Preston North End boss refuses to accept mediocrity after Cardiff City draw

Lowe is trying to set a high bar for his side and expects better when going to places such as the Cardiff City Stadium, where, on their day, PNE could easily secure a win, in his words, refusing to accept mediocrity.

He is already looking at ways his side can improve going into their next game against Coventry City on Wednesday, 7:45pm.

He said: “Where I want to try and take the football club, with all due respect to Cardiff because they're playing some good stuff at the moment, I want my teams to be coming here and putting on a show to try and win - wherever we go.

"I know we're going to go to places and I know it's going to be tough.

"I don't want to just accept mediocre, I want to get us where I feel we can get to.

"In terms of the performances at the weekend, it wasn't good enough. Will pick the bits out of it and see where we can do better.”

Lowe made a substitution in the 35th minute, replacing Daniel Johnson with Emil Riis. The change came with North End second best in the game, something which persisted beyond the substitution, but it was a big decision to take off a senior member of the squad who has played 300 times for the club.

There was no injury to the Jamaican, the change purely tactical, but the Preston manager is backing Johnson to bounce back.

He said: “We needed to get another striker on the pitch because the ball kept coming back, credit to Cardiff, they're going to be a different force this season the way they're playing.

"When we were getting out, we were giving the ball away cheaply and then we started sinking.

"DJ has been fantastic for the football club and for me since I came through the door, he'll get another opportunity, no doubt, but ultimately you have to make those decisions.

"I made a decision to get an extra striker on the pitch to get us further up the pitch, which I think we did then, it worked. Ultimately we just didn't have that ruthless edge.”