[themaclad]

Preston North End v Bristol City

Deepdale 13/1/2024 15.00hrs

LAST LEAGUE GAME



FORM GUIDE

PNE 3 CITY 13

Reverse of opening day fixture City getting better we are getting worse

MANAGER



Early coaching career
Manning worked as an academy coach at Ipswich Town before joining Premier League side West Ham United in 2015 as head coach of the club's U23s.[4]

In 2019 he left to join City Football Group, initially as director of coaching with Major League Soccer side New York City FC before later progressing to the role of academy director.[5][6]

Lommel SK
Staying within City Football Group, in July 2020 Manning was named head coach of Belgian First Division B club Lommel SK, where he led the previously bottom of the table side to a third-placed finish at the end of the 2020–21 season.[4]

Milton Keynes Dons
On 13 August 2021, Manning joined League One club Milton Keynes Dons.[7] On 8 October 2021, after just eleven league games in charge, Manning was named EFL League One Manager of the Month for September 2021, a month in which he led the club to an unbeaten run of five league games achieving eleven points.[8] He repeated the achievement just four months later, being named League One Manager of the Month for January 2022 after a similarly successful period.[9]

At the end of his first season, Manning had led the club to a third-place finish with 89 points and play-off qualification, having missed out on automatic promotion by a single point. The club however later failed to gain promotion via the play-offs, losing out to Wycome Wanderers over two semi-final legs.[10]

Following an awful start to the season that found his side in the relegation zone, Manning was sacked on 11 December 2022 having accumulated just fifteen points from twenty matches, six points from safety and only off the bottom on goal difference.[11]

Oxford United
On 11 March 2023, Manning was appointed head coach of League One side Oxford United.[12] An impressive start to the following season for the club saw him lead his new club to four wins from five matches, and he was named League One Manager of the Month.[13] Manning left the club in November 2023 after 29 games in charge with the club second in League One.[14]

Bristol City
On 7 November 2023, Manning, together with his assistant Chris Hogg, departed Oxford United and joined EFL Championship club Bristol City, signing a contract until June 2027.[15][16]

Coaching style
Manning favours a high possession, high pressing style of football.[17][18]

He has a reputation for developing young players, having spent much of his early coaching career working with the academy sides of West Ham United, Ipswich Town and New York City FC. Manning is credited as having contributed to the development of England international Declan Rice.[4]

HOT STUFF



https://www.bcfc.co.uk/

https://www.otib.co.uk/

https://www.not606.com/forums/bristol-city.34/

Who’s Available?

Andrew Hughes, who went off injured at Stamford Bridge after colliding with the goalpost, is fit and available for Saturday's match.

Fellow defender Jack Whatmough will be missing again, though, and is expected to be sidelined for the next few weeks with a knee issue.

Aside from Jack, the manager expects to be able to pick from a fully-fit squad for this one.

Opposition Focus


Bristol City arrive at Deepdale following a spirited display against West Ham United in the Emirates FA Cup third round, as they forced a replay in front of their 9,000 travelling fans.

It’s been all change for the Robins since the reverse fixture on the opening day of the season, with former Oxford United head coach Liam Manning now the man in charge.

He’s overseen a decent run of form in recent weeks, having lost just once in their previous six outings, and Manning has challenged his players to reach the same levels on Saturday afternoon that they did last weekend against the Hammers in London


Match Officials

Referee: Sam Barrott
Assistant Referees: Jonathan Hunt and Daniel Leach
Fourth Official: Simon Mather

Sam Barrott will take charge of a PNE match for the first time in his career this weekend, having made the step up to Championship and occasionally Premier League football this campaign.

In the 24 matches he’s been the main official for so far, he’s shown 77 yellow cards and three reds.

MACS VIEW

Recent polls indicated more than 90% of the fan base wanted the Scouser to be sacked, lose this and it will be five home defeats out of 6 games, little sign of any window activity probably down to the fact that the manager is going to be one game away from being potted.
All City have to do, is defend in depth and catch us on the break, there you go tactics sorted, will the tool actually pick our one creative player, Mads or leave him on the bench. The only good thing no 5 am get up for our first Saturday game at home in two months

[themaclad]

Preston Nrth End 2 Keane 2 Bristol City 0

PNE line-up: Woodman; Potts (Brady, 79), Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Browne (Frøkjær, 45), Whiteman, McCann; Holmes (Riis, 45), Osmajić (Keane, 45), Millar. Subs not used: Cornell, Cunningham, Stewart, Ledson, Best.

