Best Of

Over 600 amassed between 2003 and 2025

I think there are some "straw men" out there, especially the one about the club being within their rights, it's okay for there to be workplace differences, etc. etc. I don't think many (or any) are contending that point. I think the bone of contention is (for me) basically how a club legend was treated, and secondarily the wisdom of seeing little value in (and showing so little respect to) a manager who gave so much to the club AND overachieved this season.

We should all be able to agree that three of Blooms' staff members were unceremoniously sacked (no ITK needed there) and that it is unlikely in the extreme that he was happy about it, or had a say. This is a very passive aggressive (or even outright aggressive) way of putting someone on an island. Yet Blooms continued to achieve great things despite all that.

I also doubt many would contend that the current regime were really enamoured with Matt - even Mick Hartford remarked on how unusually quick and easy it was to grab him. Again, that's public. We can't know for sure an extension was not offered a la Sadler at Walsall, but it seems unlikely in the extreme.

It should also be remarked that the two main players in this who were not valued by the new regime (Matt Bloomfield and Scott Mitchell) walked into Championship jobs, so our "smartest people in the room" valuation of them differs from smart people in the division we are trying to get to.

To put the focus on the football rather than the interpersonal, my ongoing concern is that we have an imbalance towards data. Blooms referenced "we will use data but we will also use our footballing brains and eyes" in the Luton interview, and I think that was another dig. My concern with being too imbalanced with data is that you end up with gaining plaudits for 56-pass moves or touches in the opposition box "but due to mixed results, came 13th". The only Wycombe team ever promoted to the Championship were the antithesis of data-driven, but had serious intangibles. I don't think we should go back to that, but I would have liked to see more of a balance. Maybe we are indeed going to see that, but the treatment of Mitchell and Blooms would appear on the surface to indicate otherwise.

Of course opinions will differ as they always do, but it's a legitimate footballing concern to have, especially if we end up with someone with no track record of success at the helm because the data said so (that obviously remains to be seen). We have always really valued strong culture, characterful leadership and other less tangible qualities, and it is a little concerning we may be completely getting away from that in favour of sniffing match-worn shirts from Brentford and Brighton.

That was a great day out granted. But then we were on the up. Torquay we faced the abyss with survival beyond probability and the greatest togetherness I have ever felt in 50 years of supporting the blues .

Honestly, this place has turned ridiculous over the past 48 hours. There must have been an awful lot of toys in that pram.

No? Ok then.

How Gasroomers got to games in 1981

'But it's Matt Bloomfield' isn't a reason to keep him as manager long-term if he didn't fit with the grand plan for whatever reason. But for the club to barely acknowledge his departure after 20 years really does stink of a lack of respect for the supporters, the culture of the club and Matt himself.

Times change. I wasn't expecting Matt to be Wycombe manger forever. But the media team haven't even been allowed to so much as repost the club captain's brief message of thanks to Matt (a post which I get the feeling Jack had to get signed off by the club hierarchy).

You'll not be surprised if some of us think it's funny that you thought you could film something on a phone in 1981.

Number 1 reminded me of the R.E.M. Simpson's episode...."Michael, NO!...It's not the R.E.M. way."

Though SC was loved at Forest, towards the end, his team selections were a bit strange according to my nephew. It sounds like Nuno just put the right player in their correct position.

(The unsentimental businesslike owner wanted him out before though 🙂)