Quotes: Billy Davies 5th May 2005

Leave a comment

A point would be nice but we have got to go and cement fourth place and forget about anything else. To try and get the second leg at home is very important for us, a point would be good but at the same time too we need to make sure we go there and cement fourth place.

I think they will look to win the game because they will see the second game as very important so I have no doubt that they will be looking to win the game just as we are.

We are the only club at the moment who are guaranteed a play-off place, everybody else is fighting for that play-off place and it is a great achievement for us to be there and to be able to sit back and know that we are guaranteed a place while other clubs may or may not be in there.

I’m thinking about that at the moment with regards to team selection. I have not made up my mind yet but one consideration is to give one or two guys a game or change the team about a bit. But at the same time too, not to upset anything, we want to go on and cement fourth place, that is very important.

I have said to the whole squad over a number of months now that every single member of the team becomes very important because he may be called upon in the semi-finals or the final or the last game of the season. It is very important that fitness is taken care of and condition is right, mentally they are right for the game. We have been discussing this for a long time and it is important because somewhere along the line we don’t know where that hero will come from who might just take us into the final or maybe beyond that and into the Premiership.

Every member of the staff is vital, when it gets to this stage you have got to go and beat whoever is there and it really doesn’t matter who we play against. The most important thing is that we are prepared and ready for it, we are confident and we will go in there and have a go and try and win the game. The most important thing for me is that everybody is ready in terms of fitness and conditioning, we will look forward to the games that come up whoever that may be.

Every game will have its own difficulties irrespective of what club it is. I don’t think there is any easy game when you get to this level, when you get to this stage of the season, for what’s at stake. We know that, we are prepared for that and I am sure other teams are prepared for that as well. But the most important thing is that we continue doing what we are doing and continue to show that work ethic that we showed and we will see what happens from there.

I’ve said to the players that these are the games that you look forward to and you go in and you enjoy them. They are great memories and that is what football is all about, holding on to these memories that you can sometimes never get to, it is a privilege and a pleasure to be there and we will look forward to the games and we will enjoy the whole occasion. We will do what we are good at and continue to do that but at the same time we have got players who have played in the games, we have got experienced players who have played international football and have played in a lot of big matches. Together we will go in with the belief that we can win the games and they can take us forward.

I have let David Kelly and Julian Darby join in with the training and they have had a nightmare, I sucking throat lozenges because my voice has gone shouting at them two. But the game was a good laugh I can tell you, we had a good seven-a-side game and we let the staff join in, I won’t even mention Balderston’s performance, that’s not even worth talking about!

I think the pressure comes at the opposite end of the table when you are fighting to try and stay in the league and you are fighting for safety. We are at a different scale, we have a pressure that is a joy, it’s a joy to be involved in the play-offs, it’s a joy to have the opportunity to have two or three games which could possibly take us into the Premiership, that’s a wonderful pressure.

Obviously the loss of two players is concerning, Callum Davidson and Eddie Lewis are two quality players, they give us great balance. But there are many permutations we can put out there, with regards pushing McKenna or bringing in Marlon Broomes and pushing Hilly forward, changing the 4-4-2 system, there are lots of different things we can do and we are looking at that at the moment. There is no point us crying over spilt milk we have to get on with it. We have lost two important players and that gives great opportunity for other players to come into the side and no matter what changes have been made, we have got to continue to do what we have been doing which is preparing right and trying to win games of football.

Every day I contact him and every second day I speak to him, I was out for dinner with him last week and the miserable so-and-so never bought the meal. But we speak a lot through texts and phone-calls and he was one of the first to congratulate us and I am delighted about that. We are great friends not only on the field but also off the pitch, we were great workmates and I am delighted for the education he gave me and the opportunity he gave me in English football and he knows that very much and that is something that I will never forget.

Two defeats in twenty and looking forward to a play-off place or games in the play-offs. Thee mood is bright and bubbly and we are pleased that we are the only side guaranteed a play-off place at the moment with many other good sides fighting to get there. It is a nice dressing room at the moment but we won’t get carried away, we know the situation, it’s still to be played for, we know what’s got to be done. These are a great bunch of players and they know exactly what is required.

Quotes: Billy Davies 30th April 2005

Leave a comment

We played at a good pace, a good tempo and it’s all credit to both sets of players because they showed a lot of determination and worked extremely hard.

I think our preparation this week was good, we know exactly what we had to go and do, we knew the game would be difficult.

I thought they scored against the run of play, it was a disappointing goal to lose, nice to get back in it just before half time with a vintage Brian O’Neill goal, another one for the collection(!)

Overall, I’m delighted for everyone connected with the football club, the fans, the players, the staff, the board. For everyone connected with Preston North End I think it’s a very proud day to now be in the play-offs and three games to try to get into the Premiership…hopefully.

