Duane Holmes is already determined to go again next season after a “horrible” end to 2023/24.
Preston North End headed into the run-in with an outside chance of making the Play-Offs, but the defeat to Norwich City at Deepdale extended the gap to eight, and that loss was the first of five in a row.
The final day saw PNE beaten 3-0 by West Brom, and midfielder Duane shared the manager’s opinion about the goals conceded.
Duane said: “It’s definitely not how we wanted to go out. I just think the goals are poor. We needed to defend better.
“I don’t think we ever really got going in the game, but the goals are poor. They had a couple of chances from set plays but without watching it back I can’t really remember them slicing us open and Freddie [Woodman] having to make saves, but like I say it’s just poor goals.
“Obviously after the Norwich game, our performances have gone downhill. We know that. It’s not good enough.
“The good thing is we get to come back next season and try to put it right. We want to try and finish higher than we have this year, hopefully push for the Play-Offs and kick on.”
Since joining the club last summer, Duane has been consistent in his comments in interviews about the quality and characteristics of the squad, which he has seen in previous successful teams he’s been a part of.
Duane said: “The group’s brilliant and we’re just happy we can come back next year to try and put it right because we feel like we’ve let ourselves down a little bit.
“We should definitely have finished higher, whether that’s in the Play-Offs or not. We know our performances of late haven’t been the best but we’ve given it our all all season.
“I can’t knock any lad in there. I think everyone’s absolutely emptied themselves this year for the club.
“Unfortunately we just didn’t have enough to get where we wanted to get to, but hopefully next year we can go that one step further.”
North End were backed by more than 1,250 supporters at The Hawthorns on the final day.
At the end of the game, the team and management staff went over to the travelling faithful to thank them for their support in the Midlands and all season long.
“It means everything to us,” he said. “One of my friends retired and he wrote a statement about the Covid season and he said the fans make the game, which is so true.
“They’ve backed us in numbers all season. We’ve had some great days at home and some great away days. I mean, Blackburn away, it doesn’t get much better than that.
“Today again, they were loud and they were passionate in getting behind us. Unfortunately we didn’t really give them anything to cheer about. Hopefully next season we can.”
