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Match Preview: Not Getting Carried Away

Posted on: Sat 01 Nov 2008

With six wins from nine outings in all competitions at Deepdale this season, North End's home form has been more than commendable throughout the opening three months of the 2008/09 season.

However, as November, the fourth calendar month of the campaign, rolls into view, boss Alan Irvine is urging his players not to get carried away with having won at home to Watford on Tuesday night, and hopes that the lads can simply keep doing everything the right way as they look to succeed against a side currently occupying one of the undesired bottom three spots.

Reacting to the mood in the camp at present, Irvine explained:

"Everyone's a lot happier, obviously, but it's only one game, and we have to remember that when we beat Reading we then went on to lose the next two so we just have to bear that in mind. Still, I'm delighted to be coming into this game off the back of the win and I'm looking forward to the game with Southampton.

"These are very much season defining games. I said that after the game at Sheffield United and it's still the case. I spoke about both games - Watford and Southampton - and how important they were in terms of where we were going to be looking for the forseeable future.

"I'm not saying that if we lose this game we're going to be down at the bottom of the league, but at least if we win it we'll have gained six points from the two games and that gives us good confidence. It would mean that with a third of the season gone, we'd be in a position we'd be happy to be in.

"We don't want to be in the kind of position we were in last year, that's for sure. That was a very difficult position that we found ourselves in, yet we have an opportunity now to look upwards. We want to try and compete at the top of the table, and I think we're capable of doing that."

Recent weeks have brought mixed fortune for Irvine and his men, and he explains that the fans have played their part in making things feel alright whenever difficult times have been encountered. He explained:

"I have to say that appreciate letters and emails of support that I have received from our supporters. In amongst them have been some letters that have been criticising me, the players and the team, but I am delighted to say that I have received much more letters of encouragement and support than I have had of criticism. We do appreciate that.

"We know it is difficult for the fans and we are trying our best to turn things round. We will apply the same principles and work ethic that we have applied since last January when we started to turn things around. They are principles I strongly believe in and principles I believe will give us a better chance of success."

Adding to the difficulties of late has been the relentless run of games, which finally starts to calm down following this Saturday's outing, with no further midweek games scheduled until the trip to Derby on November 25th. Irvine admitted that the previous injury problems paired with such a demanding fixture list have given him plenty to ponder in recent weeks, saying:

"That has been another problem for us, in terms of the options open to us. When you look at some lads, they look as though they could do with a wee bit of a breather, but we haven't had the option of putting anyone in. It has been really tough for the players. It has been tough for them mentally and it has been tough for them physically.

"Had I had more options open to us, then I would probably have been able to give one or two people a rest and freshen things up when it needed to be freshened up. But it is the nature of the Championship that you play games in spells like this. It is its nature that we play a couple of games at home and then suddenly we are away for a few games. It is just the way that it is.

"Everybody will get that at some point during the season and you just have to be able to cope with it. If you can't cope with it then you wont survive in the Championship - it is a very demanding league both physically and mentally."