Ryan Lowe urges Preston North End to address what they want to do this season after play-off setback

North End were beaten by bottom side Huddersfield Town 2-1 on Boxing Day, impacting their attempts to solidify a place in the play-offs. They could have jumped into the top six with a win but instead are now ninth, but only a point off the pace.

Lowe is hoping for reinforcements in January, having wanted a couple more in the summer that he was not able to get, but wants to make sure ambitions line up throughout.

“I've said to the group, we need to address what we want,” he said.

“We have got a small squad and we have got small budgets but that doesn't matter, you can still overachieve.

"We've got to have a real good think of what we want to do, do we want to have a real good go at it or do you just want to consolidate in the Championship and finish mid table?

"Well, I don't want to do that, I know the fans don't want to do that, I know the players don't. But at some point we're going to have to look at it and think we're not quite good enough to get to where we want to get to and maybe it's us thinking we can overachieve and force our way into the play-off pack."

PNE will play West Bromwich Albion on Thursday, 8pm, who are currently climbing the table under former Terriers boss Carlos Corberan.

Lowe feels that mixing it with sides such as the Baggies, who have one of the strongest squads in the division, should give his side confidence.

He said: "You see the teams that are coming late like West Brom and Middlesborugh, they're all going to potentially be up there. It should give us the confidence that if you're in and around it, why not go for it?

"Ultimately, we're going to have to take stock. Am I putting too much pressure on the players to say can you finish in there?

"I don't know we'll have to have a conversation amongst us all and see where we can get to. I believe the Championship is open for anyone to get into those play-off positions.

"The last two games haven't been good enough for us to do that.”