[themaclad]

As with last season, our first two home games are against sides that were relegated from the Premiership, City knocked out of the League Cup on penalties on Wednesday by Huddersfield were not overly convincing in beating Sheff Wednesday last Sunday.
Not convinced that new boss Cifuentes, is the man to get them promoted, although after his lengthy gardening leave spell at QPR may be able to give you tips who to grow roses.
Fans are also not in tune with John Rudkin, so possibly may be the best time to play them although given the amount of injuries may not be.
Lost 3-0 both times we played them season before last, they got promoted after the win at Deepdale another one of Lowe's epic surrenders.

https://www.lcfc.com/pages/en/home

MANAGER

Martí Cifuentes Corvillo (Catalan pronunciation: [məɾˈti siˈfwɛntəs kuɾˈβiʎu], Spanish pronunciation: [maɾˈti θiˈfwen.tes koɾˈβi.ʎo]; born 7 July 1982)[1] is a Spanish football manager who is currently the manager of EFL Championship club Leicester City.

Think he has 100% record against us, sort of a Spanish Gary Rowett who is also unbeaten against us



NEWBIES



Done little or no business, however think the majority will be outgoings of the better players

T'OTHER GAMES



Team News

Mads Frøkjær, who went off with a groin injury in Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup tie against Barrow, will miss Saturday’s game, although manager Paul Heckingbottom is hopeful the Dane could return for the visit of Ipswich Town next weekend.

None of those missing from the season opener against QPR are expected to be available, with Brad Potts, Daniel Jebbison, Jordan Thompson, Robbie Brady and Will Keane all still sidelined.

The Visitors

After winning the Championship title during the 2023/24 season, Leicester City couldn’t avoid the drop in their first campaign back in the Premier League and once again have the aim of returning to the top flight.

Martí Cifuentes has taken over as manager and enjoyed a winning start to life in the dugout on the opening weekend of the campaign, beating Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 on home turf.

During the week, a much-changed Foxes side were beaten on penalties in the Carabao Cup by Huddersfield Town, so it's likely changes will be rung again as they look to build on their positive start to life back in the Championship.

Match Officials

Referee: Gavin Ward
Assistant Referees: Hugh Gilroy and Mark Dwyer
Fourth Official: Sebastin Stockbridge

Experienced official Gavin Ward will take charge of Saturday’s fixture. Ward last refereed PNE in February 2025 when North End came out 1-0 winners at Carrow Road.

We’ve Met Before

PNE’s last victory over Leicester City came in September 2009 when Neil Mellor and Richard Chaplow scored in a 2-1 win.

HECK

Paul Heckingbottom wants everyone to be together – players, staff and fans – as the home campaign begins on Saturday.

After an opening day draw to Queens Park Rangers and a midweek Carabao Cup victory over Barrow, North End are at Deepdale for the first time this season on Saturday, taking on Leicester City.

With almost 12,000 season cards sold this summer, the manager is hugely grateful for the support from the club’s fanbase, who he hopes can have a big part to play in 2025/26.

Hecky said: “There were times last season when I felt they helped us get over the line with the noise in the last ten minutes when we were one in front. We want that from minute one to 90 or when we're behind to get us over the line or get us back in the game.

“I was talking after QPR because there's been a lot of questions to me around budget, sort of what we've not got. One thing we have got is a group of people here who are going to work their socks off and a fanbase that are really passionate about their team.

“So we have to show that every week – fans and players – we have to make sure that we all turn up, especially at Deepdale. Let's get the fans right on side and making the noise. We talk about performance of the players a lot, let's have our fans outperforming the opposition fans.

“We have to create that siege mentality. I don't want people moaning when they see news that they perceive is bad or this club's signing this player or this club's got this. Forget that. Like I said, we've got some good qualities within our group.

“We know one of the things we have to do is be really tight and together in order to perform at our best and likewise to help us do that we want the fans to create that atmosphere and understand how hard we're working to get over the line.”

With the Foxes coming to Deepdale, North End are taking on one of the teams tipped for promotion this season, following their relegation from the Premier League.

Martí Cifuentes’ side began their campaign with a victory over Sheffield Wednesday, although they were defeated by Huddersfield Town during the week in the Carabao Cup.

While PNE have a frustratingly lengthy injury list, there’s no focus on that for Heckingbottom and his players. All attentions are on the task at hand and getting three points on the board.

Hecky said: “We want to win the game. That's it. We're looking forward to it.

“You have to recognise what the opposition have got and where their strengths are. Then we're looking at how we think we can hurt them.

“No matter how much detail you go into in a gameplan or the work you do in the week, if the mentality and approach to the game is not right, then it's irrelevant. But we are preparing to play against one of the most dangerous teams in the league.

“We know we’re welcoming one of the best squads in the Championship, if not the best. A really strong, dangerous team. Whatever XI Martí wants to put out, they're going to be dangerous and we're going have to play well.”

