Preston North End have looked a whole different beast since Ryan Lowe took over from Frankie McAvoy right at the turn of the year but after a few negative results, there might not be too much for the side to play for now.

The Lilywhites had a brief flirt with the relegation places earlier on in the campaign and have similarly been within a few points of the top six spots to boot. Now though, they're sat comfortably in midtable and can perhaps think about next season.

With PNE in 14th and the side still to play eight games, there is every chance they could climb up the table slightly and break into that top half of the division. Right now though, they've got a short break before a crucial clash against rivals Blackpool.

With that in mind then, here are two dilemmas Ryan Lowe could be mulling over during this break in fixtures.

Who does Lowe let go of in summer?

It might be a bit early to think about who he wants to get rid of in the summer but whenever there is a chance to stop, reflect and evaluate his squad via training or however he likes, then the new boss should take that opportunity. The former Plymouth boss has not had a full summer window at the helm yet and will have a big job on his hands in the off-season to sort out the Lilywhites.

There are 14 players who will all see their deals come to an end at Deepdale at the end of the campaign unless the manager decides to offer them fresh terms. The decision he will have to make is which players are worthy of new contracts, who can be let go, who does he see as valuable to his style of play and in the squad and who is surplus to requirements?

Add in the fact that four players also look likely to head back to their parent clubs after loan deals and it really is a fresh start for Ryan Lowe and he should really start thinking about what he plans to do and where he plans to strengthen right now.

It might seem early doors to be thinking about that now but the season will come to a close in May - and that isn't too far off at all.

Do PNE try and experiment with their squad and youth?

North End aren't going to start throwing games away with eight fixtures left and they certainly aren't going to start resting their best players but it might be worth thinking about whether they want to try and blood in any youngsters or underused players now.

There are players like Ethan Walker, Joe Rodwell-Grant, Noah Mawene and others who have never really had a sniff of first-team football at Deepdale yet that he may want to consider giving cameos to at some point. There are also players who haven't really managed to break into the reckoning regularly like Ali McCann that he may want to try using in a variety of positions.

You obviously don't want to tinker too much but if Ryan Lowe has ideas in mind that he would like to test in an in-game situation, then now might be the best time to attempt it.