'WE KNEW WHO WE WANTED AND WE KEPT OUR NERVE'

DURING a grisly run of results at Deepdale last winter, Ryan Lowe told disgruntled Preston supporters that if they didn’t want him, he’d pack his bags.

- Chris Dunlavy

Thankfully for all concerned, it never happened. On Tuesday night, the Lilywhites beat Birmingham 2-1 to go top of the nascent Championship table with a sixth win from seven games and extend a flawless record on home turf. So how close did Lowe come to walking away?

“Not close at all,” admits the former Bury and Plymouth manager. “But I did mean it. In any walk of life, if you don’t feel wanted or you don’t think the job you’re doing is good enough, then you’ve got to consider your future. Nobody wants to outstay their welcome.

“Honestly, though, that’s never been the case here. All fans vent their frustration when you aren’t winning games of football, and at the time I felt some of the abuse the players were getting overstepped the mark.

“What I really wanted was everyone to be on the same page, to show a bit of patience, and since that day that’s certainly what’s happened.

So credit where credit is due - the fans have been different class ever since.”

As has their team. Since the defeat to Bristol City in February that sparked Lowe’s outburst, the Lilywhites have collected 41 points from 22 matches, seven more than any current Championship side.

“I always believed that once we got a squad together that could compete with each other we’d be a very good team,” says Lowe, whose side finished six points outside the play-off places last term.

“We spoke in the summer about having a maverick, a Speedy Gonzalez and another goalscorer with Emil (Riis) being injured. We’ve done that, and added a bit more quality as well.