We’re now prepared for the next match, and try to finish fourth and try to do the job that we’ve been doing all season because these players deserve absolute wonderful credit.

The staff have been great, and one in particular, my assistant David Kelly who’s come into this club and has been absolutely first class. He’s a bit of an unsung hero but he’s been a wonderful signing for me.

I think, and I still genuinely believe that a top half finish in this league is a wonderful achievement for Preston North End, there’s not doubt about it. When you look at the teams here, the money that’s been spent, the fan base and the training facilities, and all these things that you can look at with very very big clubs in this division, then you have you say that we’re absolutely over the moon, we’re thrilled to bits, there’s no doubt about it. It’s a tremendous achievement and we’ll go and enjoy the occasion.

Big Interview: Carlo Nash 31st March 2005

Leave a comment

If Preston North End are looking for a good luck omen as the season approaches it’s exciting climax they may have just got one in the form of goalkeeper Carlo Nash.

The 6’5 strapping goalkeeper was a deadline day signing from Middlesbrough 12 days ago, he’s the final piece in Preston North End’s jigsaw for the 2004/05 campaign and after tasting promotion to the Premiership with both Manchester City and Crystal Palace in recent years he is a goalkeeper aiming for a hat-trick with North End this year.

Nash was a member of Kevin Keegan’s squad which took this division by storm three seasons ago but more importantly he has got to the Premiership via the play-offs in his first ever season in league football with Crystal Palace.

It is the experience of that Wembley play-off final win that PNE boss Billy Davies will be hoping that Nash can bring to the fore.

“Hopefully it will pay dividends,” Nash told the PNE matchday programme this week.

“I’ve been in this situation twice before once I got automatic promotion with City and previous to that I was with Crystal Palace when they won promotion via the play offs so hopefully those experiences will stand me in good stead for the end of the season.

“It’s important that I use my experience to help others around me. Because I’ve been there before I know what will be going through their minds and really it’s up to me and the other senior players to calm a few nerves if there are any and hopefully everyone will be fine.”

Nash has yet to have a full week’s training with his new team-mates, he only joined in properly on Tuesday of last week after the extended Easter weekend break and his first opportunity to meet his new colleagues was at a session of ten-pin bowling.

“It’s not a bad start to a new club really, we went bowling on Thursday and then we were off till Tuesday, it has been quite an easy start really but we have been working really hard since I came back in.

“I’m back to earth now we returned to training on the Tuesday and then we had the rest of the week building up to the Gillingham game.

“The training has been brilliant, much the same as what I am used to, Pete Williams takes the goalkeepers and we do a lot of work with him before and then we do some work with the gaffer and the rest of the lads.

“It takes a bit of getting used to because I don’t really know how each player performs and it is just up to me to manage that and getting them playing as I want them to play in front of me. Every keeper is different and it will take a little bit of time to get used to but hopefully we will get it right quickly.

“The lads have all been quite polite to me at the moment, I’m still waiting for a bit of a backlash but they are a good set of lads and they have made me feel right at home.”

Once Nash does get into the swing of things he won’t have too much of a honeymoon period as the North End squad are in the middle of a intense period of high-pressure games to reach the play-offs.

It’s a situation Carlo is more than aware of.

“Every game is a big game from now until the end of the season, we have just got to aim as high as we can and hopefully if we can get into the play-offs at the end of the season then who knows from there.

“We are just taking each game as it comes, we are trying to get the results and if we do that then we will have done well.

“Every game is going to be a tough game, mentally as well as physically but we have just got to be strong and get the results.”

For Nash the move to Deepdale is almost something of a return to his home roots, as a Bolton born lad the big keeper started his career at non-league Clitheroe.

“It’s great to be here. I was brought up in Bolton and spent a lot of my teenage years there. I played in Bolton town team and played at Deepdale when there was a plastic pitch so I do know the area quite well and it’s a great chance for me to come back here – back to my roots if you like.

“I started my career playing for Clitheroe and working as a Sales Manager selling office equipment in Blackburn and then the Chairman rang me up a week after the FA Vase final and just said Crystal Palace have offered £35,000 for you, do you want to speak to them? So I thought that if I don’t go down now I’ll never know, so I went down and spoke to Harry Bassett and the rest is history.”

Whilst Nash is very much a part of Palace’s and Manchester City’s recent history it is the thought of completing a promotion hat-trick which is exciting North End’s latest recruit.

“I was in the same situation in the play-offs when I just started at Crystal Palace so I know what it’s all about and it’s a great position to be in. I’ve been keeping my eye on the Championship league and I know they’ve been doing well and I knew they had a great chance of going up. The play-offs are a bit of a lottery so obviously the first aim is to get in there and we’ll take it from there and hopefully we can push on and get promotion.

