It's been said so many times already these last few weeks, but always worth repeating - we've come so far in 12 months. Whatever happens on Saturday, this season has been just fantastic.
The thing that makes it so much more of a fairytale is that a majority of us gave up on Ainsworth but he never gave up on Wycombe. Steve Brown recently said that Steve Hayes would have gotten us Championship football had he not been ill-advised but I don't think many of us bought into that five year plan. Now, under Howard and his team, I truly believe we can achieve everything we set out to achieve.
I agree with eric. Having seen how disinterested Morgan was, and he obviously had an effect on Stewart and PCH I think anyone would have struggled. Even at the start of this season there were some people claiming he would be 'found out' and that Dobbo was the one running things, thankfully they've fallen away. Recruitment and results have been beyond all expectations this year and let's hope it is just the beginning...
@eric_plant Certainly agree with you - as usual, just the noisy minority expressing disapproval. A rubbish manager wouldn't have achieved anything this season.
Well if most Wycombe fans backed Gaz all the way to the end last year, they certainkly were not the ones posting on the GAsroom. Hardly a voice in defence of him (and I dont remember yours being one of them) with majority of posters wanting him sacked and replaced with Keith Scott. I dare say it will not be long if next season in whichever division is a struggle before similar voices are back. Who knows whether this view was shared by the majority of supporters. I see no evidence that it wasn't.
We are not alone of course, it is a rare manager that is seen as being decent, vast majority are either tactical geniuses or tactically naive ignoramuses who have probably lost the dressing room. Exeter fans seems to want tisdale sacked despite an upper midtable performance from a side with a transfer ban over the summer recruiting period. Plymouth fans want Sheridan sacked despite leading them from relegation candidates to playoffs this year.
@DevC if you're talking to me then I can assure you that I never swayed in my support for Gareth Ainsworth last season and posted many messages on the Gasroom to that effect. As did many others. I'm not entirely surprised that you don't recall any of them.
Fair enough if you were one if the few. Is your recollection really that that was the dominant view. Fair bit of revisionism in place amongst many I feel.
I presume the old threads are still there if anyone wants to check.
I remember it pretty much as @DevC says. There were a lot of people mentioning Keith Scott every time we lost. There were people who backed Ainsworth, including myself, but it felt like we were the minority as far as I could tell.
Personally I thought at the time GA should have been sacked during the long winless run. I never particularly felt Scott was the answer but there you go.
Perhaps 75% of Wycombe fans don't openly express an opinion about these things, either at matches or on the Internet. In my experience, the loudest shouters are rarely those who are satisfied with the current situation. I tend to think that last season, there was perhaps a slight majority on the Gasroom wanting GA to go, at the matches perhaps no more than 50 people openly wanting him to go, and the opinion of the other 2,500 either unknown or not strong enough either way to be openly expressed.
@DevC Your pal Che was a major proponent of Keith Scott and I had a run-in with him on the old Gasroom, the gist of which was that I did not think Keith Scott would be able to relate to and motivate players as well as Gareth Ainsworth did. The problems facing GA were mainly caused by the apathy of several of the squad (including some who clearly did not want to be at the club and/or were often injured).
Dean Morgan was one of the most frustrating players ever to wear a Wycombe shirt. As a supporter, I did my bit to encourage him (with the "Deano" chant mainly) and GA indulged him in various ways but his reputation was not good (in terms of attitude) and the number of clubs he has graced bears witness to that.
It is absolutely true that there were many on the old Gasroom who wanted GA out but I suspect that the vast majority were the "Anonymouses" who prevailed on that site and doubtless counted amongst their number the feeble-brained youngsters who hurled obscenities at him last season.
I spoke to five seperate people (true story) on a bus in Torquay after the match. All five said they were relieved and had had an amazing day, but that if we wanted to push on Gaz needed to be sacked or resign.
Take from that what you will.
My stance was that it was very very hard to carry on thinking he was up to the job, but unlike almost any other manager we've had I hated the thought of us severing our ties with such a nice guy who we could all tell was doing his best.
