Football
Exclusive: Wigan Considering Ryan Lowe Exit Amid League One Struggles
Ryan Lowe is on the verge of being fired from Wigan Athletic due to poor form, just one point above League Two relegation. The club's board sees this as catastrophic and has approached two experienced League One managers. Lowe's record at Wigan is his worst as a manager, sparking fan calls for his sacking. After a recent defeat, Lowe expressed disappointment and promised to keep working hard to improve results.
Wycombe Wanderers v Wigan Athletic - Sky Bet League One by Charlotte Wilson/Offside | Getty Images
Ryan Lowe is facing the chop at Wigan Athletic amid the club’s form struggles, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.
The Latics are languishing just a point clear of the dreaded drop zone to League Two after their 2-0 defeat at Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday night.
Wigan have won just one of their last nine league outings and have been dragged closer to relegation trouble in recent weeks.
Our sources have been told relegation to League Two for the first time since way back in 1997 is seen as catastrophic by the club’s board, who are willing to act if results do not improve fast.
It is also understood two experienced League One managers have been approached to take over.
Amid the managerial uncertainty at Wigan, the club are battling Bolton, who are eyeing a loan move for Rob Apter after his limited game time at Charlton this season, with Blackpool also reportedly interested in bringing him back.
Downward Spiral
Since being relegated to League One the Latics have finished 12th and 15th in the past two campaigns, which were not enough to spare Shaun Maloney, who was sacked in March, his job.
Lowe has twice won League Two promotion, first with Bury and then with Plymouth Argyle.
He spent two-and-a-half-years managing Preston North End in the Championship and joined Wigan eight months after being sacked by the Lilywhites.
But his record since taking the helm at Wigan is his worst in management, with the negative noise around the club growing for his sacking among the fanbase.
After defeat at Wycombe, he said: “Let's not kid ourselves...the position we're in now, we shouldn't be...which the lads are probably looking at, the negatives, the noise...which is fine, it happens.”
“The supporters pay their hard-earned money to come and watch us, and they're not getting what they're paying for, so I understand that.”
“I understand the noise, and I am disappointed, because it's not working...when it's not working, all we can do is keep trying, and hope something falls for us.”
“When you're not winning games of football, other things materialise, and other things happen.”
“We've just to keep trying until told otherwise mate...we'll keep working hard, and keep trying to give our fans the best version of us.”
Shane is a seasoned sports journalist and one of the most recognisable voices in the snooker pressroom. From Ronnie O’Sullivan to Zhao Xintong, he has sat down with the sport’s biggest names and broken hundreds of front-page national stories.
Alongside his work for SportsBoom, Shane regularly freelances for national outlets including the Daily Mirror, Daily Express, and Daily Star.
While cricket is Shane’s true passion, particularly Test cricket, he keeps it largely separate from his professional work. But don’t expect him to be sold on The Hundred as the future of the game.