Ryan Lowe credits Preston North End fans for big change at Deepdale this season

Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe has thanked the fans for the positive atmosphere at Deepdale so far this season.

The Lilywhites have made a magnificent start to the 2023/24 campaign, winning six matches and drawing two. Their tally of 20 points has them in third spot heading into this weekend’s round of fixtures. PNE have won all four of their games on home soil - seeing off Sunderland, Swansea City, Plymouth Argyle and Birmingham City.

North End struggled in their own backyard for large parts of the previous campaign, but a shift in tactical approach and summer signings making an impact has sparked improvement. Lowe likes to enjoy a moment with the supporters after each win, with a fist pump to the Alan Kelly Town End the post-match ritual. It’s so far, so good on PNE’s own patch and Lowe has loved the feel of Deepdale.

“People say about celebrating when you win and it’s like relief of the week,” said Lowe. “The amount of work from - not just me - but all my coaching staff and the players, when you win a game of football and you know it’s paid off - that is when it’s like ‘right, okay, you can chill now.’ But, I am not going to lie, I think most of that has come from the fans as well as the players. I think the change at Deepdale has come from them, not us. We have always tried, so the fans need to take a big pat on the back for that.

“Before, during and after games the place has been bouncing. We know, at some point, it is not going to always be like that but the more they continue to do that, the better it is for us. The players feel it; the staff feel it. That is down to the fans. They have changed the way they’ve been and that might be because of how our football is played - how defensively resolute we’ve been and more attacking. That is fine, but the fans need to take credit for that because it’s their stadium. They are the ones supporting us and who’ve made it bouncing.”

West Bromwich Albion provide the next Championship challenge for North End, with the Baggies making the trip up to Deepdale on Saturday afternoon. Carlos Corberan’s team have made a mixed start to the season, but have quality in abundance. Next week sees Preston take on high flying duo Leicester City and Ipswich Town - the two top placed teams prior to Saturday’s games. It’s a test Lowe wants everyone involved to embrace and one he feels his players will be well prepped for given the free midweek.

“It’s been beneficial, massively, because the lads have needed it,” said Lowe. “We haven’t had to worry about too much, but next week we’ve got a 10 day period starting - where we’ve got to be really switched on. We’ve obviously got a tough game against West Brom and then we go into a gruelling week against two fantastic teams. But look, that’s why we are in the Championship and that is what we want, so we’ve been mindful of the group this week and what we put into them.

“They will be champing at the bit to keep going and we want them to keep believing. They are all massive games - just because it says West Brom, Ipswich and Leicester, we treat them the same as every other team. It doesn’t really matter. They are gruelling games, but they are exceptional games that we want to be a part of. That is what the Championship really brings now. You look at all the teams in different positions and we’ve all got a long way to go. But, as I’ve always said, the longer you can stay in the top half of the league the better. That is all we will continue to look to do. I think there is a lot of expectation in football, whoever you are. We have to just keep a level head.”