Paul Heckingbottom expressed his disappointment with Preston North End’s performance in their 3-1 defeat to Millwall, admitting it was the first time he’s been truly frustrated with his team this season.
The manager was critical of his side’s sluggish start and inability to cope with Millwall’s physicality and direct play, describing the loss as a wake-up call for the squad. The Lions secured their first win in three matches, making light work of Preston at The Den.
The hosts started brightly, with Casper de Norre coming close to opening the scoring early on, only to see his powerful volley crash off the crossbar. The breakthrough came in the 24th minute when George Honeyman finished a well-worked team move, involving a knockdown from Jake Cooper and a neat assist from Macaulay Langstaff, to put Millwall 1-0 up.
Preston, despite dominating possession with 57% of the ball in the first half, couldn’t make their control count. Lukas Jensen denied Brad Potts from close range, but that was as close as the visitors came to finding an equaliser. They were punished moments later when Romain Esse doubled Millwall’s lead, finishing off a swift counter-attack after Duncan Watmore sent him through on goal. Esse rounded Preston goalkeeper Freddie Woodman to net his first-ever goal at The Den.
Millwall extended their lead just two minutes into the second half. Langstaff capitalised on a poor clearance from Woodman, combining with Honeyman before slotting home emphatically. Preston managed a late consolation goal through Jordan Storey, who tapped in from six yards after Ben Whiteman’s shot was blocked, but it was too little, too late. The game ended on a sour note for Millwall, as Aidomo Emakhu was shown a red card for an altercation with Robbie Brady in the final minutes, though it did little to dampen the hosts’ victory celebrations.
Paul Heckingbottom didn’t hold back in his post-match interview, lamenting his side’s lack of intensity and their failure to deal with Millwall’s aggressive style of play.
“We got what we deserved, really. We were really slow to start, and Millwall imposed their style of play on us,” said the Preston boss. “Their first goal, we spoke a lot about their set-plays and their threat. You cannot always stop Jake Cooper heading the ball, but more often than not, it will be the area he heads it down to that is the danger.”
Preston’s failure to heed those warnings left Heckingbottom frustrated, particularly given Millwall’s early warning signs, including de Norre’s effort that rattled the crossbar.
“We had a few warnings; they hit the bar. I felt that shook us into life a little bit, and we had a couple of good moments after that,” Heckingbottom noted. “But the second goal was really poor – a counter-attack from our own set-play. You go 2-0 down, and it’s difficult – especially here, because Millwall can sit in and deny the space.”
Heckingbottom didn’t mince words about his side’s lack of fight, particularly in the early stages of the game. “It doesn’t matter how well you play. If you are outcompeted and outfought, you are not going to win football matches. You are just not going to,” he stated bluntly. “For 46 minutes, that was the case. We’ve had moments where we’ve had to dig in, and we’ve done it really well. Today showed that when you don’t do it, especially away from home, what can happen.”
The Preston manager was clear that there were no surprises in what Millwall brought to the table. “100 per cent, yeah,” Heckingbottom said when asked if Millwall had played exactly as expected. “They imposed their style on us. We had the ball a lot, but we didn’t trouble them or play in front of them enough. We didn’t inject enough tempo, and Millwall did. They won too many first balls.”
Heckingbottom also alluded to deeper frustrations within the squad, pointing to elements of the performance that he simply won’t tolerate going forward. “There were things I saw today which I won’t accept, definitely,” he added, underlining his dissatisfaction with certain aspects of Preston’s approach and intensity.
Writer’s View
For Preston North End, this defeat at Millwall feels like a missed opportunity to solidify their strong start to the season. While possession stats might have looked good on paper, the game was won and lost in the physical battles and defensive lapses. Heckingbottom was right to be critical of his players’ failure to deal with Millwall’s direct approach, but what should concern Preston fans more is the lack of urgency and bite in their play. It’s one thing to lose a match; it’s another to be outfought in almost every area of the pitch. If Preston are serious about making a push for the top six, these kinds of performances cannot become a habit.
As for Heckingbottom’s comments, they suggest a manager willing to hold his players accountable, which is always a positive sign. However, his mention of “things I won’t accept” hints at potential deeper issues within the squad. Preston will need to bounce back quickly to prevent this defeat from becoming a blip that derails their momentum, whether it’s a case of complacency creeping in or tactical naivety.
With a demanding fanbase and a competitive league, there’s little room for error, and the onus will now be on Heckingbottom to ensure this was just a one-off disappointment rather than the start of a worrying trend.
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