I do not know about Fringe players but the team selection seemed odd to me from the start. Why GA doesn't select Sido at right back is a mystery. That would release Harriman into midfield, which is his best position and he seems to go absent too often from right back - evidence their goal. And then, when Weston went off, why bring on Bloomers. Great servant to the club, but his end performance is simply not good enough in my opinion. That game, like so many of our performances last season, cried out for someone to hold the ball in midfield and then pass it to feet. One of, if not the best exponent of that in our squad, is McGinn, who remained on the bench. I know his performances last year were hit and miss but he deserves to be given a chance to show his worth.
I'm not sure Ainsworth wants us to hold the ball in midfield and pass to feet @Thicketblue
Remember this and the team selections don't seem so odd. The back seven are the ones who can kick the ball the furthest.
Interesting response. I have to admit that that method of play had not even crossed my mind. If that is GA's intention then I worry we are in for another season of depressing aimless play. I do hope you are wrong.
Now you see my concerns. He's had all summer to get a different style of play and so far there is little evidence of it. That's his style and he's our manager.
I think he could be under pressure by November if plan A doesn't work and the last six months has only seen it work very occasionally. Hopefully we can grind out some wins and earn the right to play some more pleasing football. I hope Ainsworth can do this but if he doesn't blind faith in him will not progress the club
So obviously it's way too early to worry. But my view is that Andrew Howard would not even toy with the idea of replacing GA as manager unless we were rooted to the bottom 2 from now until Xmas.
Howard is a pragmatist, as he says himself he's not a Wycombe Wanderers fan. GA is someone he trusts and can work with, and that's probably enough for now.
I reckon we'll see lovely flowing football tomorrow and will all be posting about how last Saturday must've been a sick aberration. Until next Saturday when it's back to the same hoofball. I've never understood why Ainsworth is prepared to let his players show what they can do on the deck against higher league clubs in cup competitions but never when it could be truly effective in League Two.
Surely it's fairly simple @aloysius
Championship clubs give opposition more space on the ball so we can play it around fine. League Two teams give us far less time and as our first touch is generally not that great we resort to hoofing it under pressure.
I don't see it as anything to do with what Ainsworth is telling the players.
You may be right @Right_in_the_Middle, I dunno, I have hardly seen any Championship matches. But it was the same against League One opposition last season and I don't remember Millwall sitting off our players too much. Is it really the case that Championship and Premier League players never harry, never close down? Or is that just what we churlish few in the cheap seats want to believe?
Players at a higher level do get more space in their own half closing down on a player earlier at our level is more likely to force an error but supposedly better players should be able to exploit you being out of position.
I presume Righty, by " under pressure" that means you and others will be calling for the managers head.
given the financial context of the club, reported to be a bottom six playing budget, may I ask what the minimum acceptable standard to avoid you joining this chorus is. Is it just measured in points or also in "playing style". Do mitigating factors like an injury crisis influence that. Just curious.
I'm very proud of the club for not removing Ainsworth during the relegation escape season and I think clubs are generally more successful with a longer term view and keeping a manager for a period of time. I'm not going to be calling for Ainsworth's head as you call it but I would fully expect Howard and Ainsworth to feel the pressure if the club is not scoring goals and near the bottom of the league come November. That pressure should come from their own goals for the club.
What is my criteria for pressure? Results have to be better than they have been in the last 6 months for starters but I do think managers who play long ball percentage football come under more pressure quicker than those who play a more pleasing passing style. I am fed up with our lack of cutting edge up front and lack of plan b when we go a goal behind. I think pressure will come if goals don't come soon.
Injuries are an interesting one. Ainsworth has built a squad on quality rather than quantity. An injury crisis is no-ones fault in my opinion although I would argue our playing style doesn't keep players in the best physical shape and we have bought some players with a dubious injury record to start with. I wouldn't put pressure on Ainsworth due to this alone but he could be kinder on the players with a bigger squad for rest and rotation and a less pressing playing style.
Finally the financial context has no relevance in my view. We have enough money to compete in this league. Maybe not at the top but at a higher level than the last six months show. I want Ainsworth to be successful but I need to see a bit more spark in our play.
