Preston North End managed to secure just their second goal in the league this season which in turn gave them their second win on Wednesday night
Ryan Lowe’s men were again able to keep a clean sheet and the 1-0 win over Coventry City has given the season so far a much rosier look to it.
Riis shows why he should start
Let’s deal with the main issue straight away. After Emil Riis and Ryan Lowe had talks earlier this week and it was confirmed that he wouldn’t be leaving, most expected him to be put into the starting lineup. After all, Troy Parrott needs a partner and Riis is our only natural goal scorer. However the return to two up front actually led to Ched Evans coming into the starting lineup which meant Riis was on the bench for the fifth league game in a row.
After being brought on midway through the second half it didn’t take Riis long to score. It was a scrappy poachers goal after a deflected Parrott shot found its way to him.
The Dane applied the finish and his celebration was one of relief but also a message to Lowe that ‘this is what you get if you play me’. You wouldn’t want that chance to fall to anyone else in our squad and surely, surely he will be starting from now on?
DJ and Browne dropped
Two of our more senior players found themselves on the bench on Wednesday.
It was probably the right call as Daniel Johnson and Alan Browne haven’t started the season well and things needed a shake up in the midfield. They also need to know that their place isn’t always guaranteed despite being club captain and vice captain.
Ben Woodburn and Ali McCann came into the side whilst Ryan Ledson made way for the extra striker in the team. It was a fresh approach and Woodburn was playing well before unfortunately going off injured.
Whiteman started the game as captain and, with the options we have in the centre of midfield, we shouldn’t be afraid to rotate now and again.
Greg Cunningham adapting well to new role
Greg Cunningham is in his second spell with North End and the 31 year-old has now had to adapt to a different role. He was a fantastic left-back in his first spell with the club but doesn’t quite have the pace he used to.
With the left-wing back role now between Robbie Brady and Alvaro Fernandez, Cunningham’s role is back up to Andrew Hughes as the left sided centre half. With Hughes out injured, Cunningham has stepped up well and help contribute to more clean sheets.
Cunningham still likes to get forward and can cut in and overlap down the wing as well. He had a couple of attempts at goal on Wednesday and there is definitely an important role for Greg to play in the team this season.
Best defensive start in England for 17 years
Seven games, 630 minutes played and Preston are still yet to concede a goal in the Championship. It’s quite an incredible record and the first time a team has started a season in England like this for 17 years.
In fact, Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea side in 2005 only managed six and a half games. We are only the third English side in history to begin their campaign with seven clean sheets.
Freddie Woodman could never have imagined this start to his Preston career in his wildest dreams.
Huge credit goes to a new look defence this season as well. Led by Liam Lindsay in the middle, Jordan Storey and the aforementioned Hughes and Cunningham, Preston’s defenders have stood strong and there haven’t been too many chances created by the opposition.
In Tunisia in 2000-01 Esperance started their season with 10 straight domestic clean sheets. Whilst in the 1977-78 season Vasco da Gama ‘keeper Mazaropi went 20 games without conceding! Woodman could have his eyes on these in the future!