Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom admitted he found it hard to stomach the way his side collapsed in a heavy 4-0 defeat at Middlesbrough on Saturday afternoon.
Boro continued their push for promotion with a dominant display in the early kick-off at the Riverside. Former Preston captain Alan Browne opened the scoring, before Tommy Conway and Morgan Whittaker struck again before the interval to put the hosts firmly in control. Any hope of a response vanished early in the second half when Jordan Storey was shown a straight red card — an incident Heckingbottom said he had not yet reviewed. Conway then completed the rout in the 54th minute, reacting quickest after Jack Walton parried Leo Castledine’s free-kick.
Speaking after the match, Heckingbottom was blunt in his assessment.
“All four goals come from mistakes — individual errors,” he said. “You simply won’t win games when you give goals away like that. The first goal is really soft, then we play their centre-forward onside by about 10 yards, and there are two goalkeeping errors as well.
“We’ve handed the game to Middlesbrough. They’re a good team, and it would’ve been difficult anyway, but I can’t accept coming to a place like this and rolling over just because of the opposition. We’ve shown at times this season that we can compete with teams of this level.”
Heckingbottom acknowledged Boro’s quality and praised their tactical flexibility, noting their switch to a back three with Browne deployed as a wing-back.
“They played with real intensity, especially when winning the ball back,” he added. “They changed shape today but stayed true to their style — a possession-based team that builds play and presses aggressively when they lose the ball. Even without the errors, they were the better side.”
The Preston manager also expressed concern that his team’s intensity has dropped off following a demanding festive schedule.
“Over Christmas, with all the travel, we weren’t training much — it was all preparation and intensity on matchday,” he explained. “Now it feels like that edge has gone. Once that pressure-cooker environment disappeared, it’s like the intensity leaked out — and we need that edge to compete.
“I can’t accept it because we’ve shown this season that we can be one of the better sides. That’s why we’ve been where we are in the table.”
Heckingbottom admitted managing consistency over a 46-game season remains a challenge, particularly with younger players, and hinted changes may be needed.
“It’s on me to pick the team and move people in and out,” he said. “That’s why we need a strong squad — to find different ways to compete if we want to stay near the top.”
Asked about a difficult January following the win at Bristol City, Heckingbottom added: “Results will happen in this league. But if you drop your levels, especially against a top side, you’ll get punished.
“This division is unforgiving. If you turn it into a ‘normal’ Championship game, anyone can beat anyone. And yes — the transfer window matters. I want players in.”
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