I think every manager in the bottom six will be under pressure in November, and if we're there, GA shouldn't be an exception. I do agree with whoever said that his relationship with Andrew Howard makes it very unlikely he'll lose his job tho.
As for playing style, I think he'll be under more pressure in the bottom six playing hoofball than if he was the reincarnation of John Gorman and we were still struggling. That may not be logical, but I think it's true.
Have to say I am left a bit confused by this response.
You seem to say that GA and AH will come under pressure if results are bad. Fair enough. If I understand you right this pressure does not involve calling for the managers head though. I don't really understand quite what it does involve then.
Injuries are apparently no-ones fault but you then in the same paragraphget very close to blaming GA. I think you were right first time.
You then make the remarkable statement that financial context has no relevance. Of course it does. If you are Man City finishing fifth is a disaster, if you are Burnley it is a triumph. The same applies to us, if you have a budget in the top six allowing you to take your pick of LG2 players, you should reasonably expect to finish higher than clubs with smaller budgets that have to take those the bigger clubs don't want. Sport being sport it wont always turn out like that but it more often than not will.
You then seem to criticise GA for having a small squad and a squad with players with a dubious injury record. Guess what, that may just be related to the financial constraints.
So here's my view, unchanged from last year. If the budget is as low as it is believed to be, then expectations must be set in line with it, which means that expectations are low middle with a stretch target upper middle. A playoff run would massively exceed reasonable expectations, although I am sure we all hope for it plus a cup run to keep things interesting.
I didn't really understand the excitement re forward options pre Crawley, I see question marks over each of AA,PH,GT (age), PCH (injury), MW (another Banton?) and DS and NF (non-leaguers stepping up - sometimes works, often doesn't). If three of those players have great seasons, we may do very well, if all are average or below, we could struggle. One 1-0 defeat, (which I didn't see), doesn't change that for me. I will get the pleasure of a rare visit to AP tomorrow. Will be interesting to judge for myself.
For me a good season would be if plucky Wycombe somehow managed to defy all odds and magically scrape into the dizzy heights of 7th place, even if we ultimately lost 4-0 in the semis to one of the financial giants of our league in Barnet, Accrington or Yeovil.
Hi @DevC Let's face it. You were going to pick at whatever I wrote but I indulged because I'm a Wycombe fan who cares about the club. A manager can be under pressure without you having to call for his head. I've had staff I've put under pressure to perform but been totally supportive to help them achieve. I would be the same with Ainsworth.
Injuries can't be predicted but signing Paris Cowan-Hall doesn't give you your best chance at being injury free.
I kind of agree with your assessment of the expectations. Lower middle of the table is ok but I wasn't talking about that. If we are in the relegation fight Ainsworth should be under pressure. You really are very bland and passionless in your assessment. It's not a spreadsheet decision. You don't talk about anything outside of your parameters and that is exactly what I am talking about.
If the style of play or entertainment element improves some of the pressure goes away. Indeed if we looked like getting back in to a game going a goal down it would be a start.
If we are in the bottom six Ainsworth should expect pressure. I'm just hope that won't happen.
While I note your sarcasm, Mr Attitude, 7th place would be an amazing achievement.
By all accounts there are at least 18 teams able to pay more to their players than we are. All 24 teams are striving to reach the best possible position.
To finish seventh, we would have to finish above 12 of the 18 teams that pay more than we do and all the five teams that pay less (if we are 19th on the salary budget list).
That feels quite an ask.
Obviously all involved with the club including supporters should strive, hope, pray, dream, etc that we can win the league, or failing that finish in the top three, or failing that the top seven. We shouldn't expect and demand to reach those heights however.
If it is simpler, look at the Premier league. Leicester wonderfully shocked everyone last season on a relatively low wage budget. While they would hope to repeat again this season, it would be unreasonable for their supporters to demand and expect it. it would also be unreasonable for Stoke supporters to demand a top four finish because after all Leicester did last year.
The Ibe money will be used to repay debts, probably contractually required and anyway the best thing for the long term future of the club.
