George Hodgson from the Lancashire Post gave us the lowdown on Preston's aims for the campaign, their standout players for the season and how he thinks they'll perform tonight against table-topping Sunderland...
Preston sit in 20th place currently, what’s their goal for the rest of the season?
To certainly finish higher than that and progress under the manager. PNE will feel they ought to have more points on the board, given the bulk of performances under Paul Heckingbottom have been positive. But, it was always going to be a learning season for the North End boss, who'll figure out what he needs to take Preston forward long-term.
You signed five new players over the summer, how have they been getting on?
Loan signings Kaine Kesler-Hayden and Sam Greenwood have featured the most and can be pleased with their efforts, on the whole. We've not seen much of Jeppe Okkels, though he was a bright spark in the recent loss to Arsenal. Stefan Thordarson looked a class act in pre-season; the Iceland international has been in and out since, but Heckingbottom has plenty of belief in him. We are yet to see the best of Josh Bowler, who did excite in his first few appearances.
Your home form is much better than your away form, why do you think you’ve struggled when not playing at Deepdale this season?
Throwing three goal leads away from home doesn't help!! With the exception of Millwall, though, I wouldn't say PNE's performances at home have been significantly better than away. North End were impressive at Burnley, somehow didn't beat Plymouth and had good moments at Oxford. But, they've defended poorly on the road at times and been punished for it. A really poor offside call went against them at Turf Moor, mind.
Who’s your best young player (under 23)?
If loan players are included, then Greenwood or Kesler-Hayden - who've both made similar contributions to date. North End's youth development has been neglected in recent years though. Kian Best is the one teenager in and around the first team, but he's not had many minutes this season after his breakthrough 2023/24 campaign.
What would you say is Preston’s biggest strength?
When North End win games it's largely because they've been right at it in terms of intensity, energy and aggression. They aren't blessed with top quality throughout the XI, so they've got to make sure they win the battle. When they get that right - we've seen them pressing higher and having some joy under Heckingbottom too - they're a difficult side to play against.
What’s your score prediction for the game and who will get the goals?
It'll be a tough test, for sure, but PNE have a long unbeaten record in midweek home league games - and they are looking to bounce back from a frustrating defeat. I'll go 1-1... Holmes and Isidor. Hopefully not Browne!
