Preston North End have failed to pick up a point in the Championship this season, sitting bottom of the table after four games. Stephen Warnock, the former Liverpool defender and current pundit, has questioned the club's approach to squad building despite acknowledging they have spent decent money in the division.
Warnock spoke to the Blackpool Gazette and the Lancashire Post via Gambler Media, offering his early-season thoughts on the EFL competition. He highlighted the difficulty of competing in the Championship, pointing to Wrexham's recent activity in the transfer market as an example of how clubs can strengthen quickly. "It’s always difficult in the Championship because if you look at the first few games and then you look at the transfer window, you only have to look at Wrexham to see what they’ve done in the last few days and the way they’ve strengthened," Warnock said.
Regarding Preston specifically, Warnock noted that while the club has invested, the spending could have been distributed more effectively. "Preston (at the bottom) have spent decent enough money for the Championship where they could’ve spread it across and bought a couple more players," he added. This comes as Preston have struggled to find form, with live data showing they have scored just three goals and conceded nine in their opening four fixtures, leaving them with a goal difference of -6.
The club currently stands 24th in the Championship with zero points from four games, their recent form reading LLLL. They are ten points behind league leaders Swansea and prepare to face Blackburn Rovers at home on 2026-09-05, a side currently 13th in the table. Preston will be without Ali McCann and Brad Potts for the upcoming fixture due to injury.
Despite the struggles, Warnock acknowledged that Harrison Armstrong, who was with the club for a period last year, had bolstered the squad and made them a better team during his time at Deepdale. However, the core of the squad that gained promotion under Vincent Kompany at Burnley has largely moved on, and Preston's ownership model continues to be described as a buy-to-sell approach.
In contrast, Blackpool have made a bright start to Ian Evatt's first full season in charge in League One, picking up seven points from their opening four games, though they suffered a 2-1 defeat away to Barnsley midweek. Huddersfield Town lead League One with ten points from four matches, with Sheffield Wednesday in second and Joe Taylor a key contributor for the Terriers.
Preston will look to end their winless run when they host Blackburn at Deepdale, aiming to secure their first points of the campaign ahead of a challenging fixture list. For more on player availability, see the injuries page, and to review the full squad or current standings, visit our dedicated sections.