“Preston were always been there or there-abouts even when I was at Stockport and they were always a great side to play against. I know what great sides they’ve had over the past years so I think the squad that we’ve got at the moment and obviously with Billy at the helm we’ve got a great future ahead of us. We need to take each step as it comes and hopefully we’ll get promotion this year.”

Training and playing with Preston North End will be like a breath of fresh air to the No.33, he has had to endure a couple of seasons as understudy to one of the Premiership’s most consistent stoppers in Middlesbrough’s Mark Schwarzer.

“It has been very frustrating for me because obviously I want to play, I don’t want to sit on the bench every week. Obviously at Middlesbrough when I signed I knew it’d be tough for me because Mark Schwarzer is a great keeper and unless he got injured I wouldn’t really be getting a shout. I don’t look back and regret that move and see it as an integral part of my career as the training and facilities there enabled me to push forward and get better as a player as well as in the fitness department. Hopefully I can put into practice what I’ve learnt over the last two years.

“Billy Davies has done well this season to get Preston where they are and when he rang me up he made me feel at ease. He obviously he wanted me to sign here and thought I’d be great asset to the team so he more or less convinced me – if I needed any convincing to sign.

“There was a few more clubs interested but not at this present time and the factor for me was that Preston really wanted to sign me and I saw it as an opportunity to play in the Championship and with the position they’re in hopefully get promotion.”

Big Interview: Guy Butters 31st March 2005

Leave a comment

“It is just a shame that we haven’t done so well of late,” Butters told the North End Matchday programme.

“If we had picked up a few results in them games, I know it sounds strange but you are not that far off the play-offs if you win a few games. We just want to survive really, it’s just about staying in this division but with about eleven games to go it was looking quite healthy. But we have lost four on the trot and it is looking a bit tighter down there.

“I was at Brighton when they went down before but I wasn’t playing at the time. It has been an eventful five years for the club, they have had promotions or relegations every year so it is pretty apt that we are in a relegation struggle.”

The fact that Butters and his team-mates have been dragged into the relegation dogfight probably owes more to the competitiveness of the Championship. Even with just seven games to go it’s almost as if every club has something to play for.

“We have been looking at all the teams and everyone has got to play each other, we have still to go to Rotherham, we have got to play Leicester and Coventry so we know that we have got to play a few of the teams down there, it is in our hands really. As long as we play the way that we know we can fingers crossed it will be alright.

“When it gets down to this period of the season then it is all about winning games, at the start of the season you want to win every game. Sometimes you get managers who more bothered about how well you play whereas now we would take playing absolutely awful as long as we win.”

One of those teams at the bottom who will be battling to stay up along with Brighton is Butters’ former club Gillingham. The centre-half spent just under six years at Priestfield and he will be hoping that he can spark up some of the Gillingham curse tonight.

“I still talk to a few of the Gillingham lads, there was a stage a few games ago where we had a better goal difference then them by about 10, but they have overtaken us on that one so we have got to make sure that we start picking things up.

“We beat Preston in the play-offs one year and we used to do quite well up there. I think I remember only being beaten once when I was at Gillingham. You always knew that it was a difficult place to go and if you got something out of the game you would be pretty relieved, before the game you would take a point if it was offered you.  We used to have some good battles when Sean Gregan was there and all them lot.”

With the Brighton team making the long journey up for a night match, Butters knows that a good result is important so that they don’t have to endure what would be a very quiet and long journey home should things go wrong. He’s hoping for a repeat of what happened at the Withdean earlier this season.

“You want to get the result because if you lose it is a long journey home, but it will be two away games on the trot and hopefully we can get a few points.

“I remember the game earlier in the season, we played pretty well that day. We knew that you were a good side yourselves and we seem to raise ourselves against the better sides, unfortunately we don’t seem to be able to do it against the lesser sides. It was 1-0 but we know that since then Preston have gone on to better things and that they are looking to get into the play-offs so it is going to be a difficult game.”

Those big results have come at all sorts of places and he has even managed to notch a couple of important goals at Upton Park and Elland Road, the one against the Hammers proved to be the winner and upset a few members of his family.

“My dad is a West Ham fan so he weren’t too happy. We train at a University and I got talking to a few West Ham fans throughout the season, they kept saying that they were going to go and give me some stick, so to actually score, I saw one of them when I was coming off the pitch and it was quite funny.

“It was a good result but we have had a few like that this year, we beat Leicester away and done quite well and we have beaten Sheffield United away so we know that on our day we are capable of giving anyone a good game really.”

The 35-year-old will be hoping that his team-mates have one last good away performance in them to take all three points tonight!

