The only team that's drawn more than QPR in the Championship this season is our opponent this Saturday, Preston North End, as they come to terms with the predictable departure of Ryan Lowe and steadying influence of Paul Heckingbottom - @Josh_McLoughlin is our oppo fan.
How’s the season gone so far?
It’s been an eventful season so far off the pitch with the change of manager early doors and general discontent from the fans. The club seems to have stagnated and there is an overriding feeling that Peter Ridsdale needs to move on before we see any significant changes. We’ve only won four games all season so there has been very little to cheer about. It looks like another season marooned in mid table but we will still be looking over our shoulders as well.
PNE in the league so far…
Preston 0-2 Sheff Utd Arblaster 12, Hamer 55
Swansea 3-0 Preston Grimes pen 40, Abdulai 61, Vipotnik 83
Preston 1-0 Luton Keane 39
Oxford 3-1 Preston Harris 20, Goodrham 53, Leigh 71 – Riis 3
Boro 1-1 Preston Conway 16 – Frokjaer-Hensen 43
Preston 0-0 Blackburn
Millwall 3-1 Preston Honeyman 24, Esse 38, Langstaff 47 – Storey 87
Preston 3-0 Watford Osmajic 53, 65, McCann 75
Burnley 0-0 Preston
Preston 1-0 Coventry Riis 72
Preston 2-2 Norwich Greenwood pen 6, Holmes 12 – Sainz 45, Duffy 61
Plymouth 3-3 Preston Issaka 55, Gray 82, Whittaker 90 – Greenwood 16, Frokjaer-Jensen 45, Potts 48
Preston 1-3 Bristol City Greenwood 48 – Hirakawa 6, Wells 51, Bird 81
Preston 0-0 Sunderland
Portsmouth 3-1 Preston Murphy 36, Ogilvie 45, Bishop pen 89 – Riis 50
Preston 1-1 Derby Greenwood 23 – Yates 29
Stoke 0-0 Preston
Preston 1-1 West Brom Riis 55 – Grant 13
Sheff Wed 1-1 Preston Smith 76 – Riis 14
Cardiff 0-2 Preston Chambers og 48, Osmajic 90
Preston 1-1 Leeds Potts 23 – Whatmough og 90
End of the road for Ryan Lowe, that felt like it was coming, what went wrong there ultimately and why not just do it in the summer?
Ryan Lowe struggled to get the fans on his side in his last season. From an outsider’s point of view, if you look at where we finished in each of his seasons you can think he did a good job. He certainly wasn’t an awful manager, but his stubborn tactics, dodgy interviews, and the many thrashings we were on the end of under him ultimately made it feel like we were only going to head one way. It was time for a change but it was Lowe who decided to walk, not the club choosing to sack him after one game. Very strange timing and very disappointing from him. If he thought he had taken the club as far as he could then he could have know that at the end of last season.
Early impressions of Heckingbottom?
Paul Heckingbottom comes across well in his interviews and I think the fans are on board with him and Stuart McCall. He’ll need a couple of transfer windows to put his stamp on things having been left with a squad lacking any flexibility. The defence needs improving and so whilst we’ve dominated some games a mix of mistakes at the back and poor finishing have meant we’ve drawn a lot more games than we would have liked. We do look to have more structure though and the defence has started to improve. A promising display against Leeds last weekend has roused the fans and a good few results over Christmas would leave us in a decent place heading into 2025.
Assessment of summer transfer window and what needs doing in January?
The loan signings have once again proved to be shrewd acquisitions. Sam Greenwood has looked like our most creative player since arriving on loan from Leeds. Six goals and two assists so far, he is capable of playing anywhere across the front line and his set-pieces have been superb. Kaine Kesler-Hayden is on loan from Aston Villa and is a very talented player. More of a right sided defender but he has filled in at left-wing back predominantly. Pacey and technically very good. If we could get either of them on a permanent deal that would be a great success. Josh Bowler and Jeppe Okkels have barely featured since arriving on loan from Nottingham Forest and permanently from FC Utrecht respectively. Both wingers have struggled to find a spot in our formation. Stefan Thordarson was bought from Silkeborg and the Icelandic central midfielder has got better as the season has gone on. A very positive player who always looks to drive forward and has a great long pass on him.
In January we need to look at a central defender, one for the left side too and potentially a goalkeeper with Freddie Woodman out of contract in the summer and prone to quite a few alarming errors (see his red card at Stoke City the other week)
Ins: >>> Jeppe Okkels, 25, LW, Utrecht, £1.5m >>> Stefan Teitur Thordarson, 25, CM, Silkeborg, £800k >>> Sam Greenwood, 22, AM, Leeds, Loan >>> Kaine Kesler-Hayden, 21, RB, Villa, Loan >>> Josh Bowler, 25, RW, Forest, Loan
Outs: >>> Alan Browne, 29, CM, Sunderland, Free >>> Ben Woodburn, 24, AM, Salford, Free >>> Greg Cunningham, 33, CB, Galway, Free >>> Lewis Leigh, 20, CM, Bromley, Undisclosed >>> Finlay Cross-Adair 19, CF, Fleetwood, Free >>> Noah Mawene, 29, DM, Newport, Loan >>> Josh Seary, 19, RB, Larne, Loan >>> James Pardic, 19, GK, Bamber Bridge, Loan
Stand out players and weak links in the side?
Ali McCann has gone from strength to strength under Heckingbottom. He covers every blade of grass on the pitch, makes great challenges and has looked more dangerous in the final third of the pitch as well. He’s even taken the captains armband recently with Ben Whiteman having struggled in the role so far this season
The defence can be hit and miss. Depends what day you catch them on. I would like our strikers to be more clinical as well. Emil Riis struggles if up front on his own but if partnered with Milutin Osmajic than there will be plenty more chances
Revised expectations for the season?
I thought we would struggle at the start of the season and we have been in the lower reaches up until recently. Still only six points off the relegation zone so I think it will be mid table at best, but we need more wins under our belt to ensure we don’t get dragged into a relegation battle.
Links >>> Preston Official Website >>> Lancashire Telegraph — Local Press >>> From The Finney — Blog >>> Deepdale Digest — Blog >>> PNE Online — Forum
The Twitter @loftforwords, @Josh_McLoughlin
Pictures — Action Images