Preston North End failed to follow up their morale boosting win on Boxing Day, as normal service was resumed at Deepdale.
Sheffield Wednesday’s solitary goal in the first half was enough to give them the three points, as Preston’s blunt attack could not muster a goal. The victory over Leeds United had to be followed up by a positive display on Friday but it’s back to the drawing board once again for Ryan Lowe.
Wednesday had just 4 points away before this game
Sheffield Wednesday have been stuck in the bottom three all season, and despite a mini revival since the arrival of Danny Rohl, they are still some way from getting out of danger. Their away record has been very poor with just one win and one draw before coming to Deepdale. But they will have fancied their chances given Preston had lost three of their previous four at home.
We should have started the game in the same manner as we did against Leeds, but we were slower and not as fired up in these rainy conditions.
Ultimately we should have defended much better for their goal. Jack Whatmough and Liam Lindsay didn’t deal with two headers and before you knew it Marvin Johnson was through on goal. Freddie Woodman again failed to make a save, and was beaten at his near post.
Is there a plan B?
Liam Millar showed the rest of the league exactly what he is capable of with a match winning performance against Leeds. Unsurprisingly Wednesday had done their homework on him, and he had two sometimes three players on him all match.
With Millar marked out of the game we needed another option to break down a team now happy to sit back after taking the lead.
It won’t come as a surprise to many that Ben Whiteman and Ali McCann constantly passing the ball sideways wasn’t the answer.
Perhaps the most frustrating part of the first half was in the last minute of added on time we chose to pass the ball across the defence for 60 seconds until the referee blew her whistle.
Strikers can’t enjoy playing in this team
In the second half we had more urgency but it was just floated crosses into the box time after time. To be fair to Brad Potts he did put some good balls into dangerous areas, but there was never anyone on the end of them.
The strikers barely ever had the ball played into their feet. Milutin Osmajic was chasing long balls in the first half, and in the second the Montenegrin alongside Ched Evans didn’t get any change from the Wednesday defenders.
Ryan Lowe was a striker himself, but he wouldn’t be able to do much in a team like this. There needs to be more through balls for them to run onto, or quicker play to open up the defence. It was all too predictable and easy to deal with. The attacking intent was as questionable as the performance of referee Rebecca Welch.
McCann too negative
We relied too much on Liam Millar and Brad Potts to produce something from us from out wide. All our midfielders did was pass sideways. Alan Browne made the odd run forward but Ali McCann found himself in good positions in the first half but he is scared to shoot.
The Northern Irish international has scored just three goals in 83 appearances for Preston and two of them came in one cup game. On the edge of the area you have to sometimes have a go and test the ‘keeper but McCann always chooses to go sideways or backwards.
When you are chasing a game you have to be more positive. His passing was wayward, and he gave away possession far too many times. He overstayed his welcome on the pitch, with Lowe only deciding to replace him with Mads Frokjaer in the 68th minute.
The Dane did everything McCann didn’t. A couple of efforts on goal, one which hit the post, and he found spaces to move into and exploit.
A welcome return for Emil Riis
The club teased the return of another Dane shortly before the teams were announced, and when it was confirmed Emil Riis had a place on the bench the fans were delighted.
He’s essentially missed the whole of 2023 after being injured on the 2nd January at Stoke City. Riis came on as Lowe tried to salvage something from the game, but you can’t expect too much too soon, after a lengthy absence.
It’s great that he’s finally back though, and we will need his goals in the second half of the season.
What next for Lowe?
The manager needed a positive result here or else the Leeds one is quickly forgotten. He remains under pressure and losing against a side coming into the game joint bottom of the table doesn’t help him. It’s the manner of the defeats which makes things worse. Unable to open up a team all match is depressing to watch.
The Owls had scored just 17 goals in 24 games coming into this as well, but they found a way against us. Lowe seems incapable of getting his team to create chances when the opposition sit back. The likes of Frokjaer should be starting games like this. Osmajic needs better service. Holmes shouldn’t have been taken off when he is one of a few players who can change the game.
There’s still so much Lowe needs to learn about this squad to get the best out of them, but patience is wearing very thin among the North End faithful.