Championship side Preston have sacked head coach Frankie McAvoy following their 1-0 loss away to Blackburn Rovers. Preston were 18th on the table when they finally decided to sack the Scottish manager.
He was appointed as the interim coach in the final stages of last season. As an interim coach, he managed to win a remarkable 17 points from a possible 24. Helping the team to a 13th place finish.
His appointment was made permanent in May thanks to his impressive numbers as interim manager. But he was sacked after only six months at the helm.
Preston did not replicate their form from McAvoy’s interim phase into the new season. The Lillywhites have only won six of their 21 league games this term.
McAvoy had the support of the players but a section of fans questioned his permanent appointment. His tactics and team selection also came under criticism recently. This eventually resulted in his sacking.
Who will replace McAvoy as Preston’s head coach?
Preston have already appointed Ryan Lowe as a successor to McAvoy. Lowe moves to Preston from Plymouth Argyle where he first promoted them to League. And left them in contention for Championship promotion.
McAvoy issued a statement via The Lancashire Evening Post after his sacking. He said:
I leave the club with great memories, from both of my roles as first-team coach to Alex Neil and recently, as head coach. I have loved working with the backroom team and the players on a daily basis and I would like to thank them for their effort, commitment and support during my tenure as Head Coach, it is greatly appreciated.
My thanks also go to the fans, who always supported the team and me during the 33 games I was in charge.
I wish the team all the best against Barnsley on Saturday and beyond and I am confident that they will be successful under my successor Ryan Lowe, as the team spirit in the dressing room is fantastic.
Finally I would like to thank every member of staff at Deepdale, our training ground at Euxton, and our academy at Springfields, as well as all the young, full-time academy players I had the privilege of working with.
Lowe had a clause in his contract which allowed him to discuss his future with teams in higher the higher division. This made his appointment as Preston North End quite swift.
Lowe will take charge of his first game as Preston manager against relegation side Barnsley on Saturday.
Follow us on Twitter for regular Football updates.
