I think North End fans should give Frankie McAvoy a chance, Preston supporter John Smith mulls over the appointment of Alex Neil's assistant

His replacement Frankie McAvoy said he would not be everyone’s cup of tea in terms of choice and personally speaking, I'd prefer my tea bags to have a stronger more fuller flavour than the weaker tasting smart price ones.

However, with the next few games set to have a huge bearing on the club’s long-term future it was time to get behind the club I will always support.

After mulling everything over I also remembered having a similar lack of enthusiasm in August 2004 when a certain William MacIntosh Davies stepped up to take over from Craig Brown and we ended up finishing that season in a play-off final.

McAvoy could not have had a tougher start to his tenure as runaway league leaders Norwich had only lost once since the New Year. We started the game brightly in its opening stages with Emil Riis missing a golden opportunity to put us in the lead but after scoring it was the Canaries who were the chirpier of the two sides as they began to take control of the game.

In the second half they dominated the game looking every inch a side who had won 12 out of their last 16 league matches but despite having chances they could not add to their tally.

Throughout the half we had not looked like scoring but just like the Ever Given cargo ship which was successfully re-floated earlier this week, McAvoy found his equivalent of a flotilla of tug boats and a high tide in the form of a late goal right at the death to salvage a crucial point.

It is hoped that this point is the first one of many in the rescue operation fronted by McAvoy the new captain of our ship which can negotiate some choppy waters and keep it away from the sandy banks at the bottom of the Championship.

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