Preston North End are having a difficult time of it right now. Fans could only watch on as Watford made easy work for the Lilywhites in their last match, winning 5-1, despite falling behind to Will Keane's opener.
Despite the apparent drop off in form, PNE are just four points off of the play-offs going into their game with Swansea City on Friday night. The teams who are hitting their top stride however are making a sizeable gap between themselves and the chasing pack as we approach the half-way point of the campaign. The games are coming thick and fast, and from now until New Year, we'll be treated to four North End matches, before the FA Cup third round tie against Chelsea on Saturday, January 6.
It's less than a fortnight until the January transfer window opens, and most recently Manchester United youngster Daniel Gore has been linked with a move to Deepdale. Form is key going into the January window, as players want to know what kind of team they're joining and if they can impact their prospective team's finish. Managers also need to prove they can turn things around if they're not doing so well. Form is so difficult to maintain in the Championship as there are so many surprise results, but some clubs right now have a winning formula.
The nature of the Championship makes it hard to focus on what other are doing, and it's good to put things in to perspective to see how PNE's rivals are fairing. Here is the Lilywhites ranking in the Championship form table based on the last eight games, and how they stack up against the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town.
