"Nobody enjoys being dismissed, but sometimes you have to accept it and learn from the pain. Wherever I land next, the club will get a better version of Ryan Lowe," the manager said. It is remarkable that Ryan Lowe only faced his first termination in his fourth senior coaching appointment, a rarity in today’s fast‑moving football world. He had previously guided Bury and Plymouth Argyle to promotion from League Two and then spent two seasons at Preston North End, where he felt the team consistently outperformed expectations in the Championship.
"It was a tough job," Lowe explained on the Sky Sports Essential EFL podcast. "In the 2024‑25 campaign we aimed simply to survive. We collected 13 points from the first eleven or twelve matches, and we achieved that goal without drama. "The following season we wanted to push on, and we believed we had a budget that could let us compete.
Unfortunately those figures were based on data from two years earlier, so the financial constraints were severe. "We missed out on a number of targets because other clubs could offer more money and higher‑profile players. They simply had deeper pockets and could attract talent we could not." The interview continued with a discussion of the season’s ups and downs. "We started the campaign well, but then we lost Ryan Trevitt, who was a key creative force.
The team had been built around his vision and skill, so his absence hit us hard." Injuries piled up and several key performance indicators slipped, but Lowe refused to make excuses. "There are things I could have handled better, and I recognise that, but the same could be said for many of the staff around me." He described the moment of his dismissal as his first ever sacking and expressed hope it would be his last. "I understood the decision. The results weren’t great, the performances were decent, the statistics were acceptable, but we lacked cutting‑edge finishing." Before his stint at Wigan, Lowe had overseen Preston’s impressive over‑achievement in the second tier, securing two top‑half finishes in his full seasons.
He believes the club’s subsequent difficulties underline how well he performed there. His successor, Paul Heckingbottom, was dismissed last month after a season that saw the team finish 14th. "Hecky managed to keep the club up in his first year, but he lost his job after that. He’s a brilliant manager, yet football can be unforgiving," Lowe said.
"People will always debate style of play, but what I learned in the Championship, especially from the managers we faced, was the importance of adaptability." Lowe is confident he delivered a strong performance at Preston, even if external validation is scarce. "I know deep down I did a good job. That belief is personal, but it fuels my conviction that I can over‑achieve on limited budgets." He recalled a memorable match against Norwich, where his side lined up in a defensive 5‑4‑1 formation and almost secured a win.
"We drew 0‑0 away, which was a valuable point," he noted. One regret Lowe admits is the timing of his departure from Preston. He left after just one league game of the 2024‑25 season, a decision he now questions. "I do regret leaving after that opening fixture," he confessed.
"I felt I needed to protect my family at the time. In the pre‑season I spoke with chairman Peter Ridsdale, and there was a statement after the previous season saying the results weren’t good enough for the club’s ambitions." After a 2‑0 defeat to Sheffield United on opening day, Lowe lay awake worrying whether he could still deliver for the fans and the players. "I wondered if I was living up to the wage I was being paid, if I was giving the supporters what they wanted, and if I was doing justice to the squad," he said.
A gentleman’s agreement was reached: the board didn’t really want him to leave, but Lowe felt poorly advised and followed his gut instinct to walk away. "I should have waited a few more games. If I had been sacked, it would have happened anyway and the outcome would have been the same," he reflected. He believes his departure was justified because the club’s subsequent finishes have confirmed his concerns about budget and squad limitations.
"The only thing I regret is the timing, not the decision itself," he added. Looking ahead, Lowe says he is eager to return to management, but he wants a project with longevity rather than a short‑term fire‑fighting assignment. Even at Wigan, where he signed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year contract, he was dismissed in under a year.
"Whatever club hires me next will get the best version of Ryan Lowe because I’m determined to bounce back from what happened," he asserted. "I don’t want to be a fire‑fighter all the time, but sometimes you have to step in and keep a side afloat. However, I’m not interested in a ten‑ or fifteen‑game stint that lacks continuity. My résumé speaks for itself." Having overseen around 380 matches, many in the Championship, Lowe is now focused on finding a club with strong ownership and a capable sporting director who share his vision.
"I want to be part of a stable environment where we’re all aligned and can build something lasting," he concluded. The former Preston and Wigan boss remains optimistic that the right opportunity will arise, allowing him to apply the lessons learned from his previous successes and setbacks to a new challenge.