'100 per cent' - Paul Heckingbottom names two things he questions 'every day' at Preston North End

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom assures leadership is something he looks all the time in his players - as well as mentality.

Question marks were placed over those two things, after last Saturday’s hugely disappointing 3-1 defeat at Portsmouth. The Lilywhites were well beaten by John Mousinho’s side, who climbed off the foot of the Championship table with victory at Fratton Park.

For North End, the performance mirrored the one put in at Millwall - six weeks ago. Heckingbottom did not like what he saw at The Den and it was a similar story on the south coast. It gives him plenty of thinking to do over the next two weeks, with PNE sitting 20th in the division.

"I always question that (leadership and mentality), because it is one of the biggest things in a football team and squad,” said Heckingbottom. “One hundred per cent, I question it every day. It is something you have to practice, if it is not something you are blessed with and born with.

“There were a lot of the same players on the pitch in the second half, who were much more competitive and aggressive. It's a switch you have to flick. When I was playing, if there was a tackle and someone caught me or got the better of me, it sort of flicks that switch. But, it didn't seem to do that. We had to do it as a group and staff at half-time.”

The 47-year-old has been in the job for almost three months, but was consistent in assuring he came into it with his eyes wide open. Heckingbottom had no pre-season to work with the squad and only 12 days of the summer transfer window left, upon his appointment. He has stressed the need to balance picking up points in the short-term and building something longer-term - but knows this was always going to be a learning season for him at Deepdale.

"Yeah, 100 per cent,” said Heckingbottom. “I think the job makes you impatient, but I am learning about the group and squad. I know, just through experience, it is not always going to be smooth sailing. You always have it and this league does tend to dish up a lot more volatility - in terms of results. So yeah, listen, there is not too much more I want to say on it. I would rather speak internally about it."