Liverpool fans filing into Deepdale on Saturday will be faced by a figure central to their club's illustrious history.
There, picked out on the seats of the Kop Stand where they will be stationed, is a portrait of none other than Bill Shankly. The architect of Anfield's glory days was the bustling, aggressive midfield dynamo who propelled North End to FA Cup victory in 1938, helping to secure the last significant piece of silverware placed in the Lancastrians' trophy cabinet.
But any of the visitors who imagine that a shared talisman might mean their team are extended an accommodating welcome on the pitch has clearly not made the acquaintance of the latest Scot who has followed the likes of Shankly, Alex James, Tommy Docherty and David Moyes to hold sway at Preston.
Alan Irvine, who has been North End's manager for the past 13 months, reckons not only that Liverpool can be beaten in the third-round tie, but also that he knows how to do it.
"We played Barnsley last week and as you know they knocked Liverpool out last year," he said at the club's training ground on Friday.
"So I asked Simon [Davey, Barnsley's manager] what the secret was and his answer was: 'Play really well, hope they have an off day and pray your goalkeeper has a blinder.' So that's it. That's our tactical plan for this game. Sounds easy doesn't it?"
He was speaking in the portable building that serves as the briefing room at the club's training ground and judging by the broad grin with which he delivered his inside guide to victory over the Premier League leaders, you suspect Irvine spent the past week there mapping out a more solid strategy.
Moyes' former assistant at Goodison, Irvine is hewn from the same Glaswegian granite as his Everton mentor. An intense, focused individual, with a stare that could freeze blood at 40 paces, he is a man for whom the greatest of pleasures is rolling up his sleeves and getting down to work on the training pitch.
All week he has been preparing his players with military precision for the biggest encounter of their season. Indeed, on the magnetic board on the wall behind him as he spoke, a collection of red and blue checkers were engaged in a theoretical match which suggested his main idea was to station all 11 of his players in their own half.
"Actually the blues are Liverpool, it's them doing the defending here," he said, moving the checkers as he spoke. "That's how they defend a corner. We've spent the week doing sessions based on how we'll play against them.
"It's all been very tactical. No doubt there'll be a bit of the emotional element comes into it in the team talk prior to the game. I'll remind the players then what an opportunity this is. I'll tell them that we know in every round of the Cup there are shocks.
"Liverpool have so much that we don't have, but for 90 minutes we have a chance of playing against them, of matching ourselves against the very best."
When Irvine arrived at Deepdale in November 2007 the club were bottom of the Championship. Now they sit seventh.
Around the club there is a growing sense that, never mind the brief diversion of the Cup, he might deliver what not even Moyes could manage when he was there: top-flight football for the first time since 1961.
"It's a massive examination for most Premier League clubs, playing Liverpool," he said. "People ask if I'd prefer it if [Fernando] Torres and [Steven] Gerrard played against us or if Rafa [Benitez] sent out his reserves, but to be honest they are so strong their second string are a class above many in the Premier League. So I don't think it will tell us too much one way or another as far as a promotion challenge is concerned.
"We know we've got a lot to do just to maintain our presence in the Championship. This time last year we were bottom of the league. Now even to be talking about play-offs is fantastic progress.
"And last year, when we won a couple of games in the Cup, after each win we got a win in the league. I'd settle for that again. Actually I think the chairman would prefer it if we drew the game. Get a bit more money from a replay at Anfield."
Where presumably, given his Evertonian connections, he would be sure of a cordial welcome.
"Actually, I'll be surprised if I get any stick. I was in the background at Goodison, it was very much David's show, if anyone realises the connection they'll know a little bit more about Everton than might be healthy for a true Liverpool fan."
Mind, if his master scheme goes to plan, even the most blinkered Shankly-ite will come to know who Irvine is.
There, picked out on the seats of the Kop Stand where they will be stationed, is a portrait of none other than Bill Shankly. The architect of Anfield's glory days was the bustling, aggressive midfield dynamo who propelled North End to FA Cup victory in 1938, helping to secure the last significant piece of silverware placed in the Lancastrians' trophy cabinet.
But any of the visitors who imagine that a shared talisman might mean their team are extended an accommodating welcome on the pitch has clearly not made the acquaintance of the latest Scot who has followed the likes of Shankly, Alex James, Tommy Docherty and David Moyes to hold sway at Preston.
Alan Irvine, who has been North End's manager for the past 13 months, reckons not only that Liverpool can be beaten in the third-round tie, but also that he knows how to do it.
"We played Barnsley last week and as you know they knocked Liverpool out last year," he said at the club's training ground on Friday.
"So I asked Simon [Davey, Barnsley's manager] what the secret was and his answer was: 'Play really well, hope they have an off day and pray your goalkeeper has a blinder.' So that's it. That's our tactical plan for this game. Sounds easy doesn't it?"
He was speaking in the portable building that serves as the briefing room at the club's training ground and judging by the broad grin with which he delivered his inside guide to victory over the Premier League leaders, you suspect Irvine spent the past week there mapping out a more solid strategy.
Moyes' former assistant at Goodison, Irvine is hewn from the same Glaswegian granite as his Everton mentor. An intense, focused individual, with a stare that could freeze blood at 40 paces, he is a man for whom the greatest of pleasures is rolling up his sleeves and getting down to work on the training pitch.
All week he has been preparing his players with military precision for the biggest encounter of their season. Indeed, on the magnetic board on the wall behind him as he spoke, a collection of red and blue checkers were engaged in a theoretical match which suggested his main idea was to station all 11 of his players in their own half.
"Actually the blues are Liverpool, it's them doing the defending here," he said, moving the checkers as he spoke. "That's how they defend a corner. We've spent the week doing sessions based on how we'll play against them.
"It's all been very tactical. No doubt there'll be a bit of the emotional element comes into it in the team talk prior to the game. I'll remind the players then what an opportunity this is. I'll tell them that we know in every round of the Cup there are shocks.
"Liverpool have so much that we don't have, but for 90 minutes we have a chance of playing against them, of matching ourselves against the very best."
When Irvine arrived at Deepdale in November 2007 the club were bottom of the Championship. Now they sit seventh.
Around the club there is a growing sense that, never mind the brief diversion of the Cup, he might deliver what not even Moyes could manage when he was there: top-flight football for the first time since 1961.
"It's a massive examination for most Premier League clubs, playing Liverpool," he said. "People ask if I'd prefer it if [Fernando] Torres and [Steven] Gerrard played against us or if Rafa [Benitez] sent out his reserves, but to be honest they are so strong their second string are a class above many in the Premier League. So I don't think it will tell us too much one way or another as far as a promotion challenge is concerned.
"We know we've got a lot to do just to maintain our presence in the Championship. This time last year we were bottom of the league. Now even to be talking about play-offs is fantastic progress.
"And last year, when we won a couple of games in the Cup, after each win we got a win in the league. I'd settle for that again. Actually I think the chairman would prefer it if we drew the game. Get a bit more money from a replay at Anfield."
Where presumably, given his Evertonian connections, he would be sure of a cordial welcome.
"Actually, I'll be surprised if I get any stick. I was in the background at Goodison, it was very much David's show, if anyone realises the connection they'll know a little bit more about Everton than might be healthy for a true Liverpool fan."
Mind, if his master scheme goes to plan, even the most blinkered Shankly-ite will come to know who Irvine is.
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