Ryan Lowe wants Wigan Athletic to get back to basics ahead of Plymouth Argyle trip
Ryan Lowe says Wigan Athletic must return to doing the “simple things” as they look to bounce back from their recent dip in form at Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.
The Latics boss had his players back in training on Sunday following Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Cardiff City.
Lowe, who spent three successful years managing Plymouth before taking charge of Preston and then arriving at Wigan, insists the key to improvement lies in rediscovering the basics.
“There’s some good stuff in there, you know,” he said.
“When we do it good, we look good. But when we don’t do the simple, basic things, we don’t look good.”
Lowe felt his side were too passive in spells against Cardiff, allowing the visitors to dictate the game without creating enough themselves.
Defensively, they were resolute, with Cardiff not able to make their possession count, but they struggled to keep hold when they were on the ball.
“We did limit them to not a lot of chances, but we can be better with the ball and a little bit better without it,” he added.
“The goal was frustrating because at that point, you’re just thinking, ‘Stay in the game, work your way into it.’
"We knew it was going to be tough, we knew they’d have plenty of possession. There were good elements from us, but probably not enough – because we didn’t win.”
The Latics boss praised his players’ work rate but stressed that effort alone isn’t enough at this level.
“We’ve got great lads who work hard,” said Lowe. “I know the distances will be good, the high-intensity runs, the recovery runs. That’s a given.
“It’s about what you do with the ball and without it – and today, we didn’t do enough with it.”
Saturday’s game carries extra spice given Lowe’s history with Plymouth, but the manager insists the focus is solely on Wigan getting back to winning ways and stopping the slide.
“When we get up and get in people’s faces, we’re a good team – I know that,” he said. “But at the moment, we’re not doing that consistently enough.”