S25/26 | The Official Match Thread | PNE 2 Swansea City 1 | Att: 15,911 | 05/11/25 | The EFL Championship | Deepdale

[PenlanJack]

To be honest, I’m not opposed to data in football. I don’t think the owners make decisions purely off of data. In fact, the decision to appoint Sheehan wouldn’t have been all data driven because he had only managed a small sample size of games. His pre-existing relationship with the players certainly would have help and that wouldn’t have been made using data.

I feel data is used more to inform rather than make decisions. I do think it can make discussions about football quite sterile though with people just throwing out stats left right and centre. I am definitely guilty of this myself!

My point wasn't really about data, it was a dig that we're being run like a proper business, structuring football operations like a business, data on profits, data on people's trends, I get it, but football is decided on human error, mentality, effort and as tonight proved, a bounce of a ball.. stats of a player might be great, but it doesn't guarantee that his stats will continue in a different environment to the same level, it's about bonds, team habits, attitude, application, feelings, human nature, not a spread sheet

 

[Swans Jack]

Who would be considered “higher” that would come here though? Don’t think Brendan was ever realistic. Gary O’Neil at a stretch? Although he’s just been interviewed for a PL job. Hellberg still an option?

I just don't feel Carrick. Who we go for who knows. But Indy are stating the club won't look to change or get rid of Sheehan as they don't want to keep doing it every season.

 

[sit_down_jack]

I just don't feel Carrick. Who we go for who knows. But Indy are stating the club won't look to change or get rid of Sheehan as they don't want to keep doing it every season.

I think that’ll be true if we stay out of danger. As soon as things start to get a bit hairy, they’ll make a change. They won’t want to put their investment in jeopardy.

 

[J_B]

They won’t sack him this season unless they think that there’s a serious danger of relegation.

 

[DJack]

My point wasn't really about data, it was a dig that we're being run like a proper business, structuring football operations like a business, data on profits, data on people's trends, I get it, but football is decided on human error, mentality, effort and as tonight proved, a bounce of a ball.. stats of a player might be great, but it doesn't guarantee that his stats will continue in a different environment to the same level, it's about bonds, team habits, attitude, application, feelings, human nature, not a spread sheet

A good post Skippy.

 

[Bomber]

I think this is the strongest squad we've had for a few seasons . No way should we be 17th. Are Preston and Charlton actually better teams than us. It all comes down to the manager. The build up is so slow once we get into the final 3rd. We have to find a way to be more positive and work out how to break teams down. The ball has to move faster. The quality of the crosses have to be better, given the opportunities i believe we have 2 centre forwards that can score goals if they are given the opportunity. I don't think sn improvement is going to come under Sheehan. How many times have we scored 3 goals in any game in the past few seasons. The attacking style has to change somehow. Huge game on Saturday. A must win game for Sheehan. The first thing he has to do is leave Cullen and Key out of the team. Dreadful players the pair of them

 

[PenlanJack]

I think this is the strongest squad we've had for a few seasons . No way should we be 17th. Are Preston and Charlton actually better teams than us. It all comes down to the manager. The build up is so slow once we get into the final 3rd. We have to find a way to be more positive and work out how to break teams down. The ball has to move faster. The quality of the crosses have to be better, given the opportunities i believe we have 2 centre forwards that can score goals if they are given the opportunity. I don't think sn improvement is going to come under Sheehan. How many times have we scored 3 goals in any game in the past few seasons. The attacking style has to change somehow. Huge game on Saturday. A must win game for Sheehan. The first thing he has to do is leave Cullen and Key out of the team. Dreadful players the pair of them

He's attempting to change things with formations, players in different roles, 3 forwards up top.. and it's just not working whatever he's attempting or trying, he's under increasing pressure no doubt

 

[Jackareme]

Does anybody believe that Preston have better players than us (4th) or Charlton for that matter (6th) or Millwall or Bristol or Hull come on ffs.
We have a rookie manager who got the traditional bounce last season that’s the main reason we are where we are.

Absolutely the most frustrating thing about a whole sequence of gamers (including PNE) is that these teams are VERY basic, and certainly no better than us. They just have a winning mentality, particularly in the final third.
A wonder strike and a defensive calamity aside we totally dominated that game..However due to poor tactical set up and lack of a cutting edge we come home pointless.

 

[BendJack]

For me, the difference between a decent player and a very good or great player is consistency. Most players at championship level can produce glimpses of excellence. The very good players produce it more frequently. The truly great produce it all of the time.
That’s not coaching. It’s ability.

