It's the first time this season that I've woken up to a new day, still really disappointed about a game. First few games, we were just blown away. Gradual improvement and becoming able to compete was great to watch. Last night was just abysmal, but I guess it's rare to come up against a team doing exactly what we do, which resulted in an absolute stinker.
Worth remember that we don't play like that every week (despite what some on here will have you believe). And I agree with @fame_46, we shouldn't really be here, so have not done too badly so far.
Of course, certain posters who can never quite bring themselves to admit that the style of football they're groaning about with monotonous regularity is pretty much what got us here on a shoestring budget And now they want the gung-ho approach that we employed (and they criticised) against Brentford. Of course, they reserve the right to be 'delighted to be proved wrong' - the get out clause of every moaning bastard!
i think most posters know we should not be in the Championship. Its an amazing achievement. The frustration is that we have signed some good players who are more comfortable with the ball played on the ground but we persist in humping it forward completing bypassing them. We needed to be brave last night to win the game and I couldn't understand why we didn't put on more attacking options. Is Bayo our only option to Uche?
@davecz said:
You are right @Commoner Ainsworth does have a lot of credit in the bank , but he can only play one way. Hoof the ball upfront and hope. How when we need wins, he settles for a point and in his post match interview, says he is pleased with a point. Unbelievable. Let’s go down taking some chances, not this rubbish football.
It was a turgid game and a poor performance by both teams, but do you really think that the sum total of the manager’s tactical advice to his players is to ‘hoof the ball upfront and hope’? Unbelievable, to use your own word.
‘Let’s go down taking some chances’, do you mean like we did at Brentford just a few days ago?
Sorry, @glasshalffull - I am not seeing any real evidence we are trying to play any differently at anytime during the games. Clearly hoof the ball forward is a simplistic way of saying it but in essence that’s what we do. We need wins and yes sometimes you need to braver even if we get thumped. There’s no point getting to the end of the season , being relegated and thinking what if. We have bought some more gifted players , let’s try and play to their strengths if Plan A doesn’t work.
@glasshalffull said:
It was a turgid game and a poor performance by both teams, but do you really think that the sum total of the manager’s tactical advice to his players is to ‘hoof the ball upfront and hope’?
Of course not, that would be silly. He'd also obviously told them not to have a shot on goal otherwise they'd be subbed.
I fear the Gasroom may be an unpleasant place for the next couple of months. Players look mentally and physically exhausted to me - hardly surprising given they have been battling every week to hold their own against better players. Eventually inevitably that takes it toll. I fear it might be a tough watch until May.
@DevC said:
I fear the Gasroom may be an unpleasant place for the next couple of months. Players look mentally and physically exhausted to me - hardly surprising given they have been battling every week to hold their own against better players. Eventually inevitably that takes it toll. I fear it might be a tough watch until May.
Let me be the first to add to the toxicity by bemoaning your use of the gosh-awful "watch" as a noun, @DevC, where "I fear it may be tough to watch until May" seems a much easier watch to me.
@DevC said:
I fear the Gasroom may be an unpleasant place for the next couple of months. Players look mentally and physically exhausted to me - hardly surprising given they have been battling every week to hold their own against better players. Eventually inevitably that takes it toll. I fear it might be a tough watch until May
@fame_46 you're starting to sound a bit Swannish there! We were 4th when our season finished last year and 8th after the rest of the division finished a couple of weeks later. Our promotion was deserved on the basis of the games played and winning the play offs.
Last night was abysmal and unusually timid from us. I would take it in isolation though, I think we've attempted (and occasionally succeeded) in playing some decent football this season, mixing it up with long ball. Last night was on a par with Barnsley though, in that we attempted nothing but long ball. It was hugely disappointing. I guess a point and a clean sheet is a step forward after a 7-2 defeat, but I must admit, it didn't really feel that way. Who knows though, after Saturday, maybe we'll be more forgiving?
What I would say is that Gaz has always been prepared to change tact, albeit sometimes slowly until he finds the right combination. Much of our success has been based on 3 center midfielders and two wingers supporting Bayo up top.
We regularly played 5 across the middle of the park in defence and switching to three in counter attacks against the top teams and against the average teams we were more 4-3-3 from the start.
What I think we've done this season is try to play 4-3-3 and on the front foot from the off, which is fine but instead of selecting three center mids we've often only selected one and five more attacking players. Injuries have undone us somewhat in that regard but certainly not in all games.
Last season the three centre mids covered the centre of the pitch and the two wingers protected the full backs. This season the one centre mid is having to cover the wide areas and middle areas and we are getting overrun.
