'You are looking for reasons' - EFL pundits issue Preston North End season prediction and final position

Preston North End have a big challenge ahead to improve significantly on last season’s 20th placed finish.

That is the view of the highly popular EFL podcast, ‘Not The Top 20’ - hosted by Ali Maxwell and George Elek. Every summer the duo predict their final 1-24 standings for League Two, League One and the Championship.

In the second tier episode, Southampton and Ipswich Town are backed to gain automatic promotion with Sheffield Wednesday, Hull City and Oxford United dropping down to the third tier.

As for PNE, who survived on the final day of the previous campaign, NTT20 have predicted a 21st place finish. North End have been busy in the transfer window with nine new signings made; the duo aren’t overly convinced though.

Elek said: “Preston stayed up last season on the final day, so where we see them going into the season is relatively low. Then, you look at the players they have lost in Kaine Kesler-Hayden - a right back who has been signed by Coventry and is being seen as a natural replacement for (Milan) van Ewijk.

“Last season, he was so important to them. They’ve lost Sam Greenwood who was on loan and a good, creative player for them - somebody who offered something in the final third which they are currently lacking, I would say. Freddie Woodman goes... I think his time at Preston had come to an end.

“His loss has been mitigated massively by Daniel Iversen returning after a good couple of loans, and that is probably an upgrade. (Jack) Whatmough and (Ryan) Ledson won’t be seen as massive losses by Preston fans but they played quite a lot of minutes. Emil Riis is probably the one.

“Yes, he didn’t do it consistently enough but he was their main striker and at the moment I am not really seeing... you know, Michael Smith comes in and I am not seeing that as a huge upgrade, as big a fan I am of Smith. I think the target-man style of his game is good but in terms of goal scoring, I think there is a real lack of threat there.”

Maxwell weighed in with: “I do think if you blend him and (Milutin) Osmajic together, it should work a bit better as a combination than Riis and Osmajic - just because Osmajic’s blistering pace in behind is his main asset. The rest of his game, there is not a lot to it. I think Smith and Osmajic could work quite well.”

Elek added: “Also, you are looking for reasons why Preston are going to be much better than last season, to avoid being in a relegation scrap again. We have them one place outside of where they finished last season. Jordan Thompson comes in, who offers that out of possession work rate that Ledson had - with a bit more technical ability.

“(Daniel) Jebbison is the other player they bring in, in the search for goals. Any Watford fan will tell you he should not be playing Championship football; I am excited to see how he gets on, reunited with manager Paul Heckingbottom. Then, (Odel) Offiah is the one who looks like a really good buy.

“He was good at Blackpool last season... a very mobile player who will suit the three at the back system they play, as one of the wide centre-backs. As I say, struggling now to find reasons why there is going to be a massive improvement. I think the appointment of Heckingbottom, for a time last season, looked like that was going to be the reason.

“Then, the underlying numbers at the end of last season weren’t great and the results weren’t great either. So, in order to predict that Preston are going to be well clear of relegation, you’ve got to be seeing something that I am not seeing at this point.”

PNE travel to Loftus Road for their opening day clash against Queens Park Rangers, on Saturday. The Lilywhites, as well as the players mentioned by Elek and Maxwell, have signed Pol Valentin, Thierry Small, Andrija Vukcevic and Jack Walton.

Your next PNE read: 4 opening day selection headaches for Heckingbottom