Preston North End’s season has fizzled out once again, and with just two games left fans are already looking ahead to the summer and hoping for improvements on the pitch.
There are some positives to take from this season with Mads Frokjaer and Milutin Osmajic proving to be two good signings from abroad, and perhaps North End will look to Europe once again.
However looking at the existing squad there are a few priorities which must be taken care of first.
The up and and down form across the season has highlighted a few things that need to change, and the Ryan Lowe can’t be blameless for the inconsistency as well, and perhaps needs to make a few changes to his methods as well. The Queens Park Rangers defeat was a poor watch and the recent run of form could see Preston end the season with five straight defeats and fans won’t be in a rush to buy season tickets at this rate.
Sign wing-backs or scrap the system
Lowe has been stubborn in his choice of formation throughout his tenure as Preston manager. He has favoured the use of wing-backs at Bury, Plymouth Argyle and Preston. Whilst it was successful with The Shakers and The Pilgrims, the same can’t be said for North End.
Brad Potts has been converted into a right-wing-back and has done a very good job there, but it’s still not his natural position. Also he has yet to have someone really challenge him for that place or provide a reliable back-up. Mathew Olosunde and Calvin Ramsay are just two players who are easily forgotten in that position.
Tom Barkhuizen, Scott Sinclair, Alan Browne, Ali McCann, Milutin Osmajic, Duane Holmes, Robbie Brady, Sepp van den Berg. The list could go on. All players shoehorned into that position.
For the left-hand side, Liam Millar has done a job this season but he is an attacking winger, and deserves to be playing much higher up the pitch.
If Lowe can’t bring in genuine wing-backs this summer then he needs to scrap the formation.
Stick or twist with Woodman
Freddie Woodman has been a reliable pair of hands in the last two years, Saturday aside. He’s a decent Championship goalkeeper, but he will be heading into the final year of his contract next season. Woodman may see his future elsewhere. He could probably earn more money as a back-up ‘keeper in the top flight or there may be some bigger Championship teams who would offer him an opportunity as number one.
Woodman will be one of our higher earners, but it would be a shame to see him leave for free next summer. Preston will need to look at the long-term view of this position. With no one readily in line to replace Woodman, it would be worth looking to see who is available this summer.
Give Kian Best more game time
For a club like Preston it is important that players have a high value when it comes to a time when they might move on. At just 18-year-old Kian Best is certainly one of the brightest prospects in the squad. He made his debut on the opening game of the season when he was just 17, and in his 13 games he didn’t look out of place.
Honours with the England youth teams have followed, and I believe he should be given more minutes next season. It makes sense to invest more playing time in Best than in someone like Brady who has zero resale value.
Best looks capable of playing in a couple of positions and has a great set-piece delivery. 30 plus games next season would be hugely beneficial for him and he could go from strength to strength. Young English footballers can be worth millions these days if they show a bit of promise over a sustained period. This time next year, and Preston could have a player worth £10 million plus on their hands if he progressed.
Sign Millar up
Liam Millar has provided some of the more memorable moments of this season. From scoring and getting an assist in the first half of his debut to scoring a glorious winner at home to Leeds United on Boxing Day.
Millar is on loan from Basel in Switzerland, and it has been suggested they would be willing to sell this summer. Preston are unlikely to be the only club interested, with Sunderland credited with an interest earlier in the season.
Lowe has said he will leave it down to Peter Ridsdale to see if a deal is possible between the club and Basel, but is confident Millar would want to sign permanently, with happiness expressed on and off the pitch.
The creativity that Millar provides isn’t seen anywhere else in the squad. No can breakaway like he does, or beat a man like he does. This squad without Millar would be a very bland one.
Make easy and hard contract decisions
Preston have a number of players out of contract at the end of the season. Some players are more important than others, but Lowe will surely already know who he wants to keep on. However those players may already have had interest from elsewhere.
The key one is Alan Browne. The captain hit the 400 game mark this season, and has been at the club for 10 years. It would be great to see the 29-year-old finish his career at the club, but he did reportedly have a rather tempting offer from Italy in January.
He’s yet to commit his future to the club and fans would be devastated to see him leave.
Patrick Bauer will be departing after barely featuring this season. The German joined in 2019 and was key at the heart of the defence in his first three seasons. Injuries disrupted his flow and has then struggled to fit in the back three in the last two years.
Ben Woodburn will surely be on his way after just one start this season, and there isn’t really a case to extend the stay of 35-year-old Ched Evans, who has not scored this season after almost having to end his career completely last summer.
Greg Cunningham’s contract is up and although the 33-year-old is a fan favourite, it would make sense to let him go and pave the way for Best to come through.
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