Suffice to say, if there HAD been the money to do so, I honestly honestly think he would have been out during one of our long winless runs.
Was definitely a mixed bag on the gasroom though as with anything often the negative voices are the loudest. I backed him though to be fair more in hope than expectation and he's proved to be far more capable than I expected.
You only have to look at the bottom this season to see how managerial change often makes diddly difference. Cheltenham had 4 managers (Yates, Buckle, Milton, Johnson) and still went down and tranmere had at least 3. Also interesting to note the points tally at the bottom, we'd have been comfortably safe this season with our tally from last season. And comfortably promoted last season with our tally from this one. Funny old world
And what a betrayal that would have been. Apart from Keith Scott, who else did the doubters have in mind? I cannot recall a single name being suggested. GA's commitment and integrity have never been in doubt and he demonstrated last summer that he also has a great eye for players whose character and personalities match their ability as footballers.
In defence of everyone who wanted Ainsworth out, it's not like it was a ridiculous request. We were dire last year, and on the slide out of the Football League, which we had worked so hard to get in, and that would have potentially ruined the club - yet we managed to stay up through the width of a crossbar.
Thankfully, Gaz had an overhaul of almost everything that went wrong last year - in terms of players, his own management style, and even the dug-out he sits in - and thankfully we're doing much better.
It's a very pious attitude to believe that supporters can't change their opinion, and that everyone on here is the perfect example of positivity.
From what I can gather from the old posts I was able to find last night, the most common opinions were:
Ainsworth was lucky not to be sacked
The dire finances probably ruled out paying compensation nevermind getting a new man in
Who would we get in who could change the club around?
I'll admit that I thought Ainsworth's time was up last season (although I wasn't confident we could get someone better in before the end of the season). I completely underestimated just how poor the squad was, and thought Ainsworth's signings showed, apart from Cowan-Hall, that he wasn't capable of getting the right players in.
I'm delighted to say that I have been proven completely wrong this season, which has to go down as one of the best campaigns by a Wanderers side given the massive odds against us being anything other than relegation fodder.
I wanted Ainsworth out in the run of 1 win in 17 games and am not ashamed of that. Not long after that run he said " We are not in a relegation scrap" when we obviously were. Yes he deserves so much credit for our turnaround this season but if it wasn't for Mansfield and the post and crossbar we'd have been in The Conference. He's obviously learned from his mistakes from last season like picking players for a position that wasn't right for them and picking poor players over better ones so again deserves full credit for that.
I recall thinking Gaz's days were numbered at the end of the season simply because of results, but did not call for him to be sacked. I thought the finances and the poor quality of some of the squad was his msifortune. I also recall, being only a ten year Bucks resident, asking why so many on the Gasroom seemed to think Keith Scott would be better? During the commentary of the last game last year he was saying Wycombe needed to sit on the one goal! He may have been potentially our best player Eric, but I thought Morgan looked disinterested, certainly at AP, from day one.
Not from me Newbury. Last year was my first year back as a ST holder for a long time, so I had no preconceived ideas...and I'm not a boo-er. I was making an observation and offering an opinion from what I saw. If Morgan was your player of the season and I just missed his high points, I apologise.
@Wendoverman Sorry if you got the wrong idea - it was in no way aimed at you. Besides, I wouldn't know who you were anyway. But unfortunately I had to spend the whole of last season sitting quite close to someone who slagged Morgan off mercilessly in nearly every game.
Wood was player of the season for me last year. Morgan a frustrating striker who could be a good player, but more often than not appeared disinterested and full of his own self importance.
I know how you feel Newbury...I changed seats for this season as the last I found the cloud of doom around me over every game that began on the opening day wore me down.
Comments
It's been said so many times already these last few weeks, but always worth repeating - we've come so far in 12 months. Whatever happens on Saturday, this season has been just fantastic.