Quotes: Billy Davies 17th March 2005

Leave a comment

It is a very difficult place to go and get a victory but it is no more difficult a place than we have had over the last couple of months. It is another game and it is another game that we have got to go and again be as positive as we can and go in with confidence that we can try and take something.

The lads are very confident and very buoyant, the dressing room is a very great place to be at the moment, it is nice but at the same time too the job is not done and nothing is over till it is over, we have got to realise that, there is still eight games to go and we have got to go into this next match as if it is our first and really get at it and do the things that we are good at.

Paul McKenna is struggling a bit with this ankle injury, with the stitches and what have you, he never trained today, he’s probably unlikely to train tomorrow. We will have a look at him but he is a major concern for us this Saturday.

I don’t think we should be nervous, no matter what happens, as far as I am concerned it has been a very successful season. We are now in this position and we have got to go and enjoy it, we have got to go and give it the best we can and give it our best. I don’t think there is any reason for nerves or any of that tension stuff or pressure. I think it is nonsense to be honest with you, it is a game of football, you go out there and you give it your best, you work hard, we have got good players and let’s see what happens. Irrespective of what happens it is a very good season as far as I am concerned.

In relation to the teams that are in this league and the type of situation that they are in and the type of situation that we are in I would say to you that I genuinely believe that there are 12-14 teams bigger than Preston North End.

I have said this from day one, with regards, fan base, wage bill and training facilities that is a difficult thing to compete against but we have competed very well and I suppose when you look at that it is a good thing.

We are well organised, we are disciplined, we try to encourage the right things, we have got good players and throughout the club, every department in the club, we try to do the best we can. Not only on the pitch but also off the pitch we are very focused and conscientious about the way we do things, I just think that it is the guidelines and the structures that we put in place. Obviously the additions that we brought in and the people that we have already got at the club, that helps, but I certainly feel that there is not just one factor, I think there are many factors.

I think winning games gets you respect and I think that we know the situation in comparison to other clubs, we are what we are and we are more than happy to accept that. Clubs like West Ham, Wolves and Ipswich are huge clubs but we are getting respect because I think people are now understanding that we are not a bad side and on our day we can compete with most of them.

I don’t think it matters, I don’t think it matters at all, at the end of the day, no matter what the coverage is. We know what the situation is, all we can do is try and do the best we can with what we have, try to be as organised and as disciplined as we possibly can.

Anything is possible, it is not over till it is over and that applies not only to the top three but to most people fighting for the play-off places. We have got to be aware of that and very much aware of that, the job is not done yet and there are still a lot of games to go and a lot of things to be played for, let us not look too far ahead and concentrate on the game on Saturday and try and get that job done and then we can tick another game off the list.

We are looking forward to the break, it is important not only physically but also mentally. It is a good thing for us and I am sure that the players are looking forward to spending some time with their families and getting their legs recovered for the remaining games.

There is a nice holiday for four sitting there for somebody, we are drawing straws at the minute to see who can get that holiday.

I have been asked all week whether I am surprised but I am not surprised because of the calm head that he has got and the ability that he has got. His performances this season have been excellent, he is playing in a very difficult situation with regards us only playing two central midfield players, he has adapted and coped very well with that. All credit to him with the way he is living his life off the pitch and the way he goes about it on the pitch.

If he is looking for somebody to go and calm things down and keep the ball moving then Brian O’Neil is his man. He is a very calm customer as we know, he doesn’t get too excited about things, he has got the experience, he has played all over the world and on performances this season he would do a wonderful job as far as I am concerned.

It is a great honour, it is a great trip to look forward to, to play in that type of game as a professional he will be delighted. It is a great game to look forward to, a great game to be involved in and it is a great honour to go back and play for his country.

We are on course for what I think we need, the Wolves game was slightly disappointing because I think we could have got all three points, but it was still a very good point against a very good side. To go to Sheffield and pick up a point under the circumstances, I think Neil Warnock was talking about his weakened team, well if you look at the squad I don’t think it was very weak, it was a great point for us.

Another wonderful goal for Richard Cresswell, an excellent goal, a great finish and it keeps things going for Cressy, that’s 18 goals this season which is a great return for a striker.

We have made Eddie another offer and we are now just waiting to see what Eddie has got to say, we have spoken to his agent as well and we will see what happens from there.

The conversation that I am having with Eddie, I can say that I am feeling very confident because of what he was been saying to us, how much he is enjoying it and how much he wants to be here. Going on the conversations I would say that it looks pretty good, we have made him another offer and we are now hoping that that one can be accepted and we can get Eddie on board.

I don’t think it is one thing like money or length of contract, we now know where we are coming from in terms of what Eddie is looking for and what we are trying to offer. We are getting there, the conversations have been good and the response from Eddie as far as I am led to believe has been excellent.

