Preston North End captain frustrated by ‘really undeserving’ criticism of player’

Preston North End captain Alan Browne has been frustrated by consistent criticism of ‘scapegoat’ Robbie Brady.

The Lilywhites snapped the Republic of Ireland international up in the summer of 2022 – and he made 34 appearances in his first season at Deepdale. A two-year deal came the number 11’s way on the back of that campaign, before the new one started late for Brady – due to a calf issue.

That has come his way in the past few weeks, and last Saturday against Blackburn Rovers, he scored an incredible maiden goal in Preston colours. After watching the ball fly in off Brady’s left boot, Browne was ecstatic and expects to see his international teammate continue to score points.

“I’m honestly buzzing for Rob because I’m quite aware of a lot of the stick he gets, which to me is really undeserving,” Browne told iFollow PNE. “In my opinion, he hasn’t performed as well in games as he can. But he’s one of the greatest trainers for us since we see him every day. People can, in my opinion, occasionally be used as scapegoats, and that has been the case for a while now.

Every player will undoubtedly face criticism, but lately, in my opinion, he’s been outstanding and has excelled in every opportunity he’s had on the pitch. I believe that more often than not, people focus more on the negative aspects of anything. It was encouraging to see him make a solid first impression, and perhaps this fine run of form will continue.