With the loss of our star striker and top scorer to a rival Championship club and one that is below us in the table, on the eve of our next league match, moral must be low in the camp.
After falling short by only 3 points for a play-off spot with that unbeaten run last season, this season has seen us go backwards so far.
Our fourth league match of the season, without a win, and our best players being cherry-picked at will by our rivals.
Can the new head-coach lift the players left and gel them into a winning combination with his new system of play?
It will take time they say, but we don’t have time. We’ve had five years of time since our demise from the PL. Our huge turnover of players and managers has left us permanently trying to rebuild each season.
Onwards to tomorrow’s game.
Getting anything at Deepdale, the home of the Lillywhites, will be hard.
Their transfer business so far, seven players out and six in during this window. Incoming - Mads Frokjaer-Jensen £1.2m from Odense, Layton Stewart from Liverpool, Will Keane and Jack Whatmough from Wigan, and Duane Holmes from Huddersfield.
Preston, unbeaten on 7 points from their first 3 games and 6th in the table, will be a tough nut to crack.
Will Duff continue with his three at the back conceding 5 goals already, or will he revert to a back four, especially now with centre-back Wood the next player to have one foot out of the door, Martin and Southampton the suitors.