Last season we regularly let the strongest opposition in the league come to us and we had a bank of 5 players across the middle of the park and then counter attacked. When we counter attacked we moved through the thirds with shorter passing and at pace, giving us a chance to get up to Bayo and get runners beyond Bayo.
Against weaker opponents we gambled more last year and left three up top and left our defence and two midfielders to it, which we got away with as our players were fitter than the weaker teams last season and their forwards did not have the quality that this years opponents do. This season we've left one midfielder and the defence regularly to try and cover defensively.
When we've been at our best we've mixed up passing the ball to the wingers with short and long balls into the front man, when we're at our worst is when we lump the ball forward for the whole game.
What Ainsworth did so well last season was choose when to play the more defensive minded 4-5-1 and when to play the more attack minded 4-3-3. Defaulting to 4-5-1 against the really strong sides. I'm perplexed as to why we've defaulted to 4-3-3 and one midfielder when all the opposition is that much stronger this season.
We also rarely seemed to settle for a point last season and I think my biggest frustration about last night was we had no urgency in the last ten and did not seem to be going all out to win the game.
It was a turgid game and a poor performance by both teams, but do you really think that the sum total of the manager’s tactical advice to his players is to ‘hoof the ball upfront and hope’? Unbelievable, to use your own word.
‘Let’s go down taking some chances’, do you mean like we did at Brentford just a few days ago?
Your reverting back a different game again.... We created nothing in the second half not a single shot, I'd love to hear your insight into what you think Ainsworth told the player's because from what i saw he looked inept tactically. We've got championship quality on the bench and he plays Bloomfield for 90mins. We lacked any composure and i fully believe that's Ainsworth doing, players are told to get rid. We've done incredible to get where we are, but why not have a go, why not play football, why not change the formation, he's been backed and still reverts back to playing that terrible sunday league ball with players who aren't good enough.... We're on course to go down with one of the worst records in the championship and that's what we will be remembered for.
Last night struck me as game where both focussed on earning the right to play. I think it is true that in a match like this, you do have to win enough 50/50s, second balls and headers to earn territory and the space to play in.
The trouble is, neither team ever did that effectively enough. We watched a game where defences dominated and both teams scrapped for the right to play, with ever really getting round to mounting sustained attacks.
I imagine Birmingham fans will be similarly frustrated but they have the relative luxury of being outside the bottom 3.
The positive is that we stayed in the battle and didn’t lose. I think without the addition of Ikpeazu and Tafazolli we might have lost the game last night, and they will be a big plus next season whichever level we are at.
Agree with others that the second half of the season could be tough on the players. Without a miracle coming around fast we are going to be completely cut adrift without even a sniff of a chance of staying up. Even the most upbeat, optimistic squad will suffer some loss of morale in that situation. I expect they will all have been well prepared for a difficult season, but will surely have pictured a my least a brave relegation fight. Heads may drop if we come nowhere near staying up and are relegated in March. So even if we can’t stay in the division, winning a few games in Feb and putting together a little run of wins could be a big boost. It might not keep us up, but could keep spirits high and provide a platform for next season.
The unfortunate thing is that GA has so much credit in the bank, he is almost beyond reproach and criticism. Nevertheless, supporters have every right to express critical opinions, even when they are seen by some on here as ‘the usual suspects’. Personally I am at a loss to understand why Bloomfield played the whole game when the bench was as strong as it was...totally beyond me, as per the previous poster. Perhaps there were injury worries about replacements, but of course we are not ever party to any injury information. Relegation is when, not if.
@DevC said:
I fear the Gasroom may be an unpleasant place for the next couple of months. Players look mentally and physically exhausted to me - hardly surprising given they have been battling every week to hold their own against better players. Eventually inevitably that takes it toll. I fear it might be a tough watch until May.
The Gasroom is the fairest and kindest football messageboard I have ever read. I can't see any way in the world how anyone could describe it as unpleasant.
Gets a bit techy over the grammar sometimes but always ends well.
@DevC said:
I fear the Gasroom may be an unpleasant place for the next couple of months. Players look mentally and physically exhausted to me - hardly surprising given they have been battling every week to hold their own against better players. Eventually inevitably that takes it toll. I fear it might be a tough watch until May.
Lovely to see you chat actual Wycombe
football. I agree with your sentiments up until last bit. Watching our current squad play in the Championship will never be a tough watch for me. Unless of course you are talking about not being there and that gets tougher every game.
