KARL Robinson knows Oxford United must be wary of a Plymouth Argyle backlash tomorrow.

The Pilgrims visit the Kassam Stadium still smarting from their 6-0 defeat to Charlton Athletic on Tuesday – their worst home Football League loss since 1956.

Boss Ryan Lowe ordered his players to report to training at 8am the next morning as punishment, which conjured up a memory for Robinson.

The U’s head coach managed his fellow Liverpudlian at MK Dons in 2012/13 and used the same tactic after one poor performance.

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Robinson said: “I did that to Ryan Lowe once, I brought the players in at 7am on Sunday morning.

“I remember how he reacted to that.

“He’ll know the right thing to do and he’ll be the best manager he has been in his career at this moment, because he’s dealing with things he hasn’t had to deal with before.

“He’ll get a high-energy reaction and one of anger.”

United were also beaten by a south London side in midweek, losing 2-1 at AFC Wimbledon, and will view tomorrow’s game as a must-win as they seek to keep their faint Sky Bet League One play-off hopes alive.

Their opponents have been comfortably mid-table for much of 2020/21 as Lowe continues a fine start to his managerial career.

Plymouth went up from Sky Bet League Two last season, finishing third on points per game after the campaign was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic.

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It came after the 42-year-old led Bury to promotion from the same division during his first campaign as permanent boss in 2018/19 and Robinson, who gets on well with his opposite number, has been impressed with Lowe’s rise.

He said: “It’s surreal, because I know him as a person as well.

“He’s so passionate, he’s really intelligent, he’s one of the good guys of football.

“He won’t mind me saying that he was a difficult individual to manage at times.

“It’s brilliant seeing him as a manager, I’d love to know how Ryan Lowe would manage Ryan Lowe.

“What he has done in the beginning of his career, two promotions in two years and to stabilise Plymouth Argyle in League One, is an amazing achievement.

“People see the success, but the stability in League One is sometimes a lot harder than the promotions you gain.

“You’re playing against better teams with a lesser budget.”

Lowe is not the only member of opposition staff Robinson has history with.

Plymouth technical director Neil Dewsnip taught the United boss at school, before going on to coach at Everton’s academy and England’s youth teams.

Robinson said: “Neil taught me at eight or nine years of age and is someone I’ve known all the way through.

“He has always been there for a phone call, as a friend and to pick his brain on one or two things.

“As a staff I know them incredibly well.”