TheNewOrleansHammer
20 May 2005, 07:41 PM
Friday, May 20, 2005
Davies: Pressure is on Hammers
Davies: No pressure on us
Preston manager Billy Davies has warned West Ham that all the pressure will be on them in the Championship play-off final on 30 May.
A heroic defensive display secured the Lilywhites a goalless draw and aggregate 2-0 victory against Derby at Pride Park on Thursday night.
Rams striker Grzegorz Rasiak missed a late penalty to end his side's fading Premiership dream and confirm Preston's trip to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
And according to Davies, the burden of expectancy will weigh far heavier on Alan Pardew's men than his unfancied side in what will be a repeat of the 1964 FA Cup final.
He said: "We have got nothing to lose, whereas West Ham are expected to be there as they are a Premiership club in terms of resources and facilities.
"What we have achieved this season has been nothing short of a miracle when you look at the wage bill, the size of the squad and the expectations.
"For Preston North End to be in the play-off final, considering the financial constraints we have to operate under, is a marvellous achievement.
"We are not expected to win and when you look at the size of West Ham as a club - and the expectations that follow them - then they will be strong favourites. But we are in bonus land and we will go there and have a right go."
Preston have lost just three times in the past 25 games and have beaten West Ham in each of their last three meetings.
Davies has engineered a remarkable renaissance at Deepdale since taking over from Craig Brown last August when the club lay 20th in the division.
And he is confident his side will again prove more than a match for the Hammers when they cross swords in the Principality on Monday week.
The former Motherwell boss added: "We have showed we can match West Ham, so we will go there with the belief we can beat them.
"We will respect West Ham, but we will not fear them and I think my players have the ability and the belief to beat them.
"We have done it before and we can do it again, and I think all the pressure will be on them."
I'm all amped up for this, sorry if I go overboard!
Yeah we lost to you guys the first game AP was a puss and didn't play our slightly injured players, we dominated and let in two sloppy goals. Here is the team:-
Stephen Bywater 1
Anton Ferdinand 15
Darren Powell 19
Chris Powell 34
Tomas Repka 2
Luke Chadwick 30
Matthew Etherington 12
Carl Fletcher 6
Steve Lomas 11
Marlon Harewood 10
Teddy Sheringham 8
Robert Burch 41
Hayden Mullins 17
Nigel Reo-Coker 20
Sergei Rebrov 16
Bobby Zamora 25
Who was Robert Burch again?
The second game was all our fault:-
West Ham duo Stephen Bywater and Tomas Repka gifted Preston a crucial 2-1 victory over their play-off rivals at Upton Park.
Goalkeeper Bywater's comical mistake allowed David Nugent to score the first goal of the game and Repka compromised his side's chances by being sent off for a needless clash with Brian O'Neil shortly before half-time.
The visitors completed a fully-deserved win when substitute Patrick Agyemang struck the second 10 minutes from time seconds after replacing Nugent.
Bobby Zamora - another substitute - gave West Ham hope with a well-taken late volley, but the east Londoners deserved nothing from this game.
Even without the contributions of Bywater and Repka, West Ham were very poor. Alan Pardew's team did not threaten in attack until the closing minutes and they were embarrassed in midfield by the classy Paul McKenna, who controlled the game in midfield for Preston.
Team sheet:-
1 Stephen Bywater
21 Malky Mackay
17 Hayden Mullins
34 Chris Powell
2 Tomas Repka
12 Matthew Etherington
6 Carl Fletcher
11 Steve Lomas
35 Gavin Williams
10 Marlon Harewood
8 Teddy Sheringham
23 James Walker
14 Chris Cohen
20 Nigel Reo-Coker
36 Hogan Ephraim
25 Bobby Zamora
Point being Preston have been lucky, we will win this, we are ready!!!!!!!!!
Read the little quote below, I think it has sunk in to our boys!!!!!!!!
