Chris Maxwell is looking for PNE to push on from last seasons mid table finish and for both Chris and the squad, the aim is promotion.
Despite disappointing form at the start and end of last season, PNE showed promotion chasing form in between. Maxwell wants the squad to find that form again but maintain it throughout the campaign, without declines.
“If you ask any of the lads in the dressing room the first thing that comes to mind is that we want to get promoted. If we improve on last season’s place in the table then we’re not going to be too far off. We had a decline in the last few games of the season but if we’d have followed the form that we showed throughout the season we wouldn’t have been far off.
“We’ve got the capability to improve, we have the squad to improve; I think it’s going to be the beginning of a successful campaign. That given, we’ve got to make sure we take everything on board that the manager and the staff are saying. We’ve got to make sure we’re right at it and come kick off on Saturday we’ve got to make sure we’re at full throttle”
PNE kick-off their 2017/18 campaign on Saturday against Sheffield Wednesday at Deepdale and the Welshman wants to see more good results against the perceived bigger sides in the division. The Lilywhites had a good home record last season and the ‘keeper wants to see Deepdale become a fortress for the club.
“Sheffield Wednesday have been in the top six for the last two years but if we want to achieve what we want to achieve then we have to beat teams like Sheffield Wednesday at home. We have to make sure we perform against these clubs and we need to make sure that Deepdale is a tough place to come to, like it has been, and that gives us a platform to push on to good things throughout the season.
“You only have to look at the recent history, of clubs that are achieving what other people say is unlikely, so you never know. We’ve got a great group of players here, technically we have some fantastic talent in the squad but also we’ve got the closeness of a successful group.
"Everything’s set in place there, we’ve had a great pre-season under our belts as well, we’re all confident, we’re all looking sharp – we’ve got to make sure we take that into the first game.”
North End’s number 22 is excited by the new style of play that manager Alex Neil has brought to the club. Maxwell wants their performances in the eye-catching new style to live up to its billing for the fans, for who he showed his appreciation.
“It’s brilliant, he’s come in, he’s implemented the way he wants to play and the way he wants things to be done. The way he’s gone about it has been brilliant and the lads have responded to it in a brilliant way as well. It’s looking good and we’re all excited to show our stuff at home on Saturday in front of, hopefully, a packed house.
“The fans are vitally important to us as players and they’re vitally important to us as a football club. At the end of the day the fans make the football club. The following is fantastic at this club, we’re hoping that they’ll keep doing that and progress as well.
“You also know that the results on the pitch determine that and the performances on the pitch determine that. We’ve got to make sure we do our bit - the fans will do their bit - and as a combination we’re going to be successful as a result of that.”
Watch the full interview with Chris Maxwell on iFollow now by clicking on the video above.