Brown lands keeper as pressure mounts: 'The longer it goes on without a win the worse it becomes'

 

30-year-old Thorsten Stuckmann is eligible to face both Rochdale in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Tuesday night, and the Shrimpers in the FA Cup First Round at the weekend after signing for Preston North End in a deal that runs until Saturday, December 3rd.

 

His International Transfer Certificate was granted by the Bundesliga on Monday afternoon

 

Stuckmann undertook a trial with North End in the summer, saving a penalty in a pre-season game against Morecambe, but Iain Turner's move from Everton to Deepdale appeared to have ended Phil Brown's interest in the 6ft 6ins stopper.

 

However, the former Alemannia Aachen player has remained active by training with Werder Bremen and the broken foot sustained by Turner last week has brought him back to Lancashire.

 

Southend have their own keeper problems of course, www.southendunited-mad.co.uk, and will be hoping Daniel Bentley is fit to face the League One club with loanee keeper Luke Daniels not given permission to play by parent club West Brom.

 

Meanwhile, Preston boss Phil Brown admits the pressure is mounting on himself and the players as a result of their poor recent form.

North End's winless run has stretched to eight games after losing 5-2 to Chrissy Powell's third tier leaders Charlton on Saturday.

Brown is keen to end the run in Tuesday's Johnstone's Paint Trophy clash with Rochdale and he admits it is his responsibility to help Preston get back on track.

He told www.skysports.com: "When your team is losing and you are looking over your shoulder and now you are wondering who is coming to the party that's the hard part of football and we have got enough characters in the changing room to address it on a Saturday. Unfortunately the pressure mounts and the longer it goes the worse it becomes and you start wondering when the next win is coming and how you get yourself out of it. That quite simply is my job and my responsibility. I have tried a lot of things in my short time in management and hopefully try something different tomorrow night that will stand us in good stead on Saturday and the following Saturday."

34 goals let in so far in the League, a weakness there for the Shrimpers to exploit.

In the middle

11	Colchester United	17	3	4	1	14	10	2	4	3	11	14	5	8	4	25	24	23	+1
12	Hartlepool United	16	2	2	4	7	11	4	3	1	15	13	6	5	5	22	24	23	-2
13	Preston North End	16	4	1	3	17	18	3	1	4	14	16	7	2	7	31	34	23	-3
14	Oldham Athletic	17	3	2	3	8	9	3	2	4	14	18	6	4	7	22	27	22	-5
15	Bury	17	2	2	4	10	13	4	1	4	10	12	6	3	8	20	25	21	-5