Best Of

Thank you Gareth.

I was just starting university when your Wycombe era started, having only just begun to go along to games from the 2009 season onwards.

You’ve been a huge part of my life ever since, without me even knowing you on a personal level!

In the days where I was too anxious to go out and party during freshers, you were there as Wycombe manager.

In the days where I was bored in lectures and my mind wondered to my team on football manager, you were there as Wycombe manager.

In the days where I met my girlfriend (now wife) in my final year in Oxford, you were there as Wycombe manager.

In the days where I yearned for the nostalgia of childhood and struggled to adapt to adulthood, you were there as Wycombe manager.

In the days I started my first ever full-time job, you were there as Wycombe manager.

In the days I stressed to buy my first house, making sure it was close enough to Wycombe for me to still come along every other week, you were there as Wycombe manager.

In the days where I struggled to train my new puppy (now a happy 5 year old dog), you were there as Wycombe manager.

In the days where my son was born prematurely and had to live in hospital for the first month of his life, you were there as Wycombe manager.

Thank you Gareth for being a constant in an ever-changing world over the last 12 years. You are and will always be one of the most important men in my life, and the impact you’ve had on me will never be forgotten.

I left the ground on Saturday so proud of the team and the club. A fifth win, another clean sheet and another ‘big’ team sent packing with only their moaning for company. It was so Wycombe and so Gareth Ainsworth. I stayed to applaud him as always. His habit of shaking every players hand is classy but means I have to wait. He always deserves that wait.

I really hope he’s a success in his next challenge. Not a decision I would have made and a jolt to realise he wasn’t 100% Wycombe after all. I am really not sure about the dynamics at QPR but that is not for me to worry about. He’ll get another set of fans applauding him on Saturday and I’ll check his result.

Today is a sad day. An end of an era. I’m not ready for the ‘King is dead, long live the King’ stuff. Welcome back Blooms. You have my support, patience and respect. I just need some time to move on from an era I am proud of. I enjoyed having a long serving manager. Not being on the sack the manager merri go round. A unique figure who upset so many who knew what to expect but couldn’t cope with it. A man with class and more than a little steel. QPR are very lucky. I just don’t think they know it and that makes me sad too.

Hey all, hope you don’t mind a neutral posting and me sharing my thoughts on a first match at Wycombe! Just moved to Bucks, I’m actually a Torquay Utd fan but brought my 5yr old daughter to the Wycombe vs Bolton game as we are looking to also start supporting a local team. We really enjoyed the day, seems like a really well run and friendly club and a very good team against a strong Bolton side. Thought Wing was excellent all round aside from the great strike, and a brilliant late save from your keeper. Wycombe definitely edged it, the central defence kept the Bolton forwards under wraps and the whole team worked hard. Great to have a proper target man in Vokes, he was always a threat, and some nice touches from the No 12 too (McCleary?)....Hanlan was busy although gave the ball away a fair bit. Have to admit I thought it was a definite Bolton penalty, but still a deserved Wycombe win. Hats off to the Bolton fans who sang their hearts out, had a good chat with a couple as we left and they were complimenting Wycombe. Hope to be back soon.....

Talks are presumably ongoing and I want Gareth to make the best decision for himself and his family.

However if talks are still continuing I guess the outcome is not decided. I would be sad if anyone casually dropping into the Gasroom gained the impression from our discussions of 'what if .....' that we didn't care about the result.

So I just want to say, unreservedly, clearly and as loud as I can on here:

Great comment from the Bolton forum:

I keep hearing Wycombe can't play football but whenever I see their goals on TV (not every game), they seem to score more quality goals than most, I've seen some superb finishing from distance. If anyone wants an example look at the 6 goals scored in their last 2 v Derby and Vale, not one header, not one long throw. 1 penalty and 5 goals, mostly from distance, with top quality build up play and finishes. We'd be ecstatic with that goal today. If anyone thinks they are less than the real deal I'd love to know what its based on.

That was fabulous, just fabulous. This team - Fucking hell! I love the way they play for each other. I love the individual ability they each bring to the team. The way we took control of the game after the opening 20 minutes was a thing of beauty.

