Preston North End, international breaks and how they respond

Preston are coming off the back of a post-international break defeat to Derby County and travel to Hull City tomorrow night.

But does such a curse exist? And if so, how do they respond?

PNE are currently in their fifth season back in the Championship; they won once, at the fourth and final attempt, following an international break in their first season in the second tier.

They then had to wait a further 10 international breaks to taste victory once more, taking two-and-a-half seasons before a demolition of Blackburn Rovers.

The Brentford win earlier this campaign seemed to buck a trend too, but is it all that bad?

It's not great, but it's also not a complete disaster.

PNE have only won three games immediately following international breaks since their return to the Championship, that's in 19 games. So 3/19 isn't fantastic.

But they have also drawn eight of those games - losing the remaining eight.

You could consider it as North End are undefeated in 11 of the last 19 games straight after internationals, which isn't too bad.

On the flip side, they have taken just 17 points from a possible 57.

But with Hull City looming, it's now about how they respond, and their track record in the second game back is markedly better.

Again following promotion to the Championship, North End have won eight games, drawn five and lost five.

There are 18 games to look at, as Hull await, but winning 8/18 is a much better showing; coupled with five draws.

There have been three occasions when PNE have lost both games after internationals, two of them coming last season.

This campaign,a win away at Birmingham and a home draw to Leeds have followed a win against Brentford and loss at Reading.

North End go to Hull having won five times in 28 visits and once in the last seven.