Paul Heckingbottom explains Andrija Vukcevic substitution after Preston North End’s defeat to Watford
The PNE boss spoke post-match.
Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom has explained his reasoning behind the team selection and one particular substitution on Tuesday night.
PNE lost 2-1 to Watford despite a strong start. Callum Lang opened the scoring on five minutes and North End were largely in control until the hour mark.
However, second-half goals from Edo Kayembe and Mamadou Doumbia turned the game around for the Hornets.
A very frustrated Heckingbottom told the press post-match: “You get what you deserve, regardless of performance levels.
“We should have been out of sight and I still felt really comfortable right up until them scoring the goal and then even after that.
“How we defended those moments, the first goal and the second is what's cost us, along with obviously not taking the chance that we were in.”
He added: “Those goals are really poor and unless we as a group sort that out, we're not going to get what we deserve from games.”
Heckingbottom revealed that Andrija Vukcevic’s substitution - after an impressive performance - was down to a back issue, rather than anything tactical.
Explaining that and the changes made pre-match, the North End boss said: “We felt it was right to inject a bit of freshness into it, changing one or two around [before the game], but also someone like Johnny [Kenny], we need to get him up to speed and when all the games are coming thick and fast, the only way we can do that is in game time as well. So it was important that he played to keep him ready.
“But also, I think we needed to make sure, because we took Della [Burgzorg] out, that we had a bit of pace on the top line to carry that threat as well.
”[Vukcevic] felt his back. I think he got fouled in the box clearing it, and he said he'd done his back.”
The game was very much in North End’s control up until the midpoint of the second half, when the first two PNE substitutions were made and Watford equalised.
Heckingbottom kept it brief when discussing PNE’s performance after those substitutions.
When asked by the Lancashire Post for his thoughts on North End’s attacking threat after the changes, Heckingbottom answered: “I don’t know, I’ve not watched it back.”