In response to your post, Righty, managers are always under pressure. Unless you are proposing booing him and calling for his head, I don't know what you mean.
Of course PCH is a risk. If he wasn't with his talent, we probably wouldn't be able to afford him. We will discover with hindsight whether that was a worthwhile risk later in the season.
All Wycombe supporters want the club to do well. All would like us to storm the league with a record points total and win the cup. That isnt going to happen. We all want and expect the club to do well and avoid a relegation fight.
If all you are saying is that if WWFC are in a serious relegation fight say at Christmas with no sign of improvement, is it possible that the manager will be changed at that point, well yes that is reality. If you are saying the same if the club are in mid-table, that seems grossly unfair to me. There is a pretty strong correlation between perceived entertainment levels and winning games. We don't have the resources to play pretty football, but I would hope that more goals will be scored this season than last. Two seasons ago we were second top scorers.
'I would fully expect Howard and Ainsworth to feel the pressure if the club is not scoring goals and near the bottom of the league come November. '
@DevC Please stop trying to move the goalposts. It's very clear what I was saying and it seems despite disagreeing with me on each microscopic level we are actually saying the same thing.
I am sure that I will be shot down for saying this but I just don't get the Akinfenwa signing. I don't think I can remember seeing a player with his stature - we had "bomber Harris" a few years back but at least he had a bit of pace. I get the whole battering ram idea but I just don't see it working for us - he looks slow and he by the way he was puffing he looks unfit. I didn't really see him able to hold up the ball or make anything happen and he does not have any height to pump the ball into - happy to be proved wrong here but I find it a very odd signing. Sorry.
I at least wasn't clear what your agenda was. If it is now to be that you will offer full support and not constantly criticise the manager until end of November and then only if we are in a serious relegation fight, I am very happy with that. that of course is very different from one defeat in August.
@TheNixonTapes We certainly need to hold off on rating the Akinfenwa signing to more than 30mins of competitive football!
He wins a lot of ball in the air, he's not the tallest no, but when you're 16stone, sheer strength wins out a lot of the time.
That said, we need to give him some sort of chance, rather than knocking straight balls up in the air from 50yards away.
If we can ever get 2 wingers on the pitch at the same time, then he'll start to look more effective i'm pretty sure.
We all know that if we are in serious trouble at Christmas, whatever the five year plan is Gaz will be expecting his cards. I am sure he is well aware.
Of course. it would be the same for all managers. As long as we agree that the same does not apply if we are running along in 17th or 12th or 8th depending on expectations, then I have nothing to add.
I was against the Akinfenwa signing also, but he did show flashes of having a football brain and bringing others into the game, in addition to diverting defenders above and beyond the stereotypical "making a nuisance" business expected of someone of his size. A 6/10 debut for me.
Even I would not be calling for the manager's head if we were 16th/17th at Christmas. However, would he feel pressure from some quarters if we were stuck down there AND delivering a random series of 1-0, 0-1, 0-0 and 1-1 results? Most certainly.
I would be worried, however, that no signs of progress over a number of seasons would indicate that perhaps all parties may reconsider their options if opportunities elsewhere were to arise.
Bottom three/four at Christmas? I would probably expect a change.
I also wouldn't call 7th miraculous, whatever others may say. I would be quietly pleased with that result.
In any case we're one game in. Crawley was pretty much as bad as it gets performance wise with the exception of Southwell who looked ok. The Beast can and does hold the ball up well but our back four somehow failed to get the ball within 10 meters of him with their precision passing. With a ball in his general vicinity and a second player in his general vicinity we will score a few Mooney->Easter goals.
Its not one game though, new season yes. But Saturday was the same old stuff dished up, from Feb last season..if that continues then I would be expecting pressure come end of September because we will be in the bottom quarter... Just my view though..
I presume "feeling pressure" is the new euphemism for calling for him to be sacked coupled no doubt by witless abuse on social media. La plus ca change.
