By Neil Ravenscroft
October 21 2002

As you probably realise, I’ve always preferred to leave my post match reaction until the next day or the day after, as the emotions of the game quite often make common sense disappear out of the window. However, it’s difficult to know when you will come down to earth after a game like Saturday’s! Let’s try, however to look at the game a little more dispassionately, as that’s the only way you can draw lessons from what happened.

I’ve always been one of Jimmy Walker’s greatest admirers and would dearly loved to see him given his chance at the highest level. I’m still not sure, however, that the game didn’t highlight what I think is one of his weaknesses, coming too quickly off his line. Remember Watford at home last year when Zigor got slaughtered for giving one goal away, but Wacker was badly positioned for both first half goals? What makes Saturday worse, however, was that, even if Preston had got one back at that point, I think we would have gone on to win the game as they were a complete shambles at the back. Still, we will miss Walker badly when he sits out his suspension, as Ward doesn’t look in the same class. Still, playing against Stoke might inspire him.

Can’t fault the back four too much. It is becoming obvious, however, that Hay and Roper look like our best centre back combination. Carbon played reasonably well, but the solidity of recent games wasn’t there. Whether this was just lack of match practice on Carbon’s part is another argument.

The midfield four gave probably their best performance this season so far, looking very creative at times, as well as solid. Wracky seems to be getting his shooting boots back as well, with that fine effort tipped round the post in the first half. Confidence returning, perhaps? Corica was magical at times second half and deserved better protection from the ref.

Junior. Well, what can you say? I’m not sure what, if anything, he contributes to our all round play, but, if he can score goals like that one, defences will be terrified. If pressed, having had time to think about it, I might still give the “Best Goal Scored at Bescot” title to Boli against Southend, purely because of the quality of the cross from Peron, as there isn’t the thickness of a playing card between the quality of the finishes, but we can argue that one for ever.

Jorge. Gave him 10/10 on Saturday night and see no reason to change my mind. That performance was out of this world. In 40 years of following the team, I have no hesitation in saying I have never seen a better exhibition of how to lead the line and he did it on his own.

The referee. Two yellow cards (both for us, one for dissent and one for time wasting). Yet no yellow (which I thought was automatic) for the deliberate hand ball in the box, and no action taken for a couple of “muggings” on Leitao and Corica in the second half. I thought he was terrible. I can’t comment on Lee’s suggestion that Roper and Ward were fouled for the equaliser, as it was too far away.

Lee. I think we might have discovered his weakness as a Manager on Saturday. Preston were still not really threatening too much until they changed their formation late in the second half. They went from 4 4 2 to 3 5 2 (in fact, almost 2 1 5 2), as they only had one player to mark at the back. My (and it seems everyone else’s) first instinct was to blame Zdrillic as being less suited to the lone role than Jorge. However, I think Lee missed a trick by not bringing on Barras for Jorge and pushing Corica up front, thus going 3 5 1. That would have matched their changes and could have given us a more solid look in the last ten minutes, as the guy out at left wing back was getting oceans of space. Don’t forget, both their late goals came from the men who started at full back and were revelling in the free role they had been given. A difficult decision for Lee, but one worth the risk, and it’s not that he hadn’t seen what Preston were doing, as he mentioned it himself after the game.

Preston. The reason I was disappointed with the result is that look like candidates for being one of the worst five or six teams in the Division. Their defending was a joke, the centre backs having been given the run around by Jorge all afternoon. Considering one of them was the supposedly highly rated Marlon Broomes, I wouldn’t trust the judgement of any Wednesday fans in future! They were livid when he joined Preston as they were touting him as a future international.

Lastly, it’s still looking good overall, as the effort and skill shown on Saturday were second to none. I just worry about our disciplinary record!