Chaos and change - Preston North End's first month of the Championship season rated

Preston North End’s start to the 2024/25 season is unlikely to be forgotten anytime soon. Granted, not for brilliant reasons. The opening weeks of the campaign were always going to be crunch ones for Ryan Lowe, but it was still a major shock to see him, essentially, walk after one game. A bizarre, and far from ideal, situation to unfold - which plunged the Lilywhites into an uncertain place early doors. Mike Marsh lasted two games as caretaker; a massive decision was suddenly in store for the PNE powers.

There seems to be a general, and understandable, consensus that this particular Championship campaign could be one of the most dangerous for some time. You would be brave to bank on any team definitely being in trouble, which - as things stand - makes the drop zone look wide open for any club who slips up or slacks. That made the criteria for the next appointment at Deepdale seem pretty simple. This was a time to edge towards the tried and tested, but also someone under whom PNE could evolve with time.

Paul Heckingbottom is not an overly shiny name, but once the decision was made, he spoke and his team played at Deepdale for the first time, the right feelings set in. Time will tell just how far the 47-year-old can take it; if he comes up short he will simply be the next to do so at Deepdale. But, for now, Hecky - alongside sidekick Stuart McCall - should ensure that North End are alright. That is not a given, by any means, but the backing of the supporters and buy-in from an experienced squad is a solid platform from which to build.

And the former is so important. There is a huge onus on the coach at Preston - given the competition and relatively basic behind the scenes set-up. North End’s recent overseas recruitment has been refreshing, and the continued financial backing is of course to be admired, but you would struggle to label anything off the pitch as overly advanced or innovative. So, it’s paramount the manager has the fans right behind them.

It is then on the boss to squeeze every last drop out of the squad and coach the life out of the players, so that there is absolute clarity come match day. So far, Heckingbottom has delved impressively into the detail behind North End’s performances - both good and bad. North End’s intensity, energy and aggression levels against Luton Town were bang on the money... exactly the kind of display the Deepdale faithful want to see from their team. Harrogate was great fun; Oxford extremely frustrating.

On the transfer front, another defender in the building would’ve certainly been welcomed. Refreshing that back line felt like a necessary box to tick in the summer, and it wasn’t. That said, there are five senior, contracted players back there - plus youngster Kian Best. Sometimes outs are needed to facilitate ins. The five signings PNE did make resemble pretty positive business, even if they are all very much for the here and now.

Stefan Thordarson brings a degree of class - consistency over the 90 minutes will now be key for the Iceland international, who has star quality. Kaine Kesler-Hayden has energy in abundance and should play an important role over the course of the campaign, while Sam Greenwood can be pleased with his last two outings - on an individual note. After the break, we should learn all about Josh Bowler and Jeppe Okkels - it will be intriguing to see how Heckingbottom fits both players in, what roles they carry out and whether the North End manager sticks by the back three, moving forward.

Middlesbrough, Fulham and Blackburn Rovers is a testing week for the Lilywhites, but the last fortnight on the training pitch will have been incredibly valuable for the manager. With three points from the first four games of the season, PNE need results over the next two or three weeks. If performance is at the right level - and Heckingbottom knows what that looks like - then the rest should take care of itself. A challenge is undoubtedly ahead, but that is nothing new in the Championship. Preston must view it as an opportunity to truly get a new era going. Show the same courage, fight and quality in moments as they did against the Hatters, and that is very much possible.