Graham Alexander took charge of Preston North End for the first time on Saturday against Millwall, marking the start of his second spell in the dugout after replacing Paul Heckingbottom during the extended three-week international break.
The timing of the appointment underlined how much work is ahead. Preston North End were second bottom of the Championship with four points from eight matches when Alexander returned, after Heckingbottom was sacked following six defeats from the club's opening seven Championship games this season.
A familiar face back at Deepdale
Alexander is not new to Preston North End. He previously played for the club and made 372 league appearances across two spells at Deepdale, while also having a brief caretaker spell in charge in 2011-12. This return comes after he had been managing Bradford, where he arrived in November 2023 and later guided them to promotion from League Two.
Bradford were top of League One after seven games this season under Alexander, which added to his recent managerial momentum before Preston North End moved to bring him back. For the club, the hope is that familiarity with Deepdale and his understanding of the environment can help steady a difficult start.
What Alexander wants from the squad
Alexander said he will not force players out who are not committed to the club, stressing that commitment to winning matters more than any personal allegiance to the manager. He said he likes to judge players over time and by how they commit to the team, adding that if someone is not committed to winning football matches, it will not be him who moves them on.
His message was centered on the group rather than the individual. As he put it, the focus should be on playing for each other and for the club, not on running for the manager. Alexander said he is there to guide the squad and bring everyone together, with the priority being to create a winning atmosphere as Preston North End try to climb away from the lower end of the table.
