Plymouth Argyle boss Ryan Lowe has admitted there have been times this season where his team have not met the required level in their performances.

Lowe was speaking two days after his Plymouth side cruised to a 3-0 victory over Swindon Town in the EFL Trophy, with the Pilgrims now preparing to face the Robins again this weekend in a League Two clash.

Plymouth are currently sitting 12th in the League Two table after a mixed start to the season, which has seen them win just four out of their 12 matches since dropping down from League One at the end of last term.

Lowe left his role at Bury to take over as Plymouth boss following Argyle's relegation on the final day of last season, and he has now claimed his side have sometimes performed below par in the early weeks of the season.

In doing so, the 41-year-old praised his side's performance against Swindon on Tuesday night and affirmed this is the performance level they should be aiming to reach in every match this campaign.

"On Tuesday, it was a Ryan Lowe team playing the Ryan Lowe way," he told the Argyle Twitter account.

"When we play that way, we're a good team. There have been times where we haven't reached that level this season."

The Pilgrims will now travel to the County Ground for the second time this week when they face seventh-placed Swindon on Saturday, while Lowe's side must also start gearing up for the crucial South West Derby clash with Exeter City at the end of the month.

The Verdict

Plymouth fans would have been hoping to see their side slightly higher in the table on their return to League Two, but I'm sure the vast majority of them are still very much in support of the work Lowe is doing at the club.

He achieved incredible success with Bury last season as he led his former side to promotion despite their struggles off the pitch, which means he has already proven his ability to overcome adversity in his short managerial career.

The fact Lowe recognises performances have not always been up to scratch also indicates he is aware of what work needs to be done, while the 3-0 victory on Tuesday has shown what his side is ultimately capable of achieving.

Saturday's re-match against Swindon is now an important one for Argyle, as victory would mark a real statement of intent as they aim to clim back up the table.

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