History of Preston North End F.C. - Managerial Merry Go Round (2007-)

Managerial Merry Go Round (2007-)

During the close season before the 2007/08 season, striker David Nugent left Preston to join Portsmouth for a club record fee of £6,000,000. Simpson, with a much inflated transfer budget due to this sale, brought in Billy Jones, Kevin Nicholls, Karl Hawley and Darren Carter. Despite these signings, Preston's poor form continued from the end of the previous season, seeing the club pick up only three wins before Simpson was sacked on 13 November.

He was then replaced with Alan Irvine, who had been second-in-command to ex-manager David Moyes at Everton, on a 3½-year contract Irvine was able to reverse the club's bad luck, and he was able to get the club out of the relegation zone, and even managed to get the club to finish in a respectable 15th place in the league. In his first full season in charge he managed to guide Preston to an unexpected 6th position in the league and helped them make the play offs in which Preston lost 2-1 on aggregate to Sheffield United. The 2009–2010 season started brightly for the team with a good run of results early on. However the momentum could not be maintained and after a poor run of results manager Alan Irvine was sacked on the 29 December. Preston did not waste any time in appointing a replacement and Darren Ferguson was signed on a 3½-year contract on 6 January 2010.

Ferguson continued the bad run of form until the end of the season, despite bringing in players from Manchester United such as Danny Welbeck and Matthew James. However, after a heart-pounding last minute win over Scunthorpe, Preston had secured safety. Then came a dramatic summer, which saw the Lilywhites being bought by long time shareholder and leisure tycoon Trevor Hemmings. He brought in Maurice Lindsay to replace former chairman Derek Shaw and a ruthless cost-cutting regieme began, which (over half a season) saw high earners like Ross Wallace and Richard Chaplow leave as well as fans' favourites Youl Mawéné and Jon Parkin.

Preston started the 2010/11 campaign in a similar way, which saw both poor performances and poor results. Ferguson brought in more players into the team, including a few more from his father's team (such as Ritchie De Laet and Joshua King), ex North Enders Michael Tonge and Danny Pugh and Iain Hume (who scored in Preston's historic comeback against Leeds United). But ultimately the unpopular and incompetent Darren Ferguson was sacked on the 29th December (ironically the same date his predecessor, Alan Irvine lost his job). This provoked Alex Ferguson to recall all of the players on loan from Manchester United and encouraged his friend Tony Pulis to commit the same act.

On 6 January (one year after Ferguson's appointment to the day) Phil Brown was appointed as manager of Preston, with Brian Horton as his assistant. Preston's fortunes slowly turned and their form improved, however it was to be a case of "too little, too late" and the club finished 21st in the table, putting them back into League One for the first time for eleven years.

Over the course of the summer, Preston had almost a complete overhaul of their squad, in an attempt to reduce the size of their debt. Many key players, such as Sean St Ledger, Andrew Lonergan and Keith Treacy left the club and the club resorted to signing free agents (including the return of Preston North End legend Graham Alexander) and loan players such as the Preston born Clarke Carlisle. The reduced size of the squad, meant that there were more opportunities available for youth players.

After an unsatisfactory first few games, Preston won seven games in a row, the first time since the days of Sir Tom Finney, with many high scoring games in the process. But after an international break, key players such as Iain Hume, Neil Mellor and Jamie Proctor became injured and Preston spiralled into a win-less run. Part way through this run, Chairman Maurice Lindsay decided to retire from the sport, due to ill health and was replaced days later by the infamous Peter Ridsdale. Preston continued to struggle in both performance and results and on the 14th December, the management duo of Phil Brown and Brian Horton left the club. Then began a four week search for the next manager, in which time David Unsworth and Graham Alexander were care-taker managers, who had improved on Phil Brown's legacy by losing only one game and winning at home for the first time since September 2011. The search began drawing to a conclusion, when the Stevenage manager Graham Westley was approached. After four days of tense negotiation, he was appointed manager on Friday 13 January 2012.

The new manager's arrival saw another change in back-room and playing staff. Including David Unsworth's departure. Westley proceeded with getting rid of Phil Brown's disappointing signings, including Clarke Carlisle and Ian Ashbee and bringing in seven players in his first month in charge.

Westley's team then saw a further decline in results and performances, finishing the season with only three wins out of twenty one. Many fans believed it was to be the darkest period in the clubs history, after getting played off the park against teams such as Brentford. However one shining light towards the end of the season was the final appearance of the Preston North End legend Graham Alexander, who came off from the bench in the final few minutes, in the last home game against league champions Charlton Athletic. Preston were 1-2 down against the Addicks, until Alexander capped off a fine career, by scoring a free-kick to equalise the game, with his last touch as a player for his beloved club.

After the season had finished, and after a time period of much controversy (including some team selections(such as playing centre half Aaron Brown up front), the "text scandal" and what was dubbed "leakgate"), Graham Westley reiterated plans of overhauling the squad in what was sure to be an interesting summer.