Charlton caretaker boss Johnnie Jackson relishing tactical battle against Plymouth pal Ryan Lowe
Charlton Athletic caretaker manager Johnnie Jackson is looking forward to pitting his wits against Plymouth’s Ryan Lowe on Saturday afternoon.
The pair were on the same course for their UEFA A and Pro licences.
Lowe has guided Argyle to the top of the League One table, a major achievement considering they were not one of the fancied sides before a ball was kicked at the start of August.
Asked if it was a surprise to see Plymouth as early pacesetters, Jackson told the South London Press: “Maybe at the start, but I’ve watched a lot of them now and they are a very good side. They deserve to be where they are.
“I know the manager really well. He is a good, bright young coach and they play in a similar way to how we do. They have a lot of energy in their team and press really well. They’ve got two lads up front with good movement and who score score goals. They cause a lot of problems. They get the ball to the midfield players and try to play as well.
“They score a lot of goals as well and they’ll be coming to us really fancying it. They are flying high – but so are we. It will be an exciting game, two teams going for the win.
“I got to know Ryan really well on those courses and we have kept in constant touch since we met. We’ve always been competing against each other in the same league. He was coaching and then managing. Now I’m in charge at the moment. Our journey has been similar but he’s a little bit ahead, he just had his 100th game [as a boss in the 4-1 win at Accrington].”
MAIN PICTURE: PAUL EDWARDS