Comments
I do not know about Fringe players but the team selection seemed odd to me from the start. Why GA doesn't select Sido at right back is a mystery. That would release Harriman into midfield, which is his best position and he seems to go absent too often from right back - evidence their goal. And then, when Weston went off, why bring on Bloomers. Great servant to the club, but his end performance is simply not good enough in my opinion. That game, like so many of our performances last season, cried out for someone to hold the ball in midfield and then pass it to feet. One of, if not the best exponent of that in our squad, is McGinn, who remained on the bench. I know his performances last year were hit and miss but he deserves to be given a chance to show his worth.
I'm not sure Ainsworth wants us to hold the ball in midfield and pass to feet @Thicketblue
Remember this and the team selections don't seem so odd. The back seven are the ones who can kick the ball the furthest.
Interesting response. I have to admit that that method of play had not even crossed my mind. If that is GA's intention then I worry we are in for another season of depressing aimless play. I do hope you are wrong.
Now you see my concerns. He's had all summer to get a different style of play and so far there is little evidence of it. That's his style and he's our manager.
I think he could be under pressure by November if plan A doesn't work and the last six months has only seen it work very occasionally. Hopefully we can grind out some wins and earn the right to play some more pleasing football. I hope Ainsworth can do this but if he doesn't blind faith in him will not progress the club
So obviously it's way too early to worry. But my view is that Andrew Howard would not even toy with the idea of replacing GA as manager unless we were rooted to the bottom 2 from now until Xmas.
Howard is a pragmatist, as he says himself he's not a Wycombe Wanderers fan. GA is someone he trusts and can work with, and that's probably enough for now.
I reckon we'll see lovely flowing football tomorrow and will all be posting about how last Saturday must've been a sick aberration. Until next Saturday when it's back to the same hoofball. I've never understood why Ainsworth is prepared to let his players show what they can do on the deck against higher league clubs in cup competitions but never when it could be truly effective in League Two.
Surely it's fairly simple @aloysius
Championship clubs give opposition more space on the ball so we can play it around fine. League Two teams give us far less time and as our first touch is generally not that great we resort to hoofing it under pressure.
I don't see it as anything to do with what Ainsworth is telling the players.
You may be right @Right_in_the_Middle, I dunno, I have hardly seen any Championship matches. But it was the same against League One opposition last season and I don't remember Millwall sitting off our players too much. Is it really the case that Championship and Premier League players never harry, never close down? Or is that just what we churlish few in the cheap seats want to believe?
Players at a higher level do get more space in their own half closing down on a player earlier at our level is more likely to force an error but supposedly better players should be able to exploit you being out of position.
I presume Righty, by " under pressure" that means you and others will be calling for the managers head.
given the financial context of the club, reported to be a bottom six playing budget, may I ask what the minimum acceptable standard to avoid you joining this chorus is. Is it just measured in points or also in "playing style". Do mitigating factors like an injury crisis influence that. Just curious.
I'm very proud of the club for not removing Ainsworth during the relegation escape season and I think clubs are generally more successful with a longer term view and keeping a manager for a period of time. I'm not going to be calling for Ainsworth's head as you call it but I would fully expect Howard and Ainsworth to feel the pressure if the club is not scoring goals and near the bottom of the league come November. That pressure should come from their own goals for the club.
What is my criteria for pressure? Results have to be better than they have been in the last 6 months for starters but I do think managers who play long ball percentage football come under more pressure quicker than those who play a more pleasing passing style. I am fed up with our lack of cutting edge up front and lack of plan b when we go a goal behind. I think pressure will come if goals don't come soon.
Injuries are an interesting one. Ainsworth has built a squad on quality rather than quantity. An injury crisis is no-ones fault in my opinion although I would argue our playing style doesn't keep players in the best physical shape and we have bought some players with a dubious injury record to start with. I wouldn't put pressure on Ainsworth due to this alone but he could be kinder on the players with a bigger squad for rest and rotation and a less pressing playing style.
Finally the financial context has no relevance in my view. We have enough money to compete in this league. Maybe not at the top but at a higher level than the last six months show. I want Ainsworth to be successful but I need to see a bit more spark in our play.
