Preston North End

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Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom is relishing coming up against his former club and Championship promotion favourites Leeds United on Saturday lunchtime.

The 47-year-old managed Leeds for just 16 games in 2018 before being sacked.

"It's always a different feeling when it's one of your former clubs until the game starts but mainly it's because you get asked different questions or there are some familiar faces still there, but really at Leeds there aren't many," Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire.

Preston go into the game having ended a nine-match winless streak with a 2-0 victory at Cardiff City on Wednesday night and the manager is hoping that will lead to an upturn in form.

"We've tried to be really realistic about what we're doing and how we're playing but you can't get away from the fact you need those three points so everyone will feel better without a doubt."

Preston welcome Leeds United to Deepdale on Saturday after picking up their first win in 11 games when they beat Cardiff 2-0 on Wednesday night.

The Whites also picked up three points in midweek in their 3-1 win over Middlesbrough at Elland Road.

Victory for Paul Heckingbottom's side could put further daylight between themselves and the relegation zone, while Leeds are looking to continue their push for automatic promotion.

• Preston North End have won just two of their past 13 league games against Leeds United (D4 L7), though both victories during that time have come at Deepdale including a 2-1 success last season.

• Leeds United will be looking to avoid losing successive away league games against Preston North End for the first time since October 2006 under Dennis Wise.

• Five of Preston's past eight league games at Deepdale have ended in a draw (W2 L1), including each of their previous three matches.

• Leeds have lost two of their past three away league games (W1), as many as in their previous 16 such games (W8 D6).

• Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom has won both previous home games in the EFL against sides he's previously managed, beating Barnsley 2-1 with Leeds in April 2018 and the Tykes against with Sheffield United in March 2022 2-0.

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It was a big three points for Preston in Cardiff on Wednesday night. Not only was it their first victory for 11 games but also the first win away from home this season in the Championship.

Manager Paul Heckingbottom said his side can play better than they did but was delighted to beat the Bluebirds 2-0.

"It's all about the result when we've been playing the way we have been and not managing to get three points," Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire, external.

"That was probably not one of our most dominant performances because I feel with the amount of performances we've put in where we've been easily the better team and only come away with a point, I thought we had to show another side to us."

The Lilywhites boss said winning away is "irrelevant" but it at least "stops people from talking about it", with their last league triumph on the road coming on March 16 at Plymouth, when Ryan Lowe was manager.

"I've just been wanting the win, that's the most important thing," he added.

Heckingbottom also praised the "brilliant" fans for making the 430-mile round trip from Lancashire to the Welsh capital.

"The support has been fantastic, they've followed us everywhere and been as frustrated as I am," Heckingbottom said.

"So for them to get that - it sounds silly, but little moments like that second goal [by Osmajic] and then he can celebrate in front of them.

"It just puts the icing on the cake, so I think it's a good day for everyone."

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Cardiff City's current five-match winless run is their worst since they sacked Erol Bulut in September.

The Welsh side have lost their past two at home, which followed a sequence of four successive victories at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Preston North End are one of only four Championship sides yet to win away from home this season.

• Cardiff have lost two of their past three league games against Preston, having remained unbeaten against the Lancashire side across their prior seven such meetings (W4 D3).

• Preston have won just two of their past 14 away league games against Cardiff (D6 L6), failing to score in four of their past five such matches.

• Preston have only won three of their past 24 away league games against Welsh sides (D6 L15), although one of those was at Cardiff last term (2-0).

• Cardiff have lost both of their past two midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games, last losing three in a row in November 2022.

• Preston's Paul Heckingbottom has won each of his past four Championship meetings with Cardiff (all with Sheffield United) since a 1-0 defeat with Barnsley in November 2017.

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Cardiff City face one of the Championship's most-out-of-form sides on Wednesday night (19:45 GMT kick-off) when fellow strugglers Preston North End visit.

Paul Heckingbottom's side are winless in their last 10 games, having not tasted victory since beating Coventry City on 19 October.

Even more encouragingly for Cardiff fans, Preston are yet to register a single away win in the Championship this season.

The Lilywhites have drawn their last four matches, the most recent 1-1 at Hillsborough on Saturday, when they were 14 minutes away from their first win on the road before Sheffield Wednesday equalised.

Based on form in the last five games, though, Cardiff's record is worse - the Bluebirds have picked up two points in five while Preston have earned four.

Three points over Preston would be the perfect way for Cardiff boss Omer Riza to celebrate getting the manager's job until the end of the season.

The first opportunity to do that was lost when the impact of Storm Darragh forced the postponement of Saturday's home game against Watford.

Riza's side have not won since beating Norwich 2-1 on 2 November.

Only goal difference keeps Cardiff outside the relegation zone, while Preston are two points and four places above the Bluebirds in 17th.

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Sheffield Wednesday are starting to eye a surge towards the play-off positions as they seek a third consecutive win against struggling Preston at Hillsborough.

The Owls' victories away to Hull and Derby have lifted them to 12th in the table and three more points on Saturday could leave them just two shy of a top six place.

North End have followed a rather different trajectory of late, slumping to 18th after a run of eight matches without a victory - although the past three have all been draws. Paul Heckingbottom's side are yet to win away from Deepdale this season.

