Preston North End may now see Calvin Ramsay return to Liverpool this month as the club’s struggles with wing backs continues.
It’s fair to say that PNE fans were pretty excited when Calvin Ramsay joined on loan from Liverpool in June.
Ramsay had shown huge potential at Aberdeen, sparking Liverpool into striking a deal worth up to £6.5million in 2022.
The Scot spent most of last season out of action through injury, meaning he joined PNE later than intended having continued rehabilitation at Liverpool.
Ramsay has just never been able to get going, suffering with more injury setbacks, a bout of Covid-19 and now selection issues.
Brad Potts is PNE’s starting right wing back and Ramsay has subsequently been limited to just one Championship start this season.
The Lancashire Evening Post now note that Liverpool could recall Ramsay after an injury to star right back Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The Reds surely aren’t too pleased with Ramsay’s lack of action either, so we are expecting to see him move on – and continue PNE’s wing back problems.
PNE’s wing back woes continue amid Calvin Ramsay exit chance
PNE have committed to predominantly playing wing backs since Alex Neil’s exit in 2021.
Frankie McAvoy played with wing backs and Ryan Lowe’s 3-5-2 at Plymouth Argyle was a factor in him taking charge, continuing that wing back approach.
The problem is that North End have struggled to lock down those positions for nearly three years now.
Matthew Olosunde arrived to replace Darnell Fisher but was barely seen whilst Josh Earl couldn’t consistently perform as a wing back at Championship level.
In came Robbie Brady and Alvaro Fernandez to compete on the left side but Brady has struggled to make an impact this season and Fernandez, for as impressive as he was, only signed a one-year loan deal.
That left PNE to try and recruit another left wing back over the summer but it didn’t happen.
Brady hasn’t impressed, Kian Best has been in and out of the side and winger Liam Millar ends up playing in a less-than-ideal role as a result.
On the right side, Potts continues to plug away as a right wing back despite being a midfielder before Lowe’s arrival.
Potts started the season well and continues to work hard but his attacking output has been a little underwhelming at times.
Ramsay came in to compete but is now looking likely to return to Liverpool, leaving PNE with signings needed at both left wing back and right wing back, without a huge budget to get new faces in.
Lowe has already suggested to the Lancashire Evening Post that midfield duo Alan Browne and Ali McCann can cover at wing back if needed.
This is the kind of thing we saw early in Lowe’s tenure and it’s clear that both players are better off in other positions.
That we are still talking about Browne and McCann being options at right wing back is an indication of how PNE just haven’t been able to get it right in either wing back spot.
This commitment to wing backs has been going on for nearly three years now, and PNE paid to get Lowe out of Plymouth with wing backs a vital part of his tactical approach.
Those two spots have rarely seemed settled in the Lowe era amid a carousel of out-of-position players, short-term loan solutions and some signings who just haven’t had a lasting impact.
Ramsay’s probable return to Liverpool just exposes those problems and whether it’s full backs or wing backs, we can only hope that North End finally solve the problems in 2024.