Pre-season form sets slection poser for Preston boss

10:34am Friday 8th August 2008

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Preston manager Alan Irvine hailed his team's pre-season campaign as 'fantastic' after it ended with a clinical victory away at Crewe.

Goals from Neil Mellor and a rare strike from defender Matt Hill secured victory at Gresty Road, and took Preston's pre-season goal tally to 22 in just eight pre-season games, with just one defeat, against Premier League opposition.

But Irvine has warned against getting too carried away saying: "Pre-season has been fantastic, but we all know that you can have a fantastic pre-season and then start the season terribly, or vice-versa.

"I'm delighted with what's been going on, but of course the real ball comes out next week and that's when it becomes really important."

Irvine added that the impressive performance of so many of his players ahead of their opening Championship fixture-away at Ipswich at Saturday-means that the North End manager is still unsure of his best 11.

He added: "It'll probably be Saturday morning now before I decide on my team because an awful lot of players have given me an awful lot to think about."

The Preston boss extended his options further with his second signing of the summer, when Ross Wallace joined from Sunderland on a 12-month loan.

The 23-year-old left-midfielder has an option to make his move permanent after the loan period is up.

Despite making an assured debut against Crewe, Irvine is cautious about expecting too much too soon from the former Celtic man: "Ross Wallace looked very good, but he's ten days behind our lads as far as fitness is concerned.

“He didn't start until July 11 whereas we started on July 1, and I'll hazard a guess that his early days (pre-season) weren’t as intense as ours.

“It's quite alot for him to make up but he'll make that up in time and he had a good hour out there."

Meanwhile Alan Irvine has also bolstered his backroom staff after the departure of goalkeeping coach David Timmins.

The former Barnsley, Doncaster and Oldham goalkeeper Andy Rhodes will replace Timmins-with Rhodes making an immediate return to his former employers on Saturday when Preston face a tough opener away at Ipswich Town.

Rhodes began his coaching career at Oldham and linked up again with Joe Royle when he moved to Ipswich before leaving Portman Road at the end of the 2007/08 season.