Preston v Derby: The key questions ahead of the crucial Championship clash on Easter Monday
Watch live on Sky Sports Football or Main Event from 12.30pm on Monday
Tuesday 3 April 2018 16:59, UK
As Preston and Derby prepare to meet in what could be a crucial clash to decide the play-off places in the Sky Bet Championship, we take a look at the key questions...
Will Derby's promotion hoodoo continue?
Just last month, Sky Sports examined whether 2018 would be Derby's year as they looked to return to the Premier League for the first time since they were relegated with the lowest points total on record (11) in 2007/08. Since then, there has been every sign their luckless run will continue by the time the final whistle is blown on May 6.
Gary Rowett's men took 15 points from a possible 18 in December and the Rams looked to be sitting pretty behind champions-elect Wolves at the turn of the year. But they have just won twice in the 13 games that followed, the last of which came on February 3, a 3-0 win against Brentford.
Their insistence on playing out from the back at any cost has lost them vital points, not least in their surprise 4-1 defeat at the hands of lowly Sunderland on Good Friday, and the inability to maintain leads has cost them dear in recent weeks.
Sunderland played magnificently in their victory at Pride Park, but the truth is that it was an embarrassing showing from a team aiming to regain their top-flight status. On that basis, they will struggle to do so and if they reproduce such a below-par performance on Monday, you would not bet against the Rams adding to their list of failures and missing out once more.
Does Alex Neil get enough credit?
You only need to look at the pre-season odds to see what a terrific job Alex Neil has done at Preston this season.
According to Sky Bet, there were only six teams in the Championship rated less likely to reach the play-offs, with Sunderland, Hull and his former club Norwich all considered a better bet. While he would never admit it in public, it's being ahead of the latter that will delight Neil the most, having been sacked by the club he took into the Premier League last March.
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But does he deserve more credit? Sky Sports EFL expert David Prutton certainly thinks so. "He's underrated in the sense that people haven't been talking about him, but not in the sense of his ability," said Prutton. "To get a team into the Premier League, as he did with Norwich, is no mean feat after all.
"I think the stature of Preston means he's managed to go under the radar a little this season. They were established in the Championship under Simon Grayson and it helps that they have sensible ownership there, but I think Neil is happy to just go about his business, which shows in the job he's done.
"They're only two points off the play-offs, which is remarkable considering some of the other clubs that are around there challenging with far bigger budgets."
Will Preston reach the play-offs?
Despite occupying a play-off spot in the opening weeks of the season, much of the middle of the campaign was spent languishing in mid-table for North End, who have since gradually crept up on the top six to firmly add themselves to the mix.
A bizarre run of five 1-1 draws in seven games saw them slip away ever so slightly in February, but the winning formula seems to have returned to Deepdale in recent weeks. Losing top-scorer Jordan Hugill to West Ham in January seems to have had little effect on Preston, who have in fact continued their gradual rise up the table in his absence.
The defeat at Sheffield Wednesday on Good Friday was a blow, especially with two goals coming so late to make it look like a more comprehensive result than it was, but their run-in looks favourable on paper, with just Sheffield United of the teams around them still to play. Two play-off spots realistically remain and some strong performances in the run-in could do their chances the world of good.
Are Derby too reliant on Vydra?
Derby may still have this season's Championship top scorer in Matej Vydra at their disposal, but there are signs they have become too reliant upon his goals, especially in his recent injury absence.
Vydra has scored 18 league goals this season, but their next top scorer is David Nugent with six, and he has not scored once since the turn of the year. While Cameron Jerome was signed in January, and he has just one goal for the club so far - and that was the second in a 3-0 win against a Brentford side that were already down to 10 men.
If Derby are to hold on to their place in the play-offs, then they need to start getting some goals from other avenues, and fast.
Don't miss the Sky Bet Championship clash between Preston and Derby on Easter Monday, live on Sky Sports Football and Main Event from 12.30pm