Firstly, let’s get the caveats out of the way. Gareth Ainsworth has done an unbelievable job and is up there with Martin O’Neill as the best manager this club has ever had. He is an absolute class act in every way, we are incredibly lucky to have him and I want him to remain the manager for, hopefully many, many years to come. Matt Bloomfield has been great servant for us over an even longer period. He is, and always has been, quite limited technically for a professional footballer, but his energy, fitness, positioning, tactical nous, heart and desire have made up for that. And Bayo is probably the best signing the club has ever made. I would have Bayo in the squad even if he never played again, for his sheer personality, presence and attributes as a great human being. He is an inspiring and powerful figure in the club and he is so important to everything, even if he didn’t kick a ball again this season.
It’s rather sad that those caveats need to be added to in any way criticise the performance last night, but the gasroom is what it is!
Personally, as a general rule, I have thoroughly enjoyed this season despite being bottom. We may be almost certain to be relegated now, but we have competed admirably for the most part and I think we have generally done a great job (with in my opinion just a few exceptions: last night, Barnsley and Huddersfield spring to mind). The strength of the squad looks excellent now and really in a good place to be a force in League 1 if we can hold on to the vast majority of everyone. As always, this is because of great recruitment from Gaz and Dobbo.
But last night was as bad a footballing performance from the management team (and the team) as it could be. We persist in playing 4-3-3 (or 4-2-3-1, or 4-4-2 diamond) the majority of the time when this is just not working. A basic, old fashioned 4-4-2 with wide players to provide width in possession and support and cover for our full backs, or 4-4-1-1 (again with wide players), should be the default with the players we have. We can play the other formations at times as they have been shown to work well in some cases, but we need 4-4-2 (1-1) to be the default. There is some talk of ‘formation’ doesn’t matter but that is absolutely ridiculous. Of course it matters, apart from player selection it is the biggest part of football tactics! And describing ‘shape’ being important but ‘formation’ not, is quite frankly mind boggling. Shape is formation! And movement within that shape is just a skill footballers have naturally or certain patterns are coached into the side. But the formation (shape) is the default/reset during a game.
The reason now 4-4-2 is the key is because we have two wide players whose technical ability is a lot higher than the other players, McCleary and Horgan should be starting every game available, wide right and wide left. And they both didn’t even get on for 1 minute last night - frankly this is so bizarre I must assume they are injured or still fatigued following Covid perhaps. But we’re left to speculate - if that is the case, just communicate that! That would hugely diminish my frustration this morning if I knew there was a reason those two high quality players were not even deemed worthy of 10 minutes last night.
4-3-3 (or narrow equivalent) DOES NOT WORK at this level with our level of players. We are too narrow and opponents have the quality to switch the ball out wide, where our full backs are exposed. There is too much emphasis or central midfielders to cover, which leaves central areas empty and when we do get the ball there is no option but to knock the ball long. And this does not play to Uche’s strengths. I have been absolutely hugely impressed with Uche, a classy footballer with huge potential, but actually I don’t think he is that good in the air with his back to goal. He is ok but doesn’t excel at that - he’s much better with the ball into him or in the channel. His control, backing in and turning with the ball in those situations is first class. Let’s get better quality into him. To be honest, I couldn’t judge how good he is at heading at goal as I can’t remember him having many headed chance from quality crosses from good areas out wide (rather than from a more full back area). While I’m on Uche, when he plays he looks top quality and could be added to the list as one of Wycombe’s best strikers in a league era, and yet we persist with taking him off after 70 minutes almost every game to bring Bayo on, who certainly in the last 4 or 5 games has shown little to suggest he can cause the same threat as Uche, and forces us into even more one dimensional football. Bayo has been immense, but he doesn’t seem to be able to move enough to cause many problems to defenders at this level.
Last night, Blooms played for 90 minutes while quality, technical footballers Horgan and McCleary sat in the bench, and David Wheeler, a terrific all around player, got 2 minutes. I watched a replay of the game this morning and Bloomfield did not complete one constructive pass in 90 minutes, and spent the majority of the game running 5 yards behind play, hacking clearances in the air and miscontrolling. He has been a great servant, but can not compete at this level. He is a great guy, and vital to the squad and club, but he should not be playing such an integral role at this level at his age. In all honesty, I feel sorry for him. Silly example I know, but at 40, if I was thrown into the middle of midfield for the game last night to play 90 minutes, I’d be awful. Is that my fault or the managers?
Interestingly, while watching the game again we did not complete one 5 pass sequence in 90 minutes. Surely for a professional football team that must ring alarm bells.
We have some really good players now though, this isn’t League 2 anymore. I honestly think with the right system and players starting we can pick up more points at this level, not enough to stay up but enough to go into League 1 with motivation and confidence, to potentially come back to this level for 22/23.