The thing that makes it so much more of a fairytale is that a majority of us gave up on Ainsworth but he never gave up on Wycombe. Steve Brown recently said that Steve Hayes would have gotten us Championship football had he not been ill-advised but I don't think many of us bought into that five year plan. Now, under Howard and his team, I truly believe we can achieve everything we set out to achieve.
@Gary I could be wrong but I always thought that most Wycombe fans backed Gaz all the way to the end last year
I agree with eric. Having seen how disinterested Morgan was, and he obviously had an effect on Stewart and PCH I think anyone would have struggled. Even at the start of this season there were some people claiming he would be 'found out' and that Dobbo was the one running things, thankfully they've fallen away. Recruitment and results have been beyond all expectations this year and let's hope it is just the beginning...
@Wendoverman hmm.....Morgan was our best player in a fair few games last season and the other part seems like pure conjecture on your part
@eric_plant Certainly agree with you - as usual, just the noisy minority expressing disapproval. A rubbish manager wouldn't have achieved anything this season.
However, he might have also learned a bit along the way.
Well if most Wycombe fans backed Gaz all the way to the end last year, they certainkly were not the ones posting on the GAsroom. Hardly a voice in defence of him (and I dont remember yours being one of them) with majority of posters wanting him sacked and replaced with Keith Scott. I dare say it will not be long if next season in whichever division is a struggle before similar voices are back. Who knows whether this view was shared by the majority of supporters. I see no evidence that it wasn't.
We are not alone of course, it is a rare manager that is seen as being decent, vast majority are either tactical geniuses or tactically naive ignoramuses who have probably lost the dressing room. Exeter fans seems to want tisdale sacked despite an upper midtable performance from a side with a transfer ban over the summer recruiting period. Plymouth fans want Sheridan sacked despite leading them from relegation candidates to playoffs this year.
@DevC if you're talking to me then I can assure you that I never swayed in my support for Gareth Ainsworth last season and posted many messages on the Gasroom to that effect. As did many others. I'm not entirely surprised that you don't recall any of them.
Fair enough if you were one if the few. Is your recollection really that that was the dominant view. Fair bit of revisionism in place amongst many I feel.
I presume the old threads are still there if anyone wants to check.
The old gasroom is worth a look on this.
Plenty of us backed him Dev son
I remember it pretty much as @DevC says. There were a lot of people mentioning Keith Scott every time we lost. There were people who backed Ainsworth, including myself, but it felt like we were the minority as far as I could tell.
Personally I thought at the time GA should have been sacked during the long winless run. I never particularly felt Scott was the answer but there you go.
Anyway. I was wrong, it happens.
Perhaps 75% of Wycombe fans don't openly express an opinion about these things, either at matches or on the Internet. In my experience, the loudest shouters are rarely those who are satisfied with the current situation. I tend to think that last season, there was perhaps a slight majority on the Gasroom wanting GA to go, at the matches perhaps no more than 50 people openly wanting him to go, and the opinion of the other 2,500 either unknown or not strong enough either way to be openly expressed.
@DevC Your pal Che was a major proponent of Keith Scott and I had a run-in with him on the old Gasroom, the gist of which was that I did not think Keith Scott would be able to relate to and motivate players as well as Gareth Ainsworth did. The problems facing GA were mainly caused by the apathy of several of the squad (including some who clearly did not want to be at the club and/or were often injured).
Dean Morgan was one of the most frustrating players ever to wear a Wycombe shirt. As a supporter, I did my bit to encourage him (with the "Deano" chant mainly) and GA indulged him in various ways but his reputation was not good (in terms of attitude) and the number of clubs he has graced bears witness to that.
It is absolutely true that there were many on the old Gasroom who wanted GA out but I suspect that the vast majority were the "Anonymouses" who prevailed on that site and doubtless counted amongst their number the feeble-brained youngsters who hurled obscenities at him last season.
I spoke to five seperate people (true story) on a bus in Torquay after the match. All five said they were relieved and had had an amazing day, but that if we wanted to push on Gaz needed to be sacked or resign.
Take from that what you will.
My stance was that it was very very hard to carry on thinking he was up to the job, but unlike almost any other manager we've had I hated the thought of us severing our ties with such a nice guy who we could all tell was doing his best.
