4 talking points as Preston North End's season has all too familiar look after Oxford United defeat

The home games

We may as well get it out of the way. Since New Year’s Day, it’s been really deflating and depressing at Deepdale. North End were far from convincing but found a way to beat Portsmouth, in their only home win to date since Sheffield Wednesday’s visit on January 1. They also battled back well after a crazy 60 seconds against Watford.

But it’s five defeats, one draw and one victory, with 12 goals conceded and four scored. You didn’t expect Preston to go as low as they did against Hull City but Friday ran it close; an utterly miserable evening. Home is where the vast majority of supporters watch their team; it can never become an easy place for visiting teams.

This is a cut-throat industry and you do not want an excuse culture, but the deterioration of Preston’s pitch has had a devastating impact. That is just a fact. Away teams have rocked up and got the job done but the Lilywhites just haven’t been able to adapt. The two players driving the team’s play-off push were Alfie Devine and Lewis Dobbin; the conditions have hit those two as hard as anyone.

Manager Paul Heckingbottom has pointed out that every team to win at Deepdale this year has had less possession in the game; North End had 37% against Pompey. Alex Neil described it as a ‘defender’s game’ at Deepdale now, after guiding his Millwall team to victory. Look at the goals Preston have been conceding: set-pieces, second phases, transitions.

The damage to the season looks done but there may now be an argument for treating home games like away trips: sit in, invite and spring when the opportunity arises. On your own patch that’s never the way you want to go but PNE have looked vulnerable at the back and tame at the other end.

Life has been sucked out of Deepdale as well. When the team gets going there will always be a response. But it’s mostly quiet, and come the closing stages against the U’s it was half-empty. When you’ve seen the movie plenty of times before, it doesn’t take much for hope to evaporate. There was genuine excitement bubbling at times this season but that backdrop never really goes away.

The sucker-punches

For North End, the last few weeks have resembled a boxer getting smashed in the face multiple times. Back-to-back hammerings in the space of five days, the 92nd minute at Ipswich, 95th minute at Blackburn Rovers, 95th minute at Swansea City and zero points from successive home games.

What does all of that do to a group? Heckingbottom conceded on Friday night that it is ‘totally different’ to the start of the season. You cannot measure confidence and a former PNE boss always used to say it can’t be given, but taken away so quickly. A team that promised plenty has looked an absolute shadow of itself of late.

The transfer window

It was always going to be a huge factor and unfortunately, Preston’s latest transfer window is looking worse and worse. Milos Lukovic has played 45 minutes of football and Andrew Moran has played three. Of course, the Irishman may well go on to be an important player for North End. He was someone being eyed for the summer and PNE had the opportunity to bring him in earlier, which is all well and good.

But if there was ever a season to prioritise immediate impact, it was this one. North End sat fourth in the Championship table after victory at Bristol City. It’s getting boring keep repeating that but it has to be done. Preston got the man Heckingbottom wanted in Callum Lang for a handsome sum - by their standards. He suffered a concerning injury last Friday and an update is awaited with apprehension.

Preston also lost three midfielders: Harrison Armstrong back to Everton, Stefan Thordarson to Hannover and Mads Frokjaer to Brondby. Reasonable business was done when it came to the latter two, who were struggling for consistent game time and probably craved new challenges. But they both offered a different dynamic and, on top of Armstrong’s return, the midfield has effectively ended up three light.

Hopefully, Moran can get himself involved in the coming weeks and start to show what he will bring to the table long-term. Heckingbottom didn’t have any grumbles when asked about January recently. Did PNE’s window scream of seizing the moment and believing promotion is possible? You would struggle to say yes and with the team where it was, that’s a difficult thing to accept.

The manager

It doesn’t take much for noise to rise and Friday was probably the worst post-match reception given to Heckingbottom and co, since his appointment. He has overseen one win in the last 10 games and will know that results - regardless of circumstances - are the be-all-and-end-all.

But this is a manager who had his team looking so well placed at the mid-way point of the campaign. To ignore the challenges faced and blows suffered since then would feel wrong and unfair. Nonetheless, the expectation to win never goes away and patience is at an all time low in football.

Some stats and numbers do not reflect well on the North End boss, such as his win percentage. Clearly, last season hampers that: one which was always going to be tough given the ridiculous start to it.

Moving forward, a more ruthless streak has to be instilled in the team. That will be the big test for the manager. His side haven’t felt far away for a decent chunk of his tenure but they have struggled to grab the moment. Preston have drawn an awful lot of games and and failed to get over the line in many games they ought to have done.

But before the recent slide there was - more often than not - a competitiveness about Heckingbottom’s PNE. You turned up and expected the Lilywhites give as good as they got, their floor didn’t feel particularly low. When that is the case there is a trust in place and stats aren’t getting looked into; losses are taken that bit easier.

Which, has been the most disappointing thing of late: a familiar, unwanted look to the team rearing its head. Describing his team as a ‘soft touch’ post-Oxford must’ve hurt - that is surely against everything Heckingbottom stands for.

The next game is as tough as it gets and the one after that, based on recent form, is up there too. If there’s ever a time to hone in and not look to far ahead, then it’s now for Preston. The play-offs look as good as gone for another year and so, barring a miracle, this is now about restoring some pride and faith.