Preston North End Managerial Search: Alex Neil, Brian Barry-Murphy, John Eustace, and Gary Rowett Among Contenders to Succeed Ryan Lowe

Preston have compiled a list of potential candidates for their new manager position, featuring names such as Alex Neil, Brian Barry-Murphy, John Eustace, Scott Lindsey, Paul Gallagher, and Gary Rowett.

Among the list of experienced managers, it is thought Barry-Murphy - a former Preston player - is high up on the list of contenders.

Barry-Murphy is currently manager of Manchester City's Elite Development Squad, working closely with Pep Guardiola.

Former Preston boss Neil, ex-Birmingham manager Rowett and former Stoke assistant Gallagher are all out of work and immediately available.

Crawley's Lindsey and Blackburn's Eustace are currently in a job, and might be more difficult to employ at Deepdale.

Preston are thought to be hoping to make a quick appointment, having mutually agreed to part ways with Ryan Lowe just one game into the new season.

Lowe: Right time to move on

Lowe departed after Preston were booed off on Friday night having been beaten 2-0 at home by Sheffield United.

He said: "I've had an unbelievable two-and-a-half years, met some incredible people and coached some fantastic players, but I feel now is the right time to move on.

"I think now is the right time for the club to go in a different direction. I've always stressed since I walked through the door that if I can't take the club any further, I'd leave it to someone else and that's what I'm doing.

"I'm leaving the club in a good place with a fantastic squad, and I just wish the football club and everyone associated with it all the best in the future."

Mike Marsh, accompanied by Peter Murphy and Ched Evans, took charge of Preston's fixture against Sunderland on Tuesday in the Carabao Cup.

Director Peter Ridsdale and Lowe spoke for four-and-a-half hours on Sunday before the manager decided to step down.

"It's a combination of the back end of last season when we obviously had a difficult end to the season," said Ridsdale.

"Friday was tough for him, I don't think the atmosphere in the stadium after the result helped, which I understand by the way because supporters pay their money and they're entitled to their opinion.

"He said he was enjoying Mondays to Fridays but not Saturdays and he just felt from his and his family's point of view, he'd like to go and we sadly wish him all the best and have reached an understanding with him.

"It was Ryan's initiative, not ours, we're not sitting here after one game trying to knee-jerk react to the loss on Friday."

'We don't hire and fire managers'

Preston ended last season with a five-game losing streak during which they failed to score.

Ridsdale added: "Only he can tell you why he didn't make the decision [at the end of last season]. We did have a long chat at the end of the season as to whether or not the end was symptomatic of a deeper problem.

"Ryan will be the first to tell you that for some time the supporters have felt we ought to make a change. I think that Ryan probably thought we might have initiated something at the end of last season and we didn't. As a football club, we're proud of the fact we don't just hire and fire managers."

Lowe was appointed in December 2021 and led the club to 13th, 12th and 10th-placed finishes during his two-and-a-half seasons.

Preston sit 23rd in the Championship table, only above Plymouth Argyle, after the opening weekend of the season.