MACS VIEW

Extremely tough game although the transfer window may have an impact, we are still short up top, may struggle to score but this is a good test to start with

[themaclad]

Attendance: 16,797 (2,669 Leicester City fans).

Referee: Gavin Ward.

Just over a year ago we were on our way back from Swansea after a 3-0 loss, the caretaker manager we had resigned after that game, two defeats, no goals and two managers gone in the first week of the season, 12 monthes on four points out of six and have just beaten one of the clubs relegated from the Premiership.
Strangely though the main North End forum PNEOnline appears to be a place for utter negativity due to the lack of activity in the transfer window, bit strange given we have signed 10.
They still weren't happy with the draw at Loftus Road or scraping through against Barrow in the Cup,suspect yesterday will make them far happier.
Deserved the win, only time we looked like struggling was when they brought on 16 year old Jeffrey Monga, who created history by scoring to become the youngest ever goal scorer in the Chhampionship, the lads is a talent



Entertaininhg start, took the lead after 7 minuyes slightly fortunate to begin with, Leicester ball behind Pol V who had switched off, luckily ball into Iversen's hand, quick release to Pol V and his ball behind the full back into space for Devine to run onto, even better the City keeper decided to try and tackle him 25 yards from goal, he failed miserably and from he touchline Divine found the net.
City huffed and puffed, we defended well in depth, main danger came from Fatawu however his shotss/final ball were all over hit and all ended up going out of play.
We had chances to increase our lead OS missed his kick after good work by Divine, Smith great header looked like it was going in but went the wrong side of the post. Deserved lead at half time, started the second period well as well, Os just couldn't quite force the ball home after a cross by Small and a Smith shot hit the side netting.
Substitutions changed the flow of the game City had some quality on the bench plus a 16 year old prodigy, they got on top only denied a goal by an outstanding save by Iversen from Fatawu, but 30 seconds later were level Monga easily beat Pol V before firing past Iversen's right hand.
Ayew hit the post, Pol V substituted by Offiah whose pace and physical presence made it a little harder for Monga, then the winner, scrambled the ball away from the area, Os to Small, down the wing he went, ball into centre Os slides ball home.
Os denied a second later on by the leg of the keeper but no further alarms and our first win of the season


THE BOSS

Paul Heckingbottom felt his side put in a “very strong” performance in the 2-1 victory over Leicester City.

North End were deserved winners in the opening home match of the 2025/26 campaign, as Milutin Osmajić scored late to seal the three points.

Jeremy Monga had brought the visitors level, cancelling out Alfie Devine’s impressive early goal, but when PNE’s Montenegrin striker netted in the 85th minute, the huge celebrations it sparked extended into full-time as the club celebrated a first league win of the season.

The manager said: “Really good. I think it was a really good game from start to finish. Some really good goals. Competitive.

“We were excellent without the ball, but I thought we also showed a real desire to hurt them as well. And in all honesty, I felt when they equalised that we should have been more than one in front at that point, but I think the spirit then of the players [was great] and, our second goal, ultimately the winning goal, is really good from our point of view. The quality was fantastic.

“Then we created a couple more on the counter then at the end. So, yeah, I felt team-wise it was very strong and I also felt there were some huge individual performances in amongst that as well.

“As a collective I felt we deserved the win and that will always be our aim to be the better team on the pitch and make sure our collective is better than the opposition.”

The manager spoke ahead of the game about how the supporters are included in that. He urged the PNE fans to turn up in their numbers and ‘outperform’ the visiting fans, and they more than did that on the day.

The noise inside Deepdale was deafening at times and that energy was very much matched on the pitch, and the players and fans all got to celebrate at full-time after a brilliant afternoon's work.

Hecky said: “I felt everyone performed today and the fans were responding to the performance. It drove the players even more but there's going to be times and days and occasions where we need the fans to set us off and occasions like that are fantastic.

“As long as we're all one and united and we're pushing in the right direction and everyone's committed to what we're trying to do, we'll be OK.”

MARTI

The Foxes fell to a first defeat of the Sky Bet Championship season at Deepdale as Milutin Osmajić scored the Lilywhites' winner five minutes from time, after Jeremy Monga’s composed equaliser had cancelled out an early opener from Alfie Devine.
The 16-year-old became our youngest-ever goalscorer in the process, but it wasn’t enough to take anything back from Lancashire and Cifuentes cut a frustrated figure after the final whistle, especially with the manner of the goals conceded.

“We are very disappointed about the performance, not only about the result,” the Spaniard admitted. “I think the first goal we conceded was something that definitely we should do better with.
“We spoke about that they play with two strikers and they like have one target player to set and one to run. It looked very easy for them to put one ball in behind, the covers weren’t good enough and the way we handled the situation from there was not good enough.
“The game was always going to be difficult. Perhaps we did the most difficult without playing the best football. We managed to get [back to] the draw and then we were putting some pressure on in various situations. They score a counter goal that was a little bit a habit of the game.

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