Preston North End full back Darnell Fisher has been pleased with the side’s start to the 2019/20 campaign, but is not looking further than this weekend’s trip to Birmingham City.
The Lilywhites No.2 returned from injury for last weekend’s home win over Brentford and was pleased with the fourth straight home success and looking forward to trying to build on the opening weeks of the season.
“Brentford is always a tough team to play against,” he told iFollow PNE. “When we played them last season we got off to a quick start and got two goals ahead and then last Saturday, we got ahead and took it on from there.
“We got a clean sheet and as a defender that is something you want. It was good to get one against a good team, it was very pleasing.
“With the goals we have in our team, a clean sheet gives us a good chance to getting three points. If we can keep it secure at the back, we know with the boys we have up front, they are likely to get goals.
“We have started well, but we won’t get ahead of ourselves. We will keep working the way we always do, but it is a good start and it sets us up for the season.
“I saw social media calling it a ‘massive result’ because we didn’t have Ben Pearson, but we have got a lot of good players in this squad, so when someone is missing, the rest of the group will rally round.
“Pearsy is a big miss for us, but we have a lot of good players in this team and when players are missing, they are not missed the same way.”
The role of the full backs this season had adapted, with manager Alex Neil looking to get more from them and the former Celtic man was delighted to have combined with Joe Rafferty to create the all-important second goal against the Bees.
“We as full backs have to take more of an onus in terms of producing things for the forward players and we managed on Saturday to do that – Raf switched it over to me and I managed to find Barky, which was pleasing,” he continued.
“I was in a lot of space. I thought I was offside at first, but I managed to get back onside and the ball came to me and I managed to find Barky.
“I don’t get many assists, so it was good to get that and the goal also put the game to bed, so it was very pleasing.”
There have been other changes at the back, with Darnell lining up alongside summer signing Patrick Bauer, a relationship that he says is continuing to evolve as they learn each other’s games.
“It takes a while to get a good partnership, but the more you train together and play together, the more you learn things – what he says and what he means and vice versa. He knows what I mean and when I go, he needs to cover round and that will take time, but right now we are doing alright.
“The manager wants all the defenders to be on the front foot when the time is right and Pat has done well so far.”
The trip to St Andrew’s is the next test and whilst away performances have been very good so far, they have not yielded the same points as at Deepdale, but the right back admits he would take a win without a performance against the Blues.
“Everyone says it, but it is true, that every game in this division is tough. Going away to Birmingham with their crowd will be a tough game, but we will look forward to it and enjoy ourselves.
“I would rather not play well and get the three points than play well as we have done in our away games so far. Hopefully we go down there, play well and get the points as well,” he added.