Baggies seeking statement result at Preston

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·29 novembre 2024

Baggies seeking statement result at Preston

Preston North End v West Bromwich Albion; Deepdale, Saturday 30th November 2024, 3pm

Another stalemate at Sunderland means that the Baggies have now drawn eight of the last nine games and won just once in the last eleven. The result also meant that they finally dropped out of the top six, albeit on goal difference, and the need for three points at Preston seems acute. Perhaps more importantly, Albion need a statement result to restore players’ confidence and get the fans believing once again.

Taken in isolation, many of the draws seem like decent results, with Tuesday’s point at Sunderland a case in point, but the lack of victories is a cause for concern and a trip to Deepdale looks like a great opportunity to start to turn things around. Preston have not won any of their last eight games, seven of which were in the Championship, and are only two points above the bottom three with only three league wins all season. Hull City were in similarly poor form before their home game with Albion earlier this month and the Baggies managed to take advantage – let’s hope they can do the same to Preston.

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Albion’s performance at Sunderland was simultaneously impressive and frustrating. The team defended superbly, which is particularly admirable given the absence of Darnell Furlong, multiple defensive injuries and the last minute shuffle due to an injury to Diakité. However, they were particularly unadventurous and there were times, particularly in the closing stages, when a little more forward thinking could have produced a great opportunity to nick all three points. Given the opposition and the inevitable criticism that players would have received had they given up a late goal, it is perhaps a little churlish to criticise, but there is a understandable lack of confidence, particularly in the players who are coming off the bench.

Furlong will be back in the side at Deepdale and Corberán suggested on Friday that Barltey will also be available for selection having successfully completed 45 minutes at the Stadium of Light. Ousmane Diakité joins Grady Diangana, Semi Ajayi, Paddy McNair and Daryl Dike on the injury list. If Bartley is fit enough to start, I would guess Holgate would drop to the bench.

Further forward, I would be tempted to keep the line up unchanged assuming they are all fit enough. They are, in my opinion, the best attacking set up available if the team are on the front foot but, of course, they need to start contributing more in terms of goals and assists.

Paul Heckingbottom took over at Preston after just one game this season when Ryan Lowe left “by mutual consent”. It’s been a bit of a struggle so far with just three wins in his sixteen Championship games so far, and none since a 1-0 win over Coventry City six weeks ago. They have been beaten twice on their own patch this season, most recently by Bristol City at the beginning of November with home draws against Sunderland and Derby County since then. There was another draw away to Stoke City on Tuesday evening which saw a red card handed to first choice ‘keeper, Freddie Woodman, which means he will be unavailable for this match.

All is not well with the club as far as supporters are concerned with an open letter written by PNE Online and the Preston Supporters Collective Steering Group calling for a change of approach from the top of the club which has been labelled the “most boring club in the EFL”.

When Albion went to Deepdale last season, North End were unbeaten in the league with a 100% home record and the Baggies promptly won 4-0 with one of their best displays under Carlos Corberán. Let’s hope for a repeat to add to the misery of the PNE fans.

History

Albion have beaten Preston on their last three meetings with an aggregate score of 9-0 including a 4-0 win at Deepdale in September last year. Two victories for the Lilywhites in 2022 are their only successes in this fixture in the last dozen attempts dating back to 2009.

Jayson Molumby had a loan spell at Deepdale from Brighton in the first half of 2021 making 16 appearances for North End – he moved on loan to the Hawthorns later that year. He is the only member of the current squads to have played for the opposition.

Adam Reach, who was released by Albion in the summer, also went on loan to Preston – he spent the 2015/16 season at Deepdale on loan from Middlesbrough before moving to Sheffield Wednesday the following summer. Callum Robinson’s first experience of Preston North End was also on loan, from Aston Villa in 2014 – he had two loan spells at Deepdale before making the move permanent in the summer of 2016. He moved to Sheffield United in 2019 before transferring to the Hawthorns, again initially on loan.

Andy Carroll had a loan spell with Preston way back in 2007 when still a youngster at Newcastle while Sam Johnstone had two loan spells at Deepdale from Manchester United. Billy Jones, who had three seasons at the Hawthorns, moved to Albion from Preston in the summer of 2011.

A few of the players who won promotion with Albion during the noughties played for Preston at one time or another. Sean Gregan moved from Preston to Albion in the summer of 2002 ahead of their first Premier League season, and was a key part of the team that won promotion back to the top flight two years later. Danny Dichio, the Baggies’ top scorer in that first Premier League campaign, moved to North End later in his career, while Preston were one of several loan spells that Neil Clement had from Chelsea before he found a new home in West Bromwich. Meanwhile Michael Appleton, who sadly suffered a career-ending injury in 2002, had moved from Preston to Albion in January 2001.

Tony Mowbray’s promotion team included Richard Chaplow, who moved to Deepdale after winning the Championship title in 2008 and Craig Beattie, who had a brief loan spell with Preston during that promotion season. Nathan Ellington also went on loan to Deepdale while still at Albion, making 18 appearances for the Lillywhites in the 2010/11 campaign.

One of the players I featured in the last preview, Kevin Kilbane, started his career at North End and became Albion’s record signing when he moved to the Hawthorns in the summer of 1997 for £1.25m breaking the record that had stood since 1979. Lee Ashcroft, who scored the vital winner at Fratton Park in 1994 to keep the Baggies in Division One, also started his career at Deepdale and moved to Albion in August 1993.

Going back a little further, Mick Martin, who was infamously sent off for Albion in the 1978 FA Cup semi-final, ended his career with a season at Preston in 1986/86 while Tony Morley, who moved to Albion after winning the European Cup with Villa, started his career at Deepdale.