Paul Heckingbottom's response to potential Preston North End relegation scrap fears after Portsmouth loss

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom is focused more on performance than his side’s current league position.

The Lilywhites, after 15 games, occupy 20th in the Championship table - with 15 points on the board. In the 13 fixtures under Heckingbottom, North End have won three, drawn six and lost four. Preston threw a three goal lead away at Plymouth Argyle, and also led Norwich City two-nil at Deepdale.

A poor offside call went against them in the goalless draw at Burnley, and PNE had to play 50+ minutes against Blackburn Rovers with ten-men. But, there have been really poor days against Millwall, Bristol City and now Portsmouth - whom North End lost 3-1 to last weekend.

Heckingbottom is firmly of the belief his side should be higher in the table than they are - it was a point he stressed after last Wednesday’s share of the spoils with league leaders Sunderland. But, the way his side performed at Fratton Park served as a blow to his belief.

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"We are in it, at the wrong end of the table," said Heckingbottom, when asked if he is worried about getting dragged into it. "But, my concern is not league position at the minute. My concern is that first half performance. It just erodes confidence, which I have been developing a lot of - in terms of the players’ performances.

“We all know we have not picked up the points our performances have merited - whether that has been us not being clinical enough with chances, or decisions going against us. But, that first half sort of erodes a lot of that confidence."

For that reason, the next fortnight will be a frustrating period for the PNE chief - who will have to reflect on his side’s display on the south coast, and the efforts so far during his tenure. It’s Derby County at Deepdale up next for Preston, on November 23.

When asked if it’s a good time to reset, Heckingbottom told BBC Lancashire: "Not for me, now I have just witnessed that game. It has spoiled my next two weeks until the next game. But, listen, we need it - in terms of having more options at the top end of the pitch and freshening things up. We will have more options from the bench, because it has been an issue when we've had a hectic schedule. It's more mental fatigue than physical.”