Preston North End's same old failings in Sheffield United defeat leave club looking in one direction

On November 3, 2019, Preston North End moved to the top of the Championship table.

It was only fleeting. The following day they had been overtaken and a month later they were sixth. Ultimately they finished 9th, a handful of agonising points away from the Play-Offs.

Yet, for one brief and thrilling moment, one that is still looked back upon with misty eyes seven years on, Preston were the best team in the Championship and the dream of Premier League football seemed tangible.

On November 3, 2026, that dream has never felt more remote.

Preston collapse again, this time against Sheffield United

There were glimmers of hope against Sheffield United on Tuesday night, too, before the ever-increasingly inevitable capitulation arrived.

Two minutes in, Preston had the lead. Andrew Hughes won the ball back in the middle of the park and was graciously allowed to carry it the length of the pitch unopposed. He waited for Andrija Vukcevic to catch him up on the overlap, and his driven ball was initially air-kicked by Andy Moran before Leo Leroy found the roof of the net.

Preston couldn't have hoped for a better start, but with it came the ultimate question of their mentality and metal: Would they be able to capitalise on it?

For a period, they did. Though the stats on possession and shots don't tell the story, North End were comfortable without the ball.

They won it back and acted quickly to transition and get in behind Sheffield United's high line. Even after losing Johnny Kenny to an apparent hamstring injury early on, a game he would have thrived in with so much space to run in to.

One particular move saw Stanley Mills wiggle out of trouble with a nice piece of skill, Jordan Thompson send Callum Lang away down the right to cross dangerously. Yet, as was too often the case, the threatening ball could not be reached.

If you're giving so much possession to the opposition, then you must take your chances when they arrive or it will cost you.

Graham Alexander said Saturday's defeat to Stoke City 'followed a script read before' as they were competitive in the game but conceded a goal from 'minimal pressure' which gave the opponents 'momentum' and Preston a 'negative thought process.'

The script must be Groundhog Day.

A Sydie Peck cross into the box evaded everyone, including Daniel Iversen, and landed in the back of the net to level the game and undo all the promising work.

A freak goal out of nothing but Preston again could not ride the blow.

Alexander has talked repeatedly about not allowing set-backs to be 'fatal,' but the mental fortitude has not yet developed and a collapse worthy of an England Ashes innings soon followed.

Preston were suddenly a yard away from every challenge and couldn’t win loose balls.

By half-time, Peck had got his hat-trick, helped by a flurry of errors that are almost too many to list.

For the second, Odel Offiah gave away possession with a lofted pass, Thompson and Leroy both failed to win or even adequately challenge for loose balls, the latter then couldn’t keep up with Peck, Jordan Storey got dragged too far forward, allowing Peck to run into space, Iversen was forced to come out but was then hesitant to make a challenge in case he got bypassed. Instead, he stood in front of Peck, didn’t put a foot in and increasingly backed off until Peck picked his spot.

That's 88 words listing everything that went wrong with just one goal.

For the third and ultimate winner, Offiah, Storey (hooked at the break) and Hughes could have all done more to prevent the cross, while Vukcevic (also taken off at half-time) didn't get goal side of Peck at the back post.

As a visibly frustrated Alexander said himself afterwards, the goals were ‘p*** poor’ ones to concede.

The manager says teams need to compete physically 'before any quality you possess comes into it,' but quality is what gets you goals. Wins you games.

There is precious little of it on display.

A second-half fight-back wasn’t enough

The sense of frustration in the fan base is now becoming vocal in the stands, too. The third goal was met with loud boos and punters leaving their seats, with more to jeers at half-time. A video soon circulated on social media of some fans remonstrating with club CEO Peter Ridsdale in the stands.

Yet, just as things threatened to turn ugly, when the players came back out for the second-half fans got back behind the team again. Applauding nice passes, encouraging mounting pressure and cheering when Callum Lang managed to half the deficit following good work from Moran and Alfie Devine.

The response after the break was one mild positive to take at least. Alexander told the players to win the second-half at the break, which they achieved and were pushing for a leveller until the end. Though it never truly looked likely.

Moran’s energetic performance, his first Championship start this season, along with Devine’s bright cameo in which the pair linked well, was something at least to latch onto.

But they are no where near enough.

Fans are justifiably frustrated and anxious, with boos returning at full-time. It's increasingly hard to see any other outcome than relegation to League One.

Preston's lowest-ever points total in a 46-game season was 42 in 2010-11, the last time they were sent to the third tier. By 14 games in that season, they had 13 points.

North End are now the second team since the Championship was renamed as such in 2004 to only have five points by this stage of the season without suffering a deduction.

There is little indication where the next ones will come from, either. Even to just reach 42, they need to average a 1.16 points per game in their next 32 matches.

Can they do it? Can they be positive enough over 90 minutes to get wins? On current evidence, the answer is no.