And please don’t assume that I think Sheehan is the solution as I don’t.

When you have a team of fairly average players as I believe we largely have (some a bit better, some a bit worse) , it is possible to coach them to be a much better team than individual ability would suggest. Sheehan won’t do that.

It's the coaching that aids the player in adapting and developing. It's the manager who maintained the discipline. There have been many teams written off in the past that turn things around with competent management.

Much like a school teacher, if the kids aren't learning anything in class and are failing miserably, the teacher is responsible for finding a way to inspire and improve. You can't excuse the manager for these failures - it's up to him to find a way to succeed -- or resign and accept they're out of their depth.

 

[BendJack]

It amazes me how we think we can rock up week after week and just roll teams over. Let's have it right we are not far off getting some wins on the board.
If we finish mid table so bloody what.
And another thing I'm fed up of this managerial merry go round of the last few years. Anyhow, see ya all layers. Nos dda.

"Ambition". "Hope".

Sure, there are some who expect us to be playing in the Champions League after next season . It's a basic psychological fact that football drives people to become irrational at times... However, for most it's simply setting a team full of potential being squandered. When the team is making the same mistakes and talented players who started well begin to regress.... Then that's 100% on the manager.

To expect your team to win every match is unrealistic.
To expect your team to go into matches with a competent strategy is realistic.

I wouldn't like to see Sheehan go, but the club can't afford free passes for failure, either. Any corrective measure must come as soon as practicably possible once it becomes clear where the failure lies, but we've not got a brilliant record of choosing the best managers for the job and so i'd much prefer it if Sheehan took a step back and took the team back to basics. We don't need fancy, just effective -- then work from there.

 

[IsraJack]

I thought we were decent enough for a point. PNE second goal proved again that we lack physicality in many areas of the pitch (and again, Sam Parker should be ahead of Key in the pecking order for the next few games). In addition, it seems that teams have learned that in order to shut us down, they need to close down Galbraith (who is overplayed, not overhyped) — our best moments came when they didn’t. Overall, we have good players who can achieve more, but right now, the team’s quality is still less than the sum of its parts.

 

[Dillwyn the Dog]

P

1000%. I'm not having it that the players are not good enough. OK Key is shit... But these are international players. We have the most international players to go out on the break than any championship club. No excuses now.

Key isnt having the best of times but he can be a lot better than he has been the first part of this season. At the back end of last season he seemed much more confident and I wonder if our more cautious approach this term (i.e. less aggressive in attack) isnt really helping him.

The players on times look very good but if they aren’t being coached in a tactically effective way (not playing to their strengths) then maybe we need a more forward thinking coach still focussing on a robust defence but at the same time making us with more purpose in our build up and attacking at speed.

We seem bereft of any ideas going forward and this isn’t going to change whilst the managerial situation stays the same. Sheehan doesn’t seem to know how to change things for the better so I think a change is inevitable. Pity because he’s a nice guy but that won’t be a consideration if the board are wanting a better return on their investment. Who that person is though I have no idea.

 

[Ringwood]

We played pretty well overall on Saturday and tonight against two teams currently in the top 6. Goals and chances created definitely need improvement still but we look like a fairly uninspiring lower mid table team to me.

People have their expectations up because of the window and while the players we’ve brought in have been decent enough I have to agree that there’s been little evidence that there’s a top championship team there.

We are bottom of most metrics.. that's nothing to do with expectations. If our squad is an uplift from last season then something clearly needs sorting

 

[Dillwyn the Dog]

Multiple times better than Southampton, but we lack any sign of edge in and around the box.

Inoussa and Widdell need to start games and have a run of them. Our hand has been kind of forced with the death of Marko Stamenic’s dad for Yalcouye to really hit his straps in front of Galbraith. Widdell will certainly shoot if he gets a sight on goal and will run at defenders which is what we have been crying out for. He is physically stronger than Eom and will find Vipotnik with some clever through balls. Inoussa is too good for the bench and if the manager insists on playing Eom then drop Ronald.

 

[Dillwyn the Dog]

Im also not buying the narrative that we have an excellent squad of players just waiting to be managed properly to unparalleled success. I’ve seen no evidence that this is anything other than an average group of lower mid table championship players. With a manager to match.

Well that’s just ridiculous- no one on here is equating “unparalleled success” with a team playing positively and aggressively challenging for the play offs. It’s probably a worse division this season - Boro are hardly Brazil are they and Coventry are playing balls out football without a premier league quality squad. We are not even looking remotely like we’ll get anywhere near the play off and the players are better than this most definitely.