This season was meant to be about a new squad finding their feet and combinations working together. The fans didn't expect instantaneous results but after half a season it appears Graham Westley still does not know his best starting eleven.
North End's best form came during their unbeaten run which was ended in November largely thanks to a settled side. Since then Preston have chopped and changed and are now without a home win since the start of September which simply is not good enough.
The home game against Bury was seen as one where Preston could start to propel themselves up the table over a busy festive season. The team was changed yet again with Beardsley partnering King up front. The latter has played well as a second striker but the former has failed to impress in his time at Deepdale.
Thankfully Buchanan was back to fill the void at left back but for some bizarre reason John Mousinho who has failed to live up to expectations after a good pre-season played at right back. This was instead of the on loan Todd Kane and Jon Welsh who were both accustomed to that position.
Westley's selection smacked of desperation bringing back Andy Procter on the right wing who has failed to feature on a regular basis whilst Will Hayhurst was plucked from obscurity to play out on the left. There was no room on the team sheet for Nicky Wroe who is the only fit Preston player who appears to know where the net is.
In fairness Preston started the brighter of the two. It was the same old story and has been going way back even to the Swindon game. If Preston score early then teams have to open up and can be picked off. If North End fail to score early they have no plan B and revert to randomness in an attempt to breakdown stubborn defences.
North End had numerous chances in the first half an hour where they could have been two or three up. Westley is lacking a goalscorer but he knew this in the Summer when the striker position was one that he failed to fill accurately. Beavon's injury does not help the situation but Westley has let Sodje go in a time of need whilst wasting Wroe on the bench. It does not take a bright spark to work out why Preston are lacking in the goals for department in recent times.
Bury wised up and became more solid throughout the game. They rarely threatened as belies their status of a poor side in this division. Blackwell is not a favourite around these parts and his gamesmanship was at hand once again as Bury used most tricks in the book to secure a point. In all honesty they needn't have bothered as Preston lacked any ideas or confidence to break down a side who are gracing the lower regions of this league.
Preston's season is fast slipping away. The time to gel has now gone and the time for results is needed. Westley talks about promotion and how his teams are stronger in the second half of the season. North End will have to have a dramatic change in fortunes if Westley is to be proved correct.