‘It starts now’ - Paul Heckingbottom responds to Preston North End fans’ criticism and defensive errors

Paul Heckingbottom has responded to criticism directed at him by Preston North End fans.

North End have lost their opening four Championship matches and find themselves at the foot of the table at this early point in the season.

Over the summer Heckingbottom has stressed that, if PNE are to get results, a stronger squad - more suited to his preferred system - has to be assembled.

With the PNE boss now satisfied with the business conducted in the past couple of months, he believes now is the time when North End can really be judged.

He spoke to the media on Thursday and was asked by BBC Radio Lancashire about the shortage of wins in 2026 - six in 29 games across all competitions, and only four since February.

“It starts now,” he said, “the window's shut, we’ve got the players. We are what we are now. We can start getting to work.

“The squad's changed every single week from the first game so that's the way we've done it.

“We've tried to add the players that we can bring in. Now we've got the players.

“Now we start getting to work and building the relationship, attacking and defending. That's the only way we can do it.“

When asked about fan unhappiness following the loss at Charlton, Heckingbottom was asked if there should be more patience as a fresher team starts to gel.

“In terms of that, that's a reality. They are the facts. This is the team now,” he told BBC Radio Lancashire.

“There's no way we had a competitive team at the start of the season. Even now, we lost five centre forwards in the summer and we've replaced them with two, so we're going to have to get goals and assists and create chances in other ways.”

“I think we've done that. We've tried that with the wider players. We'll need the goals from centre-backs as well this season, which we haven't previously had enough of.

“So there's lots of ways that we can improve with that but we've got the tools now.

“We've put the squad together and now we have to get to work and get wins because that's the only way that the noise stops.

“You've got to start winning, as much as we've mentioned about how we're going to start to compete and maybe improve resources and get to the level where we can really push.

“Now we've made that first step. Last year, I think I said we made a good effort towards it.

“But this year now, we've invested in more young players who are ours. Last year, the young players were the loan players and we did well in that deal last year to keep Alfie [Devine].

“There was some good business last summer. We've tried to do more this summer. But now we've got to put it to work because ultimately your players are only worth money if you're winning games.”

Asked if fans should be confident of results improving from this point onwards, he told BBC Radio Lancashire: “That's up to them but we’ve got to do it. Simple.

“I'm not a big fan of you guys [the media] and talking. It's about us winning games now. That's it.

“That's what we're going to be judged on from now on. Like I said, the first day we'll all be together, it will be tomorrow on the grass.

“We've got lots of games so there's going to be lots of coaching by video and individuals. But I think certainly in however long it takes, there'll be proof and we'll be proven right that we've signed some good players here definitely this summer.

“That's ultimately what the transfer window is about. Our priority now is winning games in the short term, forget all that other stuff about progressing and finishing as high as we possibly can and promotions and growing the club.

“We know that's further down the line, but the strategy has sort of been identified in how we want to try and get to those places.”

The manner in which goals have been conceded so far this season has been a talking point, with several of them owing to individual errors.

Heckingbottom defended his players as he spoke about how the mistakes have been highlighted.

He told BBC Radio Lancashire: “Individual mistakes, they’re never meant, and they're not part of the team's set-up, if you like.

“The [third] goal the other night [against Bristol City] or not tracking a runner or following, that is down to that individual.

“In terms of the team ethic, and you defend from the front. The more you get right at the top end of the pitch and limit chances or make play predictable from the opposition, the easier it is then to deal with at the back.

“That can sort of start now, that work, because we've got the bodies in. But any sort of individual errors, they are what they are. No one means to do them.

“Sometimes players go through bad moments with it. There's never any intent there.”