The Big Interview / Ralph Ellis / 08 May 2009 / Leave a comment

They call it the £50million game, so there's no pressure there then. Betfair went to meet Preston manager Alan Irvine to see how he felt about getting into the Championship play-offs...

Hi Alan, congratulations first of all on getting into the top six on the final day

It's the players who deserve most of that because they've done really well. This time last year we'd only just managed to avoid relegation, so to be going into the play-offs now is a real achievement. There haven't been drastic changes to the squad, so it is pretty much the same guys who have managed to turn things around.

That's all down to how you work with them on the training ground, we presume...

Well you'd like to think so, although it could just be luck! We certainly do try to be very thorough with the work that we do. We spend a great deal of time thinking about how we will play against different opponents, we spend time thinking about how we are going to train to do that, and the lads are very receptive.

That's not easy because it's one thing the manager and staff having that ethos and another getting the players to buy into it...

You're right, without a doubt. There's no point in us spending all the time and doing all the work if the players don't understand the importance of it. And we're getting to the point now that they know how we work. We don't have too many sessions for the sake of it, we try not to coach them and bore them to death, but even early in the week the things we do in training will be structured towards what we are thinking about for the end of the week.

We're told you had a reputation for hard work as a player...

I'm flattered, I don't know if that's right. To be fair, I never found it too demanding because I came from the outside world. I left school and became an insurance broker and was studying for exams and playing for Queens Park in the Scottish Second Division. I've never really forgotten that. I can remember when I joined Crystal Palace, Ian Wright had also just come from part-time football, and we both used to watch the others go home at lunchtime and feel we ought to still be at work.

There's no going home at lunchtime for a manager, is there?

That's for sure, but then it's never a hardship. I get out to lots of games. I'll go to a game at night, and I might be in Cardiff or somewhere, and I'll drive back and the first thing I do when get in is put the night's football on the telly and have a cup of tea. It's demanding but it's what I love.

You spent four and a half years working with David Moyes at Everton which is a club that punches above its weight. That must have been a good grounding for Preston...

I think it's very similar. It was one of the things that encouraged me to accept the offer of the job, because having been at Everton, where we had to find a way of being successful without having lots of money I felt the same principles could be applied. I knew we wouldn't be able to compete with the majority of the clubs financially but I also knew if we worked really well we could still get results, and that encouraged me to accept the job. So far we've been able to compete with the clubs who can spend more money.

Lots of people say David should be Manager of the Year. Is that your view?

Well, I'm biased, but I would say so. He's had a fantastic season again. What he's done is gradually improve the squad year on year. It's now been seven years as manager and that's testimony to him, but also to the board that stuck by him. The second season we finished 17th having been seventh the year before. There were murmurings that it was time to change but Bill Kenwright knew he had a good thing, and next year we finished fourth. He's not been able to improve the squad in one fell swoop. But what he's proved is that given time, and people being patient, good managers can build good teams.

What's his secret?

No secret, just hard work, gradually improving the squad but doing the graft, making sure nothing is left to chance, making sure you are very thorough both in terms of preparation for games and the work you do on the training ground.

We suppose he learned that when he was Preston manager...

It was not that long ago but people were more patient than they are now. Preston at that time were also climbing from a lower level, and there was not as much money in the game so it was maybe easier. Now even in the short time I've been in the Championship, which is a year and a half, I've noticed how many more wealthy clubs there are. There are clubs who have resources way beyond what we have, and that makes it more difficult. Preston's market for buying players is shrinking. We can't afford to sign players from maybe three quarters of the Championship clubs, because they pay wages beyond our means. Then you try to buy the best from League One and the transfer fees are huge. Our market has shrunk even in the short time I've been involved. Fortunately our chairman is a very sensible man, he doesn't get too excited when we win or lose, and that gives you a bit of confidence to work

How much does Preston's history affect you, or are their best days too long ago for it to really matter?

Well the Sir Tom Finney era is really just in the history pages now. Sir Tom is a fantastic ambassador, and is still at the games, but there are very few people who will remember him playing. I think people know where Preston were, but I don't think they expect them to be there now. What they do expect in line with more recent history is a team that competed in the play-offs on a few occasions and that's what the fans expect and demand. It's why I'm so delighted we've got there, and now the aim is to not just be in them but to win. It won't be easy but we'll give it a go.

We wish you luck and thanks for your time - we've a free £50 bet in aid of your favourite charity

That just has to go on backing Everton to win the FA Cup at [3.05]. I know how thorough David's planning will be. And hopefully the winnings will go to our goalkeeper Andy Lonergan who is fundraising for Manchester Children's Hospital - details are on www.justgiving.com/lonergan .