Gareth Ainsworth is knocking up gourmet meals with two loaves and five fishes and we are truly blessed to be at the feast.

Thanks for your hospitality folks. You fully deserved the win - we just didn't turn up today.

And good luck for the rest of the season.

Greetings all. Felt obliged to break my purdah here. I left Gasroom proceedings early on this term for my own mental health as it seemed after ten games even the most measured posters seemed to be a bit hysterical in their questioning of recruitment and that Ainsworth, even claiming we would never make the playoffs. After ten games !! Almost as if they had never seen a Wycombe season unfold before and I was boring myself trying to debate it!

I've just watched a team play three at the back without a fit centre back and beat one of the promotion contending 'big' teams in this division with the scoreline flattering the visitors. I thought it was an excellent performance across the team. JJ was great at the back...Scowen as usual was the Man of The Match for me...but then he always is and that can get boring. I cannot think of anyone who did not put in a shift...though I am sure some will be able to provide examples.

I said before the game that we would probably need to score six goals with that backline and given Derby's recent run would settle for a point. How to be proved wrong! Just shows that players and managers rather than bookies and computers can win matches.

No arguments about the Hanlan booking...the classic taking one for the team...but not sure if anyone has seen the penalty shout back just before they scored. It looked like one to me, but not sure if it was. To whack in another couple of goals with only one sub brought on (am I recalling this right?) after being pegged back was what impressed me the most. Really pleased for TJ and Wingy.

Again, I cannot work out why people are agreeing with the timewasting complaints as for me (despite some dodgy officiating) it was a pretty quick flowing game and except for a couple of instances it seemed to me there was very little messing about. I admire @Raminpeace coming on and his measured debate but it seems even he has fallen into the default Wycombe bingo from every losing team - that the officials give us 'everything', that we time wasted from the 11th minute (which frustrated Derby were apparently completely unable to deal with for the rest of the game) and as a result we scored two more goals and the claims of hoofball as if the Rams were playing like Brazil. We played some nice stuff I thought and totally deserved the win.

Yesterday was the first time I - as a visibly old git going to a match - have been shouted at and called a c*** by grown men just for wearing my Wycombe scarf as I passed the Hour Glass...and I was mightily relieved to see post-match most of the aggressive element on my way back to the school car park, though loud, seemed to be so paralytic and confused, there was less danger of them being able to see my scarf, never mind take a swing.

Imagine if they knew I was from Nottingham originally. (Picture of the scoreboard sent to Forest and County supporting family members - sorry @Raminpeace .)

It may be that we don't make the play-offs, but for me, pushing for that every year in League One will do me and everything else is gravy.

Off again now, so I'll leave you to it before the...okay we had a bit of luck to beat a poor Derby but statistically Accrington and Bolton will turn us over if Ainsworth does not tell us how long Mawson is out for...debate begins.

See you at Wembley! 😉

Most the key points covered by others above but it was a performance to be proud of today. Typified by Vokes in the 96 minute charging back to clear the ball into touch. You only get that when you have a united squad and team. Similarly when Tjay set up the third all the players went to celebrate with him. They know what that meant and know he deserved the plaudits.

@Raminpeace i applaud you for coming on here after a defeat but Derby needs to get rid of this victim culture that haunts you. It is not Rob’s fault, the EFL, HMRC, etc etc. you cheated. These people lost money. Many others did. Todays loss was not due to the pitch, the ref, the ball boy etc it was due to a better team today wanting it more. We were not entitled to win today but we wanted to more than you. You felt entitled to win and so did your players. It don’t work like that.

Well if by Ainsworthball you mean recognising how influential your 38 and Hourihane are, and changing how we play to have them man marked by Wing and Wheeler respectively, then Scowen nullifying McGoldrick whenever he dropped deep resulting in the 3 of them winning their battles as proven by Hourihane being subbed, Wing bagging a brace and Scowen giving a League 1 midfield master class. All without ANY centrebacks in the lineup and selling our best player and top scorer last week, I’d have to say that Ainsworth ball is fucking fabulous. Warne just said in his interview it wasn’t a tactical game which is why Ainsworth came out clearly on top.