Ian Holloway has claimed that Preston North End manager Alex Neil is doing "a magnificent job" at the club and that he hopes they stay near the top of the Championship.

After beating Charlton Athletic 1-0 last weekend Neil's side are second in the league, just two points behind league leaders West Bromwich Albion.

Last week there were reports circling that Stoke City were intent on making the Scotsman their next manager but Neil reassured fans that he saw his future at Deepdale.

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Preston lost last season's top scorer Callum Robinson to Premier League new boys Sheffield United in the summer but that doesn't appear to have affected them whatsoever.

The North West side are the joint highest scorers in the Championship this season–having found the net 28 times in 15 games.

Writing in his column for The Mirror, Holloway praised the work that Neil had done with the club.

He said: "Preston are a surprise to me.

"Alex Neil is good. He's a winner. He has that streak in him.

"Their budget, which is small, can be like none of the others. It is a magnificent job that Alex is doing. I hope he stays where he is in the table.

"I believe he's got a good squad and a good thing going there.

"They have a sprinkling of senior players and some young ones. They have bought well over the last few years. It is a great model to look at and he is doing it really well.

"Preston is a big club but we'll have to wait and see.

"Am I surprised they are that high up? Not really, I thought they would be in and around it but they have had a really consistent start and are doing really well. I hope it continues for them."

Preston could go top of the table with a win against Huddersfield Town at Deepdale on Saturday if results elsewhere go their way.

The Terriers have turned their form around under Danny Cowley but Neil's men are unbeaten at home in the league this season, so you'd have to back them to get the result.

The Verdict

You have to agree with Holloway, Neil has done a fantastic job at Preston and the club itself have built themselves up brilliantly.

The fact that they lost Robinson in the summer and have still been scoring freely makes the start to the season all the more impressive.

It was completely understandable that Stoke would want the Scotsman in charge but with the Whites mounting a serious promotion push he was surely never going to leave.