A nonchalant second half penalty by Daniel Johnson ensured Alex Neil’s reign as Preston manager began on a winning note while leaving opposite number Carlos Carvalhal with more food for thought after a summer of what-might-have-beens. Two successive failures in the play-offs have left Wednesday in a curious glass half full or empty situation. Depending on your viewpoint, this is surely the season where one of the division’s biggest clubs will take the next step or, perhaps, the likeable Portuguese manager has done all he can at Hillsborough and a top-six finish will prove beyond him. The 5,000-plus travelling supporters who expressed their dissatisfaction with the performance may be leaning towards the latter, and Carvalhal was not about to make excuses. “I understand the fans…

Source: The Times August 06, 2017 00:22 UTC