Preston North End have kept a clean sheet in nine of their 12 league games so far this season. Liam Lindsay has been an ever present throughout, and is rightly receiving the plaudits.
When he starts the game against Norwich City on Saturday he will equal his total starts for the whole of last season. It represents quite a turnaround for Lindsay who has only ever been seen as a backup player in his time at Preston.
He arrived in January 2021 to help plug the gap left by Ben Davies and to cover for the injured Patrick Bauer at the time. Initially joining from Stoke City on loan, he went on to join Preston permanently that summer. His loan spell was average, and he didn’t set the world alight, so it was a bit of an uninspiring signing. The highlight of his first year at the club was a goal away to Blackburn Rovers in a 2-1 win.
Once Bauer was back fit though, Lindsay would find it hard to displace the German, or Andrew Hughes and Sepp van den Berg in a fairly settled back three last season. He didn’t manage more than three games in a row in the first eleven, and when he did get a chance he didn’t do himself any favours. Two red cards in three games against Coventry City and Derby County showed a perhaps frustrated player.
If Lindsay had left the club in the summer, I don’t think it would have disappointed too many fans.
Fast forward to this season, and it is a new look back three with a fresh face behind them as well. Lindsay got the nod ahead of Bauer to lead the defence in the centre and he hasn’t looked back. Freddie Woodman seems to organise them very well, and Lindsay has been crucial in those nine clean sheets. He’s won an average of 4.4 aerial duels per game, and has made countless last ditch tackles. He was nominated for the Championship player of the month for August as well.
His contract is up at the end of the season along with a few others including Daniel Johnson, but with his form I would expect that to be extended before the end of the calendar year. The Glasgow born defender started his career in Scotland and impressed with Partick Thistle before a move to Barnsley and then Stoke.
His last season with Barnsley in 2018/19 was the last season he played more than 20 league games. He will pass that this season, and he may have his eye on a Scotland call-up in the future.
They had a bit of an injury crisis during the last international break, and Preston’s defensive record this season won’t have gone unnoticed. Only four goals conceded whilst the XG (expected goals against us) is 13.10. Scott McKenna, Jack Hendry, Declan Gallagher and Ryan Porteous were in the last Scotland squad. There is also Grant Hanley of Norwich and Liam Cooper from Leeds United. But the longer Lindsay continues to impress, Steve Clarke must be tempted to get him involved in the next round of fixtures.
In the meantime it’s great to see one of our players enjoying his football so much, after a few seasons taking a back seat. He’s probably been our best player this season, and long may it continue.