Exeter City and Wycombe Wanderers both facing big decisions: View | OneFootball

With the busy festive period approaching, there are a number of managers who will be feeling the pressure in League One.

Burton Albion became the latest third tier side to make a managerial change when they sacked Dino Maamria on Saturday after the 2-1 home defeat to Stevenage, and a number of other clubs could follow in the coming weeks.

Two managers looking increasingly vulnerable are Exeter City's Gary Caldwell and Wycombe Wanderers' Matt Bloomfield after both suffered damaging defeats at the weekend.

Exeter were beaten 1-0 by fellow strugglers Port Vale at St James' Park on Saturday, leaving them sitting 20th in the table, just two points above the relegation zone.

Wycombe also suffered a disappointing defeat as they lost 1-0 to Shrewsbury Town at Adams Park on Saturday, and they are currently 15th in the table, 14 points from the play-off places, and just six points above the bottom four.

With Exeter and Wycombe continuing to slide down the table, both clubs are facing big decisions about the future of their respective managers.

Should Exeter City and Wycombe Wanderers stick with Gary Caldwell and Matt Bloomfield?

Caldwell arrived at Exeter last October, replacing Matt Taylor after his departure to Rotherham United.

The 41-year-old led his side to an impressive 14th-placed finish in their first year back in League One last season, and the Grecians made a strong start to this campaign, winning five of their first eight games to sit top of the table in mid-September, while they also knocked Premier League club Luton Town out of the EFL Cup.

However, their form has declined significantly since then, and they are now without a win in their last 11 league games, losing nine of those.

It was a damaging defeat on Saturday to a Port Vale side who themselves had not won since September, and with Fleetwood, Reading and Cheltenham improving in recent weeks, it feels like a matter of time before Exeter drop into the relegation zone.

The Grecians have scored just 12 goals this season, the lowest in the division, while only Fleetwood and Reading have conceded more.

It is difficult not to have some sympathy for Caldwell given that he lost key players such as Josh Key, Archie Collins and Sam Nombe this summer, and star striker Jay Stansfield returned to Fulham at the end of his loan spell, but the current run of form is incredibly alarming.

With a tough game against third-placed Stevenage at the Lamex Stadium on Saturday, it could get worse for Exeter, and defeat would surely spell the end of Caldwell's reign.

Bloomfield spent the entirety of his playing career at Wycombe, and he left Colchester United to return to Adams Park as manager in February after Gareth Ainsworth's departure to Queens Park Rangers.

The 39-year-old took over with the Chairboys sitting just outside the play-off places, and his side finished the season in ninth place.

After an inconsistent start to this campaign, it looked as though Wycombe were starting to find their form, and they sat as high as seventh in the table in early October.

However, the Chairboys are now without a win in their last eight league games, and the loss to Shrewsbury on Saturday was their fourth consecutive defeat.

Bloomfield only signed a one-year contract extension last month, with chairman Rob Couhig stating that the club had made "tremendous strides" under his guidance, but as they continue to drift away from the top six, the board may be regretting that decision.

Former manager Ainsworth is available again after his departure from QPR, and should Wycombe's fortunes fail to improve, you wonder whether a reunion would be a tempting option for both parties.

The Chairboys are back in action when they face fifth-placed Derby County at Pride Park on Saturday, and with the Rams having won their last five league games, it could be another difficult afternoon for Bloomfield.