Preston North End in Numbers: Time to put home record straight

Following on from the humiliation that came in the fallout of the Blackburn Rovers defeat, there’s a much different proposition coming to PR1 this week.

After picking up their first home win of the season at the sixth time of asking against Sheffield Wednesday, there was hope that Rovers would feel PNE’s wrath at a rejuvenated Fortress Deepdale.

That obviously wasn’t the case. Hopefully, though, things can be different now.

There is a positive mood around the camp following the 3-2 win at Bournemouth and a determination to do better at home.

It’s been well documented that results haven’t been good enough and Alex Neil has not hidden from that fact.

The Lilywhites take some momentum into the game, despite losing Patrick Bauer for the season, and will go into the game as favourites.

What they’ll be up against is fairly predictable too, Wycombe don’t want the possession. They’ll likely sit behind the ball and force PNE to break them down.

That isn’t exactly their strong suit but with ‘the big four’ all fit and raring to go there’s every chance they can crack the code.

The only thing that might give PNE solace with their dismal home form is the Chairboys’ away record.

Gareth Ainsworth’s men have won just one on the road this season, that coming a month ago against Birmingham City.

It’ll be a different Wycombe side than started the season now that they acclimatised to their surroundings but their ‘minnows’ tags in this division isn’t without grounding.

They’re in their first season at this level and learning as they go.

It will be important for PNE to start putting together one of their purple patches that we’ve seen fairly regularly under Neil.

Back-to-back home games are a chance to get the monkey off their back and to put together a sequence of results, with Middlesbrough shortly following Wycombe.

Even just a couple of wins would currently see PNE right in the play-off picture. It’s fine margins but, simply, form has to improve at home – starting this weekend.

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