Paul Heckingbottom's 'totally different' admission as Preston North End boss quizzed on drop off in form
A Friday night to forget at Deepdale for PNE
On whether it is a confidence issue for defenders...
“Yeah, listen, but there’ve been too many moments, haven’t there?” said Heckingbottom to the Lancashire Post. “Go back to Ipswich... there's plenty of games where we defended really, really well. Even like the counter-attacks against Watford when we were pushing, we were open on the counter, and we had to defend those moments.
“So, yeah, it's more the nature of it because it's a set play. And like I said, we were more than top five defending teams - we were top at one point, top two. But it's not just their responsibility, it's everyone's. The second goal comes from us not being organised on the throw. We let them get out cheap, they get a corner which leads to the second goal, so it's ahead of them as well.”
On whether the team has been found out and looks predictable...
”No, because no-one would have predicted that today, do you know what I mean?” said Heckingbottom. “You can't give goals away like that. If we don't concede that first goal, the game's totally different. Go back to Portsmouth, for example... I wasn’t happy with loads of things against Portsmouth.
“We win 1-0, you get clapped off. It's about winning and doing the right things to win. So, yeah, we have had to change at home. We have had to change how we play, whether that's the opposition set-up. We've had to change things, basically getting Dobbo off the middle, that type of thing. But that happens throughout the season all the time.”
On whether the atmosphere at the end of the game was alarming...
“I think that's used too much (the word toxic),” said Heckingbottom. “You said it all the time when I came in. It's part of football. If you're not winning, people aren't going to be happy. If you're winning, then people are happy.”
On it looking like being another poor end to a season for PNE - and if there is concern that the club gets comfy and falls away...
“It's certainly not comfy,” said Heckingbottom. “I questioned that last year. There were different scenarios, but there's nothing comfy about this year. I think there's a perception... I spoke downstairs about, ‘Were you overachieving earlier on?’ That's dangerous in itself because it gives people an out.
“It's okay for us if we don't finish up there. Does that make sense? And that's what I don't like. But is it hard to compete in this division? Yes, 100%. And if we'd have started slowly and rose up, the feeling is different; we're still in the same place.
“But certainly, playing when you've got a target on your back is totally different to being an underdog. And that takes a different mindset, calibre of player, approach, everything. I get what you mean, and I questioned that last year... But it's not, 100%.”
On the importance of improvement as fans will be sick of seeing another poor finish to the season...
“Yes, but it's not even where you finish,” said Heckingbottom. “It's the next game. You want to win it. Maybe it's that type of thing everyone's always talking about when we're up there. Everyone's talking about promotion, everyone's talking about play-offs. I'm just thinking about the next game and winning it.
“So does that get into people's heads? Fans? Players? Yes, it probably does. Maybe. The most important thing is doing your job in the next game. Not anything else. The best players can do it. The most successful teams can do it.
“The easy thing is identifying what's wrong; you can see that. And that, from the start of the season to now, is totally different. If we have to battle that out and that's 0-0 till the very end, then it's 0-0 till the very end. We can't give goals away like that.”
On lifting the lads and if it’s gloomy in there...
”Well, they will be,” said Heckingbottom. “You mentioned the atmosphere at the end. Of course, because no-one likes it. But it's part of the job. It's part of being a professional footballer. Everyone kept taking the ball.
“We just weren't ruthless enough, dominant enough in their box. But everyone kept taking the ball, everyone kept trying to play forward, everyone kept trying to run in the box. But, back to that point, they were better in our box than we were in theirs.”
On whether there is an obvious way to spark a return to form...
“Yeah, do your jobs,” said Heckingbottom. “Just do your jobs. You can make the game hard for yourself. That's it. And we made the game hard for ourselves today.”