Big Interview: Carl Cort 7th March 2005

Leave a comment

Amid all the speculation and rumours surrounding Glenn Hoddle’s managerial future at Wolverhampton Wanderers, one player has stepped forward and offered the former England boss plenty of support at the same time as doing the business on the field.

Wolves paid £2,000,000 to prise Carl Cort away from Newcastle United following a successful loan spell at Molineux and after the striker scored a brace of goals in last weekend’s impressive 4-1 victory over Crewe he was full of praise for his gaffer.

“The manager has come in and introduced new ideas and his coaching skills are very high,” said Cort. “He knows a lot about the game.

“I just think at the moment, in terms of the fans and maybe the players as well, he has signed a contract until the end of the season and you don’t really know what is going to happen.

“I think that is a shame because you can’t really build.

“It has nothing to do with me – I’m just here to play football – it is down to the board. They are 100 per cent sure what they are doing and we’ll leave that to them.”

Following last weekend’s eye-catching display at Gresty Road the former Wimbledon man is still hopeful of a place in the play-offs, the win over Dario Gradi’s men put them eight points off the play-off places.

“You have to have some sort of target and ours is still to get in the play-offs, otherwise you end up just drifting through the season and going through the motions,” he added.

“We have to have that in mind to keep the motivation and the confidence there.

“It is one of those situations where we maybe need a couple of good wins to lift the club.”

Things have definitely changed at Molineux since Hoddle took over the reigns from Dave Jones at the start of December. Pessimists amongst the Wolverhampton faithful would say that the team who were plying their trade in the Premiership last season are not winning enough games, 10 draws from the last 16 games means that the team have only won four games, but then they have only lost twice.

“The boss is very technical and very experienced, with a good knowledge of the game and we’ve only lost once in the League since he’s been here so it’s not gone too badly.

“He’s only here initially for six months so certain things he’s had to rush in a sense. We have played a lot of different formations since he’s been here and done things which are new for some players  – which could have had an effect on the way we played.

“We’d all like the gaffer to sign a longer deal because he’s done well for us. The boys are enjoying it because he has brought something new to us and we look a lot more organised and the confidence and motivation is still there.”

It is sure to be an interesting atmosphere at the Wolverhampton Wanderers training complex, especially following reports that appeared in several national newspapers last weekend, with Paul Ince supposedly being lined up as the successor to Glenn Hoddle for the Molineux hotseat.

Despite the stories it is business as usual as far as Cort is concerned: “There’s bit a bit of banter flying around about the Incey report but not too much has been said because at the end of the day it’s just paper talk.

“But whatever happens our job is just to play football. We’ve got to stay confident that we can maybe make the play-offs because the season is coming to a close and we don’t want to be drifting our way through from now until the end with nothing to play for.

“We’ve got to keep that as an incentive. It’s going to be a tall order but we just have to go out and try and win every game.”

Cort’s Career

Club From To Fee League FA Cup League cup Other
Wolves 25-01-2004 £ 2000000 41 (5) 17 2 (0) 1 1 (0) 0 0 (0) 0
Newcastle 05-07-2000 25-01-2004 £ 7000000 19 (3) 7 2 (0) 0 3 (0) 1 0 (1) 0
Lincoln 03-02-1997 01-03-1997 Loan 5 (1) 1 0 (0) 0 0 (0) 0 0 (0) 0
Milton Keynes 07-06-1996 05-07-2000 Trainee 54 (19) 16 6 (4) 2 8 (2) 7 0 (0) 0
Totals £ 9000000 119 (28) 41 10 (4) 3 12 (2) 8 0 (1) 0

Quotes: Billy Davies 3rd March 2005

Leave a comment

We have got Gavin Ward back in training and he has been looking well on course which is great news. At the moment we are only looking at the suspension of Dickson Etuhu which is obviously coming up in the next couple of weeks.

To be fair I don’t think he is quite ready for that yet. He has had a good week’s training but that is about it, there is still more work to be done. We have got to back to the specialist again and make sure that everything is ok. It is good to have him back, he has been doing jogging, he has obviously been doing the handling and the goalkeeping work which is required but we are still a little bit early I think.

We train him, we get him back to the specialist, we get the ok and then we go from there.

At one point it looked quite serious, with regards the injury and the swelling and the information that was given to us. It was very much a concern at the beginning but thankfully he has come over that, he has come through it unscathed and I think he is a very lucky man. I am just delighted to have him back playing again.

He is an experienced player and he is mixing great with the players, as is typical of goalkeepers he is not the shyest bloke in the world which is good, he is a bit loud and noisy in the dressing room which is nice. He has come in and settled in very well, he has handled himself very well I think.

