The Lillywhites find themselves in the crowded mid-ground of the 24 team table where they are just nine points above the relegation zone and only eight points away from the play-off places.
What will the next three seasons look like for North End? Who will they sign and where will they be at the star of the 2024/25 campaign? Just for fun we simulated the next three years in Football Manager 22 to take a look.
The football management simulation game has been wildly popular since it’s initial release in 1992 and is now played by football fans and professional players alike.
‘FM’ is also used as a player database by football clubs due to their worldwide scouting network of around 1,300 scouts which developers use to ensure full accuracy across the game.
The full version of Football Manager 22 was released on November 9th.
In our simulation, there’s been little to shout about for Preston who have maintained their posistion in the Championship without ever really getting close to promotion.
They ended the 2021/22 season in 16th place, moved up two places to 14th in the 2022/23 campaign before dropping back down to 16th again at the end of 2023/24.
However, they have assembled a strong squad for the 2024/25 season and brought back one of English Football’s greatest managers to his first club to help them progress.
Here is how our simulation had Preston North End lining up for the opening game of the 2024/25 season:
5. LB - Jack Robinson
The Lillywhites took a chance on the full back when he was released by Sheffield United at the end of the 2021/22 season having played just one match. It proved to be a coup as he won the fan's player of the season award in both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns Photo: Laurence Griffiths
6. CM - George Evans
Another free transfer, the Milwall man joined in the summer of 2023 and had a consistent first season without overly impressing, making 40 league appearances but managing just one goal and four assists. Photo: Jacques Feeney
7. CM - Ben Whiteman
The only current PNE player to make the starting XI on the first day of the 2024/25 season and just one of three in the match day squad. Whiteman was a standout in the 2023/24 campaign with five man of the match awards. Photo: Mike Hewitt
8. AMR - Silvester van der Wate
The Dutchman was brought to England by Birmingham City in January 2022 from MLS side Orlando City. He did reasonably well over a season and a half with Blues but was released and snapped by Preston in the summer of 2023. He scored five goals and had three assists in his first season Photo: CHANDAN KHANNA