Gazette, Matt Scrafton

I don’t think the Gazette has previously been accused of playing to the gallery in the context of fans? Traditionally the accusations have been they curtailed what they said due to a previous ‘advertiser client’. I think MS does a very good job. He is balanced and analytical. It’s a good piece. Critchley should have said that the performance did not merit the support. Simple as that. We can call the good stuff which we do, but last night was below acceptable.
 
Hockaday’s Quiff said:
I don’t think the Gazette has previously been accused of playing to the gallery in the context of fans? Traditionally the accusations have been they curtailed what they said due to a previous ‘advertiser client’. I think MS does a very good job. He is balanced and analytical. It’s a good piece. Critchley should have said that the performance did not merit the support. Simple as that. We can call the good stuff which we do, but last night was below acceptable.
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I think MD does a really good job. But he's in a tight spot working for a struggling newspaper that needs page views. His headlines have a tendency to be clickbaity, as do all online footie pages.
 
voyeur said:
I think he's playing to the gallery personally. Clickbait!
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He’s telling it as it was, Critchley wants to try doing the same. There is not wanting to hammer the players in public, there is seeing things through rose coloured glasses and there is talking absolute bullshit. Critchley needs to drop the latter.
 
Goforgoal said:
He’s telling it as it was, Critchley wants to try doing the same. There is not wanting to hammer the players in public, there is seeing things through rose coloured glasses and there is talking absolute bullshit. Critchley needs to drop the latter.
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Anyone can write a few paragraphs on a screen. Very few people can manage a squad of footballers costing significantly less than opponents and match up as well as we consistently do.
 
A brave article from Matt who tells the truth about last night's game. I agree with everything he said.

I hope it doesn't damage his relationship with Critch. Nobody likes being criticised, but I'm sure Critch is honest enough to recognise, eventually, that Matt was right.
 
voyeur said:
Anyone can write a few paragraphs on a screen. Very few people can manage a squad of footballers costing significantly less than opponents and match up as well as we consistently do.
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No one least of all me is belittling or denying the fact that we have been doing very well, in fact beyond most expectations both last season and this. I have never called for Critchley’s head and am not doing now. The plain fact is last night we were absolute crap, second best in virtually every department against a team with one win in seven, those are inescapable facts. He doesn’t need to single out anyone just accept group responsibility for a terrible performance, stop treating fans as though they are blind, stupid or both. That’s of course unless you agree with him that we were the better team throughout.
 
spot on. All the points he mentions have been covered by plenty of us since the game finished. Your pretty much out on your own voy. That doesn't surprise me though.
 
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There's about as much truth in Critch's comments last night, as the "I haven't looked at the league table all season" comment from last march.

A good, accurate report from Matt Scrafton.
 
Critchley doesn't need to slate anyone or 'hang his head in shame' - he and the players have done a fine job over his tenure and there's way more good than bad.

He definitely, definitely should have said "We were second best, it's disappointing, we didn't take risks - we tried something because our hand was forced by injury - it didn't work" or something of that ilk.

He talks about quality in the box but ultimately, it was the pedestrian attitude of the attacking overall that meant we barely had a shot.

Then again, back in the day, no one pored over every utterance of a manager. Sooner or later, anyone doing the number of interviews that they do will get the tone wrong.

I do generally agree with MS on this though.
 
It’s a real balancing act for Scrafton as if he upsets the club he has no way of getting info for the Gazette and carnt do his job but he does come across as an arse licker at times and carnt be everyone mate all the time .After the forest game he really praised Forest and said they would be a good bet if they get in playoffs. Critch then said he thought we were as good as them and Scrafton then changed his mind and said he kind of could see where he was coming from.
I know it’s all about opinions but his ratings baffle me at times as it’s obvious he has his favourites and is not impartial. So maybe the first time I’ve seen him criticise Critchley is a good thing
 
Fair report, he even allowed for the possibility that Critchley may have had different things to say to the players in private.
The thing is we could all see that in an attacking sense we got it wrong last night, slightly worrying if the manager genuinely thinks that was OK.
 
I cant argue with Scrafton re the majority of that however im happy with what Critchley said about us controlling the game and being the better side because it will have annoyed the hell out of the nobbers 😀
 
AngelBFC said:
I cant argue with Scrafton re the majority of that however im happy with what Critchley said about us controlling the game and being the better side because it will have annoyed the hell out of the nobbers 😀
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very good. Hadn't looked at it from that angle.
 
I really wouldn't have called the performance abject myself. Disappointing yes. Were Preston actually any better? Sod all in it, albeit from a sofa view rather than a stadium view.

I think the mental aspect needs to be taken into account too, as well as the necessary rejig due to loss of players.

The draw with Sheff left us looking short for the play offs and we then had an international break of 2 and a half weeks, the clocks went forward and we then played the form team that's gunning for promotion and full of confidence, and got walloped. We then go to Deepdale without Stewart, Gabriel and Sterling, and huff and puff, but that edge isnt there. The season has died, for the squad of players dreaming of the play offs.