● Sheffield Wednesday have won just two of their last seven league games against Preston North End (D1 L4), one of which came in the last meeting between the pair during a 1-0 success at Deepdale.

● Preston North End have won two of their last three away league games against Sheffield Wednesday (L1), as many victories as across their prior 10 visits to Hillsborough combined beforehand (D1 L7).

● Sheffield Wednesday have won each of their last two league games, and could win three in a row for the first time since August (a run of four).

● Six of Preston's last eight league games have ended in a draw (L2), including each of the last three in a row. The Lilywhites last drew more consecutively in September 2021 (5).

● Sheffield Wednesday have collected more points from losing positions than any other side in the Championship this season (10), four of which have come in their last three league games.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Rex Features

Preston North End make the trip to Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship on Saturday (kick-off 12:30 GMT).

Here's a recap on the main lines from North End boss Paul Heckingbottom's pre-match news conference:

• He speaks on his role being to maximise spending after chairman Craig Hemmings hinted there may be investment in the squad during the January transfer window.

• He sees the players out of contract next summer as a way to "free-up" money and will decide who will receive new contract offers in May.

• On selling players in January: "I don't want to be losing players - I want this squad, I want to improve the squad. However, when we've got everyone fit, we've got decent number here so I don't want a huge squad where you've got people milling about and know they are not going to play."

• He says they "would rather get a lot more quality and limit the numbers" but admits January is a difficult window.

• On Kaine Kesler-Hayden: "I see a lot more mature player from the day I came in. He's growing up a lot as a person as well. He's got real good attributes. I've been really pleased with him. A lot of the time it goes underestimated what he does."

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Preston’s financial results are so positive the club will be able to invest in the playing squad in January, chairman Craig Hemmings has hinted.

Deepdale PNE Holdings Limited, the club’s parent company, published its annual results for the financial year to 30 June on Monday.

Highlights included:

• Turnover increasing from £15.6m to a record £16.9m. The third year in a row of record turnover.

• The club's loss after tax was £9.9m, a £2.3m improvement year-on-year.

• The club has seen trading improvements across all of its income streams – season cards and matchday ticket sales, plus all commercial and replica kit sales.

• Average home attendance in 2023-24 reached a new high of 16,714 - the highest average attendance at Deepdale in 60 years.

• On Boxing Day 2023 the club enjoyed the highest league crowd at Deepdale since the mid-1970s of 21,816, for a home victory against Leeds United.

• In June the club’s owners converted £50m of outstanding debt/loans into equity, strengthening the club’s balance sheet.

Hemmings told the Lilywhites website, external: “While ultimately the performance on the pitch is paramount to the club’s ambitions, success off the pitch has a direct effect on the opportunities we will have to improve the playing squad.

“To see the club achieve its highest ever revenue is very encouraging. This improved financial performance helps to create the much-needed headroom to further invest in the club’s facilities and squad."

He added: "Historically we had a great deal of success buying and selling players prior to the Covid pandemic and it remains our goal to repeat this philosophy as and when opportunities arise."

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It is one of the most eagerly anticipated dates in the football calendar as Premier League and Championship clubs join the FA Cup action from round three.

The draw will take place on Monday, 2 December from 19:00 GMT and can be watched live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

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Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom says he can adapt their current squad to help their position in the Championship.

Heckingbottom inherited the vast majority of his squad following former boss Ryan Lowe's sacking, having arrived at the club on 20 August, just 10 days before the summer window closed.

Josh Bowler is the only player signed on Heckingbottom's watch with the winger arriving on loan from Nottingham Forest on deadline day.

Having said he is unsure over what business the club can do, contingent on how well they perform in December first, Heckingbottom also admitted that new additions might boost the squad he currently has available.

"These are players that I know, I've worked with a couple of them. I've got to know them, I like how they train and how they've responded," he told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"But as always you want to help them. And bringing in new players sometimes helps the ones who are already here. If we can do that, that would be great."

Image source, Getty Images

Preston North End head coach Paul Heckingbottom says he is not concerned with his side's league position despite sitting just one point above the Championship relegation zone.

North End currently occupy 20th and are on a run of seven league matches without a win but the former Sheffield United and Leeds boss is satisfied with his team's performances in recent weeks.

"Listen, its not nice. I’m not concerned by the league position, I’m concerned about us not creating the wins," Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"I think we’re fourth in the table for chances conceded so we’ve been limiting chances to teams but at the moment we keep getting punished.

"Our problem at the minute is when we’ve been the better team, we’ve tended to draw games, we’ve not won enough of them and that puts pressure on you."

North End conceded to Jerry Yates' 29th minute equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Derby County on Saturday, the Rams' only shot on target in the game.

Heckingbottom takes his side to Stoke City on Tuesday night who are currently unbeaten in their last four games.

"The fans are sharing the frustrations the same as us but the margins are so fine," he added.

"If we want to win the game, we’ve got to be good with the ball. I think if we are then we can pose them problems.

"However, if we neglect the bit without the ball, and don't out compete them, well, its always going to be a difficult game."

The 47-year-old remained coy on whether he will be given money to spend in the upcoming January transfer window, however.

"Hopefully. Transfer windows always provide an opportunity to change things but we might have to try really hard, we’ll have to wait and see," he added.