Ex-Preston North End and Stoke City boss makes budget claim as play-off concern outlined

Preston North End manager Alex Neil thinks his old club are well in the play-off race - and says the budget at Deepdale has improved 'considerably' since he was in charge.

Speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire on Monday evening, Neil assessed the top six picture in the second tier. Still living in the Lancashire area, the ex-Stoke City and Sunderland boss has been back at Deepdale a few times this season to take a match in.

Neil - who was let go by the Potters in December 2023 - caught the recent, goalless draw against play-off rivals, Hull City. The Scot felt Preston were unfortunate not to take all three points that afternoon and believes it's all to play for, with 10 games to go for PNE.

"Hull spent huge money and I think the situation with a lot of clubs in the Championship is unknown to other teams' (fans), because they don't really care about them - they only care about their own team," said Neil. "But, when you actually sit down and go through it; people have got a misconception sometimes, of teams having spent so much and other teams having not spent a lot. What you will find is that's a bit of a myth, so it's not particularly true.

"I watched Hull against Preston - I was at the game- and I thought Preston were better on the day. So, if Hull are in the mix, I don't see why Preston wouldn't be in the mix for the play-offs. I think my only concern, with Preston, would be whether they have enough goals in the team - I think that's the biggest thing. I think you've got to score your way to the play-offs; I don't think you get there by chance."

Evidently, Neil is well across the Championship landscape - a league he has managed in for many years. Having discussed the expenditure of Hull, Coventry City and others, the former North End chief was asked about the need for Preston to overachieve. His response was interesting, with Neil observing that PNE weren't too far behind Stoke in last season's figures.

"Erm yeah, but what I will say is that Preston's budget has improved since I was there, considerably," said Neil. "If you looked at the budgets from last year, wages wise - and this is another one people probably won't be aware of - from Stoke to Preston there was a difference of 500 grand between the playing budgets. It has come out; it is public knowledge. But, that was the difference between the budgets. It is common knowledge, because I have seen it online. It's there for everybody to look at."