It's fine margin stuff and these factors were against us I reckon. The players tried but weren't driven like they were a few weeks ago. No prize to shoot for.

And, even when there was, we were critically short of some quality in midfield and a first choice striker that owns the shirt. Maybe selling Bowler would help acquire what we need.
 
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td53 said:
Critchley doesn't need to slate anyone or 'hang his head in shame' - he and the players have done a fine job over his tenure and there's way more good than bad.

He definitely, definitely should have said "We were second best, it's disappointing, we didn't take risks - we tried something because our hand was forced by injury - it didn't work" or something of that ilk.

He talks about quality in the box but ultimately, it was the pedestrian attitude of the attacking overall that meant we barely had a shot.

Then again, back in the day, no one pored over every utterance of a manager. Sooner or later, anyone doing the number of interviews that they do will get the tone wrong.

I do generally agree with MS on this though.
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Multiple times players had a chance at just taking a shot. Anderson very guilty of trying that extra touch. Bowler too. It was wet and a derby, he cocked up at Bloomfield Road that keeper and he's brilliant but just take a pop.
 
It was abject, there is no getting away from that. I don’t think PNE will be at all bothered by what Critch claimed, they won and took the points. It’s not just last night where Critch has been less than honest, Forest on Saturday for example. If he believes what he says then that is a concern for me about the future. Last night he got the starting line up wrong, up front, and it set the tone very early on. We knew it before the match so he should take the hit on that.

It’s a learning curve and he has great support from fans, but he’s only deluding himself by saying what he has.
 
I didn't think it was abject last night, and I don't now. We were second best because we lacked a few key men, some of those on the pitch are just coming back from injury or are out of form, and we were kicked all over by the park by a team that the ref let them get away with it.

I still can't get my head around a ref watching a player getting urgent medical attention including oxygen for a full ten minutes and still decide there was no foul, and restart with a drop ball.

Did he think Grimshaw banged his head on the turf as he collected the ball well before Archer slid in? The same challenge in midfield would see a straight red as the player was out of control.

To some extent, Critch is right that we controlled the game in the main but without any real threat. The addition of those 5 words and I'd be perfectly happy with his comments.
 
Wizaard said:
I didn't think it was abject last night, and I don't now. We were second best because we lacked a few key men, some of those on the pitch are just coming back from injury or are out of form, and we were kicked all over by the park by a team that the ref let them get away with it.

I still can't get my head around a ref watching a player getting urgent medical attention including oxygen for a full ten minutes and still decide there was no foul, and restart with a drop ball.

Did he think Grimshaw banged his head on the turf as he collected the ball well before Archer slid in? The same challenge in midfield would see a straight red as the player was out of control.

To some extent, Critch is right that we controlled the game in the main but without any real threat. The addition of those 5 words and I'd be perfectly happy with his comments.
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We're lucky Grimshaw wasn't booked. His head was dangerously low against that oncoming knee.
 
CompleteControl said:
No one will want to play Ukraine.
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voyeur said:
I really wouldn't have called the performance abject myself. Disappointing yes. Were Preston actually any better?
The draw with Sheff left us looking short for the play offs and we then had an international break of 2 and a half weeks, the clocks went forward

It's fine margin stuff and these factors were against us I reckon.
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Ah, yes. Forgot about the clocks going forward. An hour less in bed on 26th. really messed up our plans for the following Saturday.

To answer the question, the Nobbers were better on the night.
Insipid, woeful performance against a side who are average at best and whose fans were complaining about a lack of commitment following defeats by Luton and Derby.

Not one shot on target against our fiercest rivals is a poor effort

Think those who bleated about not being on TV often enough might now be eating their words. No complaints about being dicked by Forest, but consecutive appearances of such poor quality on SKY will have viewers demanding the return of QPR.

Might be a while before we're on telly again, unless, perhaps, we draw Altrincham in the Cup next season
 
Rich T said:
Ah, yes. Forgot about the clocks going forward. An hour less in bed on 26th. really messed up our plans for the following Saturday.

To answer the question, the Nobbers were better on the night.
Insipid, woeful performance against a side who are average at best and whose fans were complaining about a lack of commitment following defeats by Luton and Derby.

Not one shot on target against our fiercest rivals is a poor effort

Think those who bleated about not being on TV often enough might now be eating their words. No complaints about being dicked by Forest, but consecutive appearances of such poor quality on SKY will have viewers demanding the return of QPR.

Might be a while before we're on telly again, unless, perhaps, we draw Altrincham in the Cup next season
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Luton game is on tele.
 
voyeur said:
I really wouldn't have called the performance abject myself. Disappointing yes. Were Preston actually any better? Did all in, albeit from a sofa view rather than a stadium view.

I think the mental aspect needs to be taken into account too, as well as the necessary rejig due to loss of players.

The draw with Sheff left us looking short for the play offs and we then had an international break of 2 and a half weeks, the clocks went forward and we then played the form team that's gunning for promotion and full of confidence, and got walloped. We then go to Deepdale without Stewart, Gabriel and Sterling, and huff and puff, but that edge isnt there. The season has died, for the squad of players dreaming of the play offs.

