Ryan Lowe makes Plymouth Argyle assurance ahead of Preston North End meeting

Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe believes his team will face an ‘attacking minded’ Plymouth Argyle on Saturday afternoon.

The Lilywhites face the promoted Pilgrims in the first match back after the international break. For Lowe, it is the first meeting with his old club since he left Home Park in December 2021 to become PNE’s new manager. The Liverpudlian is in his third season at Deepdale and has Preston top of the Championship heading into this weekend’s round of fixtures.

Plymouth - back in the second tier for the first time in 13 years - have made a steady start to the campaign too. Two wins and a draw from their first five has them sitting in 10th spot ahead of the long trip up to Deepdale. Lowe, though, is not remotely surprised to see Plymouth stepping up to the level.

"They've recruited smartly, and well, as they always will do," said Lowe. "They play some good football and can change to different formations - they have the personnel to do that. They are going to be attacking minded and they've got goals in the team, which they had last season. They are a team a lot of people would've thought may struggle in the Championship, but I knew they wouldn't.

“Me and Schuey speak two or three times a week - certainly after every game, Saturday or Tuesday. Last season, he sort of knew the division because I was giving him bits of information on it. This year I haven't given him much, but he is a fantastic coach and it's a fantastic football club. They are going to be a tough team to beat let me tell you: on the road, at home, wherever. They’ve started fantastically well."

The manner of Lowe’s exit 20 months ago left sections of the Plymouth faithful resenting him. But, he was keen to stress how much the club still means to him to this day.

“More than people probably think, really,” said Lowe, when asked how much affection he has for Argyle. “Just because, when I went down there, I left my family behind and I went for the chairman really - and guys called Trevor East and Andrew Parkinson, who were very instrumental in getting me the job and asking me to take it. I met them, they took me for food, showed me the dream and put the pressure on to get into the Championship within five years - which they managed to do.

“I was a bit-part of that and Schuey has obviously taken it to the next level. So yeah, big affection. It was disappointing how I left, which we know and if you could turn it back it’d be a bit different. But, going from one fantastic football club to another fantastic football club - when you can’t turn it down - was the reason I left. So, affection for the football club and the people there? Yeah, 100 per cent. It is a top club with good, good people.”