"No one wants to be dismissed, but you have to accept it when it happens. You feel the sting, and wherever I end up next, they'll be getting a better version of Ryan Lowe," Ryan Lowe said. It is remarkable that it took four managerial appointments for Lowe to experience his first termination in the modern era of football. He had already secured promotions from League Two with both Bury and Plymouth Argyle, and later guided Preston North End to performances that exceeded expectations in the Championship.
Lowe opened up on the Sky Sports Essential EFL podcast about his spell at Wigan. "The first season, 2024‑25, our goal was simple: stay up.
We managed just 13 points from the opening 11 or 12 fixtures, but we met the objective and held our place in the division," he explained. "The next season we wanted to build on that, but the budget we were given was based on figures from two years earlier, which made it incredibly hard to compete." He continued, "We missed out on a number of targets because bigger clubs could out‑spend us and attract higher‑quality players.
We started the campaign well, but then we lost Ryan Trevitt – a pivotal, creative figure around whom we had built our style. Injuries piled up, a few key performance indicators slipped, and while I could point to things I might have done differently, the truth is many of those decisions were shared with the staff around me." Lowe admitted that being sacked was a painful first experience. "The results weren’t terrible, the performances were decent and the data looked okay, but we weren’t clinical enough in front of goal.
That ultimately cost us, and I understand the club’s decision. I hope it will be my last dismissal." Before his brief tenure at Wigan, Lowe had enjoyed a relatively successful spell at Preston.
He steered the club to two top‑half finishes in his full seasons, consistently punching above the financial weight of the side. He believes the club’s subsequent difficulties underline just how well he performed there. His successor, Paul Heckingbottom, was dismissed just last month after a season that saw the team finish 14th. "When Hecky left, he had managed to keep Preston up on the final day of the season," Lowe recalled.
"He’s a fantastic manager, yet football can be unforgiving. Some will critique the style of play, but the lessons I learned in the Championship – especially from managers we faced – taught me the importance of adaptability." Lowe is confident he did a good job at Preston, even if others might not see it that way.
"I’ve always over‑achieved relative to the budget. You can’t just walk into a club and claim you can match the resources of a team like Norwich. One season we played a 5‑4‑1 against them, held them to a 0‑0 draw away and almost won.
That shows the kind of tactical flexibility we brought." He does, however, express regret about the timing of his departure from Preston. "Leaving after the first game of the 2024‑25 season was not ideal. I felt I needed to protect my family, but in hindsight I should have given it a few more games." Lowe described the night after a 2‑0 defeat to Sheffield United on opening day.
"We conceded two sloppy goals, I couldn’t sleep, and I kept questioning whether I was doing justice to the club, the fans and the players. There was a gentleman’s agreement with chairman Peter Ridsdale – they didn’t really want me to leave, but I felt I wasn’t being advised properly.
My gut told me to walk away, and I acted on it." He added, "If I had been sacked, it would have meant the same thing – the club would have moved on. I simply felt I had taken the role as far as I could with the resources available.
The club’s recent finishes have proved my concerns right, and the only thing I regret is the timing of the exit." Looking ahead, Lowe says he is eager to return to football, but he wants a project rather than a short‑term rescue mission. "Even at Wigan I signed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year contract, only to be dismissed after less than a year. I want a club that wants to build with me, not just use me to stop a relegation slide for a handful of games." He emphasized, "Wherever I go next, they’ll be getting the best version of Ryan Lowe because I’m determined to learn from what happened.
I don’t want to be a firefighter who only puts out a few blazes and then moves on. My CV shows 380 games as a manager, many in the Championship, and I’m looking for a stable environment with a supportive ownership group and a sporting director who shares the same vision." In summary, Lowe’s career has been marked by promotions, over‑achievement on limited budgets, and a willingness to adapt tactically. While his recent spell at Wigan ended abruptly, he remains confident in his abilities and is now seeking a long‑term role where he can apply his experience, build a squad, and deliver sustainable success.