I think every manager in the bottom six will be under pressure in November, and if we're there, GA shouldn't be an exception. I do agree with whoever said that his relationship with Andrew Howard makes it very unlikely he'll lose his job tho.
As for playing style, I think he'll be under more pressure in the bottom six playing hoofball than if he was the reincarnation of John Gorman and we were still struggling. That may not be logical, but I think it's true.
Have to say I am left a bit confused by this response.
You seem to say that GA and AH will come under pressure if results are bad. Fair enough. If I understand you right this pressure does not involve calling for the managers head though. I don't really understand quite what it does involve then.
Injuries are apparently no-ones fault but you then in the same paragraphget very close to blaming GA. I think you were right first time.
You then make the remarkable statement that financial context has no relevance. Of course it does. If you are Man City finishing fifth is a disaster, if you are Burnley it is a triumph. The same applies to us, if you have a budget in the top six allowing you to take your pick of LG2 players, you should reasonably expect to finish higher than clubs with smaller budgets that have to take those the bigger clubs don't want. Sport being sport it wont always turn out like that but it more often than not will.
You then seem to criticise GA for having a small squad and a squad with players with a dubious injury record. Guess what, that may just be related to the financial constraints.
So here's my view, unchanged from last year. If the budget is as low as it is believed to be, then expectations must be set in line with it, which means that expectations are low middle with a stretch target upper middle. A playoff run would massively exceed reasonable expectations, although I am sure we all hope for it plus a cup run to keep things interesting.
I didn't really understand the excitement re forward options pre Crawley, I see question marks over each of AA,PH,GT (age), PCH (injury), MW (another Banton?) and DS and NF (non-leaguers stepping up - sometimes works, often doesn't). If three of those players have great seasons, we may do very well, if all are average or below, we could struggle. One 1-0 defeat, (which I didn't see), doesn't change that for me. I will get the pleasure of a rare visit to AP tomorrow. Will be interesting to judge for myself.
Oh dear...Harriman and his pace for me is better on right of midfield especially when we have a decent right-back.
For me a good season would be if plucky Wycombe somehow managed to defy all odds and magically scrape into the dizzy heights of 7th place, even if we ultimately lost 4-0 in the semis to one of the financial giants of our league in Barnet, Accrington or Yeovil.
One win in the last 12 League games (9 points out of 36) does not make for encouraging reading.
Maybe we should be reallocating part of the Ibe monies to buy a quality and creative Midfielder.
Hi @DevC Let's face it. You were going to pick at whatever I wrote but I indulged because I'm a Wycombe fan who cares about the club. A manager can be under pressure without you having to call for his head. I've had staff I've put under pressure to perform but been totally supportive to help them achieve. I would be the same with Ainsworth.
Injuries can't be predicted but signing Paris Cowan-Hall doesn't give you your best chance at being injury free.
I kind of agree with your assessment of the expectations. Lower middle of the table is ok but I wasn't talking about that. If we are in the relegation fight Ainsworth should be under pressure. You really are very bland and passionless in your assessment. It's not a spreadsheet decision. You don't talk about anything outside of your parameters and that is exactly what I am talking about.
If the style of play or entertainment element improves some of the pressure goes away. Indeed if we looked like getting back in to a game going a goal down it would be a start.
If we are in the bottom six Ainsworth should expect pressure. I'm just hope that won't happen.
While I note your sarcasm, Mr Attitude, 7th place would be an amazing achievement.
By all accounts there are at least 18 teams able to pay more to their players than we are. All 24 teams are striving to reach the best possible position.
To finish seventh, we would have to finish above 12 of the 18 teams that pay more than we do and all the five teams that pay less (if we are 19th on the salary budget list).
That feels quite an ask.
Obviously all involved with the club including supporters should strive, hope, pray, dream, etc that we can win the league, or failing that finish in the top three, or failing that the top seven. We shouldn't expect and demand to reach those heights however.
If it is simpler, look at the Premier league. Leicester wonderfully shocked everyone last season on a relatively low wage budget. While they would hope to repeat again this season, it would be unreasonable for their supporters to demand and expect it. it would also be unreasonable for Stoke supporters to demand a top four finish because after all Leicester did last year.
