The Tanner Report: Preston NE 2 Fulham 1
I would like Scott Parker to succeed, I really would. He is part of that distinguished tradition of ex-players becoming successful managers – Bill Dodgin Junior, Malcolm MacDonald and Chris Coleman in my supporting years.
He has good footballing values and is diligent but humble. He gets on well with the owners and works within their systems. He has arrested the decline of last season. Yet for all of this he lacks one crucial element: results.
Last night was the sixth defeat this season. Clear blue water is opening up between us so and the leaders Leeds and WBA.
Last night, deprived of skipper Tom Cairney with the bug that is sweeping the country including this writer, he retained Josh Onomah, dropped Joe Bryan for Cyrus Christie and put Abou Kamara in central midfield.
None of these were conducive to a win.
When Fulham fell behind it was from an almost identical position with Bristol City, poor marking from a corner and a shot that went between Marek Rodak’s legs.
Then Denis Odoi fouled Patrick Bauer with a shoulder-to-face and he was rightly red-carded.
This meant a reshuffle with forward Cavaleiro coming off for Joe Bryan.
Preston’s Ben Pearson who has been booked 40 times in his career should have been red-carded for a horrible two-footed challenge on Onomah.
David Nugent increased the lead.
Preston did lose a player to a red card so 10 v 10 Fulham still had a chance.
In the second half we upped our game. Stefan Johansen’s shot hit the bar, Onomah’s effort outside the box was way off target but Alex Mitrovic showed how it should be done with a low drive: 2-1.
Yet it was Preston who easily closed the game out.
Our defence is not tight enough and our wide men don’t reach the line but turn inside on their favoured foot. In our promotion season many a goal was scored by a low cross from the line for Mitro to score.
Defensive lapses and not being clinical enough in the final third has cost us dear but these should not cost Scott Parker his job.