I don't think the Gasroom is becoming unpleasant as such but posts are starting to get a bit samey (and I include myself in this as a usual suspect.)
Over the Ainsworth years there have been games in L1 and L2 when I have despaired at late subs...players not getting on while persisting with players who seemed off the pace, confusion about formation and other stuff. Amazingly we are in the Championship. I don't know the stats or the points position of yesteryear, but this season (and the match threads) remind me of the 'Torquay' season. I know we have better players now, and I admit I am not great footballing expert, but surely we have learned that until the last ball is played under this management team we're still in it? Either that or we sack that Ainsworth and finally free Dobbo from being under the oppressive yolk under which he has no input or control and he can buy some better players and build a winning free-flowing footballing team around David Stockdale and Nick Freeman.
@Commoner said:
Awful. Why we resorted to hoof ball with no passing is beyond me.
Muskwe was wasted on the left of a front three.
More evidence to why we should not be playing three men midfields in the Championship. I’m fed up of watching the management team make the same mistake week after week. We do not have enough quality in midfield to play three up front and three in midfield.
As it looks like we will be unlikely to recover let’s use this opportunity to move to one of 4-4-2, 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1 and actually get the ball on the deck a bit more.
As the much missed @chairboyscentral taught me it's not about formation,it's shape and movement that is important. We, thankfully, play the game on the pitch and not on a tactics board. To be honest anyone fed up with Ainsworth's set up are probably following the wrong tea at the moment. He will evolve things slowly but he has his principles that he will and should stick to.
Last night was grim stuff to watch but wet cold Tuesday night games often are. I still think some are gauging our performance on how bad they assumed Birmingham would be. Coming off the back of an enforced Covid lay off and a 7-2 defeat this was a step forward. Not as big a step as some wanted but a step none the less.
We have to find a way to get the ball to our strikers feet but that doesn't mean changing loads of things. It just means getting better at what we do. 38% of our passes found a Wycombe target last night and loads of those were lost soon after.
Those who want to totally reinvent Ainsworth as a manager are not going to get very far. He's not changing so to get a change in style we'll have to change the manager. I think that would be a big mistake.
The sad thing for me is that Gareth has played differently in the past. The 442 play off season in 2014-5 was a delight to watch, with his trademark 'rock-n-roll football' in a system that saw us utilise wingers, play the ball out of defence, and attack without losing shape. If Bloomfield hadn't tried to play the ball in those final minutes at Wembley maybe we still would be playing that way but something obviously changed in Gareth's mentality watching that and it's never been the same since. What I don't understand is why he isn't getting the team set up like he did against Oxford last time we were at Wembley, with Fred and Wheeler playing almost as auxiliary wing backs ahead of JJ and Grimmer. Again we had width, a formation that suited the personnel and an ability to counterattack with real teeth.
I'm still intrigued by the gossip you teased us with re Bayo a few weeks ago. What happens if he scores a goal in the Championship? Reading an interview with him last week where he said he wanted another season I'm guessing it's an automatic contract renewal? As someone else has said in this thread, erect a statue of Bayo outside the ground, sure. But another season of static cameos and flick-ons that go to opposition players or out of play, given the constraints we have on squad size and wage bill? Sometimes, as Tony Blair once said, it's time to leave when the crowd are wanting more.
My frustration is coming more because I believe our persistent use of 4-3-3 has led to less points and we may have had more points playing players in right place with right balance than trying to get all these attackers on the pitch.
Bayo and Uche are both at their best when they have balls played into them to control and bring others into the game. Bayo through lay offs and runners beyond him, Uche through turning and driving at the opposition. At this level neither player has had much success at flicking headers on for a strike partner from long punts.
I’m immensely proud of the management, the team and the club. I never thought we’d ever play at this level. We are punching above our weight and competing really well.
Let’s hope we can have a positive change to personnel and tactics and go on a winning run to give us some hope.
@Quarterman your post is a very honest assessment of our position, especially the last paragraph. I also believe that with the right selection and formation that we have enough good players to get more points on the board in this league.
@Lloyd2084 Yes, I agree. I am not Allsop’s biggest fan but he has had a good season and the saves last night were absolutely top class, the second one being a genuinely wonderful save.
While I agree with you @Wendoverman about not giving up til the last kick of the season, one of the biggest disappointments last night was how unlike an Ainsworth performance that was. No backs against the wall defensive heroics or to the death battling, just lethargy and a total lack of adventure. Coupled with the second half performance v Brentford, we look, for the first time I can remember, a bit lost and defeated.