The Ibe money will be used to repay debts, probably contractually required and anyway the best thing for the long term future of the club.
In response to your post, Righty, managers are always under pressure. Unless you are proposing booing him and calling for his head, I don't know what you mean.
Of course PCH is a risk. If he wasn't with his talent, we probably wouldn't be able to afford him. We will discover with hindsight whether that was a worthwhile risk later in the season.
All Wycombe supporters want the club to do well. All would like us to storm the league with a record points total and win the cup. That isnt going to happen. We all want and expect the club to do well and avoid a relegation fight.
If all you are saying is that if WWFC are in a serious relegation fight say at Christmas with no sign of improvement, is it possible that the manager will be changed at that point, well yes that is reality. If you are saying the same if the club are in mid-table, that seems grossly unfair to me. There is a pretty strong correlation between perceived entertainment levels and winning games. We don't have the resources to play pretty football, but I would hope that more goals will be scored this season than last. Two seasons ago we were second top scorers.
'I would fully expect Howard and Ainsworth to feel the pressure if the club is not scoring goals and near the bottom of the league come November. '
@DevC Please stop trying to move the goalposts. It's very clear what I was saying and it seems despite disagreeing with me on each microscopic level we are actually saying the same thing.
I am sure that I will be shot down for saying this but I just don't get the Akinfenwa signing. I don't think I can remember seeing a player with his stature - we had "bomber Harris" a few years back but at least he had a bit of pace. I get the whole battering ram idea but I just don't see it working for us - he looks slow and he by the way he was puffing he looks unfit. I didn't really see him able to hold up the ball or make anything happen and he does not have any height to pump the ball into - happy to be proved wrong here but I find it a very odd signing. Sorry.
I at least wasn't clear what your agenda was. If it is now to be that you will offer full support and not constantly criticise the manager until end of November and then only if we are in a serious relegation fight, I am very happy with that. that of course is very different from one defeat in August.
@TheNixonTapes We certainly need to hold off on rating the Akinfenwa signing to more than 30mins of competitive football!
He wins a lot of ball in the air, he's not the tallest no, but when you're 16stone, sheer strength wins out a lot of the time.
That said, we need to give him some sort of chance, rather than knocking straight balls up in the air from 50yards away.
If we can ever get 2 wingers on the pitch at the same time, then he'll start to look more effective i'm pretty sure.
We all know that if we are in serious trouble at Christmas, whatever the five year plan is Gaz will be expecting his cards. I am sure he is well aware.
Of course. it would be the same for all managers. As long as we agree that the same does not apply if we are running along in 17th or 12th or 8th depending on expectations, then I have nothing to add.
I was against the Akinfenwa signing also, but he did show flashes of having a football brain and bringing others into the game, in addition to diverting defenders above and beyond the stereotypical "making a nuisance" business expected of someone of his size. A 6/10 debut for me.
Don't forget the Twitter engagement numbers
Even I would not be calling for the manager's head if we were 16th/17th at Christmas. However, would he feel pressure from some quarters if we were stuck down there AND delivering a random series of 1-0, 0-1, 0-0 and 1-1 results? Most certainly.
I would be worried, however, that no signs of progress over a number of seasons would indicate that perhaps all parties may reconsider their options if opportunities elsewhere were to arise.
Bottom three/four at Christmas? I would probably expect a change.
I also wouldn't call 7th miraculous, whatever others may say. I would be quietly pleased with that result.
In any case we're one game in. Crawley was pretty much as bad as it gets performance wise with the exception of Southwell who looked ok. The Beast can and does hold the ball up well but our back four somehow failed to get the ball within 10 meters of him with their precision passing. With a ball in his general vicinity and a second player in his general vicinity we will score a few Mooney->Easter goals.
Its not one game though, new season yes. But Saturday was the same old stuff dished up, from Feb last season..if that continues then I would be expecting pressure come end of September because we will be in the bottom quarter... Just my view though..
I presume "feeling pressure" is the new euphemism for calling for him to be sacked coupled no doubt by witless abuse on social media. La plus ca change.