Preston North End: preview of the new 2025–2026 season

Preston North End Football Club (PNE) is preparing for its 146th season in history and its eleventh consecutive season in the English Championship. The Lancashire team, known for its rich history and loyal fans, is entering the new season with ambitions to improve its position in the league table.

In this article, we will look at the club's prospects, analyse the squad, transfers and tactics, and give our predictions for the 2025–2026 season based on the latest data and trends. For those who want to follow the team's progress and place bets, we recommend checking out the 666 Gambit platform, where you can find the latest odds for Championship matches.

History and current form

Preston North End is one of the oldest football clubs in the world, founded in 1863. The team won the English championship twice in the late 19th century and is still proud of its heritage. In recent years, PNE has performed consistently in the Championship but has been unable to break into the play-off zone for promotion to the Premier League. In the 2024–2025 season, the team finished in the middle of the table, showing inconsistent results: confident victories alternated with draws and defeats. For example, home victories over Sheffield Wednesday (3-1) and Burnley (3-0) contrasted with defeats to West Bromwich (1-3) and Portsmouth (1-3).

The key problem last season was a weak attack, with only 36 goals in 34 games. This points to the need to strengthen the attack and improve efficiency in the final stage. Nevertheless, the team's defence proved to be quite reliable, especially in home games, where PNE rarely conceded more than one goal.

Transfer activity

The summer of 2025 was a busy period for Preston North End in the transfer market. The club announced several signings that took effect on 1 July. Among the newcomers are players from Leicester, Charlton, Stoke and Sheffield Wednesday whose contracts have expired, as well as a loan player who joined after the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

In addition, the club has retained the core of its squad, including key midfielders and defenders. The PNE youth academy also continues to supply talent: 17-year-old Brazilian Felipe Rodrigues Gentile, who made his debut for the Argentina youth team, may get a chance in the first team. At the same time, the departure of some veterans has lightened the payroll, giving management more room to manoeuvre.

Tactics and coaching staff

Head coach Ryan Lowe, who has been in charge since 2021, continues to build the team around a 3-5-2 formation that emphasises compact defence and quick counterattacks. This tactic worked well in home games against teams with an open style of play, but PNE often struggled against organised opponents who gave up the initiative. In the new season, Lowe is likely to experiment with more attacking formations to increase productivity.

Pre-season preparations included friendly matches against Getafe, Liverpool, Bamber Bridge, Chorley and Bolton, allowing the team to test themselves against a variety of opponents. The results of these games have not yet been released, but they provided the coaching staff with valuable information about the players' readiness.

Season preview

The 2025–2026 season promises to be a transitional one for Preston North End. The strengthening of the squad and the stability of the coaching staff give reason to expect progress, but competition in the Championship remains high. Teams such as Sunderland, Blackburn and Leeds will be fighting for promotion, and PNE will need to perform at their best in every game.

The team's main goal is to finish in the top half of the table and, ideally, to compete for a place in the play-offs (6th place). To do this, they need to improve their attacking play and reduce the number of draws, which were too numerous last season (e.g. 0-0 with Swansea and Wycombe). 

In cup competitions (FA Cup and EFL Cup), PNE traditionally tries to go as far as possible, but the priority remains the championship. Last season, the team reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, losing to Aston Villa, which was a good result.