25-11-2024, 19:04
The Fitness Test
Paul Heckingbottom will provide a team news update in his pre-match press conference.
The Potters
Sitting 12th in the table, Stoke City have made themselves hard to beat in recent weeks, having lost just once in their previous nine outings.
Within that run have been victories over Derby County, Blackburn Rovers, and notably a 6-1 home win over Portsmouth.
Former PNE loan striker Tom Cannon scored four goals that night, contributing to his season tally of eight – all of which have come since the appointment of head coach Narcís Pèlach.
The Officials
Referee: Matthew Donohue
Assistant Referees: Robert Hyde and Richard Woodward
Fourth Official: Andy Davies
Matthew Donohue will referee PNE for the second time this season on Tuesday night, with the previous game being the 0-0 draw at home to Blackburn Rovers, when Sam Greenwood and Owen Beck were both sent off.
Donohue has refereed PNE vs Stoke City three times before. The most recent of those was the 2-0 victory at the bet365 last season, courtesy of a Will Keane brace.
So far this season, Donohue has refereed ten matches, showing 45 yellow cards and two reds in that period.
THE HECK
Paul Heckingbottom is looking for his North End team to get it right in both boxes as they get straight back to action with a trip to Stoke.
The manager has spoken very positively in recent weeks about his side’s performances but has been left frustrated that many of them haven’t resulted in three points.
On Tuesday night, PNE will take on a Stoke City side sat 12th in the table and with just one defeat in their last nine. An interesting statistic, though, which might interest the Lilywhites is that only one side in the division have faced more shots than the Potters.
Asked if that’s something to potentially take advantage of, Hecky said: “It is, but then look at that same table and we've conceded the fourth least. That’s my frustration at the minute.
“There’s so many things that the team have done well, but again there were only five shots at the weekend against and only one on target, yet we've drawn the game again. That's been the frustration of late.
“Bristol City, Norwich, Plymouth. All these games where we've given very, very little away yet conceded a hell of a lot of goals. At the minute our defensive record and our league position’s not reflecting those numbers.
“That’s up to us to put right. I've said before that both boxes will always determine how well you do in terms of results. The bit in between, yeah it can give you control of the game, but you need to be really clinical in one end and you need to put your body on the line at the other. At the minute we've not been getting those little bits right.”
The team have been boosted in the last week with the return to action of Milutin Osmajić and Will Keane, who had been missing through suspension and injury respectively.
Liam Lindsay has missed the past two games through injury and has a chance of being involved against his former side, Stoke City.
Hecky said: “We want everyone back and up to speed. The ones who've been out a long time, it takes that while to come back.
“Obviously, we've had Milly training, but we need to get him sharper again. Keano's been out quite a while. Liam should be fine now. He’s only missed two weeks really with the international break.
“Robbie [Brady], we'll have to see how he is when he comes back, because when you've been out that length of time, it's sometimes a little bit different.
“When we get the whole squad back, it's where you want to be. People say it makes the decisions tougher, but I'd much rather have them decisions.”
North End are looking to register their first away victory of the season in the Potteries, however the record on the road isn’t the sole focus for the manager. He’s just looking for his side to turn performances – whether at home or away – into three points.
Hecky said: “My frustrations have been that we haven't picked up enough wins and it puts pressure on other parts of your game then when you're performing well.
“We've not turned them dominant performances into three points and then that puts pressure on you when you don't perform well and you're second best and you come away with nothing.
“Those have been my frustrations. The fact you're home or away, you only get three points for a win. I’m not bothered where they come, just the three points.”
Hopefully will find something actually write about unlike Saturday, personally I have a unique record at this ground, more about that in the after match blurb, good test this they have improved but when you buy 30 a season it does take time to gell, also changing managers basically every six months doesn't work either
Paul Heckingbottom will provide a team news update in his pre-match press conference.
The Potters
Sitting 12th in the table, Stoke City have made themselves hard to beat in recent weeks, having lost just once in their previous nine outings.
Within that run have been victories over Derby County, Blackburn Rovers, and notably a 6-1 home win over Portsmouth.
Former PNE loan striker Tom Cannon scored four goals that night, contributing to his season tally of eight – all of which have come since the appointment of head coach Narcís Pèlach.
The Officials
Referee: Matthew Donohue
Assistant Referees: Robert Hyde and Richard Woodward
Fourth Official: Andy Davies
Matthew Donohue will referee PNE for the second time this season on Tuesday night, with the previous game being the 0-0 draw at home to Blackburn Rovers, when Sam Greenwood and Owen Beck were both sent off.
Donohue has refereed PNE vs Stoke City three times before. The most recent of those was the 2-0 victory at the bet365 last season, courtesy of a Will Keane brace.
So far this season, Donohue has refereed ten matches, showing 45 yellow cards and two reds in that period.
THE HECK
Paul Heckingbottom is looking for his North End team to get it right in both boxes as they get straight back to action with a trip to Stoke.
The manager has spoken very positively in recent weeks about his side’s performances but has been left frustrated that many of them haven’t resulted in three points.
On Tuesday night, PNE will take on a Stoke City side sat 12th in the table and with just one defeat in their last nine. An interesting statistic, though, which might interest the Lilywhites is that only one side in the division have faced more shots than the Potters.
Asked if that’s something to potentially take advantage of, Hecky said: “It is, but then look at that same table and we've conceded the fourth least. That’s my frustration at the minute.
“There’s so many things that the team have done well, but again there were only five shots at the weekend against and only one on target, yet we've drawn the game again. That's been the frustration of late.
“Bristol City, Norwich, Plymouth. All these games where we've given very, very little away yet conceded a hell of a lot of goals. At the minute our defensive record and our league position’s not reflecting those numbers.
“That’s up to us to put right. I've said before that both boxes will always determine how well you do in terms of results. The bit in between, yeah it can give you control of the game, but you need to be really clinical in one end and you need to put your body on the line at the other. At the minute we've not been getting those little bits right.”
The team have been boosted in the last week with the return to action of Milutin Osmajić and Will Keane, who had been missing through suspension and injury respectively.
Liam Lindsay has missed the past two games through injury and has a chance of being involved against his former side, Stoke City.
Hecky said: “We want everyone back and up to speed. The ones who've been out a long time, it takes that while to come back.
“Obviously, we've had Milly training, but we need to get him sharper again. Keano's been out quite a while. Liam should be fine now. He’s only missed two weeks really with the international break.
“Robbie [Brady], we'll have to see how he is when he comes back, because when you've been out that length of time, it's sometimes a little bit different.
“When we get the whole squad back, it's where you want to be. People say it makes the decisions tougher, but I'd much rather have them decisions.”
North End are looking to register their first away victory of the season in the Potteries, however the record on the road isn’t the sole focus for the manager. He’s just looking for his side to turn performances – whether at home or away – into three points.
Hecky said: “My frustrations have been that we haven't picked up enough wins and it puts pressure on other parts of your game then when you're performing well.
“We've not turned them dominant performances into three points and then that puts pressure on you when you don't perform well and you're second best and you come away with nothing.
“Those have been my frustrations. The fact you're home or away, you only get three points for a win. I’m not bothered where they come, just the three points.”
Hopefully will find something actually write about unlike Saturday, personally I have a unique record at this ground, more about that in the after match blurb, good test this they have improved but when you buy 30 a season it does take time to gell, also changing managers basically every six months doesn't work either
Why should a man go to work, if he has the health and strength to stay in bed?