Temporary Preston manager Frankie McAvoy set for lengthy caretaker stint

The Scot has been put in temporary charge until the end of the season following Alex Neil’s dismissal last Sunday.

North End’s intention is then to make a permanent appointment in the summer.

In the 1992/93 season, Sam Allardyce got a 13-game run as PNE caretaker boss.

Big Sam, who was youth team coach at the time, stepped into the first-team job when Les Chapman was sacked in September 1992.

It was a long audition for the job full-time and many thought Allardyce had done enough, with results steadily improving.

But North End chose to look outside the club and appointed John Beck more than two months later.

Towards the end of the 1985/86 season, Jonathan Clark got 10 matches as PNE’s caretaker boss.

The midfielder was out injured at the time and got asked to take over when Brian Kidd resigned in March 1986.

Remarkably, Clark won his first five matches in charge, remarkable as the Lilywhites had only won six league games all season until that point.

Rob Kelly had the best win as a caretaker boss in January 2010 following Alan Irvine’s sacking.

He oversaw a 7-0 victory over Colchester in the FA Cup, that his one game in charge before Darren Ferguson came in.

Graham Alexander and David Unsworth got five games in joint caretaker charge in 2011/12, winning two, drawing two and losing once.