Preston North End

The North End boss told the press on Thursday morning that the side were looking to concentrate on their own game and take a confidence into the match in their own ability to go and get the three points.

“Our mentality is a champion mentality,” he said. “We go into games full of confidence in ourselves, full of confidence in our abilities. We know we are learning and evolving and we don’t want to use that as an excuse and we are working to be the best team in this league. 

“When you’re the best team in any league you don’t really look at anybody else; you look at them all with respect, in the sense that you don’t want to underestimate anybody, but you look at them all as sides that are there to be beaten. 

“We went to Tranmere and looked at them as a side that was there to be beaten and we will go there on Saturday looking at them as a side that is there to be beaten and provided we get our game right and we put in place enough of the lessons we have already learned, then I am sure we will win the game.”

A return to the Lamex Stadium for the manager, his staff and a quartet of players will grab the headlines this weekend and the manager knows what a test his side face, but does not think the players returning to their former club will have any more motivation than they would on any other Saturday.

“Their results would suggest that they have improved,” he continued. “They came sixth last year and they are currently lying third, so they have improved upon what they did last year. 

“They have gone out of the cup competitions at the first hurdle that may have helped them in their early season form. If you are playing six or seven games in the cup, as opposed to three, you pick up more cards and players aren’t as fresh, so that can have helped them.

“A credit to them, they are where they are and they are going to need beating.

“The players will relish going back there as much as they relish every three points. I know there is a different dimension, but like myself, the lads all had a lot of success at the club. They won a lot of medals there and they helped the club to move forward substantially.

“They don’t really have a point to prove to that club. We have all made the decision to move on from there, but there is no point to prove. We are all grateful for the good times we had there. We all enjoyed winning medals together with the football club and we haven’t got a bad word to say about the place. It has played a big part in all of our careers.

“Our focus has to be on winning the points. Each of those who have left have not said a bad word about the place. The club’s attitude to us is for it to have, but the way we look at it is that we have given it a lot of our heart, a lot of our soul, a lot of time and effort and we have played our part in moving it forward.”