‘Not finished building’ - Ryan Lowe outlines Preston North End transfer window belief

Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe discussed being the Championship’s third longest serving manager last Friday morning... come Sunday evening, the Lilywhites’ boss had climbed to second - following Bristol City’s decision to dismiss Nigel Pearson.

Coventry City manager Mark Robins is now the only coach above him. Lowe is a big advocate for giving manager’s time and it’s something he has been given at Deepdale, having arrived from Plymouth Argyle in December 2021. North End’s chief is in his second full season at the helm, having overseen mid-table finishes in 2021/22 and 2022/23.

PNE are now eighth in the Championship table, with a seven game winless run following six straight league victories. Lowe was backed this summer, bringing eight new players to the club - including six permanent additions. He has commented a few times on the improved quality within North End’s ranks this season, but Lowe thinks there is still a bit of work to be done.

“It’s a bug bear of mine really, but listen, I am at a good football club and that’s no disrespect to the other football clubs, who have changed their managers,” said Lowe. “They have changed for a reason and that’s fine, I get it, it’s part and parcel of football. But, the reason I am sitting here, with nearly a tenure of two years, is that I knew the football club would give you longevity in trying to build what you want. We are still not finished in building, we probably need another couple of transfer windows to potentially get everything we need to get. But, I get it’s the nature of the job, that you lose your job.

“Do some managers lose their jobs unfortunately? Yeah, definitely. Do some managers lose their jobs because the football isn’t right and what they’ve said they’d do, they haven’t? Yeah, of course and that’s the way it is. But I am here and probably one of the longest serving because I’m at a fantastic football club that does things right and gives managers the time. I am not saying that every other club who has changed their manager is not of that ilk, but the fact of the matter is there’s an old saying in football: ‘don’t choose your football club, choose your owner’ and it’s a big, big statement in football.

“Because, if your owner is on side with you and the people who’ve brought you in are on side with you, then you’ll have longevity - providing you do what you said you’d do. I can’t answer every question about other clubs. But for me, I’ve always said they should be given a 12 month contract, minimum, that they should be able to see out. You only have to look at Mikel Arteta years ago - he was wanted out the building and he’s now done a fantastic job hasn’t he? I think more managers need that, but I get it - owners come in, want their own managers and men. It is football, isn’t it? But I just don’t like it!”