‘Let me tell you’ - Ryan Lowe makes Milutin Osmajic promise after match winning Birmingham City goal

Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe believes Championship defenders will struggle to bully summer signing Milutin Osmajic.

The Montenegrin opened his account for the Lilywhites on Tuesday night, scoring the winning goal as Preston came from behind to beat Birmingham City 2-1 at Deepdale. Osmajic has started both of North End’s games following his deadline day arrival from Cadiz, for a club record fee. In the absence of Will Keane, Emil Riis and Ched Evans, the 24-year-old has been tasked with leading the line, linking the game and carrying a goal threat at the top end of the pitch.

He came desperately close to scoring against Plymouth Argyle on debut, but made no mistake with his second big opportunity - drilling home a destructive midweek winner in front of the Alan Kelly Town End. Up until that strike, Osmajic had endured a challenging contest up against a physical Birmingham defence. The forward was starved of service in the first half but showed some nice touches and great persistence. An imposing, physical presence, Lowe has no concerns about his new man adapting to the Championship.

“I think that’s maybe a good shout,” said Lowe. “I might have to speak to him, in Spanish, about that. Because maybe one or two people are going to try and rough him up. But, let me tell you, you are not roughing him up; I am telling you right now. Jacko, our physio, likes a bit of a scuffle and jiu-jitsu. He tried to get him in a lock and he just pulled himself right out of it. Jacko is terrified now and said he is that strong it’s actually unbelievable. So, you are not going to rough him up. I thought his calmness in the game - because he got elbowed a few times, stood on his heel and they tried to muscled him off - he just kept going and was well worthy of winning the game for us.”

Lowe added: “He’s better with a (strike) partner, yeah, but it’s tough. So, if I’m asking Will Keane to do what I’m asking Milly to do, Keano just gets it because he can understand. Whereas, Milly sees it visually and does it, but sometimes the communication is a little bit tough. We’ve obviously got Liam Jones (translator) and Liam Millar who’ve been helping us to give him that information.

“We gave him information at half-time, but when you come to a new football club you want to run around and impress don’t you? But, I said to him to impress by doing the right things and making the right runs. We said we will find him and Browney found him and he scored. So yeah, it looks like it’s just one up top doesn’t it? But, he’s actually got two players in behind him which, nowadays, is a blessing. If you get it right and your runs are right, you can just be put through on goal and that’s what we’ve got to continue to do.”