Phil Brown could be ideal boss to save Preston

Championship strugglers have appointed former-Hull boss Phil Brown as their new manager.

Preston sacked former-boss Darren Ferguson recently after the club were cut-adrift at the bottom of England’s second tier.

Brown has brought in experienced coach Brian Horton as his assistant manager.

Struggling

North End are currently seven points away from safety in the Championship and also four points behind second from bottom Scunthorpe United. The North West side now  have a massive task on their hands to stay in the division.

League One

Phil Brown will have to act fast to improve the situation or the club will be doomed to life in League One. I’m sure the North End fans expected better before the start of the season and I certainly didn’t expect them to be bottom of the league.

I even predicted that they may even have an outside chance of making the Championship play-offs this season. However instead they have endured a nightmare season, so far.

Preston have the worst defensive record in the Championship and that’s one of the things that Brown needs to address quickly. Goals have also been hard to come by as well with Preston one of the lowest scorers in the Championship. Those two facts added together point to one thing, relegation.

History

Phil Brown told the clubs official website: “Preston North End are a big club with great history and tradition and I am really looking forward to the challenge and opportunity,”

“I would like to thank the chairman, owner and board of directors for putting their faith in me and whilst I know the current position is one we do not want to be in, I have every belief in the players’ and my own ability to get us out of the situation we are in.

“The supporters of this football club are some of the most knowledgeable in the country and like them I want to see the club progress.”

Decent

I have always thought that Phil Brown was a decent manager. He achieved a lot at Hull but in the end paid the price for raising expectations levels too high. He got the Tigers promoted to the top flight and kept them there for a season.

The club suffered from second season syndrome in their second campaign in the Premier League and Brown was sacked with the club in the relegation zone after a poor run of form.

Many thought the decision was harsh but Brown was a victim of his own success in the previous two seasons on Humberside.

Unemployed

Since leaving Hull he has been linked with a number of Premier League and Championship positions. Yet he has now decided that the Preston job is the challenge he wants. He has the experience and managerial ability to turn the club around.

Short-Term

In many ways this appointment is ideal for both parties. The 51 year-old has only signed an 18 month contract at the club. It’s a relatively short deal for a boss. Preston knows that if Brown isn’t a success then he won’t cost a fortune to sack.

It also represents a chance for Phil Brown to regain some of the credibility he lost when he was sacked by Hull. He also knows that Preston are a well run club, who have lots of potential to be higher in the table than they currently are.

Improvement

The appointment of Phil Brown could prove a masterstroke by the Preston board. They certainly now have a better chance of staying in the Championship now that the ex-Bolton player is in charge. I’m sure that most Preston fans will be happy with the appointment of Brown and hopefully they can escape the Championship drop zone.

Is Phil Brown a good appointment for Preston North End?