Help Sitemap Home Skip Navigation Contact Us Disability Statement

Quigleys
Sponsored by
In association with Betta Living
www.bettaliving.co.uk
 
 
Friday, 16th May 2008

Premium Article !

Your account has been frozen. For your available options click the below button.

Options

Premium Article !

To read this article in full you must have registered and have a Premium Content Subscription with the n/a site.

Subscribe

Registered Article !

To read this article in full you must be registered with the site.

Sign In
Register

Irvine targets top-half finish



Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image

Published Date:
27 March 2008
Preston North End boss Alan Irvine is looking for a top-half finish to cap a stunning comeback from the brink of relegation.
A month ago his side were still in the bottom three and looking in grave danger of dropping down.

Now they sit in 15th place and on course to escape with something to spare.

And, with Irvine a strong contender for the Manager of the Month award for a marvellous March, the Scot has revealed he will not be content just to scrape home.

Leave your messages of support for Preston North End legend Alan Kelly.

Having set his players a public target of 54 points – four more from their remaining six games – privately Irvine is aiming beyond that.

Irvine would like to win all three of the club's home games, starting against Sheffield United on Saturday.

And he reckons his players are capable of bringing points back from tough trips to QPR, Plymouth and Bristol City.

"Those away games look very difficult," he told the Evening Post. "So it is very important we pick up points at home.

"But we have already shown recently we can go away to some difficult places and get some good results.

"So I don't think it is impossible to pick up points from the away games we have left."

On current form – 13 points from a possible 15 – North End are shaping up for one of the strongest finishes in the Championship.

During March they have won four games, drawn one and lost one – on the opening day of the month at home to Crystal Palace.

That record stands comparison with anyone in the division and puts Irvine in the frame for the top boss award. alongside Hull City's Phil Brown (five wins and two defeats), Sheffield United's Kevin Blackwell (W4 D1 L1) and QPR's Luigi De Canio (W3 D2 L1).

Read more from Alan Irvine, including his opinion on a manager of the month award, in Thursday's Lancashire Evening Post.

The Gentry

The full article contains 336 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 27 March 2008 10:45 AM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Preston
 
Prev
1
2 3
Next
Last
1

allwhiteonthenight,

London 27/03/2008 10:51:44
Don't give him the dreaded manager of the month, we will lose all six games and go down if they do that!!
2

SamPNE,

27/03/2008 11:13:44
Rubbish, Irvine full deserves the award.
3

FredElseFlyer,

Stainland 27/03/2008 12:18:23
I think it is great that Alan is trying to maximise our points. We can beat all of these teams at the moment, we may not , but at least we are going to try. Alan Irvine - Manager of the Season?
4

gareth,

27/03/2008 12:20:45
sam he does deserve the award but if you do notice any manager who gets it then goes on a bad run so maybe allan can wait to next season before he gets it.

Anyway doesnt Chris " I really hate Preston " Kamara decide who gets it? If he does we need not worry lol cuz he aint going to give it to a pne manager
5

jwpne,

27/03/2008 12:22:41
I hope Alan gets manager of the month , as since he has come to Preston , i have seen massive changes in the teams confidence and he totally deserves the award for the way we have been performing in March. Totally amazing to think when he took over there was no confidence and players seemed to just get rid of the ball as soon as they got it like it was a hot potato they were passing. Good luck for saturday ,cant wait to cheer the lads on . Onwards and upwards and i think we can even end the season on such a high. Even above the Dingles . :D
6

Plankton,

27/03/2008 12:37:07
To finish above Blackpool and Burnley would be an absolute whopper. PNE - Pride of Lancashire
7

SamPNE,

27/03/2008 13:13:12
Gareth, plenty of managers have won the award and went on to win their next game - you only hear about the oness that don't! I'm sure Irvine has enough sense and is experienced enough to not let the award affect him! If we win on Saturday then he is the only contender.
p.s. I don't agree with manager of the season. That would be one step too far! Gary Johnson should have that one won, or even Pulis.
8

gareth,

27/03/2008 13:29:21
well like i said its chris kamara's choice so im fairly happy that he wont give it Irvine. He may put him in his contenders but wont give it him. Im quite happy for him not to get any praise from TV pundits until the end of the season
9

Bristol-Keith,

Winterbourne 27/03/2008 13:43:22
60 points is definitely within PNE's capabilities.

Well Done Alan Irvine. I agree with post #3 Manager of the season. Let's face it, teams at the top have flirted with that honour then fallen away. There is not one team that does actually deserve to go up. Not only has it been an open Championship this season, which makes more interesting, but there han't been a class side all season.

Therefore, it is not inconceiveable that Alan Irvine could get Manager of the Season, and it would be well deserved for resuing a side
10

Simonpne,

Gee Cross Hyde 27/03/2008 14:27:41
Look at the facts .the fans were saying for months we need a striker .so finally we got Beattie on loan who played well for thirty minuites and got hurt .then we got Priskin.since we got Beattie we have never lost and drawn once . So what if Priskin goes after his loan spell and one or two others leave .We are right back in demotion next year .
Prev
1
2 3
Next
Last

 

Comment on this Story

 

In order to post comments you must Register or Sign In

 
 
RSS Feed of this article's comments
Delivery formats: RSS, Atom, Javascript & Email
 
  

 
 


Sister Newspapers:
Press Complaints Commission

This website and its associated newspaper adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then contact the Editor by clicking here.

If you remain dissatisfied with the response provided then you can contact the PCC by clicking here.