Joe McConnell
Ryan Lowe says it is the “right time” for him to leave Preston North End by mutual consent, just one game into the new Championship season.
Lowe leaves after Preston were booed for a 2-0 home defeat by Sheffield United on Friday night.
“I’ve had an incredible two-and-a-half years, met incredible people and coached some fantastic players, but I feel now is the right time to move on,” said the former Bury and Plymouth manager.
“I think now is the right time for the club to go in a different direction. I have always stressed since I walked in that if I couldn’t take the club further, I would leave it to someone else and that’s what I’m doing.
“I leave the club in a good place, with a fantastic squad, and I wish the football club and everyone involved in it all the best for the future.”
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Sky Bet Championship match highlights between Preston North End and Sheffield United
Mike Marsh, accompanied by Peter Murphy and Ched Evans, will referee Preston’s next match against Sunderland on Tuesday in the Carabao Cup, live on Vscek+and the league match at Swansea on Saturday.
But Preston director Peter Ridsdale said Vscek News that the club has not yet chosen a new coach and will take the necessary time to make the appointment.
Ridsdale and Rowe spoke for four and a half hours on Sunday before the manager decided to resign.
“It’s a combination of the difficulties we encountered in the final part of last season,” Ridsdale said.
“Friday was a tough day for him, I don’t think the atmosphere in the stadium after the result helped him, which I understand because the fans pay and have a right to their opinion.
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Stephen Warnock and Sue Smith react to the news that Ryan Lowe has left Preston North End by mutual consent and discuss who could replace him.
“He said he liked Monday through Friday, but not Saturday, and that he felt that, from his and his family’s point of view, he would like to go. Unfortunately, we wish him all the best and have reached an agreement with him.
“This was Ryan’s initiative, not ours. We’re not sitting here after a game trying to react impulsively to Friday’s loss.”
“We don’t hire or fire managers”
Preston ended last season with a run of five consecutive defeats, during which they failed to score.
Ridsdale added: “Only he can tell you why he didn’t make that decision. [at the end of last season]. We had a long chat at the end of the season to understand whether or not the end was a symptom of a deeper problem. He felt there was an opportunity to add players to the team this summer, which we did.
“We have signed three players after losing four and in the next two hours we will announce a fourth signing, all of which are the result of Ryan’s proposals.
“Ryan will be the first to tell you that fans have been thinking for a while now that we should make a change. I think Ryan probably thought we could start something at the end of last season and we didn’t. As a football club, we pride ourselves on the fact that we don’t just hire and fire managers.”
Lowe was appointed in December 2021 and led the club to 13th, 12th and 10th-place finishes during his two-and-a-half seasons.
After the opening weekend of the season, Preston sit 23rd in the Championship table, ahead of only Plymouth Argyle.
