Ryan Lowe names Preston North End aim despite regrets this season about expectations

Lowe captivated PNE fans in the early days of his tenure, implementing a different style of play and speaking openly about the fanbase and how much they meant to him and the team’s success.

It led to a huge uptake in season card sales, along with good pricing, and the Lilywhites’ faithful were keen to see their guy have a tilt at the top six.

Those aims seemed a little way off early doors as PNE struggled for goals and either further away when they slipped into the bottom half and couldn’t win home games after returning from the World Cup break.

At the time, Lowe was wishing he’d chosen his words differently in the summer and encouraged a change in expectations, this time around however he has made similar claims as he did in the last close season.

He said: “Last season I came in, I'd watched loads of the Championship and I was surprised in two ways with the Championship.

"One, there were games to win, and two, you could do what you wanted to in terms of play your football or go long. There were different styles.

"This season we've been in the mix of it, beaten some good teams and had some good results. I've always said that you have to build from that and the progression.

"The progression has to be 11 points last season, six points this season and then next year you have to use it as motivation.

"Next year we might fall short again, I don't know, we won't know until we get there, and it won't be the lack of trying. What is the point of me saying we're going to finish mid table when I don't want that. If we do that, it's a kick in the teeth again, isn't it?”

Lowe wants a spot amongst the elite of the league and feels North End have the right combination to set them up to reach that goal.

He continued: "My drive and ambition is to take the football club to the play-offs - minimum - and to try and get them an opportunity to get where we want to get to, like most teams in the division.

"If you can't be one of the two best then you've got to be three, four, five, six, if you can. That's got to be the aim. I wouldn't sit here and say 'oh we're going to finish mid table,' even if the budget says we're this or that.

"We've got to overachieve everything and I think are lads are well coached, well drilled, well taught and we have a fantastic togetherness in the place. Coming in every day, it's a good place to work. When you've got them, that gives you the drive to go and be successful and that's what we want to do.”