'Ruben has...' - Paul Heckingbottom pinpoints exactly what Preston North End can expect from Hull City
It’s the Tigers at Deepdale for PNE on Boxing Day
Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom assures his players know what is coming against Hull City on Boxing Day.
The Lilywhites host the Tigers in a 15:00 kick-off - PNE’s players were given Christmas Day off. North End are looking to bounce back from last weekend’s crushing defeat to Queens Park Rangers, who won 2-1 in the 89th minute at Loftus Road.
Next up for Preston is a side set to play their fourth match under a new boss. Ruben Selles made the move from Reading to Hull in mid-December - the successor to Tim Walter has since overseen one draw, one defeat and one win. PNE boss Heckingbottom sees a clear pattern to their play.
"Ruben has come in and straight away you can see what he is trying to do, in terms of the shape," said Heckingbottom. "It has been the same in all three games - I managed to see some of the (Swansea) game. Similar personnel, as well.
“How they build, the energy at the top end of the pitch and what they do without the ball, I cannot imagine him coming away from that. It is his blueprint; very similar at Reading. So yeah, Hull, we know what we are going to face.
"They build with their centre-backs and the deep midfielder, but then they are not scared to play forward passes. There will be a lot of forward running from their eights - the two high midfielders. Once the game gets stretched and they see gaps, they will play pretty direct passes.
“They build and build and build and try to frustrate, create gaps and then go long pretty quickly. Without the ball, 4-3-3, very narrow and they try to force you where they want you to go. They have done alright... won one, drawn one and lost one but like I say, there is a clear style so they are obviously going to keep getting better and better at it.”