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The View From The Other Side - Preston Vs U's
The View From The Other Side - Preston Vs U's
Thursday, 16th Aug 2012 10:30 by Daniel

In a twist to your everyday match preview, we have a new feature for this season where we get 'the view from the other side' by interviewing opposition supporters. First up are Chuy and Surf from North End message board PNE-Online.

How long have you supported Preston?

Chuy: I've supported North End since 1999, when I was about 7 or 8. It was just as we were on the rise from the lower leagues and aiming towards the Championship and beyond.

Surf: 48 years.

What are your memorable moments and games between the U's and Preston?

Chuy: The most memorable game against Colchester has to be the 7-0 drubbing we gave you after Alan Irvine was sacked. Rob Kelly was in charge that day and it was probably the best performance we had put in for over a year. The best that we played all season, that game.

Surf: 7-0 in the FA Cup springs to mind, the winners played Chelsea 2010. If you're a fair minded fan then Lua Lua's stunning goal for Colchester in season 1999/2000 was something you will still remember with the game finishing 3-2 to Colchester. It was a devastating blow for us at the time but we managed to recover enough to still gain promotion to the Championship.

How has your team changed since we last played each other? (3rd March 2012 - the U's won 3-0)

Chuy: Well if you look at the team that started that game in March, only one man is expected to feature prominently for us this season and that is Thorsten Stuckmann, who is the best Goalkeeper we have had for years. We have signed 16 players over the summer, with our 17th is expected to be Stuart Beavon and also is expected to feature against you at the weekend. On the whole, it's a completely different side.

Surf: The team will be unrecognisable from the Preston North End team that took the field that day! As it stands at the moment the only player remaining from that team will be the goalkeeper Thorsten Stuckmann.

What are your expectations this season?

Chuy: Pre-season has been a bit hit-and-miss, with most fans accepting that the players are all new and were just getting to know each other. The new players now seem to have come together as a great unit after the victory over Huddersfield Town, which most fans are saying is the best performance from PNE in 3 or 4 years. I expect us to make the play-offs at least, with the automatic promotion places not being an unrealistic target.

Surf: Promotion! Not my words, that's what both the manager Graham Westley and chairman Peter Ridsdale expect the players to achieve this season! As for me, if we can keep free of injuries then I expect to us to be there or thereabouts around the play-offs.

Pre-season didn't start well with just one victory against Southport but a good moral midweek win away at AFC Wimbledon give us a bit of confidence. This was backed up by a promising display against Championship side Leeds United at Deepdale, and after another long hike to Plymouth, resulting in a 1-0 win, we went into the League Cup game against Huddersfield not short on confidence.

Who is your danger man?

Chuy: The best signing of the summer for us has been Jack King, who we got on a free transfer from Woking. God only knows how he has been playing non-league football all of his career. Everything seems to go through him, so I'd say watch out for him bossing your midfield. Also watch out for whichever wingers start against you. Holmes may be injured so it will be the trickery of ex-Arsenal winger Jeffrey Monakana and the speed of ex-Liverpool player David Amoo.

Surf: Mousinho, the Frank Lampard on League one I call him. He's a class act, captain of the side and seems to be here, there, and everywhere on the field of play, covers every blade of a grass and is the epitome of manager Graham Westley philosophy on football, which is you must do everything in your power to ensure victory. Second up, Jack King signed from non league Woking plays in the hole between midfield and attack, strong player, times his runs into the box perfectly, scored on Monday night against Huddersfield and expect him to get more goals this season.

What do you know about our team?

Chuy: I honestly don't know that much about Colchester. I guess we're going to have to watch out for Freddie Sears and Clinton Morrison, as I've seen them have good games in the past (especially Morrison.) John-Joe O'Toole was a good player when I saw him playing for you as well.

Surf: I went to both games last season and like the way your players express themselves on the pitch. You came across as a footballing side and when in the ascendancy can really go to town on teams. Also saw you get bogged down at times and become frustrated - reading between the lines maybe, that stopped you finishing higher than you should have done.

I remember the old Layer Road ground with the old programme cabin under the stand. Always a difficult place to get a result. Who can ever forget Ray Crawford scoring the winner against the mighty Leeds in the FA Cup - a great moment that I still remember to this day.

What's your prediction for the game?

Chuy: I expect us to carry the form from the Huddersfield game into the clash on Saturday and win the game. I don't expect your attackers to be as lacklustre as Huddersfield's, however, so we may have a closer game. If your lads turn up and want to fight for every 50-50 ball, then I'd say a 2-1 win for PNE. However, if you don't turn up and your players refuse to get stuck into tackles then I'd say either 3-0 or 4-0 to us. Watch out for Jack King scoring, as well as Stuart Beavon if he signs before Saturday. I also wouldn't be surprised to see Chris Beardsley score his first goal for the club on Saturday, most probably from a header as he's good in the air.

Surf: I just can't imagine the game being as open as last time. It will be tight game this time around with a one goal in it going in our favour. Jack King the guy mentioned before will take huge confidence from his goal against Huddersfield on Monday night so I can't look beyond him notching the winner for us.

Finally, what is your opinion of your manager? He made a bit of a fool of himself when we last played and didn't have that great a start to his reign as your boss.

Chuy: Graham Westey is like marmite. You either love him or you hate him. Last season about 75% of fans hated him (I had more patience and liked the strictness of him, although I still recognise that he's a nutter.) Over the summer more fans have warmed to him and his sense of humour and I believe the majority are in favour of Westley and his methods. Westley even pretended to text during a pre-season game, much to the delight of our away support (more proof he's completely mental.) He gets 110% out of all his players and makes sure that if somebody isn't trying their best then they will be substituted. Now he has his team and his new players, it's time to build a new Preston North End. After last season, the only way is up for Graham Westley. I fully expect him to be as successful with us as previous managers such as Gary Peters, Billy Davies and the legend that is David Moyes.

Surf: You could write a book on this guy Graham Westley. He's certainly not here to win friends and influence people. He's here with one thing on his mind and that's to make Preston North End successful and he will do anything by fair means or foul to make sure that happens. He's completely driven and wholesale changes to the club on and off the pitch during the summer showed he was not happy with what he inherited and felt the players here at the time weren't buying into him. So for him it's always been about this season, he said "let me get the players in I want during the summer and then judge me". We have let him do just that and in total he's brought in new players plus made numerous changes to the personnel off the pitch. His mandate has always been to surround himself with people he feels he can trust and once he's done that he is totally convinced he will be a success at this club. Over to you Mr Westley!

Photo: Action Images



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