UP THE HAMMERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
we are hard as iron ( according to the OS)
Davies: Pressure is on Hammers
Davies: No pressure on us
Preston manager Billy Davies has warned West Ham that all the pressure will be on them in the Championship play-off final on 30 May.
A heroic defensive display secured the Lilywhites a goalless draw and aggregate 2-0 victory against Derby at Pride Park on Thursday night.
Rams striker Grzegorz Rasiak missed a late penalty to end his side's fading Premiership dream and confirm Preston's trip to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
And according to Davies, the burden of expectancy will weigh far heavier on Alan Pardew's men than his unfancied side in what will be a repeat of the 1964 FA Cup final.
He said: "We have got nothing to lose, whereas West Ham are expected to be there as they are a Premiership club in terms of resources and facilities.
"What we have achieved this season has been nothing short of a miracle when you look at the wage bill, the size of the squad and the expectations.
"For Preston North End to be in the play-off final, considering the financial constraints we have to operate under, is a marvellous achievement.
"We are not expected to win and when you look at the size of West Ham as a club - and the expectations that follow them - then they will be strong favourites. But we are in bonus land and we will go there and have a right go."
Preston have lost just three times in the past 25 games and have beaten West Ham in each of their last three meetings.
Davies has engineered a remarkable renaissance at Deepdale since taking over from Craig Brown last August when the club lay 20th in the division.
And he is confident his side will again prove more than a match for the Hammers when they cross swords in the Principality on Monday week.
The former Motherwell boss added: "We have showed we can match West Ham, so we will go there with the belief we can beat them.
"We will respect West Ham, but we will not fear them and I think my players have the ability and the belief to beat them.
"We have done it before and we can do it again, and I think all the pressure will be on them."
I'm all amped up for this, sorry if I go overboard!
Yeah we lost to you guys the first game AP was a puss and didn't play our slightly injured players, we dominated and let in two sloppy goals. Here is the team:-
Stephen Bywater 1
Anton Ferdinand 15
Darren Powell 19
Chris Powell 34
Tomas Repka 2
Luke Chadwick 30
Matthew Etherington 12
Carl Fletcher 6
Steve Lomas 11
Marlon Harewood 10
Teddy Sheringham 8
Robert Burch 41
Hayden Mullins 17
Nigel Reo-Coker 20
Sergei Rebrov 16
Bobby Zamora 25
Who was Robert Burch again?
The second game was all our fault:-
West Ham duo Stephen Bywater and Tomas Repka gifted Preston a crucial 2-1 victory over their play-off rivals at Upton Park.
Goalkeeper Bywater's comical mistake allowed David Nugent to score the first goal of the game and Repka compromised his side's chances by being sent off for a needless clash with Brian O'Neil shortly before half-time.
The visitors completed a fully-deserved win when substitute Patrick Agyemang struck the second 10 minutes from time seconds after replacing Nugent.
Bobby Zamora - another substitute - gave West Ham hope with a well-taken late volley, but the east Londoners deserved nothing from this game.
Even without the contributions of Bywater and Repka, West Ham were very poor. Alan Pardew's team did not threaten in attack until the closing minutes and they were embarrassed in midfield by the classy Paul McKenna, who controlled the game in midfield for Preston.
Team sheet:-
1 Stephen Bywater
21 Malky Mackay
17 Hayden Mullins
34 Chris Powell
2 Tomas Repka
12 Matthew Etherington
6 Carl Fletcher
11 Steve Lomas
35 Gavin Williams
10 Marlon Harewood
8 Teddy Sheringham
23 James Walker
14 Chris Cohen
20 Nigel Reo-Coker
36 Hogan Ephraim
25 Bobby Zamora
Point being Preston have been lucky, we will win this, we are ready!!!!!!!!!
Read the little quote below, I think it has sunk in to our boys!!!!!!!!
UP THE HAMMERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
we are hard as iron ( according to the OS)