As Stoke City gears up to face Preston North End in the Championship at Deepdale, Steven Schumacher has revealed why he and his close friend Ryan Lowe have been avoiding each other this week. This match marks only their second encounter as managers.
Schumacher was brought to Bury as a coach by Lowe, his former teammate at Crewe Alexandra and Bury. Together, they enjoyed success at Gigg Lane and Plymouth Argyle, securing two promotions before Schumacher earned a third on his own. Lowe departed for Preston in 2021, aiming to guide his team to the Championship playoffs, while Schumacher, who joined Stoke in December, finds himself fighting to avoid relegation at the opposite end of the table.
With both teams in crucial positions in a tightly contested league table, regular conversations between the two friends have been put on hold until after the game.
Reflecting on their relationship, Schumacher said, “As players, we faced each other countless times. We’ve been friends for years, and I worked alongside him as a coach for five or six years.”
Discussing their previous encounter earlier in the season, Schumacher admitted it felt strange to compete against his friend, with Lowe’s team emerging victorious. However, he hopes for a different outcome this weekend.
Although they typically speak a few times a week, Schumacher noted that they’ve refrained from contacting each other this week. He explained, “There comes a point where I can’t say too much, and he knows he won’t say too much. I won’t be speaking to him until after the game on Saturday, and hopefully, I’ll be in a better mood when I visit his office.”
Preston previously defeated Schumacher’s Plymouth 2-1 at home in September and are now hosting Stoke at Deepdale, benefiting from an unexpected mid-week break due to the postponement of their match against Southampton. Despite this, Schumacher emphasized the need for Stoke to focus on their energy levels to secure a positive result.
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