Big Gary Caldwell concern raised as Wigan Athletic eye Exeter City boss - It mirrors Ryan Lowe | OneFootball

Exeter City boss Gary Caldwell could return to Wigan Athletic, but he utilises the same formation as sacked Latics head coach Ryan Lowe.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Exeter City boss Gary Caldwell is firmly in the frame to return to Wigan Athletic to replace the recently sacked Ryan Lowe, but he may not be the right man to take the League One club forward.

The Latics have not dropped as far as the fourth tier since winning the old Division Three title in 1997, but are now threatened with the prospect of relegation to League Two.

Caldwell is a throwback to Wigan's glory days, having served as club captain during their 2012/13 FA Cup-winning campaign, before going on to lift the League One title as manager in 2016.

Meanwhile, the Greater Manchester club's current struggles were laid bare when they were thrashed 6-1 by Peterborough United in Lowe's last game.

Gary Caldwell utilises a back three at Exeter City - the same system Ryan Lowe struggled with at Wigan Athletic

Former Wigan boss Lowe seldom moved away from his back-three system, even though the Latics repeatedly suffered bad results under his stewardship, drawing them ever closer to League Two.

Meanwhile, amid the news that Caldwell could return to the Brick Community Stadium, Football League World asked our Latics fan pundit, Corey Bissell, if he'd be happy with that appointment.

Bissell told FLW: "Not overly, to be honest. I think it's one of those where a lot of the reason you'd be employing him is because he used to be here as a player and as a manager.

"People will point to the fact that he won the league with us, but it was 10 years ago now. He plays a back three at Exeter. I don't really want to see another back-three manager at Wigan. I need a break from a back three, I think!

"He might come in and play a back four here, maybe he's working with what he's got at Exeter. But he's had a good chunk of time down there to build what he wants to do, and he's opted to go for a back three. So I can't say it's the most comfortable I would feel around an appointment."

Gary Caldwell re-appointment would definitely represent a risk for Wigan Athletic

Lowe has left the Latics in a dire situation, which could see the Greater Manchester club drop to League Two for the first time since the division adopted that title in 2004.

Therefore, any successor will have a difficult job on their hands to retain the League One status of a proud club who were previously one of the third tier's powerhouses when they fell to the division from the Championship, and boast eight years of Premier League history.

But that role would be particularly challenging for Caldwell, should he utilise the same formation that became rightfully unpopular among supporters throughout Lowe's ultimately disastrous tenure.

Furthermore, as alluded to by Bissell, Caldwell's League One title triumph as Wigan boss was 10 years ago, and the third tier has significantly grown in quality since then.

The former Scotland defender has done a solid job at Exeter, enabling the Grecians to become a solid mid-table outfit, but keeping the Latics away from League Two would be a different challenge altogether.