Preston North End verdict: Could it be a case of what might have been after quiet deadline day?

At 11pm on Thursday, the summer transfer window closed. For North End, it could have closed much sooner as their business ended with the loan signing of Alvaro Fernandez on July 26.

They went the final month of the window without making another signing and when it is written like that, it is quite damning.

It is probably a product of their early success in the market, swiftly bringing in four players – Freddie Woodman, Dai Cornell, Robbie Brady and Ben Woodburn – before Troy Parrott signed a day prior to Fernandez.

That then leaves a month of inactivity, though behind the scenes that will not have been the case.

It is still a long period of time to get another one at least, if not the two manager Ryan Lowe wanted and required, in through the door.

PNE built up a lot of favour earlier this summer with the season card prices, the trip to Spain and their support with the flag initiatives set up by the fans.

The mood has been turning in recent weeks however, though I won’t go into it as it’s something I wrote about recently.

At that point it felt as if it was on a knife’s edge, North End making signings would dictate the response and they made none.

It has certainly disillusioned some fans, they feel they’ve seen it all before. So near and yet so far, the club held back by itself.

The club’s summer marketing of ‘play your part’ is now being thrown back at them, the supporters feel like they have and full backing of Lowe is what they see as the club playing their part.

Though PNE have not brought in the two extra players that it seems quite clear that Lowe needs, the North End boss has shown no signs that he is not being fully backed.

He cut a determined figure four weeks ago when he said only eight signings this summer would make him happy, but that attitude has changed. Tracking back through his recent press conferences he has become less and less steadfast in that, he seems maybe more understanding of PNE’s plight.

Budgets this season, and since the passing of Trevor Hemmings, have been more stringent. Trevor Hemmings was not adverse to a late purchase to get pulses racing, caught up in the emotion and excitement of deadline day. These days, that is less the case. Money made on the football side now stays there, which is new, but budgets are more strict.

Still, it is hard not to feel that just those extra bodies could have separated North End from a very large chasing pack. There are plenty of positives from this summer, plenty of positives around the way PNE are playing, but what might have been?

We will soon find out with how North End can keep themselves in the hunt for the top six between now and Janaury.

Though fans are currently disgruntled, they will not stop backing their side. Hopefully a win on Saturday can put some concerns to bed and the goals begin flowing.