For me it is another difficult match, we are playing against a team who are very capable of being in the play-offs, very capable of going up for promotion because of the size of club and the fanbase and the wage structure and everything else. They have got a lot of good players and they are a very big club as we know so that in itself makes life difficult but we have got to go there and we have got to face these teams, we have got to face these teams with confidence, with belief that we can go there and we can cause one or two problems and hopefully come away with something.

They have picked up over the last few weeks, they have got some decent results and they were very unfortunate against Leeds United not to get something. They are side that is on the up and they are a side who can genuinely get to the play-offs and if not that even automatic promotion. They are very much a dangerous animal this week and with the club that we are playing against and the tradition that they have, and the support that they have got, we know it is a difficult one. But it is no more difficult than many of the other games that we have faced, we have got to go there again and do what is required, work hard and try and get one or two breaks on the day to hopefully get three points.

For me it is looking ahead, I don’t believe that we should be looking at past results and the history of what has took place. Saturday is a different situation altogether, we have got to forget what has taken place in the past and we have got to forget all about what has happened in London. This will be a very difficult game because both teams are fighting for the same thing, they know that, we know that and I would expect them to be playing this game at a very high pace, a high tempo and trying to upset our game a little bit. We have got to be ready for that, we have got to be prepared for this battle because that is what it is going to be.

He is available for the West Ham game and he will be available for the Wolves game, after that we lose him for four matches. I have not really had a discussion with him, we came into training on Wednesday and that is the first time I have seen the lads and I will be having one or two meetings because of what took place, and I have had a chance to sit down and speak to the people that I have to see. I need to speak to one or two guys, Dickson being one of them.

My thoughts are the same as they were earlier in the week. It was totally unnecessary and there is no excuse for it.

They know themselves and there is a nice feeling there, they came back in yesterday very fresh and very energetic which was good. They are on course, we can ask no more of these players, they are a great bunch of lads to work with and they are very responsive to what we are trying to do.

They are very conscientious off the pitch which is very important and that is nice to see. Hopefully we need that little bit of luck to keep things moving along.

I can’t fine anybody for being overweight, that’s the problem. I keep getting these scales out twice a week but I can’t seem to get anybody, there’s not too many going to McDonalds or Burger King and from that point of view it is good.

After three or four days what you normally find is that they will come back and they will be a couple of pounds over, but I can’t quite get these guys. I might have to change the rules a little bit.

So from that point of view I’m happy that they get the days off and they do what is necessary when they are off. That is what I say to them, they have to look after themselves and when they come back in they are back in right on the ball again.

They are very professional and to me that is so so important. We can look after them four hours a day but the serious side of the job is the other 20 hours when they go home, they have to really take care of themselves.

Always, every week, every day. Obviously if we pick up one or two injuries and suspensions then that is a different ball game. But if we can stay clear of injuries and suspension then there is no reason why this squad can’t carry on with what they have been doing over a long period of time.

I think it will be a case of needs must, if we lose players through injury or suspension we can get people in if we need to bring people in. I’m sure the club will sit down and look at it, when we lost our goalkeepers Gavin and Andy it was a case of us having to go and get a goalkeeper. We will take everything on its own merits with regards now and the end of the season.

I don’t know if the money would be there but we would have to look at the situation. It depends on what happens, it depends on the timing and the position and everything else, we have got good depth of cover at the moment but that can change very quickly as we have seen with the two goalkeepers. It is hopefully between now and the end of the season we can go without any suspensions and injuries and carry on with the squad that we have because the lads have done fantastically well, it is very difficult for some good good players in the 16 and even in the stand, to try and get in at the moment because of how well the players are doing.

It is important that they realise that there is a door opening here and that they are doing the right stuff on the training ground and making sure that they are doing the right things when they get the opportunities. It is a good time for other players and realise that sometimes these things happen and it is up to them to go and take it.

Omar is back, he has had a good couple of days, we have had lots of stories as you can imagine and he said he played like Pele when he was over there so that’s great news.

We have seen nothing, all we have seen is beachballs and things like that, it is all the holiday stuff, his amber solaire and things like that. He’s back, he’s fresh and he has had a good rest and he is now ready to come back in again.

It keeps him on course to go and do what is necessary and it is very important in Omar’s situation that he continues to play in these international games. He has to continue to go and play in some of these games, for the more experienced ones like Claude it is a different matter. For Omar it was a case of him needing to play one or two international games to make sure that everything is ok.

Championship Round-Up: 1st March 2005

Leave a comment

Watch Out – Billy Tops Championship Tissot Table
North End boss Billy Davies may not get the manager of the month accolades that he so rightly deserves but the Scot is making a mark where it matters in the Tissot League Table of Managers’ Performances.

Davies has consistently been in the top ten of the most trusted and respected indicator of good football management. The league which is published each week on the League Managers’ Association website takes into consideration not only the outright results of matches but also aspects such as clean sheets, away wins and consecutive games without defeat.

