today and his good games are becoming rarer and rarer. The results around us today were good and gives us a bit of breathing space. We now have ten days to do some business. If at all possible T.S give Warney a little bit to strengthen our battling squad.
he may have had its moments against us but I've just seen two suspect elbows from our lads. Ajayi's could easily have been a straight red. easily! And Woods a penalty....
since I reached my 99th year I just cant keep up with the rules will it be reviewed?
1st H almost everything was wrong. Defence apart from Mattock. Only Vaulks stemming the flow in midfield. 2nd H abit better but I still can't have Forde & Newell starting a game. I was hoping Vyner had gone back. I'd send him back, need a better right back. Also as I've said a midfielder & a battling left sided player for the Ipswich game.
But at the start of the season especially after the 1st game away at Brentford think most of us would settle for 4th from the bottom. Went for us today almost as much as the Swansea game. We've got ourselves in with a chance of stopping up. Let's strengthen, don't throw lifeline away we've worked for & the luck that's gone both ways through the season so far.
First half we were awful and totally disjointed. We were very fortunate to go in a goal up. Well done Warne for having the guts to change it at half time even though we had our noses in front. We badly missed Ayayi's pace and Robertson's mobility in the centre of the defence. Wood and Raggett together is a no no other than in an emergency. Palmer (who I've defended at times) never looked like really getting a grip on the game and he is coming up short at this level. Taylor was dreadful. Forde was average but that was a vast improvement on Taylor. Newell was very good. Why can't he do that from the start of games? Wiles grew into the game and he has something about him. I thought it was a smart move to move him into a deeper lying role to get his athleticism in there instead of Palmer, and Williams did ok as a more central attacking midfielder (although like gwru I prefer him on the right wing). All in all it was a hard fought win with a makeshift side. I couldn't care less now about the Man City game. We need to get everyone fit ahead of the vital game at Ipswich and get some recruits in. Palmer and Taylor can leave for me if we can offload them. You've got to love Richard Wood for his Wembley heroics and lion heart but he worries me against Championship strikers.
Probert is the new Trevor kettle
He was totally incompetent blew for dubious fouls done by us but let them carry on
In my opinion clear foul on wiles before their goal
The linesman running the east touchline was just as bad they was clearly offside at least twice
Now.to the team well done lads playing against 14 men
Palmer I thought he had potential to push on but when given his chance hasn't took for whatever reason maybe he knows he iscgoing taylor for.all his running no consistent end product and I thought we paid to much for him anyway
Forde as a right midfielder he could be the new right back can't be.any worse than what we got
Vyner has he gone back or is he going back.
If Tony wants championship next season then he has to gamble on a proven striker attacking midfielder and a right back
This is the most important time of the season we must learn the lesson of our mistakes from when we were in this league 2 years ago get the recruitment right lets start winning matches it would be nice to go to matches thinking we will win today.
On a personal note this is one of the best days of the year for me I am retired now and I don't have to go back to work after Christmas sorry for anybody who has to go back today you have my sympathy.
The great news is that we have surpassed our last Championship points total already. There is no doubt that we are much better equipped to have a go in this division now than we were under the ill-fated season that started with the Stubbs appointment. Not that it was all Stubbs' fault (although a fair bit of it was) but let's not go there. There is no way on earth that we would have got even a point never mind three points from that game yesterday if it had taken place during our last Championship season. We would have capitulated. We at least now have battling qualities that keep us in most games.
I think we have shaken out a few players who give their all for us like they all do, and credit where it is due for that, but who don't have what it takes to play at Championship level. In truth that probably applies to about 50% of our squad but we can't just turn over half our squad in one window even if we had the finances to, so it is a case of starting with the areas of most concern and going as far as we can without causing too much disruption. We all have our own views on who we could manage without to clear room on the wage bill and where the priority is for strengthening. Warne has made his general intentions pretty clear. The outs will be as interesting as the ins.
We have a real shot at staying up. Ipswich aren't gone yet but they are in deep trouble. The wheels could fall off at Bolton. Reading, despite looking a decent side against us, are sliding at an alarming rate. The likes of Wigan and Brentford are in freefall and within touching distance. A bit of clever wheeling and dealing to add quality in key areas, and we might just stay up, which would be an astonishing achievement.
I hope you have a long and happy retirement TH. I envy you.
What do posters on here think of Yates returning? Sooner have him back than Da Ball but I can see if we get another striker in Yates going back out on loan. When I was in the ground yesterday this bloke I always talk to said this official outside the ground told him Yates was back & Dom Ball will be back later this week. Wait till that ones confirmed. This other bloke then told me he went to the training ground Monday, treated him he said like a VIP. Told me Breck told him a player is coming for talks this Friday. Said Warney has got to meet him. Warney only wants players who are right for Roth U. If we get Dom Ball back he can play in front of the back four with Vaulks & Wiles in front of them. I'd send Vyner back, we need a better right back. If Dom Ball is back the 1st signing for me would be a left winger come forward a battler, right age.
Gwru can't see why you have a love affair with Dom Ball. He is playing in a joke league against pub teams and doesn't get regular starts. Not good enough for the championship I'm afraid.
