Andrija Vukčević has spoken candidly after Preston North End's Championship meeting with Charlton Athletic, acknowledging the difficulty of the fixture but making clear that the squad cannot simply accept where things stand.

"We need to do better," the midfielder told Radio Lancashire, in comments aired on 29 August. "We knew Charlton would be tough, but that doesn't mean we should be satisfied with how it went. There are things we need to fix."

A candid assessment

The tone was notably direct. Vukčević stopped short of pointing fingers, but the message was unmistakable: a result against Charlton that fell below the squad's own standards is something Preston intend to address rather than explain away.

It is the kind of public accountability that supporters tend to value, particularly at a club where expectations have been running ahead of performances in recent weeks. Preston have already conceded a 4-0 loss earlier in the campaign, with head coach Paul Heckingbottom describing that night as a tough one, and a subsequent 3-1 defeat to Wolves did little to steady the mood at Deepdale. A stumble against Charlton, themselves a Championship outfit building momentum of their own, adds to a picture that the dressing room appears to recognise as concerning.

Context around the fixture

Charlton arrived at this fixture in reasonable shape. The south London club signed goalkeeper Okonkwo on loan and renewed Lloyd Jones's contract during the summer window, while midfielder Tyreece Campbell committed to a new four-year deal, suggesting a squad being assembled with some ambition. Preston, meanwhile, have been active in the market too, bringing in Caleb Wiley on loan from Chelsea and Stan Mills from Oxford United, though the injury to key figure McCann has complicated their planning.

All of which makes Vukčević's words more significant than a routine post-match soundbite. Preston are a club in a period of transition, working through a squad reshaped by departures, including Stipe Osmajic's move to Genoa, while Heckingbottom beds in his ideas. Results have not yet reflected the investment in personnel, and the Championship offers precious little time to find solutions before the table starts to tell its own story.

What needs fixing?

Vukčević did not go into specific tactical detail in the Radio Lancashire clip, which ran to just four minutes. The "things we need to fix" framing is familiar press-conference language, but in this context it carries more weight than usual. Preston have shipped goals from set pieces, struggled to control matches against physical opponents, and have not yet managed to string a consistent run of results together since the season opened.

The Championship is a division that punishes those who treat a setback as a reason for patience. With a congested fixture list ahead and automatic promotion spots, as ever, determined by the finest of margins at the top, Preston will know that candid self-assessment only counts for something if the performances follow.

Vukčević, for his part, sounds like a player who understands that. The question now is whether those words translate into a response on the pitch.

Frequently asked

What did Vukčević say after the Charlton match?
Speaking to Radio Lancashire, Andrija Vukčević said Preston knew Charlton would be a tough fixture but that the squad need to fix things and do better going forward.
How are Preston North End doing in the Championship this season?
Preston have had a difficult start to the Championship season, suffering heavy defeats including a 4-0 loss and a 3-1 defeat to Wolves, while also being active in the transfer market to reshape their squad.
Who has Preston signed in the summer transfer window?
Preston brought in Caleb Wiley on loan from Chelsea and Stan Mills from Oxford United during the summer window, though they have also had to cope with the departure of Osmajic to Genoa and an injury to McCann.