Smells like team spirit says Preston North End boss Frankie McAvoy

North End have lost their first two Championship games, 4-1 to Hull City and 2-1 to Reading respectively.

The PNE head coach’s task is to find the winning formula for his side, starting with this evening’s game against Huddersfield Town (7.45pm).

They will have plenty of eyes on them, as they game is being played in front of the Sky cameras.

For McAvoy, the key thing is to maintain positivity and resist criticism.

He told the Lancashire Post: “It’s probably the biggest thing, you cannot change the past, it’s happened.

“What we’ve got to do is analyse it and see if we can improve on that. It’s pretty easy to criticise after you lose a game but what you have to do is be as constructive as you can.

“At the end of the day, a lot of these lads were here last season when we were in a precarious position and we got ourselves out of it.

“We have to make sure that the biggest thing we’ve got is team spirit and camaraderie and we have to make sure that continues.

“We need to make sure players keep believing in themselves because they don’t become bad players overnight.”

Like the Lilywhites, the Terriers are also searching for their first win of the season.

Last time out they were beaten 5-1 by Fulham but the North End boss is taking that with a pinch of salt.

He said: “If you’re going to judge them just on the last game they played, then they’re playing Fulham who have just come down from the Premier League and they are generally tough games.

“We watched their game against Derby County and they probably shaded it, there wasn’t a lot in it.

“And they started well on Saturday and goals change games, there was a mistake for their first goal and Huddersfield actually had a goal chalked off early on.

“Through our times playing them it’ll be a tough game on Tuesday night.

“They make it tough for you, really difficult, and again it’ll be a tough game. 

“We played well there last season and we beat them later on in the season but as I keep saying to people, we can’t dwell on the past.

“We’ve just got to look at the games coming up and deal with them. In the Championship they come thick and fast.

“At the moment what we need to do is try and start picking up points and hopefully that will start on Tuesday night.

“We’ll give Huddersfield the respect they’re due but at the same time we’ll be trying to win the game.”