Preston fans are desperate for Cameron Archer to return – and won’t be impressed with his lack of football for Aston Villa on Tuesday.
Last night saw the Carabao Cup take centre stage, with North End narrowly losing away at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
There was another game that pitted the North West against the Midlands, as Aston Villa travelled to take on League One side Bolton Wanderers.
Bolton opened the scoring through Preston-born striker Dion Charles, before Villa ran riot and ended up winning 4-1.
Steven Gerrard certainly needed a win after an inauspicious start to the Premier League season, but he has left Preston fans baffled.
This seemed like an ideal chance for Gerrard to give an opportunity to striker Cameron Archer, given that he hasn’t started a Premier League game.
Archer crushed the Championship with Preston, scoring seven goals in 20 games following a January loan move.
You would imagine that Archer could have done the same against Bolton – but Villa fans were left to wait until the 82nd minute for Gerrard to throw him on.
Add in the three minutes of added time and Archer was given just 11 minutes in a game that Villa pretty much had wrapped up by the 66th minute.
If Gerrard isn’t going to give Archer considerable Premier League minutes and isn’t even going to give him a big role in the cup, then maybe Villa isn’t the best place for Archer’s development right now.
The 20-year-old needs games and who can offer him that in greater supply than Preston?
The Lancashire Evening Post report that Preston have had a new enquiry for Archer rejected this week.
If true, to rebuff that offer and then give Archer just over 10 minutes in a cup game really hurts, especially when Archer would likely walk straight back into Preston’s starting lineup.
Maybe this is now about money; Archer signed a new deal this summer and will be on higher wages, and maybe Villa want a higher contribution from another club.
Yet it’s hard to argue that there is a better Championship club for Archer than Preston.
North End gave and can still give him a regular starting spot, fans love him and Preston are creating plenty of chances under Ryan Lowe.
Archer shouldn’t be playing 10 minutes or so here and there – he should playing, starting and scoring, and Preston can offer all of that if Villa are willing to budge.