McAvoy deserves his chance says Preston North End Fans’ Panel’s Tim Mercer

Another season slipped by in Nottingham on Saturday with another win under Interim head coach Frankie McAvoy.
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This latest result marked four consecutive wins out of a total of five in the eight matches of his tenure and has given the North End board plenty of food for thought on who they appoint over the summer.

If you also remember there has only been one defeat, and that to highflyers Brentford, there is really no more the likeable Scot could have done to make his case.

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Interestingly, much talk of the ‘Brentford model’ on social media in recent weeks would suggest that the appointment of a head coach instead of a manager may go against McAvoy, despite his interim position being the first in PNE’s history to use the term.

Preston North End’s Ched Evans with Nottingham Forest’s Loic Mbe SohPreston North End’s Ched Evans with Nottingham Forest’s Loic Mbe Soh
Preston North End’s Ched Evans with Nottingham Forest’s Loic Mbe Soh

From sitting on the fence last week, this fan now believes Frankie should be given a chance to work with the new analytics recruitment coach James Beet, in putting together a competitive team on a relatively small Championship budget.

Beet’s success at Barnsley, who have gone down the Brentford route in the last two seasons, is there for all to see and McAvoy appears to have a tight relationship with his assistants, including a hungry looking Paul Gallagher … a loyal servant who should be encouraged to take his fledgling coaching career to the next level.

As for the match, a game of two halves added to the higher number than usual in this strange season. Forest deserved to go in 1-0 up at the break and Preston deserved the reward of two goals in the second half.

For me, Ched Evans was man of the match.

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He was involved in both goals, the first being a clever dummy that put in Scott Sinclair down the left channel and whose cross from just outside the six-yard area was turned home by Tom Bayliss.

For the second, Evans’ headed assist across the box was met by Liam Lindsay for a powerful headed finish.

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