Best Of

Yup, the upshot of it all is we've been blessed for 13 years or so and now we're possibly back into the crazy mixed up normal world of football, mad owners, revolving door managers, directors of football, etc etc. We just got used to a lack of upheaval, I suppose.

Sydney Sweeney

I don’t know, isn’t it just something modern footballers have to deal with these days?

It's not like the club could have done more to make him feel wanted is it!

He's just been given a 3½ year contract, he's been linked with several Championship job and interviewed for two - which the club would have known about.

The way to have not been disappointed was to have given him a new f**king contract at Wycombe. But that might have need Dan Rice to have wanted him.

This is not to make out like it's not a rancid situation and we should all be frustrated at what's happened and be apprehensive about what's to come, however it's a time to be thankful that we've had it so good for so long.

From Torquay especially, we got 13 years with an incredible charismatic manager and were rarely without a cup run, promotion or relegation battle. It proper felt like the Club included us all. Then for Ainsworth to go and to be replaced by a club legend who ditched our rivals for us... what a moment.

Before I get properly riled by this all, I will reflect on how lucky we've had it.

Not all the fans on here have supported him to be fair.

At the end of the day the only thing that really defines the culture of the club is the supporters.

Stadiums change. Players and staff change. Managers change.

Some form of continuity among the supporter base is the only thing that really embodies the club (which is why everyone recognises AFC as the true continuation of Wimbledon).

I certainly want the players and staff that represent the club to behave with dignity and class. But the reality is that's normally for a shorter spell than the decades we had with Gaz and then Matt.

It was a wonderful added bonus that we enjoyed a prolonged spell with two club legends leading the team so brilliantly. But that doesn't mean that we can't combine a different model and style of recruitment with a sense of pride in the team.

Seems likely we're headed into a period in which players and managers at the club are here for shorter spells. No more signing the same players 2-3 times over. And we'll need to get used to recruiting players and managers who know little or nothing about the club in advance.

That's going to feel a bit alien, but I don't think it follows that the heart and soul of the club is being somehow abandoned at the same time.

Joe Low and Richard Kone are two good current examples - superb young players who play with a smile on their face and conduct themselves fantastically. I don't expect either to be with the club for more than a couple of years. But watching them develop at WWFC and go onto better things can still be a source of pride in pleasure in my view.

The same goes for whomever come in as the next manager. I want them to be a decent person who takes the time to sign autographs, show supporters respect and embrace their support. But that doesn't necessarily mean they have to be at the helm for ten years through thick and thin.

Having said all of that, I do think it's quite poor not to have any sort of farewell comment, video or something of substance from the club on this. We'll go on without Matt and there will be plenty of new heroes in the future. Nonetheless, it would have been appropriate to hear something from him and I've no doubt that the media team and Matt himself would have wanted to offer supporters something more meaningful than a bland statement. Perhaps that will come in the next few days in some other form. If not, I'm sure we must be able to arrange for Matt to attend the play-off final as the 'Gasroom Guest of Honour' to watch his team finish the job and clinch promotion.

Awful statement from us.

Also, will this impact Humphries? Wasn’t he signed based on working with Matt at Ipswich?

could all those Gasroom members who sit in the directors box (you know who you are), notable by their absence here in recent days, now come out from under the duvet and make a contribution. (I won’t be holding my breath)

Alan Smith wasn’t even an upgrade on Bodger.