Exclusive: 'Fantastic' – League One boss lauds Watford-linked manager amid Wigan Athletic turnaround
28/03/2024 17:36
Wigan Athletic boss Shaun Maloney has been hailed by Exeter City boss Gary Caldwell for his work done at the DW Stadium this season.
Wigan Athletic handed Maloney the reins on a permanent basis last summer following his caretaker stint towards the tail end of the 2022/23 campaign. He’s done a fine job at the DW Stadium too, drawing links with Championship side Watford.
After starting out the season with an eight-point deduction, the Latics have risen far clear of the drop zone. They’re up in 13th in the League One table and are closer to the play-offs than they are the bottom for.
Maloney’s work has drawn plenty of praise, and fellow League One manager Gary Caldwell has become the latest to acknowledge his efforts.
Speaking to Sky Bet exclusively on behalf of The72, the Exeter City boss labelled the work of his former Wigan Athletic teammate as ‘fantastic’. He stated that when playing the Latics, it has been abundantly clear that they are a better side than their league position suggests.
"Shaun Maloney has done a fantastic job at Wigan,” Caldwell said.
“To get the points deduction they got at the start of the season made it a difficult because they were always going to be fighting against where you should have been. Any time we've played them, I've always said we're playing a better team than you think because the points deduction puts them in a position that's false.
“He's done a fantastic job and I'm sure they'll continue to progress."
On the up
Wigan Athletic have been able to look upwards under Maloney this season. They’ve not been in a position to mount a promotion push and understandably so given the position they found themselves early in the campaign.
However, they’ve recovered brilliantly and can hopeful look forward to a brighter future.
The same goes for Maloney, whose stock has risen thanks to his work at the DW Stadium. A coaching role in the Belgium setup gears him up well for a future in the dugout and following a challenging stint in Scotland with Hibernian, he’s now impressing with his former club.
Rumoured interest from Watford shows how his work is being viewed elsewhere but after a strong first full season at the helm with Wigan, he could be the manager to lead them back to the Championship in the years to come.
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