Wigan Athletic have sacked Head Coach Ryan Lowe after less than a year in the job, following yesterday’s dismal showing at Peterborough United.
The two-time promotion winner was tasked with guiding the Latics back into the Championship, but leaves The Brick Community Stadium with Wigan increasingly likely to exit League One in the other direction.
And there was no way back for Lowe after his side were thrashed 6-1 at the Weston Homes Stadium, with Wigan confirming the decision to part ways with their head coach late last night.
Fans have become increasingly agitated in recent weeks, reaching a tipping point during their worst scoreline of the season on Saturday afternoon. That result against Posh leaves the Lancashire outfit 22nd in the third tier, two points from safety after losing five of their last six games.
Glenn Whelan and Graham Barrow have been placed in temporary charge, with an immediate chance to lift the club outside the relegation zone on Tuesday evening. Victory over Reading would take the Latics up to 17th position, before they turn their attention to an FA Cup tie at Premier League leaders Arsenal next Sunday. The fixture list isn’t any kinder in the immediate future, with three of the top seven sides, Luton Town, Stockport County and Huddersfield Town, all to play before the end of February.
It’s a sorry sight for a club that won the FA Cup 13 years ago, although they were relegated from the Premier League just a few days later. The Latics have since bounced between the second and third tiers, though remaining at this level this season remains the priority for whoever Wigan decide to appoint. The timing of this decision is mystifying, given that the transfer window only closed on Monday, and they had hardly been pulling up any trees in December and January.
How Did Wigan & Lowe Get To This Point?
Having taken over the mid-table Latics last March, Lowe made Wigan very difficult to beat in the final months of the season. While only winning twice, losing the same number of games was accompanied by seven stalemates. The former Preston North End manager was hopeful of constructing a squad over the summer capable of challenging for promotion back to the Championship.
And the early signs seemed positive, too. Victories over Northampton Town and Peterborough in the opening month of the season were accompanied by draws against Rotherham United and Stockport County. Despite a bright start to September, easing past Doncaster Rovers, their heavy derby defeat at Bolton Wanderers spelt the start of a dismal run of form. Wigan have won just four League One games since, and have lost seven of their last ten league encounters, including against Lincoln City last Saturday.
One of their rare highs this term was knocking Lowe’s old side Preston out of the FA Cup last month, though the reward of winning that tie feels more like an unwelcome distraction a week today. There are a couple of names that are doing the rounds for the next Latics boss, with Whelan linked with taking the job permanently. Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens, Alan Sheehan & Chris Coleman have also been tipped by some of the bookmakers.
Whoever does come in has a huge job in making sure that Wigan don’t become just another club to drop from the Premier League to the bottom division of professional football.
We wasn’t expecting that … Not!