Bringing the Good Times

IT was not so long ago, when Argyle were emerging from the ravages of administration, that a Home Park victory was heralded by a post-win playing of a song by 1960s group, Love Affair.

If Ryan Lowe has his way, the Green Army might just be singing along to it again, as the new Pilgrims’ manager attempts to extinguish the disappointments of last season’s relegation to Sky Bet League Two.

“We’re definitely going to bring the good times,” said Ryan.

“I said that last year, after I took over Bury. I want to bring the good times back, on and off the pitch.

“We’ll be as one, it won’t just be me, the manager; Steve [Schumacher], my assistant; and the coaching staff and the players – we will all be together.

“If we want to be successful, that’s what happens. Most teams that are successful have got that togetherness – they galvanise each other and pull each other through, and that’s what we’ll be certainly doing.

“The relegation’s probably hit a lot of people hard but one thing I can tell you is we’re here to bring the good times back.”

The good times at Bury, in Ryan’s first full season as a gaffer, were predicated on an expansive, forward-looking style of play that propelled the Greater Manchester side to runners-up spot in League Two. Argyle’s players and fans can expect more of the same this season.

“That’s what we are going to implement,” he said.

“I’ve spoken to more or less all the players now – there’s one or two I haven’t been able to catch – and they are excited. I have told them what we are going to be doing and how we are going to do it.

“We scored plenty of goals [at Bury] – I think it was 105 goals in all competitions. We’d like to keep the backdoor shut a little bit more, if we can, but, with exciting football, that’s what happens and that’s what we’re looking to install.

“The 90 per cent of the lads that I have spoken to already are excited. They have heard good things about us, and I have said that they will love the training and love the way we are with them.

“But we don’t take kindness for a weakness. When we’re working, we’re ruthless. We want to get a result on a Saturday or a Tuesday evening – and that is the key – but, if the lads buy into what we are about, we’ll be okay.

“We are going to try to play a nice brand of brand of football; we are hopefully going to score goals; we want to get the fans excited because that’s a big part of me – I have always had a relationship with fans [of clubs] I’ve played for; it’s not going to be any different as a manager.”

So good times, and a good chance of a second successive promotion from League Two for the new man?

Ryan said: “Look, I don’t want to sit here saying we are going to do this and we are going to do that because you’re easily pushed right down if you don’t do it, but I can guarantee passion, effort and commitment, and good football.

“I am sure when you have all those rolled into one, there is only one way you are going and that is that you are going to be fighting for something special.

“That’s going to be the aim.”