Emil Riis makes admission on Preston North End’s ambitions this season | OneFootball

Preston North End striker Emil Riis has admitted his side want to be pushing for the play-offs this term despite the stiff competition they face in their quest to secure a top-six spot, speaking to the Lancashire Evening Post following his side’s 3-2 victory against Norwich City.

The Dane has been in superb form for the Lilywhites in recent games, scoring three goals in two games with his strikes against West Bromwich Albion and the Canaries earning his side an extra five points they wouldn’t have won without his contributions.

And they currently sit in eighth position because of their recent victories, with Ryan Lowe’s side managing to solve their woes in front of goal.

Quiz: Did Preston North End win, draw or lose the last time they played at these 18 stadiums?

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Bramall Lane?

Win Lose Draw

Currently sitting just two points adrift of the play-offs, they could easily force their way into the top six before the World Cup comes around and if they can retain or improve their position between now and the long interval, that would put them in a good position going into the remainder of the season.

Considering their limited funds, a finish in the top six would be some achievement from Lowe and his players, with the likes of Watford, Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion below them in the table at this point.

All three could potentially overtake the Lancashire outfit between now and the end of this term with the resources they have – but Riis is firmly focused on his side.

Speaking about the club’s ambitions, he said: “We want to be pushing for the play-offs so if we can have some good games now we can keep pushing.

“We scored a lot of goals compared to what we normally do so if we can keep that up and keep finding ways to score then it’s looking good.

“To beat one of the sides who were in the Premier League last season and are up there still, it’s great to get the win. Who knows what’s going to happen.”

The Verdict:

Without Cameron Archer at their disposal, it was unclear how they would get on but with Troy Parrott getting himself on the scoresheet at the weekend, that should provide him with the confidence to go on and become a more regular scorer at this level.

They have certainly shown that they can defend well and their defence has been improved by the addition of Freddie Woodman, who is proving to be a very good replacement for Daniel Iversen thus far.

Some would have expected the Lilywhites to slip down the table considering how valuable previous loanees Archer and Iversen were – but others are stepping up in their place and if Riis can continue to fire in the goals – that will only boost their chances of finishing in the play-offs.

Ideally, some funds will be provided in January if they need one or two extra players to push them on, though it’s currently unclear how much the Hemmings family will be able to fork out to bring in targets.

Lowe is never likely to have a huge amount of money to spend but he’s already shown he can work within a limited budget, so that can only bode well for the future.