Billy currently has plenty of ground to make up on the likes of Paul Jewell, Joe Royle and Mick McCarthy for the overall award, but then they have had a couple of month’s head start on Davies. But things are looking quite good for the North End boss in the third quarter of the season, he currently sits six points clear of his nearest Championship rival Mick McCarthy and is rated as the seventh best manager in the country for the period up to 1st March. Macclesfield’s Brian Horton is currently rated the best manager in the country following six wins and one draw form their last seven games.

McKenna, Lonergan And Sedgwick Are The Best
Paul McKenna is the 15th best player outside of the Premiership according to a survey conducted in 4-4-2 magazine. The North End midfielder is ahead of the likes of Ade Akinbiyi, Nicky Barmby and Tom Huddlestone in the list which is topped by Reading’s Steve Sidwell. Andy Lonergan is rated as the best goalkeeper outside of the Premiership coming ahead of Derby pair Lee Camp and Lee Grant in 19th place. But the list is being talked about more for the players who have not made the top 50 rather for the ones who have.

Two of Preston’s star performers for the 2004/05 campaign have not even got a mention on the list, although it will probably please North End fans that Eddie Lewis and Youl Mawene remain a closely guarded secret.

Elsewhere North End’s Chris Sedgwick was recognised last week for his performance against Burnley. The former Rotherham man was recognised by the club sponsors as the man of the match for the 1-0 win over our local rivals and that was followed up by a place in the Football League’s Championship team of the week.

It looks like people are slowly starting to take notice of PNE!

Reading Switch From Blind Date To Dads Army
After signing two players with a combined age of 76 in Les Ferdinand and Martin Keown many may be wondering what is going on at the Madejski Stadium, especially as the Royals have been on something of a slump in form in recent weeks.

But if former Preston winger David Eyres is anything to go by, Reading could still get four or five more years from their investments in Ferdinand and Keown. Deepdale legend Eyres is still earning rave reviews at Boundary Park and was recently quoted as saying that he wants a new contract at the end of the season. Eyres celebrated his 41st birthday last week and if Mr Eddie Lewis doesn’t sign a new deal with Preston could we be looking to tempt the flying winger back to Preston?

Flashback: Wolves 1st March 2005

Leave a comment

Preston North End have had some crucial and interesting meetings with Wolves down the years not surprising for two of the founder members of the football league.

The first big occasion between the two sides came at the Oval in March 1889, the Lilywhites had already completed the inaugural Football League season unbeaten as Champions and they arrived in London for the FA Cup Final hoping to complete the double.

North End had already defeated Birmingham and West Brom in the previous two rounds of the cup and they were hoping to complete the hat-trick over their Midlands rivals.

The Invincibles were born that afternoon at Surrey County Cricket Club when goals from Ross, Dewhurst and Thomson ensured a 3-0 win and also ensured that PNE would go throughout the whole competition without conceding a goal.

One of the more interesting battles between the two sides came in the 1926/27 season when the two sides clashed for a Second Division clash at Molineux. Not for the first or last time at Wolves, North End were down to 10 men in the first half, but nobody was sent off. In bizarre circumstances David Morris was forced out of action as early as the third minute when the laced part of the ball hit him in the eye and caused a blood clot which impaired his vision. PNE still had their sights set on victory though, a goal from Tommy Roberts and an o.g. from Wolves’ Shaw ensured a 2-1 win.

Two decades later and there would definitely be no celebrations for North End at Molineux. 54,425 fans crammed into the home of Wolverhampton Wanderers, not that the game had any real significance for Stan Cullis’ side, other than the fact that Wolves had just been to Wembley to win the FA Cup! The Lilywhites on the other hand were battling to avoid the drop and would have to do so without the injured Tom Finney.

The carnival atmosphere obviously allowed the Wolves players to relax a little and it wasn’t long before Mullen fired home their first goal of the afternoon after just 17 minutes.

North End’s Jimmy Gooch was performing all sorts of heroics in goal but the keeper could do little to stop Hancocks doubling the lead midway through the first-half hitting a 25-yard thunderbolt that scorched through the goalkeeper’s hands.

Bobby Langton grabbed a late consolation effort three minutes from the end when he fired home a penalty but it was too little too late for PNE, as was North End’s 2-0 home win over Liverpool one week later as results elsewhere contrived to send the Lilywhites down to the Second Division.

If Wolves victory inflicted pain on North End in sending them down, four years later they would inflict further damage but this time on North End’s quest to win the Football League Championship in the 1952/53 campaign.

It was a three way battle for the Championship, Stan Cullis’ Wolves, Tom Whittaker’s Arsenal and Preston’s Scot Symon all were in the mix as managers of their respective clubs.