@MindlessDrugHoover and I agree with you...but hopefully it not being an Ainsworth performance will mean it won't be seen again. As for many others, it was the sort of game that really hit the optimism in the soft underparts!
In fairness to the squad and management whilst last night was a truly turgid experience it came mot only close on the heals of a serious drubbing but also after an outbreak of Covid and the consequent enforced lay off from training etc. I hazard a guess that a number of players whose continued absence people are banging on about is due to a longer than expected recovery from Covid. I equally suspect due to the enforced training break the players are knackered and this was certainly evident towards the end of the last 3 games.
Having said that I think we need to trust in the process and staff and I fully expect to see a better showing on Saturday as the medical team and coaching team have a decent time to assess the players and they have an extra 3 days to recuperate.
As for formation/shape whilst 4-4-2 is probably our best option, 4-3-3 can work provided the two wide forwards drop back when we lose possession and the formation then becomes 4-5-1, also giving us much needed width defensively and support for the full backs (Wheels is awesome at this, on recent showings Fred is getting back to his best, whereas Scotty and Admiral are not so good and Horgan & GMac are somewhere between them).
I still trust GA & Dobbo to choose the most appropriate formation for the personnel they have available come match day and for the team to give everything in making the game plan work.
Comments
It's the first time this season that I've woken up to a new day, still really disappointed about a game. First few games, we were just blown away. Gradual improvement and becoming able to compete was great to watch. Last night was just abysmal, but I guess it's rare to come up against a team doing exactly what we do, which resulted in an absolute stinker.
Worth remember that we don't play like that every week (despite what some on here will have you believe). And I agree with @fame_46, we shouldn't really be here, so have not done too badly so far.
Of course, certain posters who can never quite bring themselves to admit that the style of football they're groaning about with monotonous regularity is pretty much what got us here on a shoestring budget And now they want the gung-ho approach that we employed (and they criticised) against Brentford. Of course, they reserve the right to be 'delighted to be proved wrong' - the get out clause of every moaning bastard!
There are some banks that that Ainsworth and often the whole team have never had any credit in. This season was always going to be theirs.
Normally @glasshalffull is here by now to tell us all off. The thread is not complete until that happens.
i think most posters know we should not be in the Championship. Its an amazing achievement. The frustration is that we have signed some good players who are more comfortable with the ball played on the ground but we persist in humping it forward completing bypassing them. We needed to be brave last night to win the game and I couldn't understand why we didn't put on more attacking options. Is Bayo our only option to Uche?
It was a turgid game and a poor performance by both teams, but do you really think that the sum total of the manager’s tactical advice to his players is to ‘hoof the ball upfront and hope’? Unbelievable, to use your own word.
‘Let’s go down taking some chances’, do you mean like we did at Brentford just a few days ago?
Sorry, @glasshalffull - I am not seeing any real evidence we are trying to play any differently at anytime during the games. Clearly hoof the ball forward is a simplistic way of saying it but in essence that’s what we do. We need wins and yes sometimes you need to braver even if we get thumped. There’s no point getting to the end of the season , being relegated and thinking what if. We have bought some more gifted players , let’s try and play to their strengths if Plan A doesn’t work.
Of course not, that would be silly. He'd also obviously told them not to have a shot on goal otherwise they'd be subbed.
I fear the Gasroom may be an unpleasant place for the next couple of months. Players look mentally and physically exhausted to me - hardly surprising given they have been battling every week to hold their own against better players. Eventually inevitably that takes it toll. I fear it might be a tough watch until May.
Let me be the first to add to the toxicity by bemoaning your use of the gosh-awful "watch" as a noun, @DevC, where "I fear it may be tough to watch until May" seems a much easier watch to me.
You've been saying this for the last three years
@fame_46 you're starting to sound a bit Swannish there! We were 4th when our season finished last year and 8th after the rest of the division finished a couple of weeks later. Our promotion was deserved on the basis of the games played and winning the play offs.
Last night was abysmal and unusually timid from us. I would take it in isolation though, I think we've attempted (and occasionally succeeded) in playing some decent football this season, mixing it up with long ball. Last night was on a par with Barnsley though, in that we attempted nothing but long ball. It was hugely disappointing. I guess a point and a clean sheet is a step forward after a 7-2 defeat, but I must admit, it didn't really feel that way. Who knows though, after Saturday, maybe we'll be more forgiving?
What I would say is that Gaz has always been prepared to change tact, albeit sometimes slowly until he finds the right combination. Much of our success has been based on 3 center midfielders and two wingers supporting Bayo up top.