Suffice to say, if there HAD been the money to do so, I honestly honestly think he would have been out during one of our long winless runs.
Was definitely a mixed bag on the gasroom though as with anything often the negative voices are the loudest. I backed him though to be fair more in hope than expectation and he's proved to be far more capable than I expected.
You only have to look at the bottom this season to see how managerial change often makes diddly difference. Cheltenham had 4 managers (Yates, Buckle, Milton, Johnson) and still went down and tranmere had at least 3. Also interesting to note the points tally at the bottom, we'd have been comfortably safe this season with our tally from last season. And comfortably promoted last season with our tally from this one. Funny old world
And what a betrayal that would have been. Apart from Keith Scott, who else did the doubters have in mind? I cannot recall a single name being suggested. GA's commitment and integrity have never been in doubt and he demonstrated last summer that he also has a great eye for players whose character and personalities match their ability as footballers.
This is relevant here.
http://disc.yourwebapps.com/discussion.cgi?disc=31465;article=789363;title=gasroom.co.uk
West London Warrior there is always the other side of the coin re manager changes. Hartlepool are a prime example of a successful manager change.
In defence of everyone who wanted Ainsworth out, it's not like it was a ridiculous request. We were dire last year, and on the slide out of the Football League, which we had worked so hard to get in, and that would have potentially ruined the club - yet we managed to stay up through the width of a crossbar.
Thankfully, Gaz had an overhaul of almost everything that went wrong last year - in terms of players, his own management style, and even the dug-out he sits in - and thankfully we're doing much better.
It's a very pious attitude to believe that supporters can't change their opinion, and that everyone on here is the perfect example of positivity.
From what I can gather from the old posts I was able to find last night, the most common opinions were:
I'll admit that I thought Ainsworth's time was up last season (although I wasn't confident we could get someone better in before the end of the season). I completely underestimated just how poor the squad was, and thought Ainsworth's signings showed, apart from Cowan-Hall, that he wasn't capable of getting the right players in.
I'm delighted to say that I have been proven completely wrong this season, which has to go down as one of the best campaigns by a Wanderers side given the massive odds against us being anything other than relegation fodder.
I wanted Ainsworth out in the run of 1 win in 17 games and am not ashamed of that. Not long after that run he said " We are not in a relegation scrap" when we obviously were. Yes he deserves so much credit for our turnaround this season but if it wasn't for Mansfield and the post and crossbar we'd have been in The Conference. He's obviously learned from his mistakes from last season like picking players for a position that wasn't right for them and picking poor players over better ones so again deserves full credit for that.
I recall thinking Gaz's days were numbered at the end of the season simply because of results, but did not call for him to be sacked. I thought the finances and the poor quality of some of the squad was his msifortune. I also recall, being only a ten year Bucks resident, asking why so many on the Gasroom seemed to think Keith Scott would be better? During the commentary of the last game last year he was saying Wycombe needed to sit on the one goal! He may have been potentially our best player Eric, but I thought Morgan looked disinterested, certainly at AP, from day one.
Interesting comment re Morgan, especially the "certainly at AP" bit.
Could it be because he got dog's abuse from certain "supporters" at AP, from day one?
Not from me Newbury. Last year was my first year back as a ST holder for a long time, so I had no preconceived ideas...and I'm not a boo-er. I was making an observation and offering an opinion from what I saw. If Morgan was your player of the season and I just missed his high points, I apologise.
@Wendoverman Sorry if you got the wrong idea - it was in no way aimed at you. Besides, I wouldn't know who you were anyway. But unfortunately I had to spend the whole of last season sitting quite close to someone who slagged Morgan off mercilessly in nearly every game.
Wood was player of the season for me last year. Morgan a frustrating striker who could be a good player, but more often than not appeared disinterested and full of his own self importance.
I know how you feel Newbury...I changed seats for this season as the last I found the cloud of doom around me over every game that began on the opening day wore me down.
Absolutely spot on.