Former Preston North End and Plymouth Argyle boss can't be ruled out for Cardiff City job
The Championship’s bottom club are still on the hunt for a new manager, and an ex-PNE boss has been spoken about.
Former Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe has not yet been ruled out of a managerial return with Championship club Cardiff City.
Cardiff have been on the search for a new first-team manager for over two weeks after parting company with Erol Bulut. The Bluebirds had endured a winless start to the season, and despite a win and a draw under caretaker boss Omer Riza, they remain bottom of the division.
As Cardiff along with the 23 other clubs enter the international break, now would be the right time to make an appointment. It would allow any new manager to get to know their squad without a worry of a fixture, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. It’s mid-way through the first week of the international break, and still their search for a manager goes on.
Lowe is the joint second favourite for the job, sharing the same odds as Steven Schumacher who was relieved of his duties as Stoke City manager in September. Slaven Bilic remains the favourite, but after holding talks, it’s ‘unlikely’ that Bilic will be taking the job, which opens the door for other candidates.
Ruben Selles is someone that Cardiff are considering, and he has formed a large part of their discussions. Despite Selles seemingly being ahead of Lowe in Cardiff’s pecking order, Lowe right now has shorter odds than the Spaniard.
According to WalesOnline, there has been 'no noise either way' regarding Lowe, which means he cannot be ruled out as a potential appointment. The Welsh publication says that Lowe’s ‘stock is relatively high’ and that Schumacher looks unlikely at this stage, which could put the Liverpudlian in to a good position.
Lowe has had a watchful eye over Cardiff too. Instead of staying at home, he appeared on Soccer Special a week or so after his departure from Deepdale to commentate on the Bluebirds’ Carabao Cup match with Southampton.
Cardiff and North End meet in South Wales on Wednesday, December 11, before the reverse fixture in April 2025. Their new manager whoever they appoint will have had at least a month or so in the job before they face up against Paul Heckingbottom’s men.
The Cardiff job isn’t the only thing that has been brought up as Lowe’s next possible venture. According to Alan Nixon, both Lowe and Schumacher are keeping an eye on Plymouth Argyle.
The Pilgrims appointed Wayne Rooney in the summer, and a 2-1 win against Blackburn Rovers, has put them in a good position going in to the international break. They are 14th, and four points above the relegation zone.
England and Man United legend Rooney signed a three-year contract in the summer, and so any sack talk would be premature. Both Lowe and Schumacher have had spells in charge of Plymouth, with Schumacher replacing Lowe after he left for North End.