West Brom defeat was a lesson for Preston North End if they're serious about the play-offs

They made a triumphant return to action after the World Cup break with a 4-1 win over local rivals Blackburn Rovers but is has all been downhill since.

Defeats to Queens Park Rangers and Huddersfield Town have now been followed up by a defeat to West Bromwich Albion to end 2022 in the worst possible way.

Thing have got progressively worse throughout the three games too. In the QPR and Huddersfield games, PNE at least had chances, and scored against the latter.

Against West Brom, it was not so much that they did not look like scoring, more that they did not look capable of getting out of their own half. It was a training ground exercise for parts of the contest, with wave after wave of Albion attack and Freddie Woodman doing what he could to keep the score down.

It is a tough time to play against West Brom, they have had the new manager bounce and their new tactics perfectly suits their attack-minded, dynamic and hugely talented squad. Let’s not pretend that the Baggies are playing above their station, with the quality of players in their squad – and even left out of it – they should be challenging for the top two places no trying to claw their way back into the play-off mix.

They got it tactically spot on against a North End side that can become a bit predictable and one-dimensional. The ball is played into a striker and they play from there – if Ched Evans is crowded out it’s very difficult for PNE to build up to the other end of the pitch.

Likewise if you can stifle their deeper midfielders – or alternatively cover their out balls to the wing backs – there is little PNE can do going through the middle through their own ingenuity.

Albion on the other hand are the opposite, there were half a dozen players involved on the night that in a moment could drop a shoulder, beat a man and make something happen.

It’s the type of class that wins you games of football and it’s what North End don’t have – and also can’t afford. Comparing West Brom and PNE isn’t entirely fair, there is a lot of money being spent a the Hawthorns and their season and current league position has been a disappointment.

But it does serve as a wake up call to Preston and those higher up at the club – if you want to be a top six side, you’re going to have to be better than the Baggies, if not over the course of the season then at least over 90 minutes, or two if you were to meet in the semi-finals.

And off Thursday’s showing, they’re some way off that. There were few positives, if any, to come out of the West Brom game but it can at least serve as a lesson as to what is required to be a very good side in this league.

More is needed, both from current players but also with the January transfer window coming up. Regardless, there must be a step up in performances.