Leam’s gone but the big issues remain

Chris Dunlavy

EXIT: Leam Richardson

Wigan’s owners have at least acted decisively, but questions must be asked as to what they hope the sacking of Leam Richardson will achieve.

Six defeats from seven games and a rancorous fanbase made the 42-year-old’s departure inevitable, regardless of the three-year contract he signed less than a month ago.

The imminent World Cup break and the unique opportunity it provides to effectively conduct a mini pre-season means any Championship club considering a change of manager had to pull the trigger now.

Ultimately, though, Wigan’s issues boil down to money. Their playing budget is bottom four. Only Coventry and QPR spent less on transfers than the Latics during the summer, and those two sides already had a team of established Championship players.

Wigan, who had to build a squad from scratch after entering administration in 2020, have a handful at best.

Comparable clubs like Luton and Coventry have outperformed modest budgets, but benefited from long-serving managers overseeing steady progress.

In that sense, Richardson was probably a victim of his own success having sealed promotion barely 12 months after taking permanent charge.

Wigan currently have neither the budget, the squad nor the infrastructure to compete far beyond where they currently reside. Until that changes, the dugout occupant is largely irrelevant.