Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe is under increasing pressure after another heavy defeat, this time losing 5-1 at Watford.
Take us back to August and September, please.
We still had some sun in our lives and PNE were riding high at the top of the Championship table.
Six wins a row had North End fans dreaming of a push for the Premier League but the dark nights have drawn in and North End’s season has taken a turn.
Saturday’s 5-1 thumping at the hands of Watford means PNE have now won just three of the last 15 Championship games.
Eight defeats in that run is a major concern but it’s not just that – it’s the number of goals PNE are conceding.
Defensive record under Ryan Lowe leaves PNE fans worried
Watford’s five-goal haul at Deepdale on Saturday means PNE have now conceded at least four goals in four separate games this season.
The other results were a 4-0 defeat to West Bromwich Albion, 4-2 defeat at Ipswich Town and 4-0 loss at Middlesbrough.
North End are still eighth and only four points off the Championship playoff places, which doesn’t look all that bad if you just look at the table.
PNE’s goal difference now stands at minus 10 though; the only four Championship clubs with worse goal difference this season are the bottom four – Rotherham United, Sheffield Wednesday, Queens Park Rangers and Huddersfield Town.
Every team will lose games – that’s just football.
But the manner of these defeats is becoming concerning in terms of how North End can be completely thrashed on a regular basis.
We took a look through the recent managerial history at PNE, searching for the frequency of league games with four or more goals conceded.
Ryan Lowe now stands at a staggering 12 games in which PNE have conceded at least four goals out of his 93 league games in charge of the club.
Frankie McAvoy had two in 29, Alex Neil had five in 176 and Simon Grayson and four in 201 league games.
That means those three managers combined for 11 games with four or more goals conceded across 406 league matches.
For the Lowe era to already have more than that tally is deeply concerning and speaks to defensive issues at PNE.
There have been lingering questions about the athletic ability of PNE’s defenders with mobility a recurring problem.
This is an area of the pitch which clearly needs some attention in 2024 and, hopefully, as soon as the January transfer window.
North End haven’t even kept a single home clean sheet this season and, whilst PNE are still in touch with the playoffs spots, it’s hard to make a case for a team getting promoted with these defensive issues.
The thing with North End – and the Lowe era as a whole – is that you could also see PNE going on an improved run.
PNE have been streaky throughout Lowe’s tenure; when he was under enormous pressure earlier this year, North End suddenly went on a run of one defeat in 11 with five clean sheets along the way.
There was also a stunning run of clean sheets to start last season, so PNE are capable of putting these display together.
North End certainly need to find one of those runs soon, or the pressure on Lowe will only build.