And with just five games left of the season in what many considered to be the final eliminator Wolves would travel to Deepdale for an all important clash. Expectation levels were high amongst 35,788 North End fans that went through the turnstiles, the Lilywhites had already defeated Wolves 5-2 in an FA Cup tie earlier in the season and Tom Finney was back in the side after a five game absence.

But the efforts of the Preston Plumber were not to be enough as despite a Jimmy Baxter goal for PNE, the two sides could only manage a 1-1 draw. North End would defeat Arsenal at Deepdale in the penultimate game of the season but once again it was not enough to rescue the title as the Gunners claimed the Championship on goal difference!

North End would enjoy some titanic contests with Wolves throughout the 1950s and five years after Cullis’ side had denied Preston the Championship, they did it again and this time the Midlands club were the beneficiaries.

The Lilywhites and the Wanderers were both gunning for the League title in the 1957/58 season and with just three games to go of the campaign Harry Catterick took his Preston side to Molineux knowing that the winners would probably finish top of the table.

Preston had only been beaten once in the league since the turn of the year on a run of form that included an 8-0 thrashing of Birmingham City. Tom Finney scored twice against the Blues but he would be unavailable for the title decider due to international commitments.

Finney scored 26 goals that season, imagine Arsenal playing a title decider against Manchester United without the services of Thierry Henry!

North End also had Tommy Docherty missing through international duty but they soldiered on regardless.

It was not to be Preston’s day or year for that matter, the home side took advantage of some indecision in the North End defence in the 38th minute when Deeley from the Wanderers picked up on a lucky ricochet to slam the ball into an empty net.

PNE battled back in the second half and Hatsell almost levelled matters when his flick header brought a good save out of Wolves keeper Finlayson. Farrell drove inches wide and Hatsell again came close with a header.

But it was all in vain and Wolves put the Championship of Preston’s reach in the dying minutes when Milne sliced into his own net trying to clear a Broadbent chip.

Wolverhampton’s win would be the last time that the team in gold and black would finish as the top team in England and the 1957/58 season would also represent the last time that the Lilywhites would ever really be considered as challengers for English football’s ultimate title.

Championship Round-Up: 18th February 2005

Leave a comment

Cat In A Flap
North End’s visit to QPR a fortnight ago not only made headlines because of Preston’s 2-1 victory. Eagled eyed spectators will have noticed that Rangers’ furry mascot, Jude The Cat, was banished to the dressing rooms during the game as officials were confusing him with players!

Jude, a seven foot furry black cat, is perplexed by the decision from referee Lee Probert and he warns that other mascots are set to go on strike if the cat is banned from the touchline or forced to wear a different kit.

Preston North End’s Deepdale Duck has never had such problems although Burnley’s Bertie Bee was almost confused for a player a few years back when he ably tackled a streaker during a Clarets and Lilywhites game at Turf Moor.

Ticket Freeze
PNE may be offering their fans a great deal by freezing their season ticket prices for next season but the Deepdale outfit are actually bucking a Championship trend by offering the same deal next season as this season.

Teams at opposite ends of the Championship table have both announced significant price hikes for the 2005/06 campaign.

Ipswich Town have said that they will be increasing ticket prices for games whether they get promoted to the Premiership or not. Season tickets at Portman Road will go up by an average of five per cent although many fans will be hoping that they are watching the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United next season rather than Luton and Crewe.

Another team unsure of what division they will be playing in next season are Gillingham and their prices could increase by up to 10 per cent.

Transfer Scramble
The transfer window may have closed three weeks back but that hasn’t stopped Championship clubs recruiting for what is sure to be an intense last few months of the season.

Leeds United seem to the big movers once again with Ken Bates showing that he is prepared to back manager Kevin Blackwell. The Yorkshire side moved for Crystal Palace’s Shaun Derry late last week, the midfielder had only just completed a loan move at Nottingham Forest before making a permanent move to Elland Road.

Other transfer moves in the last fortnight have seen Stoke’s Ade Akinbiyi finally complete a move to Sheffield United, Coventry have completed a double swoop for Trevor Benjamin and Ian Bennett and Derby County have signed up Leicester’s Chris Makin on loan for the rest of the season.

Injury Woes
Andy Lonergan is not the only major Championship casualty to hit the headlines recently. The England Under-21 goalie will miss the rest of the 2004/05 campaign after damaging knee ligaments in training.

Brighton’s rookie keeper Ben Roberts also damaged knee ligaments this month and faces eight weeks on the sidelines.

And it wouldn’t be right if Leeds United weren’t mentioned in some capacity, Lucas Radebe and Eirik Bakke have both suffered recent setbacks on their comebacks from long-term injury problems.