We regularly played 5 across the middle of the park in defence and switching to three in counter attacks against the top teams and against the average teams we were more 4-3-3 from the start.
What I think we've done this season is try to play 4-3-3 and on the front foot from the off, which is fine but instead of selecting three center mids we've often only selected one and five more attacking players. Injuries have undone us somewhat in that regard but certainly not in all games.
Last season the three centre mids covered the centre of the pitch and the two wingers protected the full backs. This season the one centre mid is having to cover the wide areas and middle areas and we are getting overrun.
Last season we regularly let the strongest opposition in the league come to us and we had a bank of 5 players across the middle of the park and then counter attacked. When we counter attacked we moved through the thirds with shorter passing and at pace, giving us a chance to get up to Bayo and get runners beyond Bayo.
Against weaker opponents we gambled more last year and left three up top and left our defence and two midfielders to it, which we got away with as our players were fitter than the weaker teams last season and their forwards did not have the quality that this years opponents do. This season we've left one midfielder and the defence regularly to try and cover defensively.
When we've been at our best we've mixed up passing the ball to the wingers with short and long balls into the front man, when we're at our worst is when we lump the ball forward for the whole game.
What Ainsworth did so well last season was choose when to play the more defensive minded 4-5-1 and when to play the more attack minded 4-3-3. Defaulting to 4-5-1 against the really strong sides. I'm perplexed as to why we've defaulted to 4-3-3 and one midfielder when all the opposition is that much stronger this season.
We also rarely seemed to settle for a point last season and I think my biggest frustration about last night was we had no urgency in the last ten and did not seem to be going all out to win the game.
Your reverting back a different game again.... We created nothing in the second half not a single shot, I'd love to hear your insight into what you think Ainsworth told the player's because from what i saw he looked inept tactically. We've got championship quality on the bench and he plays Bloomfield for 90mins. We lacked any composure and i fully believe that's Ainsworth doing, players are told to get rid. We've done incredible to get where we are, but why not have a go, why not play football, why not change the formation, he's been backed and still reverts back to playing that terrible sunday league ball with players who aren't good enough.... We're on course to go down with one of the worst records in the championship and that's what we will be remembered for.
Last night struck me as game where both focussed on earning the right to play. I think it is true that in a match like this, you do have to win enough 50/50s, second balls and headers to earn territory and the space to play in.
The trouble is, neither team ever did that effectively enough. We watched a game where defences dominated and both teams scrapped for the right to play, with ever really getting round to mounting sustained attacks.
I imagine Birmingham fans will be similarly frustrated but they have the relative luxury of being outside the bottom 3.
The positive is that we stayed in the battle and didn’t lose. I think without the addition of Ikpeazu and Tafazolli we might have lost the game last night, and they will be a big plus next season whichever level we are at.
Agree with others that the second half of the season could be tough on the players. Without a miracle coming around fast we are going to be completely cut adrift without even a sniff of a chance of staying up. Even the most upbeat, optimistic squad will suffer some loss of morale in that situation. I expect they will all have been well prepared for a difficult season, but will surely have pictured a my least a brave relegation fight. Heads may drop if we come nowhere near staying up and are relegated in March. So even if we can’t stay in the division, winning a few games in Feb and putting together a little run of wins could be a big boost. It might not keep us up, but could keep spirits high and provide a platform for next season.
The unfortunate thing is that GA has so much credit in the bank, he is almost beyond reproach and criticism. Nevertheless, supporters have every right to express critical opinions, even when they are seen by some on here as ‘the usual suspects’. Personally I am at a loss to understand why Bloomfield played the whole game when the bench was as strong as it was...totally beyond me, as per the previous poster. Perhaps there were injury worries about replacements, but of course we are not ever party to any injury information. Relegation is when, not if.
*both teams
The Gasroom is the fairest and kindest football messageboard I have ever read. I can't see any way in the world how anyone could describe it as unpleasant.
Gets a bit techy over the grammar sometimes but always ends well.
Lovely to see you chat actual Wycombe
football. I agree with your sentiments up until last bit. Watching our current squad play in the Championship will never be a tough watch for me. Unless of course you are talking about not being there and that gets tougher every game.
Firstly, let’s get the caveats out of the way. Gareth Ainsworth has done an unbelievable job and is up there with Martin O’Neill as the best manager this club has ever had. He is an absolute class act in every way, we are incredibly lucky to have him and I want him to remain the manager for, hopefully many, many years to come. Matt Bloomfield has been great servant for us over an even longer period. He is, and always has been, quite limited technically for a professional footballer, but his energy, fitness, positioning, tactical nous, heart and desire have made up for that. And Bayo is probably the best signing the club has ever made. I would have Bayo in the squad even if he never played again, for his sheer personality, presence and attributes as a great human being. He is an inspiring and powerful figure in the club and he is so important to everything, even if he didn’t kick a ball again this season.
