Could Brad Potts’ Preston North End career be revitalised under Ryan Lowe?

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Brad Potts has often been seen as the scapegoat at Preston North End, but recently, manager Ryan Lowe has put his trust in the 27-year-old.

The Hexham-born utility man has played every minute of Lowe’s first two games in charge, operating in a right wing-back role.

No doubt times have been tough at Deepdale, but Potts has come under more scrutiny than others, possibly due to being an ex-player of loathed rivals Blackpool.

The midfielder joined North End from Barnsley in 2019 and has made 111 appearances, scoring 10 times but he has never been seen in a favourable light by supporters.

A sizeable £1.5 million fee has not helped Potts’ cause, with expectations always a bit higher for an expensive signing, and many have felt that the fee paid has never been justified in his performances.

However, under Lowe, Preston supporters’ opinions may start to change as Potts looks to flourish in his new role under the former Plymouth Argyle boss.

Lowe’s preferred formation is a 3-5-2, which utilises overlapping full-backs and inverted wing-backs to create an overload in midfield.

During his time at Carlisle United, Potts often occupied the right flank, starting as a right-back and then moving further forward under Keith Curle, which saw him score seven goals to help the Cumbrians avoid relegation.

Potts has all the attributes to fulfil the expectation of a Lowe style wing-back. A workhorse, his fantastic stamina and determination were developed at his time on the right at Carlisle.

Not many footballers can time their runs into the box to perfection, but over his career so far, Potts has shown that he can be in the right place at the right time, scoring 50 times in his 394-game career.

He showed his goalscoring prowess in Lowe’s first game in charge, hammering a stunning first-time volley past Adam Davies to equalise against Stoke City.

The movement is key, with Potts drifting to the edge of the area, unnoticed by the Potters defence, which allowed him to get the shot away following Daniel Johnson’s cross.

Nobody would have blamed Potts if he had cupped his ears to the Preston support or refused to celebrate at all, but instead, he went on a lung-bursting run to jump into the away end to embrace fans who had berated him on many occasions.

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It maybe shows the character of Potts that despite taking much of the anger from the fanbase, including being booed earlier this season when brought on as a substitute, he still has a willingness to improve his performances.

Height and physicality are both important for wing-backs, with the need to attack high balls in both boxes, and standing at six foot two, Potts can provide these essential traits.

An additional benefit of using Potts in that role is his comfortableness in possession which he has gained through playing centrally during the majority of his career.

Potts is clearly driven by his motivation to prove people wrong and a spell in a role that seems to suit him could see his status in the Lilywhites’ squad go from a squad player to being increasingly vital for Lowe’s tactics to work.

If he continues to perform to recently high standards, Potts will go a long way in changing the views of the fanbase.

A Potts renaissance could very much be on the cards at Deepdale and his confidence will continue to bloom if Lowe retains his trust in him.

With crucial games coming up, Potts has the chance to rewrite the past and become a fundamental part of Lowe’s side.

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