Ryan Lowe confirms Preston North End future and plans but remains adamant on mediocre claim

Lowe gave an impassioned post match interview after North End’s last game casting doubt over his future at the club should their ambitions not match his, those being of fighting for promotion and a play-off spot.

He refused to settle for mediocrity, which is where Preston will most likely finish their season, currently in 11th with a highest possible finish of 10th should they beat Sunderland on Monday.

The PNE boss wants to use the disappointment of missing out on the play-offs this term as fuel to drive them on next season.

“We move forward together, as a team,” he said. “We move forward together with communication, conversations and recruitment to be better than what we've been this season.

"I've had time to reflect a little bit over the last few days, it wasn't just the Sheffield United game that cost us a play-off position, it was games before that, and before those. Whether it was 0-0s or 1-1s, whether it was losing games that we should win. What we will do now is me and the staff will pick the brains out of it over the next week and what we could do better. I've already got the analysts on with the data and what we need to do better.

"All of us need to use it as the motivation. I think it was 11 points last season, missing out, I don't know what it'll be this season, we'll have to see after Monday.

"We have to plan together to get to where you want to get to. Those are the conversations that I've already started having.”

Lowe spoke after last week’s 4-1 defeat about not settling for mediocrity and he has stood by those claims. It seems, at least for now, that the rest of the club is on board with those ambitions and now plans are being put into place for next season.

The Preston manager is already working on bringing in some new faces.

He said: “We have improved and I want it to improve. Looking back as a manager, I don't want to settle for mediocre and I've said that numerous times. We've all got to sit down together and plan going forward and that's certainly what we're going to do.

"The conversations have already started, conversations with players and agents have already started and we need to recruit and make sure that we've got enough to try and get us the points that's needed to take the club into the play-offs.”