Preston may have snatched Ryan Lowe away from Plymouth Argyle but Steven Schumacher decided to stay put – and his decision is really paying off.
North End moved for Lowe in December, quickly appointing him as a replacement for Frankie McAvoy.
Lowe’s time at Preston has been largely positive; he has connected with fans brilliantly whilst improving the style of play.
In-game tactics and slow starts have been a problem, and the 4-0 defeat to Luton Town last time out highlighted big problems.
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Lowe ultimately needs transfer windows to build his squad and play the way he wants, so any real judgments should be held off for a while.
Still, there will be some fearing a Brian Clough situation; that without his trusted assistant – Peter Taylor in Clough’s case, Steven Schumacher in Lowe’s – it just isn’t the same.
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Preston did have an interest in bringing Schumacher to Deepdale alongside Lowe. The pair had worked together at Bury and Plymouth, so that was only natural.
However, Schumacher decided to take over as Plymouth boss having been offered the chance to take over from Lowe.
The pair allegedly remain friends despite going their separate ways, and Schumacher is enjoying quite the run down at Home Park.
Saturday’s 4-0 win over Accrington Stanley now means Argyle have won five games in a row and nine of their last 11 games.
Remarkably, Plymouth have kept five clean sheets in a row and conceded just five goals in this 11-game stretch.
Sitting fourth in the League One table, Plymouth look like a great bet for the playoffs and can’t be ruled out of automatic promotion contention just yet.
Schumacher is showing that he can be a great manager in his own right, thriving even with Lowe gone.
Plymouth could have been severely dented by Lowe’s exit, but Schumacher could still end up taking Argyle to the Championship – and facing off with Lowe next season.