Key period ahead as Preston North End and Ryan Lowe aim to restore form after bleak run

This was always going to happen, right? Even the players were surprised by Preston North End’s scintillating start to the season - a run which saw them record six straight wins and in doing so, dispatch of Stoke, Swansea, Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland, Plymouth and Birmingham. It, quite simply, is not that easy and therefore you had already braced yourself for the bumps ahead. Ryan Lowe’s side started like a house on fire and blew all expectations, heading into the season, out of the water.

If the first seven were surprising, the following seven were about as predictable as it gets - North End falling to the superior quality of Leicester City, dangerously well drilled West Brom and frighteningly fearless, free scoring Ipswich Town. Back down to earth we go. Hull City took their moment last weekend, while Preston could hardly grumble with their points against Rotherham United and Millwall, given the performances on those days. The late sting in the tail from Southampton is one that will linger and hurt all season long.

With 14 matches done and dusted, Preston sit ninth in the Championship table. A strong start, on the surface. And yet, can you take much at all from league position at this stage? Is it more about performance with 32 games to go? Or are results the only thing which matter? North End are two points off fourth and five off 18th; you can never really get comfy here. November will ease the work load on the Lilywhites, before a frantic festive schedule comes flying at Lowe’s men. They will need to be ready.

Firstly though, the next four games are ones of great importance: an opportunity for Preston to restore both form and faith, with a Friday night derby at Ewood Park adding a sprinkling of spice. The season is almost a third of the way through. PNE have been on cloud nine then come crashing back down, with three points from a possible 21 an undoubtedly dismal return - the Southampton display one of few positives from a challenging period. There was, thankfully, some credit in the bank.

North End’s drop off in form, interestingly and somewhat strangely, coincided with Lowe’s options being boosted. At the start of the season, Preston were down to the bare bones. Perhaps that worked in the Lilywhites’ favour to a degree. Less thinking, everyone standing up and being counted, needing to pull their weight. It has been widely documented that PNE’s underlying, attacking numbers are down there when compared with the rest of the league - from shots to expected goals and more.

PNE were falling on the right side of those fine margins in the first seven games of the campaign and outperforming the data - taking their chances when they came along. Goals aside, the performances against Swansea, Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland were not a great deal different to the showings against Rotherham, Millwall and Hull City. But, North End made their moments count. A foundation of organisation and structure at the back, hard work and graft in the middle of the pitch and potency in the final third has tended to be the formula for any success under Lowe - along with high intensity as a unit.

His Preston team has never blossomed into the free flowing, scoring side many - Lowe likely included - anticipated. And there are few signs of that becoming the case any time soon. That does not mean North End have to be poor to watch: Southampton at home, Stoke away, the first half against Plymouth and second against Birmingham show that. Lowe’s time at the club has been a long learning curve you feel, with the Championship providing a stern test and forcing the Liverpudlian to rethink some of his beliefs.

Perhaps Luton were major inspiration last season and an example that the underdog can still prevail here, through pragmatic tactics, savvy recruitment and sheer spirit. Preston have, of course, predominantly stuck with the wing-back system which Lowe swore by upon his arrival at Deepdale. This season there has been a recognised effort to get the ball forward quicker- and not ask the likes of Liam Lindsay to start attacks by playing pinpoint passes out from the back.

It worked well initially, but Lowe now has plenty of thinking to do on the back of a disappointing run. He has praised the squad’s quality himself and must get the best out of it. We have seen different formations used this campaign, with lots of new players for Lowe and co to try and get the best out of. One thing the PNE manager has certainly been is well backed. North End forked out to land Milutin Osmajic and Mads Frokjaer - as the season progresses, supporters will want to see those two playing an important role and being utilised effectively.

There are still areas of the squad to address in future transfer windows - centre-back and the left side to name a couple - but summer business was reflected on with real satisfaction by the bulk of the North End faithful. Lowe got his dribbler, striker, maverick and ball carrier through the door. Previous managers at Deepdale have coped and competed with far less at their disposal. PNE’s manager believes he is still building the squad, but on the back of successive mid-table finishes - and with Lowe now the second longest serving boss in the Championship - this is certainly the season to start taking forward strides.