Bolton 2-2 Preston

BTID, I'm off to Portugal for a couple of weeks as from tonight (Monday), so can I ask you to stick the following in the Prediction League, just in case I cant get on the forum ?

Preston 1-1 Bolton Oztumer

Cheers Mucka

In his press release after our battering by Sheff U, Parky says "we must get back to basics" and whilst this could be interpreted as practising tackling, tracking, marking and passing the goddamn ball etc he might want to consider getting back to basics with his selection and system. 
The back four of Olkowski Wheats, Beevers and Taylor is undefeated so far. On the two occasions Grounds has started, we've lost and conceded 5 goals compared to 3 in 4 games when Taylor has started. Taylor was excellent in the pre-season and in the games he's played, so why on earth drop him? OK he's a carthorse, but an experienced and committed carthorse and he's shown he works well with the other 3 so for me he has to reinstate the successful back four as the first step.

Secondly he has faffed about with his selections in midfield with Lowe being the only constant - and deservedly so because he's done well. If we're going to shore up the defence again he might want to consider partnering him with Williams who will track, mark and win possession and give us a solid core.

If we build a solid defence - and with these players it's our best approach - we are never going to be particularly expansive going forward, so we need athletes to work their socks off to put a real shift in tracking back and breaking forward ideally with pace so Wildschut has to start IMO, along with Magennis who is a shoe in, and Noone or Ameobi who can both do the job.

That leaves us with the number 10 and IMO Oztumer is a luxury we can't afford in this team at the moment. Easy on the eye for sure, but we aren't going to be playing camped on the edge of their box so we need a player with lots of box to box energy and a high workrate and despite all his perceived weaknesses there's a case for Vela doing that job.  I just think Oztumer, who may be a better passer, doesn't have the legs to do it IMO. A decent alternative is O'Neil deeper with Lowe and Williams pushed on a bit to do the water carrying.

If Parky gets back to a solid defence and a counterattacking style I think we'll nick it but if he focuses too much on being "entertaining" we'll get murdered. 

We're getting to know the strengths and weaknesses of these players now and IMO our best option is to concentrate on what we do best - build the wall and hope to score on the break and at set pieces.

If Parky gets back to these particular "basics" I reckon we'll win by the odd goal and have the basis of a team that will be very difficult to beat going forward.

The suggestion being we weren’t playing to defend and capitalise on set pieces against Sheffield United?

I find that hard to believe to be honest. Parky has a way he wants to play and doesn’t vary from it in my experience. Is it not more likely that they managed to exploit our weaknesses and stifle our (little) attacking threat? We all know this group of players aren’t world beaters despite what early form said.

Get Taylor back in the team for sure, but he’s not suddenly Paolo Maldini because of one result without him.

Caveat to all of this, haven’t seen any of the Sheffield game so I could be talking bollocks.

Draw written all over this

Taylor back for Grounds and get Buckley out of the team, he really is poor. Wildschut or Noone should replace him with Ameobi on the other side. I can't see him starting Oztumer away from home so it will probably be Vela again. I do think Vela would be better deeper with Lowe though.

Parky had better get a grip for Saturday, and if Grounds or Buckley start Ken should sack him on the spot.

This game is massive for me. Many of the bellends who live below the penthouse are PNE scum, and I like nothing better than lording it over them.

Defeat is not an option.

I feel confident we'll win. I'm predicting 2-0 to us with Wildschut and Oztumer providing the goals.

Natasha Whittam wrote:Parky had better get a grip for Saturday, and if Grounds or Buckley start Ken should sack him on the spot.

This game is massive for me. Many of the bellends who live below the penthouse are PNE scum, and I like nothing better than lording it over them.

Defeat is not an option.

You do know Ken sanctioned the moves for both of those players. Is he gonna sack himself too?

Ref Watch: Andy Davies to oversee Preston North End v Bolton Wanderers

Andy Davies will take charge of Wanderers’ Sky Bet Championship away tie against Preston North End on Saturday afternoon at Deepdale.

Entering into his seventh year as an official, Davies has overseen five games this season, in which he has produced 17 yellow cards during those fixtures.

This will be the first time this season that the official will take charge of either side as a referee.

When looking towards last season, Davies dished out 104 yellow cards in 31 games, branding six red cards in total.

Shaun Hudson and Jonathan Hunt will act as linesman for the fixture, with Sebastian Stockbridge as fourth official.

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We'll lose this one by two clear goals. Probably 2-0 or 3-1.

This match is looking more like a litmus test of how we'll fare this season. A win would be heartening for both players and fans as well as giving us a bit more of a much-needed cushion. I'm just really hoping that Parky has the nous to steer us through this one and doesn't do anything daft.

wanderlust wrote:This match is looking more like a litmus test of how we'll fare this season. A win would be heartening for both players and fans as well as giving us a bit more of a much-needed cushion. I'm just really hoping that Parky  doesn't do anything daft.

Yeah, the 8 man defence Parky picked at home to Sheffield United is more suited to away games.I hope Parky isn't silly and reacts to the Sheffield horror show by picking an attacking team at Preston, the 8 man defence served us very well in the 2 away games at West Brom and Reading

I sometimes think that Parkinson doesn't know his arse from his elbow when it comes to team shape or tactics.

I think we need to calm down just a bit. The start to this season is light years better than last and while I accept that's not saying a great deal the fact we've only lost once in the league and got three wins from five is a pretty good beginning imo.

The fact is that a mid table finish would represent real progress for us given our circumstances and I think that with this squad it's very acheivable. Get in one decent striker tomorrow (two would be better but I'll be realistic and say I think we'll get one now and maybe the other in January) and in my opinion it becomes a genuinely realistic objective to finish in the top half.