It’s rather sad that those caveats need to be added to in any way criticise the performance last night, but the gasroom is what it is!
Personally, as a general rule, I have thoroughly enjoyed this season despite being bottom. We may be almost certain to be relegated now, but we have competed admirably for the most part and I think we have generally done a great job (with in my opinion just a few exceptions: last night, Barnsley and Huddersfield spring to mind). The strength of the squad looks excellent now and really in a good place to be a force in League 1 if we can hold on to the vast majority of everyone. As always, this is because of great recruitment from Gaz and Dobbo.
But last night was as bad a footballing performance from the management team (and the team) as it could be. We persist in playing 4-3-3 (or 4-2-3-1, or 4-4-2 diamond) the majority of the time when this is just not working. A basic, old fashioned 4-4-2 with wide players to provide width in possession and support and cover for our full backs, or 4-4-1-1 (again with wide players), should be the default with the players we have. We can play the other formations at times as they have been shown to work well in some cases, but we need 4-4-2 (1-1) to be the default. There is some talk of ‘formation’ doesn’t matter but that is absolutely ridiculous. Of course it matters, apart from player selection it is the biggest part of football tactics! And describing ‘shape’ being important but ‘formation’ not, is quite frankly mind boggling. Shape is formation! And movement within that shape is just a skill footballers have naturally or certain patterns are coached into the side. But the formation (shape) is the default/reset during a game.
The reason now 4-4-2 is the key is because we have two wide players whose technical ability is a lot higher than the other players, McCleary and Horgan should be starting every game available, wide right and wide left. And they both didn’t even get on for 1 minute last night - frankly this is so bizarre I must assume they are injured or still fatigued following Covid perhaps. But we’re left to speculate - if that is the case, just communicate that! That would hugely diminish my frustration this morning if I knew there was a reason those two high quality players were not even deemed worthy of 10 minutes last night.
4-3-3 (or narrow equivalent) DOES NOT WORK at this level with our level of players. We are too narrow and opponents have the quality to switch the ball out wide, where our full backs are exposed. There is too much emphasis or central midfielders to cover, which leaves central areas empty and when we do get the ball there is no option but to knock the ball long. And this does not play to Uche’s strengths. I have been absolutely hugely impressed with Uche, a classy footballer with huge potential, but actually I don’t think he is that good in the air with his back to goal. He is ok but doesn’t excel at that - he’s much better with the ball into him or in the channel. His control, backing in and turning with the ball in those situations is first class. Let’s get better quality into him. To be honest, I couldn’t judge how good he is at heading at goal as I can’t remember him having many headed chance from quality crosses from good areas out wide (rather than from a more full back area). While I’m on Uche, when he plays he looks top quality and could be added to the list as one of Wycombe’s best strikers in a league era, and yet we persist with taking him off after 70 minutes almost every game to bring Bayo on, who certainly in the last 4 or 5 games has shown little to suggest he can cause the same threat as Uche, and forces us into even more one dimensional football. Bayo has been immense, but he doesn’t seem to be able to move enough to cause many problems to defenders at this level.
Last night, Blooms played for 90 minutes while quality, technical footballers Horgan and McCleary sat in the bench, and David Wheeler, a terrific all around player, got 2 minutes. I watched a replay of the game this morning and Bloomfield did not complete one constructive pass in 90 minutes, and spent the majority of the game running 5 yards behind play, hacking clearances in the air and miscontrolling. He has been a great servant, but can not compete at this level. He is a great guy, and vital to the squad and club, but he should not be playing such an integral role at this level at his age. In all honesty, I feel sorry for him. Silly example I know, but at 40, if I was thrown into the middle of midfield for the game last night to play 90 minutes, I’d be awful. Is that my fault or the managers?
Interestingly, while watching the game again we did not complete one 5 pass sequence in 90 minutes. Surely for a professional football team that must ring alarm bells.
We have some really good players now though, this isn’t League 2 anymore. I honestly think with the right system and players starting we can pick up more points at this level, not enough to stay up but enough to go into League 1 with motivation and confidence, to potentially come back to this level for 22/23.
You watched the game again this morning !! Holy moly, that takes some doing.
I don't think the Gasroom is becoming unpleasant as such but posts are starting to get a bit samey (and I include myself in this as a usual suspect.)
