Preston North End boss explains four changes against Birmingham City amid selection admission
PNE fell to a 0-1 defeat at home against Birmingham City on Tuesday night
Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom explained his team needed freshening up against Birmingham City.
The Lilywhites were beaten 0-1 by Chris Davies’ side, with Phil Neumann’s controversial goal on 33 minutes earning Birmingham all three points. North End saw two late penalty appeals waved away and were unable to find an equaliser, as they fell to their first home defeat of the season.
With another game to come on Friday night, at home to Sheffield United, Heckingbottom deemed it necessary to rotate for the visit of the Blues. Odel Offiah, Ali McCann, Michael Smith and Daniel Jebbison came in for Thierry Small, Alfie Devine, Lewis Dobbin and Milutin Osmajic.
“We need energy,” said Heckingbottom. “We've got players who are desperate to be playing, performing well and deserve to be on the pitch, and that's what we want. So there's every chance there'll be a few more changes in the next game. Not necessarily, because I've not thought about it yet, but there's every chance because we've got a group of players who are performing in that way.”
Preston’s bench on Tuesday boasted a wealth of attacking options, with Mads Frokjaer and Stefan Thordarson both unused substitutes on the night. Heckingbottom admitted post-match that he’s facing some particularly difficult calls at the moment when it comes to team selection.
“Yeah, it's hard,” said Heckingbottom. “It takes some thinking about, but I'd much rather have it that way - much, much rather have it that way and we can keep energy, we can keep freshness.
“I felt we started the second half brilliant; we got on top again early and were really pushing, but then when Thierry (Small) came on the left, we could play that little bit higher because we were that advanced.”
“Same with Alfie (Devine) for Ali (McCann), and I felt we got a little bit more again. Then at the end with Lewis (Dobbin), he basically played right wing back but right wing for us - because Odel (Offiah) was there earlier, so it's a lot better to have those type of options to bring on.
“And, I challenged the players before the game for us to be making subs when we're winning today. Again, I can't say that they've got that wrong because we should have been winning when we were making the subs.”
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