Barry Nicholson (Aberdeen)
Preston were another one of those clubs
who changed managers last season after a poor start. Paul Simpson couldn't buy a win early on as his side struggled to replace the goals of David Nugent. Simpson was given the boot and in came Alan Irvine and so far the move appears to have paid off. It took a while for results to turn but Irvine got his side well organised and very difficult to beat. A 3-0 win over Hull City was followed
by eleven wins in the next twenty one games which moved them clear
of relegation trouble and saw them top of the form table for several
weeks. Irvine got the best out of Neil Mellor and Chris Brown who provided the goals to help them to a mid table finish.
Out of all the teams in the Championship I've found Preston the toughest to write about. I think for every other club I've an idea of how they will do but looking at Preston I just seem to draw a blank. They have a manager who is highly regarded and turned them around last season but he's been quiet in the transfer market this summer and I think he may struggle in his first full season. Looking at the Preston squad they do have some quality about them. Neil Mellor is a decent player but does look like his shirt has shrunk in the wash to expose a bit of a gut. They look strong at the back with
Sean St ledger, Matt Hill and Billy Jones all good players and for
that reason I think they'll be tough to beat. They could one of those sides
that gets lucky with injuries and ends up in the playoffs but I
think they'll be reasonably happy to avoid a relegation scrap. Prediction: 16th in the Championship
I asked fans on the Rivals message board for views on the new season and here is what they had to say. How do you think Preston will fare this season? Mid Table Who are your players to watch out for? Sean St Ledger Is your Manager the right man for the job? Yes Which three teams will be promoted this season? The Thwo with the most points and the luckiest of the next four Which teams will be relegated? Burnley, Doncaster and Blackpool How do you think QPR will fare this season? No Idea
Rangers player/coach Gareth Ainsworth began his career at Preston and is still well liked at his former club. He played 76 times for Preston scoring 12 goals before moving to Lincoln. Ainsworth has been at QPR since 2003 and is our joint longest serving player. The right winger is popular among QPR fans for his never say die attitude he brings to the side. Jason Jarrett had a strange loan spell at QPR last season making one start at Colchester before never being seen again during his three month spell. Disco Danny Dichio is another player to played for both clubs. He began his career at QPR and scored a few goals for us in the premiership before walking out on the club in a dream move to Serie A where he warmed the bench for a few months before returning to England ponytail between legs. He did well for Preston although he found goals hard to come by until his final season at the club. He is now plying his trade in America.
Rangers have not beaten Preston since 1980 and the six meetings in the last few seasons have been miserable ones for Rangers. Preston's first visit to Loftus Road for twenty years in 2000 was very forgettable. A dire 0-0 draw was the outcome. The return game was equally forgettable for QPR. A pathetic performance by Rangers saw us thrashed 5-0 in Gerry Francis last official game in charge before he resigned a few days on. Last season we travelled to Deepdale full of confidence. Rangers were on the back of seven consecutive wins and were going for a club record. Things started well when a well worked corner ended with Georges Santos giving us the lead and briefly put us top of the league. The lead didn't last long though and David Healy made it 1-1. A close second half looked as if it would end in a draw before a minute of madness. Preston had a goal disallowed with a penalty given instead which David Healy missed. To make amends a second penalty was given a minute later for handball as Gino Padula's third hand grew out of his chest and punched the ball away. This time they made no mistake with Richard Cresswell ending Rangers run. Ian Holloway was able to hand a debut to Scott Donnelly before the end of the game and he came close to getting an equaliser in the dying seconds. The return game saw a equally bizarre moment to the two penalties in a minute. Paul Furlong gave Ranger a a first half lead and we looked to be heading for another three points. After the break the referee sent off Jude the Cat after the linesmen confused him with a QPR player. Once we'd stopped laughing Preston took control of the game and battled to a 2-1 win which would help them on their way to the playoff final. Rangers were within a minute of three points at deepdale in 2005. Dan Shittu gave us the lead with a towering header before Nygaard and Gallen both had chances to wrap the game up. Rangers conceded though deep into injury time to rob us of a much needed win. The return game was a bad night for Rangers. Shabazz Baidoo made his full debut but had little impact as Preston ran out comfortable 2-0 winners. 2006/07 saw another draw at Deepdale. Gareth Ainsworth gave us an early lead and we were pegged back in the last five minutes to deny us a first away win of the season. The return game was a great night at Loftus Road with an amazing atmosphere as Dexter Blackstocks stunning goal won us a vital three points. Last season both games ended in a draw. Lee Camp saved a penalty up at deepdale to help us to a 0-0 draw. The return matcgh saw Preston race into a two goal lead and looked set for an easy win before goals from Ainsworth and Blackstock during inujury time rescued a point for Rangers.
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