Don Goodman gives verdict on Preston North End's chances of surviving relegation
Preston are bottom of the Championship on four points.
Don Goodman is struggling to see any encouragement that Preston North End will be able to avoid relegation to League One.
Preston currently sit in 24th place in the Championship on just four points after 11 games, with new manager Graham Alexander yet to earn a point from his first three matches in charge.
Alexander is making changes to his coaching staff, with Peter Murphy and Andy Liddell leaving Deepdale, and the manager has insisted it will take time for his changes to take effect, that he doesn't have 'magic dust.'
EFL pundit Goodman, however, does not like Preston's chances of turning things around.
"You have to be honest with Preston," he told The Post, via Betway.
"They're rock bottom, and they're five points from safety, and the truth is there haven't really been any indicators that they can turn it around in the three games that Graham Alexander has taken charge of so far.
"He said when he first went in that he wanted to make them harder to beat, he wanted to tighten up the defence, and yet they've conceded nine goals in those three games.
"So, it's a tough one, and at this moment you'd have to say it's difficult to see any sign that they will survive.
"It could be a long hard winter ahead for Preston."
Goodman compares Alexander to Rob Edwards
Goodman sees a lot of similarities between Alexander and fellow manager Rob Edwards, who left Middlesbrough in November last year when they were second in the Championship for bottom-placed Wolves in the Premier League, who had yet to win a match.
Despite Wolves looking certain for relegation, which they achieved, Edwards' 111 appearances for the Black Country club was a key factor in his decision to make the move. He was sacked after seven months in charge in June.
North End legend Alexander left Bradford City in first place in League One to join his beloved Preston in the relegation zone and Goodman fears a similar fate could befall him.
He said: "I said when Graham Alexander took the job, it kind of reminded me of the Rob Edwards scenario when he left Middlesbrough in the Championship for Premier League Wolves, who were in all likelihood going to get relegated, and so it proved."
“There is a big chance that Graham Alexander is going to end up down at the level that he left to go to Preston and that's the factual view of it.
"He would have known that, but the emotions, similarly for Rob Edwards, took over and became the prime motivator and that is understandable.
"Ultimately, Rob Edwards went to a club struggling in a level above and lost his job in the end, and I know Graham Alexander will have a deep love and affection for Preston, but that will mean nothing if they end up relegated."