Graham Alexander and Chris Lucketti are back at Deepdale, and former Preston goalkeeper Alan Kelly believes the occasion of their first home game will carry a weight that goes well beyond three Championship points.

Kelly, who played alongside both men during their time at North End, told BBC Radio Lancashire that the appointment is "a very wise choice" and predicted an emotional return when the pair walk out against Millwall on 10 October. That date, as it happens, is also Alexander's 55th birthday.

"When he walks out that tunnel for the first time to take that applause, I don't think he shows his emotions very easily, Graham, but I think he'll have a lump in the back of his throat," Kelly said. "That has to tug at your heartstrings."

The scale of the task

Sentiment, however welcome at a club that needs a lift, will not be enough. Preston sit second-bottom of the Championship with four points from eight games. That is a deeply precarious position: at this rate of return, they would finish the season on roughly 23 points, which has historically been insufficient for survival in the second tier.

The mathematics are straightforward and uncomfortable. Preston need to find a way of picking up points at a rate roughly three times higher than they have managed so far. There are 38 games still to play, and the gap to safety will need to be clawed back before the run-in arrives and games run out.

Alexander and Lucketti left Bradford City, who are top of League One, to take on this assignment. That is a significant step up in pressure and profile, and it comes with the territory of managing a club embedded in their own history.

Knowledge as a head start

Kelly's argument for the appointment rests on familiarity. Alexander made more than 370 appearances across two spells as a Preston player, and Lucketti spent nearly 200 games alongside him in the same side. They understand the crowd, the expectations and the weight of the shirt.

"They know what it's like to run out at Deepdale, they know what the crowd expect, what to give the supporters," Kelly said. "If you understand that it gives you a head start and an advantage."

That familiarity with the fabric of the club is genuine and not to be dismissed. A new manager who has to learn a dressing room, a fanbase and a community simultaneously faces a steeper curve than one who already has that context. At a club low on confidence, someone the supporters can immediately rally behind matters.

Kelly also expects Alexander to waste no time on the training pitch ahead of that first match. "He'll want to get down to business," he said. "Deepdale will rise to him, welcome back a former hero."

Millwall arrive first

The first test of Alexander's managerial homecoming comes in the form of Millwall, who travel to Deepdale on 10 October. It is a Championship fixture with real stakes for both clubs, and a baptism of fire for a manager who has had precious little time to prepare.

A warm reception from the stands is the likely backdrop. Converting that goodwill into wins is the part that cannot be taken for granted. Four managers in a season rarely signals stability, and even the most emotionally resonant appointment needs results quickly in the Championship.

Kelly's confidence in Alexander is clear and sincere. But the second tier has a habit of punishing sentiment. A good first four games would be welcome; it would not, on its own, be enough to conclude the corner has been turned. Preston's survival will require sustained consistency from a squad that has shown almost none so far this season.

The heartstrings can be tugged. After that, the work begins.

Frequently asked

When is Graham Alexander's first game as Preston manager?
According to reports, Alexander's first home game in charge of Preston is against Millwall on 10 October, which also happens to be his 55th birthday.
Where in the Championship table are Preston right now?
Preston are second-bottom of the Championship, having collected four points from their first eight games of the season.
Who is Graham Alexander's assistant at Preston?
Chris Lucketti, who played nearly 200 games alongside Alexander at Preston, has joined as his assistant after both left their roles at Bradford City.