Source: Team_Talk
Irvine predicts tough Championship
North End reached the play-offs last term, only to falter at the semi-final stage when they lost 2-1 on aggregate to Sheffield United.
With Newcastle, Middlesbrough and West Brom having been relegated from the Premier League, Irvine expects his side will face an even tougher challenge over the coming months.
"I did an exercise at the end of the season where I had a look at where I thought each of the teams would expect to be competing," said the former Everton assistant.
"I thought there were five or six who will be expecting automatic promotion and 10 who would be expecting to compete for the play-offs.
"There is probably only three who would be happy with a top-half finish and only about five who would be delighted just to stay up in the division. It's going to be an extremely competitive division again."
