League One sack race: Ex-Premier League club to wield axe as two managers face uncertain futures
Ryan Lowe and Richie Wellens could be the next League One managers to be sacked as Wigan Athletic and Leyton Orient each go through poor patches of form.
The last League One manager to be relieved of his duties was Darren Moore, as his spell at Port Vale came to an end last week with the club sat bottom of the table.
Results had not been good enough following promotion from League Two, and their owners pulled the trigger after a crushing 5-0 loss to Huddersfield Town.
Vale recently appointed Jon Brady to succeed Moore, and Wigan and Leyton Orient could also be on the hunt for a new manager soon if their respective poor form continues and either Lowe or Wellens are sacked.
Wigan and Leyton Orient managers under threat
Lowe has been Wigan’s manager since March 2025, after he spent some time out of the game following a shock departure from Preston North End in August 2024.
He led them to a 15th-placed finish in his first few months at the helm, and fans expected more progress this term after a successful summer window saw Wigan sign Paul Mullin on loan from Wrexham, among others.
The Latics have struggled so far, however, with seven wins from 24 games to sit 15th in the third tier as it stands, while they have emerged victorious from just one of their last seven outings.
Lowe may well be relieved of his duties soon, with Leyton Orient boss Wellens also under real pressure to turn things around at the BetWright Stadium right now.
He led the O’s to promotion to League One in 2022-23, his first full season in charge, and they have since finished 11th and sixth under his guidance.
Charlton beat Orient 1-0 in the play-off final in May, and they have struggled to bounce back so far, with just 28 points to sit one place above the relegation zone in 20th as it stands.
Orient want to sign Finley Munroe on loan from Aston Villa to bolster their chances of survival, but Wellens may not get the chance to lead them to safety with a tough run of games against Cardiff, Reading and Bolton coming up.
Which Championship managers are at risk of being sacked soon?
The EFL is often an unforgiving place for managers, and the Championship in particular often sees a high turnover of bosses due to the lofty expectations of many clubs.
While Lowe and Wellens could soon be sacked from their League One jobs, Leicester boss Marti Cifuentes is the favourite to be sacked next in the Championship after Ryan Mason was dismissed by West Brom.
According to the latest odds from one of the UK’s leading bookmakers, Cifuentes is the 3/1 favourite among second-tier managers to be sacked next, with Birmingham City’s Chris Davies and Sheffield Wednesday’s Henrik Pedersen up next, at 4/1 and 5/1 respectively.