"Nobody wants to be dismissed, but sometimes it’s inevitable. You have to endure the sting, and wherever I land next, the club will get a more refined version of Ryan Lowe," the manager said.
It is remarkable that it took until his fourth senior appointment for Ryan Lowe to experience his first termination in the modern game. He had already guided Bury and Plymouth Argyle to promotion from League Two and later steered Preston North End to performances that seemed to exceed the club’s modest resources in the Championship. "It was a challenging role," Lowe explained on the Sky Sports Essential EFL podcast. "In the 2024‑25 season we set out to consolidate and simply stay up.
We scraped together 13 points from the first dozen games, which was enough to keep us safe, and we did that comfortably." He went on to describe the following campaign, when the expectations shifted from survival to progression. "We believed we had a budget that could allow us to compete, but the figures we were given were based on two‑year‑old benchmarks, so the reality was far tougher than the paperwork suggested." Lowe highlighted the difficulty of attracting talent: "We missed out on a lot of players because other clubs simply had deeper pockets and could offer better terms. They were bigger clubs with higher‑quality squads, and we were left scrambling for alternatives." The season began promisingly, but a key turning point arrived when creative midfielder Ryan Trevitt, the focal point of the side’s attacking play, departed.
"We built the team around his vision and flair. Losing him was a blow," Lowe admitted.
He also mentioned a spate of injuries and a few key performance indicators that slipped, though he refused to use those as excuses. "There were things I could have handled better, and I know my staff could have done more too." When the inevitable dismissal arrived, Lowe reflected on the experience with a mixture of resignation and optimism. "This was my first sacking, and I hope it will be my last. I understood why it happened – the results weren’t spectacular, the performances were decent, the data was acceptable, but we lacked clinical finishing." Before his brief stint at Wigan, Lowe had spent two full seasons at Preston, where he consistently achieved top‑half finishes despite operating with a limited budget.
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. "When Hecky left, he managed to keep the club in the Championship on the final day of the season. He’s a brilliant manager, yet he still lost his job," Lowe said.
He defended his own tactical approach, noting that he learned to adapt from the very opponents he faced in the Championship. "People may question the style of play, but the lessons I gathered from facing teams like Norwich taught me how to adjust our shape and strategy on the fly." Lowe is confident that he delivered a solid performance at Preston, even if external observers might not share that view.
"I know deep down I did a good job. It matters most to me and to my own belief that I can over‑achieve with limited resources." He recounted a memorable match against Norwich, where Preston deployed a defensive five‑man line and a 5‑4‑1 formation, managing a goalless draw away from home. "We were almost victorious. It showed that we could compete toe‑to‑toe with bigger clubs when we executed the plan correctly," he recalled.
One regret Lowe openly acknowledges is the timing of his departure from Preston. He left after just the opening fixture of the 2024‑25 season, a decision he now questions. "I do regret leaving after one game. At the time I felt I needed to protect my family and myself," he confessed.
He explained that pre‑season conversations with chairman Peter Ridsdale had highlighted concerns about the team’s trajectory, and a poor 2‑0 defeat to Sheffield United on opening day left him sleepless. "I kept asking myself whether I was giving the fans and the players what they deserved, especially given the salary I was drawing," Lowe said.
He described a “gentleman’s agreement” with the board: they did not actively want him to quit, but he felt the situation was untenable. "My gut told me to walk away immediately, but in hindsight I should have given it a few more games. If I’d been sacked, it would have been the same outcome, so the timing didn’t change the result." Lowe believes his departure was justified because he felt the club’s budget and squad depth would not allow him to reach the next level.
The subsequent seasons, in his view, have validated that assessment. "The only thing I regret is the timing, not the decision itself," he added. Looking ahead, Lowe is eager to return to a project that offers stability rather than a short‑term firefighting role.
He has previously turned down offers that lacked a long‑term vision. Even at Wigan, where he signed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year contract, he was dismissed in less than a year.
"Wherever I go next, they’ll get the best version of Ryan Lowe because I’m determined to bounce back from this setback," he asserted. "I don’t want to be a fire‑fighter forever, but sometimes you have to step in, keep a side afloat, and then move on.
What I don’t want is a 10‑ or 15‑game stint with no continuity, just a handful of wins to pad a résumé." Having overseen 380 matches, many of them in the Championship, Lowe feels his experience speaks for itself. He is now targeting a club with solid ownership and a forward‑thinking sporting director, where all parties share a common ambition. "I’m ready to get back into football with a club that values stability, has a clear plan, and where I can build something lasting," he concluded.
The interview wrapped up with a reminder that fans can try their luck in the Super 6 competition for a chance to win £1 million, entry being free of charge.