It's fine margin stuff and these factors were against us I reckon. The players tried but weren't driven like they were a few weeks ago. No prize to shoot for.

And, even when there was, we were critically short of some quality in midfield and a first choice striker that owns the shirt. Maybe selling Bowler would help acquire what we need.
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Thats a fair summary
 
We've had Sean McGinley at it too. I like reading Matt Scrafton and Sean, both good reporters, but I think headlines like this are really just emotional responses from a young passionate supporter losing track of his role as a reporter.

www.lancs.live

An abject performance and naive assessment will do little to ease derby pain

The Seasiders were woeful and their manager's assessment wasn't much better
www.lancs.live www.lancs.live

I'm not sure he's qualified to call Critchley naive. In fact he just isn't. It's more like he's the one being naive, in my opinion.
 
voyeur said:
I really wouldn't have called the performance abject myself. Disappointing yes. Were Preston actually any better? Sod all in it, albeit from a sofa view rather than a stadium view.

I think the mental aspect needs to be taken into account too, as well as the necessary rejig due to loss of players.

The draw with Sheff left us looking short for the play offs and we then had an international break of 2 and a half weeks, the clocks went forward and we then played the form team that's gunning for promotion and full of confidence, and got walloped. We then go to Deepdale without Stewart, Gabriel and Sterling, and huff and puff, but that edge isnt there. The season has died, for the squad of players dreaming of the play offs.

It's fine margin stuff and these factors were against us I reckon. The players tried but weren't driven like they were a few weeks ago. No prize to shoot for.

And, even when there was, we were critically short of some quality in midfield and a first choice striker that owns the shirt. Maybe selling Bowler would help acquire what we need.
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I think your first paragraph sums it up

You weren't at the game
 
Philbfctrois said:
I think your first paragraph sums it up

You weren't at the game
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Fair enough to a point. But I watched the game live. I watch almost every game. I'm entitled to an opinion. It would have been harder to take in the stadium, of course. But calling the performance abject is an over reaction and not true in my opinion. Especially taking into account the lack of midfield and full back options.
 
I wonder at times, in the case of these reporters, whether a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing.

In Sean’s case, he comes across as well informed, but views the game in a very mechanical and ‘just so’ kind of way. At times it feels like he’s discussing the outcome of a ‘Championship Manager’ game as opposed to real life Football, where so many different factors come into play.

So I do think there’s an element of naivety in how Sean himself sees the game and results playing out. Likewise many of the critical fans in here, who’s 20/20 hindsight abilities, simply require “starting with 2 up front” or “playing Kirk instead of CJ” or maybe making a sub in the 53rd minute instead of the 64th….

How simple winning football matches must be, when you don’t actually have any responsibility for actually winning them 😂

For any fan to refer to Critch as naive in any context relating to football is utterly ridiculous. The bloke is at least 20 steps ahead of any of us in terms of his planning and understanding of what is happening on the pitch….
 
Critch has an agenda as to why he says what he says at post match interviews, whether that's to protect his players or try to change the narrative.
Both of those reporters also have their own agenda too in regards to what they say which again isn't really true either it's more just watching which way the crowds are running and getting to the front and shouting everyone follow me.
As is usually the case, the truth is somewhere in the middle. We weren't abject, we weren't much the better team, we were just meh, not much going on at all.
 
Wizaard said:
I didn't think it was abject last night, and I don't now. We were second best because we lacked a few key men, some of those on the pitch are just coming back from injury or are out of form, and we were kicked all over by the park by a team that the ref let them get away with it.

I still can't get my head around a ref watching a player getting urgent medical attention including oxygen for a full ten minutes and still decide there was no foul, and restart with a drop ball.

Did he think Grimshaw banged his head on the turf as he collected the ball well before Archer slid in? The same challenge in midfield would see a straight red as the player was out of control.

To some extent, Critch is right that we controlled the game in the main but without any real threat. The addition of those 5 words and I'd be perfectly happy with his comments.
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Completely agree about Archer.
There was no way he would have got that ball, but he just followed through and should have been sent off.
 
I always like and respect honesty especially when sometimes it`s tempting and easier to attempt to gloss over it.

Both MS and NC had the option of the difficult choice of telling the unvarnished painful truth or taking the soft option and ducking the uncomfortable reality.

MS chose the former ,NC chose the latter as indeed he also did after the Forest game. I seriously hope he does not believe what he said.

If he does we`re in trouble.
 
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Always remember Steve Canavan telling me the time that McMahon turned up at a press conference with a copy of the gazette and he'd scribbled out every one of Canavan's player ratings and put his own in 😂
 
Taking the subjective emotion out of all this.

PNE are an established Championship side.

We are not . We are in our first season of the Championship.

Our 2-0 against PNE was a far greater achievement than there 1-0 against us.

PNE are the ones who should be embarassed by the results over the two games.
 
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