Preston North End 2019/20: Team Analysis – Scout Report

After the first eleven matches of the season, the EFL Championship’s league table is starting to shape up. The promotion contenders have secured themselves respectable positions heading into October’s international break, along with some surprising names. With the distance between West Bromwich Albion at the top and tenth-placed Charlton Athletic being only four points, this could be a sign for an exciting season coming up.

Among the current top ten, there are names that were once thrived in the Premier League and hoping to find their glory days. There are also clubs who have been consistent performers of the Championship and one of them are Preston North End. The Lilywhites are currently sitting third on the league table, with only one point separating them from leaders West Brom and Nottingham Forest.

They have showcased an attractive style of play that relies on quick turnovers, creating counter-attacks and high pressing. Being the league’s top-scorer with 23 goals and fourth-best in terms of goal conceded with 12 goals, Preston look destined to become a contender for an automatic promotion spot. This tactical analysis scout report will provide an analysis of the secrets that contribute to Preston’s amazing start. Meanwhile, using statistics and footage, we will look at the noticeable tactical points and individuals in their tactics.

Formation

When Alex Neil was appointed as Preston’s head coach back in July 2017, he immediately employed the style of play that he felt suitable for the side. The former Norwich manager opted to go with a 4-2-3-1 formation and kept it that way over the last three seasons. Furthermore, he has the tendency of rotating his starting eleven to give the players that he has more first-team football.

This season is not an exception either, as shown in Preston’s lineup when they welcomed Barnsley above. He tends to have versatile players among the squad, such as Darnell Fisher and Alan Browne on this occasion. The former Rotherham full-back can play on both flanks as he was chosen to fill in Joe Rafferty’s left wing. Meanwhile, Tom Barkhuizen was moved back into a right-winger from his striker spot. David Nugent filled in his place while Josh Harrop dropped to the bench.

Attacking style of play

Although not being the top leading team in the Championship, Preston stand out thanks to their goal-scoring record. With a high-tempo style of play that Neil has employed, this makes Preston one of the most prolific teams according to the numbers. On average, they registered 10.2 shots per match, a very low number compared to the league’s average. It even makes them the fourth-lowest team on the table, with only Wigan (10), Charlton (9.1) and Huddersfield (8.8) having lower shots per game than them.

Looking at how they create their attacks, it is understandable to see why they have such a low number of shots. They tend not to rely too much on playing out from the back and would rather move the ball quickly into the final third. But against teams who usually apply pressure high up the pitch, Preston are happy to take on a conservative approach which allows them to find pockets of space to progress the ball into.

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