Former PNE boss Alex Neil opens up on emotional time at Deepdale

Alex Neil has spoken candidly as he reflects on his time as Preston North End boss.
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The Scot has been out of work since being sacked by PNE in March but has been active in the media and has been at Deepdale twice as a pundit for Sky Sports.

He has spoken openly about being ready for his next challenge but has now also opened up on his time at North End.

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Neil was in charge at Deepdale for just short of four years, finishing seventh in his first season with 14th and ninth-placed finishes following in his other two full season.

Former Preston North End boss Alex Neil has spoken about his time at Deepdale, to Coaches Voice.Former Preston North End boss Alex Neil has spoken about his time at Deepdale, to Coaches Voice.
Former Preston North End boss Alex Neil has spoken about his time at Deepdale, to Coaches Voice.

Speaking to Coaches’ Voice, an outlet specifically for football coaches, Neil bemoaned losing important players, having previously mentioned Jordan Hugill, whilst expectations largely stayed the same.

He said: “Losing big players was a theme throughout my time at Preston. It was the same when we lost Callum Robinson to Sheffield United, when Ben Davies left for Liverpool, when Ben Pearson moved to Bournemouth.

“We had to deal with lots of our top players moving on, but expectations remained that we might get into the play-offs.

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“That group really felt like my team. As they slowly filtered out of the exit door over my years at Deepdale, the club started to feel less like the Preston I knew.

“We also changed training ground. Even though the facilities were better, I preferred the feel of the old place.”

A fiery and intense character,his emotional attachment kept him at PNE when others came calling but the Scot also felt it may have hindered him too.

He said: “I look back with mixed emotions, because I think if we’d held on to a couple of key players, we could have managed what we set out to do. When I look at how well so many of them have gone on to do, I feel a lot of pride.

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“I think I might have got too emotionally involved in parts of it, though. You could say that was a strength or a weakness, but I think it counted against me a little.

“It meant I didn’t perform as well as I could – or should – have done. That’s certainly a regret.

“I’d built such a good relationship with key players during my time at Preston that I probably found them leaving harder than I should have done.

“I had two opportunities to leave – I was approached by big Championship clubs in my second and third seasons at Preston – but the reason I stayed was the players. I just enjoyed coaching and managing them so much.

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“On top of that, I felt strongly that I wanted to see the Preston project through.

“My big aim was to make it into the play-offs, and I always felt – at the time I received those offers at least – that we were heading in the right direction to achieve that.”

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