Bristol City line-up: O’Leary; Tanner, Vyner, Dickie, Pring; Williams, Gardner-Hickman (James, 75); Bell (Wells, 75), Knight (King, 89), Mehmeti (McCorie, 75); Conway (Cornick, 89). Subs not used: Bajic, Roberts, Knight-Lebel.

Attendance: 14,929 (661 Bristol City fans).

Referee: Mr S Barrott.

A wins a win, it keeps Mr Fantastic in post for a bit longer, in the end deserved the win although the home team did put in the worst first half preformenace for many a year.
First things first, a block of five rows were I sit in my comfy seat had a yellow card attached to them, apparently someone had heard some fruity language probably at the Wednesday match and reported it hence 30 of us were on the naughty step, bloody grass.
The first half was mind numbingly dire, City probably should have been ahead, however fortunately every chance they had fell to Jason Knight, he missed the lot, tame shot when they sliced through our defence when McCann was overwhelmed in midfield, he was denied by a great save from Woodman and then headed wide when probably should have hit the target.
We offered little in the first 30 minutes, the players were flat, the home support were all waiting for the inevitable of the home net rippling as the ball hits it. Never came though, took us about 30 minutes to figure out that City were just as bad as us. Tame Hughes effort at a corner, Millar denied by O'Leary's legs. The visiting keeper earlier had nearly dropped his side in when Osmajic chipped the keeper who was 25 yards from goal, the effort went miles wide.
Three substitutions at half time and glory be all three forward thining, Keane, Riis and Frokjaer, instantly better Keane denied by a great save by O'Leary, he then misses one from close in although to be fair it wasn't an easy chance.
One effort from City narrowly wide and then we score, massive assist from City keeper O'Leary who was on a stroll outside his area when Keane nipped in to stealthe ball and roll it into an empty net.
In truth were not really troubled after that, the second came about 10 minutes later Riis who is getting fitter by the game after his year long injury hammers a cross from the right to tyhe near past, Keane first to the ball and it's game over. A clean sheet, I know we've finally played someone who couldn't score against us.
Win takes pressure from Lowe and bizarre as it may seem we are only two points off the play offs having only won 5 times in the last 22 games.
Take the win off to Elland Road next week, now that might be a slightly different game.

Preston manager Ryan Lowe:

"We went into the staff room at half time and I said I needed to make bold decisions. It's a tough decision to take people off at half time, your captain included, plus a senior pro (Duane Holmes) and Milly (Osmajic) but I felt we needed more power at the top end of the pitch.

"I felt whoever scored first would go on and win the game and I wanted it to be us, so we changed shape and went on the front foot."I said to the boys 'If you're going to be waiting for something to happen, and they score, your backs are against the wall', and lo and behold the decisions paid off.

"Credit to the players. Mads (Frokjaer) when he came on the pitch, and Emil (Riis) just coming back from a long lay-off, and I thought they were fantastic. We didn't want, in the second half, to be going out and it be flat again, and the substitutions changed it.

"The atmosphere was bubbling more, the intensity was more, we were more on the front foot and putting balls in behind, and as you've seen we went and scored two good goals."

Bristol City manager Liam Manning told BBC Radio Bristol:

"In the first half there was a lot of good but it's turning that good into outcomes, which we didn't do. Taylor had a terrific opportunity, Knighty had a couple of chances off set-pieces and I thought we had good control for large periods of the first half.

"Bar set-pieces, we didn't feel too threatened but then they made three changes at half-time which had a big impact, and we didn't respond to that well enough in the second half.

"We created enough to be ahead at half-time, but the ones we conceded were too easy. It was just a bit more directness, which we didn't deal with.

"We have to work hard to ensure we create more, but it's about being braver. It's that ruthless edge, that composure and quality around the penalty box to make it count."

[themaclad]