Ryan Lowe has Preston North End tactical headache to mull over during international break

Preston North End head into the latest international break with the Championship season almost at the quarter way mark. Ryan Lowe’s men have collected 20 points from their first 11 games of the campaign, but will be looking to get back on track when they return to action on October 21st - having lost three matches on the bounce last week.

The Lilywhites have exceeded all early expectations by occupying third spot at this stage, though. To go eight matches unbeaten, while winning six on the spin, is no easy feat whatsoever. And yet, North End’s players and staff will have a tough week to digest and put to bed over the next few days. PNE conceded 11 goals across the defeats to West Brom, Leicester City and Ipswich Town; Ryan Lowe was pretty flat post-match at Portman Road. But, the Preston boss has learned a lot since taking over the reigns in December 2021 and he no longer dwells on tough times for longer than he needs to.

It will be a case of getting back to work next week and returning to basics too, with Preston’s defending against Albion and Ipswich way below the standard required and set. Lowe’s immediate focus now will be tightening things up at the back once again. But, after sticking by 3-4-2-1 at the start of the season and seeing success, the manager also now has time to mull over his best team - when the bulk of his squad is fit. At Ipswich, Andrew Hughes, Jordan Storey and Ali McCann were all absent - three first team regulars when available for selection.

McCann was in and out of the side last campaign, but has been a consistent starter this season given Ben Whiteman’s early absence. Freddie Woodman, Brad Potts, Liam Lindsay and Alan Browne are four more players who tend to start games when fit. The rest of the team, though, is horses for courses and you get the feeling that Lowe is still working a few things out - following a busy summer transfer window. For instance, Liam Millar has shown exciting glimpses of his talent so far in Preston colours - but has been deployed in several different positions already.

The Canadian looks at home further up the pitch - driving at defenders, trying things and getting shots off at goal. His longevity as a wing-back remains to be seen, but - while PNE’s depth overall is relatively strong - Lowe’s options down the left are relatively thin. Robbie Brady’s form has been hit-and-miss since coming into the team post-injury. The speed and athleticism demanded at wing-back is also a big ask for the Irishman, while Kian Best is still so young but still in and around the senior side. Lowe went 4-4-1-1 at Leicester and 4-2-3-1 in-game against Swansea City, which inspired a comeback win at Deepdale. The PNE manager has recognised the need to be more flexibile.

“Everyone’s got different tactics and different ways,” said Lowe last week. “Some teams will go long and play for second balls and some teams will be right on the front foot, so it is good for me and my coaching staff to be tactically astute and aware of what is coming. Tactically, we have changed to different shapes and I’m not afraid to change in-game - because we have the personnel to do it.

“Early on in my career it was like: ‘No, I am a rigid this and want to stick to this, because it is my belief’. But then, when you come away, analyse and watch other teams - football in general is getting bigger and better and lots of managers are looking at different things, to suit them. You can only do that if you’ve got the personnel and I think, this season, we’ve got the personnel. We will continue to do that if it helps.”

Ditching wing-backs all together is probably not the answer for a team who won six games in a row using them. Millar, though, is someone Preston need to get the best out of - while summer recruits Mads Frokjaer and Milutin Osmajic are two players who were brought in to play a central role. The pair of course need to be given time to settle, adjust and then hopefully thrive. Post-break should also see Whiteman get himself back into the starting XI and put a run of games together, having been one of the first names on the team sheet for the bulk of Lowe’s tenure. He brings a calmness and control to Preston’s midfield in a way no other midfielder at the club does.

And so, there are a lot of pieces to the puzzle for Lowe to put together. Each match day will present a new challenge and adapting to opposition is essential, but it will be interesting to see if North End’s go-to style remains the same - with the likes of Millar, Osmajic, Frokjaer and Duane Holmes all now on board. Lowe has versatile, attacking options at his disposal and competition will only strengthen when Emil Riis and Ched Evans return - while Calvin Ramsay will be a boost at some stage too. Preston should be extremely pleased with the start they have made, yet there still feels questions to answer and ceiling to reach - for a squad Lowe now views as strong enough to compete.