A former manager of Preston and Stoke makes “huge” purchases. Hull City’s play-off assertion

With nine games remaining for the Tigers and ten for the Deepdale team, the difference between City and North End is just four points.

After watching the goalless draw between the two teams at Deepdale earlier this month, former Preston North End manager Alex Neil feels his former team is firmly in the play-off fight alongside Hull City.

City then drew with Birmingham City and Leicester City after putting on a determined show in the rainy North West to deny Ryan Lowe’s team and guarantee the Lillywhites’ spot below them in the standings.

Since then, North End’s match against Southampton was postponed due to a nearby fire, and they suffered a home loss to Stoke City—another of Neil’s old teams and the Tigers’ next opponents when they return to the Championship on Good Friday following the lengthy international break.

Neil was present on March 2 and believes that if the Tigers are in the running for automatic promotion and the play-offs, then his former club is too. North End is now four points behind City, but they do have a game at St Mary’s scheduled for next month.

“Hull spent huge money and I think the situation with a lot of clubs in the Championship is unknown to other teams’ (supporters), because they don’t really care about them – they only care about their own team,” he told BBC Radio Lancashire in an interview with the LEP at the time.

However, when you actually get down and look through it, often people have the misperception that some clubs have spent a lot of money and other teams haven’t. You’ll discover it’s not really true and that it’s a bit of a myth.

“I was at the game and witnessed Hull vs. Preston. I felt Preston was superior that day. I fail to see why Preston wouldn’t be considered for the play-offs if Hull is.

The main problem about Preston, in my opinion, is whether or not the team has enough goals. That’s my sole worry. I don’t think you go to the playoffs by accident; I think you have to score in order to get there.”