Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit backs James Carragher's honest Wigan Athletic verdict on Shaun Maloney sacking | OneFootball

Former footballer and current Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman has his say on James Carragher's assessment.

Former footballer and current Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman believes that James Carragher is correct in his assessment that Wigan Athletic players let former manager Shaun Maloney down.

The Latics parted ways with club icon Maloney earlier this season following a disappointing campaign that saw the team struggle to build on their 12th-placed finish from the previous term.

Ryan Lowe has since taken the reins at the DW Stadium, and in that time, Carragher, son of Liverpool legend Jamie, has emerged as one of the bright spots in a challenging season for Wigan.

Don Goodman shares James Carragher's assessment of Wigan Athletic player responsibility

The 22-year-old defender, who recently made headlines after choosing to represent Malta internationally through his grandfather's heritage, didn't hold back when discussing the circumstances surrounding Maloney's departure during an interview.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Goodman expressed strong agreement with Carragher's view that the players failed to deliver for their former manager.

"James Carragher is absolutely right," Goodman stated emphatically.

"I know the buck stops with the manager, pretty much always when things go wrong at a football club, but having experienced seeing many managers lose their jobs, I think the buck stops with the players.

"I mean after a twelfth-placed finish last season I think Wigan would have expected to be progressing, pushing higher up the table.

"They got off to a terrible start, two wins out of eight, put them on the back foot and they never really recovered, so they'll be hoping for better next season.

"But I think James Carragher probably has a point."

Shaun Maloney's Wigan Athletic tenure showed promise despite challenging circumstances

Maloney, who had earned plaudits for navigating Wigan through financial difficulties and points deductions in previous seasons, appeared to be building something promising at the DW Stadium. His work with young talent, including Carragher himself, had been particularly noteworthy.

The defender notably scored his first professional goal under Maloney's guidance in a 2-0 victory over Bristol Rovers earlier this season, with the then-manager praising his performance.

"It wasn't a particularly tough decision to play Carra in there," Maloney had said following that match.

"Carragher - and Luke Robinson - definitely deserved to play after their performances at Stevenage."

Despite these positive moments, inconsistent results ultimately led to Maloney's departure as the club failed to build momentum throughout the campaign.

Wigan Athletic need to learn lessons for next season under Ryan Lowe

For Wigan, the hope is that this painful episode will serve as a wake-up call. As Goodman notes, they’ll 'be hoping for better next season'.

The challenge now is for the players to respond-not just with words, but with performances that honour both their former manager’s work and the club’s ambitions.

In the end, Goodman’s verdict is clear - while managers will always carry the can, true accountability starts with the players.

On this, he and James Carragher are in complete agreement, and for Wigan Athletic, that’s the message that must resonate as they look to rebuild and move forward with Ryan Lowe.