Phil Brown has accepted his League One Preston side are displaying relegation form. North End`s 1-0 loss to Bury on Saturday was their eighth in nine league matches.
The run is a far cry from the seven consecutive victories through August and September.
"The confidence and belief is low - we are in a bad vein of form," Brown told the Lancashire Evening Post ahead of Tuesday`s trip to Hartlepool.
"We are in relegation form, yet two months ago we were in promotion form, if not championship-winning form. There are many examples in this division of teams who have started off well and then drifted away.
"Sheffield Wednesday did it last season - they were in second place at Christmas and ended up 15th."
