Craig E. Laycock takes a look at Preston’s recent dip in form in this, his fortnightly column.
Time in the sun
Conceding four goals in two games might not raise eyebrows at many Championship clubs, but for Preston it’s largely forgotten territory. Prior to the Middlesbrough game, North End had conceded just eight goals in the last 21 games. Losing two on the bounce has prompted some to speculate that their time in the sun is over.
But words like ?crisis’ have no meaning at Deepdale, with Billy Davies adopting a strong policy of taking each game one at a time. As far as he’s concerned, past results mean nothing – and under him Preston have a strong pedigree of bouncebackability.
Take last season’s shock defeat at Nottingham Forest midway through North End’s playoff push. At the time Davies termed it a blip ? and a blip it was, with the side winning nearly all of their remaining matches to finish 5th in the league.
And Preston’s defence is still only bettered by that of league leaders Reading. The Royals have conceded 24 goals this season, Preston 25. Let’s face it, Preston have had a tough couple of matches against a side in the Premiership and another on their way there. I doubt PNE have conceded the four goals which will end their season.
So what’s the problem?
The last two games have been lost not by the defence, but the attack. Clinical finishing made Preston look ordinary at the hands of Middlesbrough and Reading, but no blame could be levied at the defenders, who for the majority of both games kept strikers like Yakubu, Kitson and Lita well under their thumbs.
David Nugent has been having a troubled patch of late and the boo boys are, rather unfairly, starting to get on his back. A contributing goal in the 5-1 demolition of Luton aside, you have to go back to January to find Nugent’s name on the scoresheets. The 20-year-old has been stalling over a new contract, too, which has further angered some.
Economics and politics aside, Nugent’s contribution is still first-class on the pitch and his aptitude on the ball is clear to see. For that reason alone he’ll remain the first name on Billy Davies’s team sheet for some time yet.
One recent bit of bad news for Preston fans came with the postponement of the Ipswich match due to a frozen pitch. Preston tonked the Tractor Boys 4-0 at Portman Road earlier in the season and the delay will cause further congestion to PNE’s already busy fixture list for the run-in.
