'Things need to change - Paul Heckingbottom's passionate reply to Preston North End relegation fear question

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom doesn’t believe anyone should’ve presumed the Lilywhites were safe this season.

The Lilywhites fell to a last gasp 1-2 defeat at home to Queens Park Rangers on Good Friday. It is now one win in PNE’s last 12 league games, with two points picked up from the five matches post-international break. North End hit the front on Friday, but conceded on 80 and 94 minutes.

Defeat to Marti Cifuentes’ side - who were one point and place above Preston going into the game - left the Deepdale club sitting in 17th spot. North End are six points clear of 22nd placed Luton Town, with three games left to contest.

Heckingbottom’s side go to Hull City on Monday and then host Plymouth Argyle, with the final day of the season at high flying Bristol City. The PNE chief was asked post-QPR if he feels another win will be enough to guarantee Championship status.

“Yeah but I've said before, everyone's narrative starts changing and then that plays into everything you're saying is a problem here,” said Heckingbottom. “Presuming you're safe when you're not... Do you know what I mean? Our conversations change; the narrative changes. You've always got something to play for, but that talk is what fuels part of this problem I'm speaking about, and the changing mentality. You could be playing five-a-side, table tennis, pool, darts... you should be wanting to stamp on someone to win the game.

“We're doing nothing, nothing, and that's it - not everyone, because I’m being harsh on some. If we were still in the FA Cup, the conversation we'd be having, the conversations everyone in the club would be having, would be different, the mentality of everyone would be different. It shows me it's not in you; it's not in you to win and you know, you want a comfortable life. You want to be, yeah, not stretched every day.”

Heckingbottom pulled no punches in his post-match press conference, admitting he has built a picture on everything this season and seen things he doesn’t like. He has been in the door since August 20 and focused, in the main, on the present. But, does he feel a decade of mid-table finishes in the division is a contributing factor to the feel he gets around the club?

“Yeah, but I'm talking within that, where the budget is and things like that,” said Heckingbottom. “I get the overachievement bit, but what I'm saying is don't be satisfied with that because at some point it will make you come unstuck. Resources are not going to change but with that cannot come lower targets, or an acceptance that: ‘Do you know what? We're doing well, we're overachieving a bit’. It can't... things need to change.”

“We needed more character, drive...”

Heckingbottom is well aware of PNE’s recent poor finishes to their league campaigns, and was strong on the fact it cannot be a ‘coincidence’ or ‘fluke’. For all the changes he wants to make, though, fitness of his squad is not a concern to the boss.

“I walked out on to the pitch today with Ledo, Ali, Pottsy,” said Heckingbottom. “I'm looking at our midfield today, and the things I'm speaking about, that’s three great changes there straight away if we needed to. So, changes, I was thinking of putting young Theo on for Mads at the end there. Is young Theo ready? No chance, he's not ready, but done great.

“And do you know what? I should have, looking at that second goal. So, that's where we're at with it, I get that. Arguably, two of the characters who have shown a real good desire were on the bench... Porto and Lewis. But we didn't need defenders on the pitch; we needed more character, drive and a winning mentality from the players higher up the pitch. So, yeah, the squad's an issue but not fitness of the individual players, no.”

Your next PNE read: Preston North End man admits relegation threat after QPR loss