As to the match against PNE I've plumped for a 2-0 win and nothing I've seen so far makes me feel that's a bad call. Yes we were poor against the blades but every team has a bad day at the office. Last season it was our good days that were the exception and that alone is a good cause for optimism this time around. We've played some good football and admittedly ridden our luck in a couple of games but for once we've actually had good luck when we needed it. When's the last time you can remember us really getting the breaks?

I don't know why but I still feel really good about this season and believe we'll do well, maybe even get close to the play offs.

Foot in Both Camps: Preston North End v Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers take on Preston North End this Saturday in the Sky Bet Championship at Deepdale. With that in mind, bwfc.co.uk take a look back at some of the notable names to have played for both sides.

Sam Allardyce

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The former England manager started his playing career off at Wanderers in 1973. During his time with the Whites, he was a part of the 1977/78 side that gained promotion to the First Division.

He had a second stint with the Trotters in the 1985/86 season, before joining North End the following year.

Whilst with the Lilywhites, Allardyce won promotion from the Fourth Division and in the same season, the defender was named in the PFA Team of the Year for 1986/87.

With a brief caretaker role as manager with North End coming at the end of his playing career, ‘Big Sam’ took over as Whites boss in October 1999.

From there, Allardyce enjoyed an eight year tenure at the University of Bolton Stadium.

He took the club into the Premier League in 2001, beating this weekend's opponents at the Millennium Stadium in the First Division Play-off Final.

From there, Allardyce and his Wanderers side enjoyed a successful stay in the top flight of English football.

It was capped off in 2004/05, when the Trotters finished sixth and won qualification to the UEFA Cup for the first time in the club’s history.

Ricardo Gardner

Coming over to England after a successful World Cup campaign with the Jamaican national team in 1998, Gardner joined Bolton for a reported fee of £1 million.

From 1998 to 2012, the left-sided player made over 350 appearances for the Whites.

A notable achievement for Gardner during his time in BL6 was scoring at the Allianz Arena against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup in 2007. It was his first goal for five years at that time.

Coming towards the end of his playing career, he had a short spell at Deepdale in 2011 on an emergency one-month loan as cover for then-manager Phil Brown’s team.

In the current day, Gardner manages the Jamaican Under-20 international team.

Frank Worthington

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Scorer of one of the goals of the 1970s during his two year spell with Wanderers, in his second season at the club, Worthington was the leading goal scorer in the First Division, finding the net 24 times in 42 games.

Fast forward to the 1986/87 season meanwhile and the striker was a Preston North End player.

He was only a Lilywhite for a single season however, where Preston gained promotion from the Fourth Division.

Jermaine Beckford

The former Jamaican international joined Bolton Wanderers from Leicester City on a two-year deal in July 2013.

Beckford had more success when he joined Preston North End on loan from the Whites in November 2014 however.

The frontman wrote himself into North End folk law by scoring a hat-trick in the League One Play-off Final against Swindon Town to gain them promotion to the Sky Bet Championship.

Julian Darby

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Currently a first team coach at Bolton Wanderers, Darby started his career at the club in 1986.

In an eight-year playing spell, he made over 300 appearances for the Whites, in which he scored in the 1989 Associate Members Cup final against Torquay United at Wembley Stadium where the Trotters ran out 4-1 winners.

In 1997 however, Darby signed for North End and stayed at Deepdale until a move to Carlisle came about in 2000.

Nicky Hunt

Coming through the young system at Bolton, Hunt made his first team debut in 2000/01 as a substitute for Colin Hendry against Sheffield United on the final day of the regular season.

With 143 starts for the club in his nine years at the University of Bolton Stadium, he enjoyed playing in the UEFA Cup for the Whites, in addition to starting in the League Cup Final against Middlesbrough in 2004.

The full-back signed on short-term deal for PNE in 2011, and was a regular during his brief time at the club.

Tony Philliskirk

The Sunderland born frontman had a very brief spell at North End in 1989, before joining Wanderers in June 1989 for a reported fee of £50,000.

After signing, Philliskirk scored 75 times in 182 appearances for the Whites and for two seasons running from 1989 to 1991, the striker finished as the club’s top scorer.

Michael Ricketts

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In July 2000, former England international Ricketts joined Wanderers from Walsall for a fee in the region of £400,000.

In his first season at the club, the striker shot onto the scene by scoring 24 goals in 47 appearances, earning the Whites promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.

Furthermore, Ricketts earned a call-up to the England national side, making his debut against the Netherlands in 2002.

He then joined Preston in 2007 after leaving Southend United but with fitness an issue during his time at the club, appearances were few and far between.

However he came into his own for the Lilywhites against Ipswich Town that year, as his sole goal earned three points for then manager Paul Simpson’s side.

Barry Siddall

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Goalkeeper Siddall started off his career with the Whites in 1970 and stayed for six years at the club.

During such time, he won the Third Division under Jimmy Armfield in 1972/73 and made 158 appearances during his tenure with Wanderers.

He finished his professional career at North End in 1992/93.

John Thomas

In two spells (1980-82 and 1987-89) at the club, the forward scored 44 times in 110 appearances.

He top scored in the 1987/88 season for Phil Neal’s team with 22 goals in 43 games and from there, he had a one season spell at West Bromwich Albion before joining PNE for a reported £15,000.

He picked up the Player of the Year for the Lilywhites in 1985/86 and the following season, Preston stormed to promotion with Thomas ending the year as North End’s top scorer with 28 goals.

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That's just about the team I would have picked TBH.