Sky Bet League Two side Tranmere Rovers parted company with manager Nigel Adkins last night, as the club slipped to two points above the relegation zone following a 1-0 defeat to Accrington Stanley.
The decision did not come as much of a shock to Tranmere fans as the Merseyside outfit fell to their seventh defeat in their last 10 matches. The result means Rovers are now in real danger of returning to the National League, where they were relegated to 10 years ago.
Who is in the frame?
It has been reported that former Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe is amongst the names being considered by the League Two side. Lowe, 46, was appointed as Preston manager in December 2021.
He was in charge for 125 matches. His record at the club consisted of 47 wins, 30 draws and 48 losses. He departed the Lilywhites by mutual consent after this season’s curtain opener, a 2-0 home defeat to Sheffield United.
How has Lowe fared throughout his managerial career?
If Tranmere were to appoint Lowe as Adkins’ successor then it would not be unreasonable for the Super White Army to feel optimistic about their chances of survival. Lowe, who played for Rovers in the 2013/14 season, has managerial experience across all three levels in the EFL.
Starting his managerial career at Bury, the Liverpudlian led the Shakers to automatic promotion from League Two in 2019. During his spell at Gigg Lane, Lowe gained a reputation for playing entertaining attacking football.
Speaking to the Guardian in 2019, he spoke about his philosophy and how, for him, attack was the best form of defence. “People talk about philosophy but I wanted to instil a winning philosophy. We thought that just by outscoring teams we’d have more chance of doing that.”
This attacking approach would be music to the ears of Tranmere fans. They are currently the lowest scorers in the EFL, with just 23 goals in 33 matches.
He departed Bury following the club’s promotion due to their off-field struggles. He dropped back down the fourth tier to take charge of Plymouth Argyle. Lowe would gain promotion with Argyle in his first season but would resign in December 2021 to take the Preston job.
He was in the dugout at Deepdale for two and a half years where he guided the club to consecutive top-half finishes in the Sky Bet Championship. Preston finished in 13th, 12th, and 10th place under Lowe’s tenure.
Would this be a good appointment for Tranmere?
If Tranmere were to appoint Ryan Lowe as their next manager, there would certainly be reason for optimism. He would bring with him recent experience across the EFL, including success in both Tranmere’s current division and the division above.
He could also be the right man to fix their woes in front of goal this season, with his sides previously being shown to play attacking football and scoring lots of goals.
Tranmere’s next game is at home to Port Vale on Saturday in Sky Bet League Two.