When Preston went to Ashton Gate and beat Bristol City 2-0 on January 4th they were in fourth place in The Championship with eleven wins and nine draws from their first 26 matches.
They will arrive at The Valley on Saturday in 14th place having lost eight of the ensuing 15 games with only two wins - at home to Portsmouth 1-0 and St0ke 3-1. It is a collapse in form which rivals that of our last visitors - Bristol City - but of course that should remind us that you can take nothing for granted in The Championship.
Preston were within ten minutes of beating QPR at Deepdale on Monday but an extraordinary own goal by Thierry Small gave the visitors a share of the spoils. It is well worth seeking out on You Tube if you haven't already seen it. Preston announced that he received some "deplorable comments of a racist nature" after the own goal and the club have announced that "if and when the individual responsible is identified, they will be banned from Deepdale for life".
Meanwhile Preston continue to employ the delightful Milutin Osmajic who was banned by the FA for eight matches for biting Owen Beck of Blackburn in September 2024 and for nine matches last November for racially abusing Hannibal Mejbri of Burnley. In January this year he was sent off for head-butting Hull City player John Lundstram. Manager Paul Heckinbottom managed to bring himself to criticise him for "lack of discipline".
Preston line up in the same formation as Charlton, although their strikers stay much closer together. They rely on crosses to create most of their chances and rank seventh in the division for accurate crosses per match. However, they average 3.5 shots on target per match, suggesting their finishing is poor. (For comparison, Charlton average 3.4). It is unlikely to be a high scoring game. With Preston also being possession-shy, the lack of Conor Coady’s organisation at the back should not be too significant. Nathan Jones will be hoping wingback Harry Clarke and Forward Tyreece Campbell can pin back the Preston wingbacks. It was notable that against Watford Luke Chambers inverted into midfield in possession to free up more space for Campbell who created two big chances in the first half. The availability of a fit and sharp Matty Godden will also be a major boost for us.
Many of the Preston supporters will be attending in bowlers, suits and pinstripes for Gentry Day which is a long-standing tradition "rooted in remembrance and respect". The name goes back to the 1970/71 season, when Alan Ball Snr referred to North End supporters as “the gentry”, and the modern Gentry Day tradition returned in 2005 in memory of PNE supporter John Tracey, who was one of the original Gentry.
We wouldn't dream of breathing easily until safety is mathematically secured but three points on Saturday would be a great help in easing the tension. For the sake of our fingernails let's get it done now.
Photo by Rhea Spender-Newell
PS - PSA testing will be taking place at The Valley before the game and there will be collections going on around the ground to subsidise the cost of the operation. Please be generous with your spare change.