Over the Ainsworth years there have been games in L1 and L2 when I have despaired at late subs...players not getting on while persisting with players who seemed off the pace, confusion about formation and other stuff. Amazingly we are in the Championship. I don't know the stats or the points position of yesteryear, but this season (and the match threads) remind me of the 'Torquay' season. I know we have better players now, and I admit I am not great footballing expert, but surely we have learned that until the last ball is played under this management team we're still in it? Either that or we sack that Ainsworth and finally free Dobbo from being under the oppressive yolk under which he has no input or control and he can buy some better players and build a winning free-flowing footballing team around David Stockdale and Nick Freeman.
The sad thing for me is that Gareth has played differently in the past. The 442 play off season in 2014-5 was a delight to watch, with his trademark 'rock-n-roll football' in a system that saw us utilise wingers, play the ball out of defence, and attack without losing shape. If Bloomfield hadn't tried to play the ball in those final minutes at Wembley maybe we still would be playing that way but something obviously changed in Gareth's mentality watching that and it's never been the same since. What I don't understand is why he isn't getting the team set up like he did against Oxford last time we were at Wembley, with Fred and Wheeler playing almost as auxiliary wing backs ahead of JJ and Grimmer. Again we had width, a formation that suited the personnel and an ability to counterattack with real teeth.
I'm still intrigued by the gossip you teased us with re Bayo a few weeks ago. What happens if he scores a goal in the Championship? Reading an interview with him last week where he said he wanted another season I'm guessing it's an automatic contract renewal? As someone else has said in this thread, erect a statue of Bayo outside the ground, sure. But another season of static cameos and flick-ons that go to opposition players or out of play, given the constraints we have on squad size and wage bill? Sometimes, as Tony Blair once said, it's time to leave when the crowd are wanting more.
@Quarterman couldnt have put it better.
My frustration is coming more because I believe our persistent use of 4-3-3 has led to less points and we may have had more points playing players in right place with right balance than trying to get all these attackers on the pitch.
Bayo and Uche are both at their best when they have balls played into them to control and bring others into the game. Bayo through lay offs and runners beyond him, Uche through turning and driving at the opposition. At this level neither player has had much success at flicking headers on for a strike partner from long punts.
I’m immensely proud of the management, the team and the club. I never thought we’d ever play at this level. We are punching above our weight and competing really well.
Let’s hope we can have a positive change to personnel and tactics and go on a winning run to give us some hope.
@Quarterman your post is a very honest assessment of our position, especially the last paragraph. I also believe that with the right selection and formation that we have enough good players to get more points on the board in this league.
Clearly it was disappointing to come away with a draw last night. The second half was just turgid.
What seems to have been lost in the postmortem is Rocky’s performance. The second ‘worldie’ in particular was an exceptionally brave reaction save.
If it wasn’t for Allsop we’d be mulling over a defeat and being even further adrift than we are. He really is having an outstanding season.
@Lloyd2084 Yes, I agree. I am not Allsop’s biggest fan but he has had a good season and the saves last night were absolutely top class, the second one being a genuinely wonderful save.
While I agree with you @Wendoverman about not giving up til the last kick of the season, one of the biggest disappointments last night was how unlike an Ainsworth performance that was. No backs against the wall defensive heroics or to the death battling, just lethargy and a total lack of adventure. Coupled with the second half performance v Brentford, we look, for the first time I can remember, a bit lost and defeated.
@MindlessDrugHoover and I agree with you...but hopefully it not being an Ainsworth performance will mean it won't be seen again. As for many others, it was the sort of game that really hit the optimism in the soft underparts!
In fairness to the squad and management whilst last night was a truly turgid experience it came mot only close on the heals of a serious drubbing but also after an outbreak of Covid and the consequent enforced lay off from training etc. I hazard a guess that a number of players whose continued absence people are banging on about is due to a longer than expected recovery from Covid. I equally suspect due to the enforced training break the players are knackered and this was certainly evident towards the end of the last 3 games.
Having said that I think we need to trust in the process and staff and I fully expect to see a better showing on Saturday as the medical team and coaching team have a decent time to assess the players and they have an extra 3 days to recuperate.
As for formation/shape whilst 4-4-2 is probably our best option, 4-3-3 can work provided the two wide forwards drop back when we lose possession and the formation then becomes 4-5-1, also giving us much needed width defensively and support for the full backs (Wheels is awesome at this, on recent showings Fred is getting back to his best, whereas Scotty and Admiral are not so good and Horgan & GMac are somewhere between them).
I still trust GA & Dobbo to choose the most appropriate formation for the personnel they have available come match day and for the team to give everything in making the game plan work.