PNE return to Deepdale on Saturday to host Charlton Athletic

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom discussed all things Charlton Athletic, the challenge they will present on Saturday, Nathan Jones, Thierry Small and more in Thursday’s pre-match press conference.

They look like a pretty awkward side to play, Charlton?

“Yeah, listen, I’d liken them to us,” Heckingbottom told BBC Lancashire. “I think they've got a lot of similarities to us and in that I mean the bits that I like about us, I like about Charlton. Our challenge is to try and be better than them. We know what they are.

“They've not changed too much from last season when we played them in the cup, in terms of their set-up, how they'll play against the ball, how they try and make life difficult and create chances. But what they have done is added more quality.

“They've spent a fair amount of money for a promoted team that's been dwarfed by obviously Wrexham and Birmingham, but it's no surprise to me that they're doing really, really well because Nathan's really clear on how he wants his team to play.

“The money they've spent has been on good players, but good players who fit what they're about as well. So we played them last season and they've improved no end, so it's going to be a really good game.”

Is there a clear strength to Charlton, or just a really solid team who are adaptable?

“The standout strength is the team,” said Heckingbottom. “They'll have a real clear plan against the ball, against us. Defensively, they're very, very good. And when I say that, I'm not saying they're a blueprint but they're really clear on how they want to defend and they're very, very good at it, which makes creating chances against them hard.

“And like I said, they've got no ego and they're not bothered about how they come across. They're happy to not make passes, but create chances. Again, that's a good quality to have. So they will 100 per cent keep us honest and it'll be a close, intense at times game where we've got to earn everything.”

How do you find going up against Nathan Jones? He’s a passionate guy...

“Yeah, all my dealings with Nathan - in person, on the phone, the pitch - have been good,” said Heckingbottom. “I've heard he rubs people up the wrong way! But no, like I said, I've got nothing but praise for what I see. What he's done again at Charlton - very similar to his Luton team when they came up.

“So that's not a surprise to me that he's following the same sort of plan, being able to strengthen again. I saw him last season, I remember speaking to him after the game and they went on an amazing run after the game. I think they were certainly outside the play-offs when we played them.

“But I remember saying to him that they were absolutely nailed on for a minimum play-off (finish), in my opinion, from what I'd seen of them. I know he felt the same, he felt that the squad was just coming together. So yeah, listen, he knows what he's doing, he knows what his team's all about and he'll be happy with how they started.”

Does it show what you can do as a newly promoted team with not a massive budget... if you get things right you can compete and be a good side at this level?

“Yeah, to win you've got to do that, you've got to get the basics right,” Heckingbottom told BBC Lancashire. “Listen, I'd love to spend 10, 12 million, whatever they've spent and then see where we are.

“But that does put more emphasis on what you're talking about, which is getting good characters in the building, having a clear identity, trying to work towards that every single day, every game and then get game plans right, players who really buy into it and try and execute it. Then you've got a great chance. In terms of performance, that's where I think we're similar teams.”

Will it be a nice challenge for Thierry Small against his former club?

“You never know,” Heckingbottom told BBC Lancashire. “Everyone reacts to these games differently. But, yeah, it's irrelevant. He's a Preston player and he's got to try and perform for us. That's it. That's it. So, no, it shouldn't be any different.”

How well has he settled in?

“Settled in well, yeah,” Heckingbottom told BBC Lancashire. “The personality is great. Thierry is a work in progress, still really, really young and we want to make it really simple for him, keep his job simple and just try and get him to use his attributes.

“But, while he's playing, training and progressing, we need to keep trying to add little bits to his game as well. He's come in, hit the ground running... we know there’s going to be bumps in the road, as with all young players.

“But, as I said, he could prove a really important player for us this season. In every game there's bits he needs to tidy up on, but there's bits he shows which are why we brought him - and which we didn't have last season. That's what we need to focus on: the bits that we didn't have last season, the bits that set him apart.

“All the other bits we'll work on over time and be patient with, because he gives his all for the team. If he does anything wrong it's not through choice, it's through either a lack of knowledge or trying to do the right things at the wrong time. He's a really, really honest player who tries his best for the team.”

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