Preston North End host Plymouth Argyle in the Championship, with Ryan Lowe going up against his former club for the first time.
Preston North End and Plymouth Argyle haven’t played each other since 2010.
But this weekend they meet at Deepdale and this encounter has some more edge to it than usual, with Lowe going up against his former club.
Lowe spent two-and-a-half years as Plymouth boss, leaving in December 2021 to take on the Preston North End job.
He finds his current team at the top of the Championship table after a hugely positive start to the 2023/24 campaign, whilst former club Plymouth are holding their own in 10th.
Speaking ahead of this weekend, Lowe said of Plymouth Argyle:
“I have a lot of affection for the club. As a team, I think they’ve recruited smartly and play good attacking football. Lots of people thought they’d struggle in the Championship, but I knew they wouldn’t. They’ll be a tough team to beat.”
Plymouth boss Steven Schumacher was Lowe’s former understudy at the club. He took charge following Lowe’s exit and eventually steered the club to the League One title.
Lowe said of his fellow Liverpudlian:
“He’s taken to management like a duck to water. I did my bit and then he’s taken the club up to the next level. This game won’t get in the way of 15 years of friendship, but we’ll be locking horns trying to win the game on Saturday.”
An exciting game…
Plymouth Argyle has birthed two really exciting managers in Lowe and Schumacher.
Both play exciting football and both seem to have found their level in the Championship, with Lowe now pushing to get out of it with his Preston side.
The Lilywhites have started better than expected this season but so too have Plymouth, who’ve picked up some good wins against good opposition.
It could be an emotional outing for Lowe and for Schumacher too. But both bosses will remain professional in search of a win; though who comes out on top remains to be seen.
This battle between master and apprentice gets underway at 3pm on Saturday afternoon.
