We can counter and hurt teams - we have the pace if we are the one's soaking up the pressure and get our sens organised.
That's why we do better against the better opposition - the one's that bring the game to us, because they leave space in behind, which we can exploit.
What we cannot do is break teams down that keep their shape and set up to repel our weak and slow build up. There are so many examples so far this season it's too obvious for words.
We have very little quality to unpick teams with a killer ball or to stretch teams so that gaps appear since we are attempting to play a game similar to what the likes of Chelsea play but with mediocre players. If you look at Chelsea when they are pressing they play with a striker on the edge of the box, back to goal, and midfielders threading the ball into feet and getting beyond and into the penalty area. The striker holds the ball up and plays it back to another midfileder who then plays in the runner or the striker turns and feeds the ball through to the runner. We don't do any of that - it just goes wide and back and back and wide and then the cross, when it comes, is more about frustration and panic as opposed to any quality delivery - the fact that we have nothing other than Done to aim at is another factor. Done is doing his job and the rest, bar Murph, are pretty dismal.
Preston can play the football game and they can bully the opposition - they are far more multi-dimensional in their play than we are and they can adapt to suit the opposition. NC sets us up in the same way every game and doesn't take into consideration the nature of the opposition - what will beat Bristol 1-3 on their own patch will not do the same for a Crawley fighting for their league 1 status or a Fleetwood with fuck all to lose at Bramall Lane - basking in the experience. Too many similar midfield players with very little strength or height is not a recipe for getting out of this league (except through the trap door).
