Preston North End were easily beaten 3-0 by Arsenal on Wednesday night. The Gunners barely broke a sweat as they put the game beyond doubt in the first half.
North End have played top six teams plenty of times in recent years, but usually fail to even put up a fight against them. Under a new manager fans had hoped that this time it could be different. But even before kick off it looked like it would be more of the same.
Heckingbottom follows after his predecessors
Not since Simon Grayson have we had a manager who could set the team up correctly and get them up for a battle against a top side in the cup. Under Grayson we took the lead against Manchester United through a memorable Scott Laird goal, and we also pushed Arsenal all the way in 2017 with Callum Robinson giving us the lead.
Despite both games ending in defeat, they were proper cup ties that could have gone either way, and those goals are still remembered fondly.
Alex Neil would always focus on the league, Frankie McAvoy played a second string side against Liverpool, and Ryan Lowe would give far too much respect to teams in our division never mind when he came up against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
There’s no doubting Arsenal are a class side, and they picked a very strong team, but it would have been nice if Heckingbottom had included some key players from the start. Mikel Arteta didn’t take any chances, even when they were 2 and 3-0 up he brought on Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka. They take every game seriously and handle every game professionally.
The Arsenal players knew within five minutes that Preston were not going to put up much of a fight and this would be a stroll in the park for them.
No striker?
This would have been an ideal game for Milutin Osmajic, as was the previous round’s game against Fulham where he led the line superbly. Possession is always going to be low against a team like Arsenal, and when you get it you need it to stick up front.
Emil Riis would have had his work cut out but at least he is used to that role. Sam Greenwood is not a striker. He can play behind one but he can’t play up there on his own. Going into this game without a striker in the starting eleven was an awful decision. It set the tone for the rest of the evening, and the fans knew exactly how the game was going to unfold.
Indeed when Riis did come on, chances started opening up. Albeit when Arsenal had taken the foot off the gas, if indeed their foot was on it at any point.
Ali McCann has been our best player so far this season. He would have been chomping at the bit to be involved in this game, and he would have been key in breaking up long spells of possession from The Gunners. It was a surprise to see him named on the bench and not even come onto the pitch at all. He’d be very disappointed with that.
Likewise with Mads Frokjaer; a player capable of a bit of magic, left on the bench until 60th minute. As soon as he came on we started getting the ball into the final third and creating some chances.
The inclusion of Jack Whatmough was bizarre. The defender can’t keep up with attackers in the Championship never mind with some of the world’s best.
Poor decisions from Heckingbottom, and I don’t want to hear that the ‘league is the bread and butter’ and ‘three points in the league is more important’. It isn’t a case of ‘either or’. It’s possible to win and indeed lose both games. This does nothing for our chances against Bristol City on Saturday. A rousing display and an attempt to reach a quarter final would benefit both players and fans.
Poor atmosphere
The lineup didn’t help matters but it seemed as if the fans inside Deepdale were just waiting for the inevitable. We would have all loved a goal, taking Arsenal to penalties or even somehow grabbing a win. But deep down, we knew what was coming.
It also didn’t help that we had thrown away two and three goal leads in the last two games.
Just under 22,000 were in Deepdale on Wednesday night, but the Preston faithful barely mustered a single song. The players need to give the fans something to get excited about, even if it is just a crunching tackle. We lacked that, and after the second Arsenal goal it was game over.
Deep down this set of players knew they couldn’t get close to an upset as well .There is a lack of belief in this team at times, and some players were more bothered about who they could swap shirts with at the end of the match.
Positives
Kaine Kesler-Hayden again looked good, and was unlucky to get a yellow card in the first half. He’s keeping a very reliable Brad Potts out of the side, and I’m excited to see him continue to develop in this team.
Duane Holmes also had a good game. He wanted to receive the ball and wasn’t afraid to take it in difficult situations. He was always looking to move the ball up the pitch, and his quick play helped bring the wingers into the game as well.
Jeppe Okkels really came into the game in the second half. It has been a frustrating first three months for the Dane since his arrival from Utrecht. He was handed a rare start and was key to the few attacks that we managed. He looks powerful and pacey, and always keen to get forward. With Robbie Brady on the sidelines for a while it could be time for more Okkels game time.
Playing it out from the back
We simply don’t have the defenders to comfortably play out from the back. You’re almost waiting for a mistake. Playing it against a side like Arsenal was absurd. The Gunners are so quick to apply pressure but we were inviting it on ourselves.
We needed to get the ball up the pitch, and for it to stay there. We weren’t going to be able to pass it around the back and just cut through Mikel Arteta’s side.
It was only in the 77th minute when Freddie Woodman decided to kick the ball long. Brad Potts won the header and it resulted in a fine chance for Okkels who finally tested 18-year-old goalkeeper Tommy Setford. The youngster will probably not have an easier game in professional football.
It’s understandable why fans would get excited when these type of cup draws come about. We quite often find ourselves coming up against one of the top six sides. But aside from the two games under Grayson, these are not enjoyable experiences. Give me the lowest ranked team in a cup draw every single time. I’d rather advance in the competition than be taught a lesson by a multi billion pound side.