Manager Ryan Lowe causes a stir with his comments about his Preston North End side ‘overachieving’ this season, leaving fans baffled.
The Lilywhites are currently eight points behind the playoff spots, and 15 points ahead of the Championship bottom three with just 11 matches left.
This is their eighth consecutive season in this second tier and their finishing positions has been between seventh and 14th in each of the previous seven.
🎥 “We are overachieving. I want to overachieve. I just want to keep overachieving and everyone wants to be in a better position. This football club always overachieves and we’ve got to continue to do that”#Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe#pnefc | #bbcefl | #bbcfootball
— BBC Sport Lancashire (@BBCLancsSport) March 9, 2023
Preston is one of five Championship clubs that have never played Premier League football.
They are currently in mid-table this season despite losing eight home games, the second most in the league, and scored only 30 goals in 35 games, the second-lowest in the division.
Lowe has been at the helm at Deepdale since December 2021, coming in as successor to Frankie McAvoy, and Preston have won 22 of the 60 league games for which he has been in charge of.
“You need consistency don’t you?” said Ryan Lowe, when questioned what more he needs to take Preston higher, as per LancsLive. “We’re not saying that we’ve got a bad team or bad squad; we’ve got a good team and a good squad, who are well coached on a daily basis. For us, to get into that next level, it is obviously hard because of what we have and the budget we have to stick by. That is fine, there is never any complaint with it. But, the fact of the matter is, you look at the teams who are going to finish in the play-offs and they are three times our budget.
“We need to overachieve and I think we can overachieve with the group of players we’ve got. Next season will be a little bit different, in terms of the type of players we look to get and what we can get. Again, finances come into to that. But, one thing I will say, is that the football club, Peter and Craig have backed us right the way through for whatever we have needed. We can only spend what we’ve got.”
“We have; you have to keep planning,” said Lowe on planning for the summer. “Me, Peter and Craig will sit down in the next couple of weeks to see what we’ve got, what we can use, how we can generate and make it better again. It is building blocks, as I’ve said loads of times. It doesn’t just happen overnight and we want to have a structure and plan in place to try and go to that next level. But, I get sometimes that bit of frustration, that you want to go early and jump early. I still believe the teams who will finish in the play-offs, in my eyes, will be the biggest ones. But, there have been opportunities for teams to sustain a good play-off position and stake a claim.
“We have to keep doing what we need to and that’s building. Stability is why I came here. Every club goes through tough patches don’t they? It is how you deal with it and we’ve dealt with it very good. We haven’t been in turmoil, I must say. We know home form – which we keep talking about and that’s fine – hasn’t been up to the standard we require. But, you can only get better and stability is massive in football. I think 19 clubs in the Championship have changed their manager and two or three of them have changed twice. That is not stability for where you’re trying to get to. It’s a plan, a structure and that is what we are doing.
“At the end of March, early April, me, Craig and Peter will sit down and discuss what we’ve got, the finances that are coming through, what we need and what we can use. But, we are still looking to see what is out there and getting our eyes on players who are free transfers and potential loans. And then, obviously the lads who are here already. But, it’ll probably be the end of March, early April when we sit down to discuss that. We cannot discuss anything at the moment, not knowing what we’ve got to spend. We will find out what we’ve got and then start planning.”
As mentioned, Ryan Lowe causes a stir with his comments about his Preston side ‘overachieving’ this season…
@PR4PNE: The only time we’ve overachieved since we’ve been up is when Alex Neil got us to 7th and 2 points off the play offs.
@declanmarsden: There not achieving, never mind over achieving
@bullnorton: Yes. No budget. Comfortable championship team. Only really buy one player in any window. Rely on frees or loans. Squad is quite poor.
@AdamMasefield: In reality it is the worst squad we have had in years so there is an argument there. There is no ambition from the board however and it seems like Ryan has realised that and just been told to say stuff just like every other manager
@davepark86: Personally I don’t think they are over achieving .. budget and investment and squad for me is mid table. Not creative enough and largely blunt strikers (especially without Riis). I do wonder if a better manager could get more out of them creatively as doesn’t seem exciting
@SkyBlueMacca: Not picking on Ryan Lowe specifically but in football management such language is smoke and mirrors; usually espoused to divert attention from elsewhere … usually a conversation on under achievement ! It’s worrying for any club when their manager starts talking like this 🤦🏼♂️
@JamesWorden85: Money makes a huge difference obviously but equally there are things in your own control. Perhaps should focus on coaching and improving players – best thing we could do is swap out two coaches, especially the fitness coach because we haven’t been properly fit all season.
@DShamen: No promotions to the top flight since the 1960s would suggest underachievement for than anything, based on the considerably smaller clubs that have been there since. They are probably about right in the Championship, but no lower than that. Silly comments from the manager.
@LeeWolv: Definitely overachieving, as an outsider Ryan Lowe is doing a great job on a shoestring budget
@SteveHorsfield5: Ryan would be better thought of by the fans if he just kept his mouth shut and didn’t come out with statements like this.
@_TaylorC04: Most of the season we’ve been in and around the play offs with the likes of Watford, Norwich west brom who have a been in the premier league in recent years, one of the worst squads we’ve had in years not entirely sure why people are moaning like they expect more
@Llewcalon: Ah, Lowe’s been taking lessons from the Tories I see. The overuse of the buzzword ‘overachieve’ is clearly trying to make a shit situation look a lot better than it actually is.
@lcpafc_1: Embarrassing statement. He’s all talk
@PhilBaxo: Overachieving in boring the 💩 out of everyone
@Lewis83895800: How can the budget be reduced we buy one player a season
@AlastairWood4: This is where I take a few Months hiatus from North End twitter I think. Things are about to go south on here and fast.
@DrJonesPNE: People can think and say what they want about the manager but he’s paid money for 1 player I think, the rest have been free or loans with more of the same incoming. It’s not impossible to work like that but you’ve either gotta be lucky or a minor miracle worker
@LancsRollerDoor: On the plus side he won’t have to worry about demoralising the fan base. That’s already been achieved
@Fodder63: Hopefully the club can announce new owners, and a shift in transfer policy. As a lifelong Preston fan, I’d say a massive thank you, to the Hemmings Family, the club will be 4 ever in their debt, but hopefully it will be time to move onwards & upwards, under new ownership. #pnefc
@Johnnyproudlove: A Ridsdale special Relegation squad incoming! A much reduced budget and lower than the one Rotherham had last time they were relegated. Hardly likely to attract season ticket renewals….but they really don’t care! Tough times ahead…. #pnefc
@EPHarbinger: That’ll get the season tickets flying out! 🙄
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