PRESTON NORTH END

Last season was tough. I’ve always been a big Alex Neil fan, so seeing his reign end with a whimper hurt. The change was needed, though. The big talking point among the

fans is how we take the next step. Being a solid mid- table side is no great shame, but fans want to see some desire to really push forward. This season will be different to last because there’s a new voice leading the team in Frankie Mcavoy [ below], who oversaw a terrific end to last term. He’s not a flashy name but the players seem to enjoy life under him. Our most underrated player is

Brad Potts. He gets a rough time from many fans, but offers plenty and deserves a little more praise. The opposition player I secretly

admire is Blackpool’s Jerry Yates. I wouldn’t mind us pinching him...

The pantomime villain will be Ryan Ledson, potentially. Someone needs to take up the departed Ben Pearson’s role...

Save the date for Blackpool. We haven’t played them since winning a League Cup game in 2013 and can finally renew the rivalry this term. The best thing about matchday at Preston is the butter pies, obviously!

The ground I’m most looking forward to visiting is Kenilworth Road. I’ve never been and fancy a trip to somewhere with character. Other clubs’ fans don’t know that Tottenham wear the colours they do because they copied Preston’s design back in the late 1800s. North End were the Invincibles back then.

Our key player will be player of the year Ledson, who has made great strides since the pandemic. Mcavoy should build his midfield around him and Ben Whiteman. The fans’ opinion of the gaffer is they’re happy to give him a chance after he did so well as caretaker. He’s not under pressure per se, but fans aren’t sure if this is a long- term idea. If he left, he should be replaced by our former player, Michael Appleton.

We’ll finish top end of the bottom half. We’ve lost a lot of talent over the last three and a half years, and the play- offs just don’t feel realistic.