@glasshalffull. I am a fan of GA and he has done an exceptional job for WW. He’s a decent bloke & has raised our profile again in the football world to where it was under MO’N & probably above. He clearly loves the club & its fans & it’s great having that stability for a club of Wycombe’s size. To get us to the Championship for the first time will go down in the history of the club.
However, I find it very frustrating watching us not creating chances in front of goal while we have a goalscorer & all-round nuisance like Scott Kashket warming the bench for most of the time. Who else in the side would have scored our goal v Millwall? I just think we need to play a bit more & utilise the talent I think we have. Despite our rock-bottom position the players give 100% every game. It must be hard being in that position & motivating yourself to play to your best week in, week out. But you are right - I’m not keen on our narrow pitch or our long-ball tactics - if it’s not working. However, mixed with a bit more football on the deck, together with a great team spirit, I still think we’ve got enough to stay in this division.
Luton have received £12 million in player sales since going up to the Championship in May 2019. In that same period we have received a fee for McCarthy believed to be around £0.1million.
This season our wage budget is believed to be 3-4 million. Last season Luton's was 7 million as quoted by Gary Sweet the CEO in April 2020. He quoted again in September 2020 that they had increased the playing budget by around 20% but this left them bottom of the wage budgets apart from the teams coming up from League One.
We can't possibly compete with anyone in this league, even homeless Coventry spent well in excess of 1 million on a player at the start of this season.
Spot on @TheAndyGrahamFanClub ! Totally agree which I suppose puts us in the 'some on here will be happy with...' category. We like these players (well some of us do) and they just haven't been able to deliver sadly. Realistically, we all probably expected this and I'm happy we did not punt on expensive signings and, in fact, one of the youth players we were sceptical about has been one of the standouts! As always with football it's the hope that kills yer.
Coventry and Rotherham came up with us, spend more, and both are struggling.
All three promoted teams last season struggled, and two escaped by the skin of their teeth.
Even WITH a bit of money, you have to find a way to survive the first season. I know there are some who don't like crying poor, but it is such a step up that everything has to go right for even a Coventry, who dominated L1 last season.
Lessons learned, and if we can get back up here again we will be even better prepared.
I think it puts our season into perspective when you realise that out of the 24 clubs in the Championship, 16 have played in the Premier League including some in the last few years, and another 6 have played in the top flight at some point in their history. Only Rotherham and Wycombe have never played at the highest level, only Wycombe have never played before in the second tier.
As wwfcblue said, it’s a miracle that we have as many as 27 points with hopefully more to come.
@Wendoverman said:
Spot on @TheAndyGrahamFanClub ! Totally agree which I suppose puts us in the 'some on here will be happy with...' category. We like these players (well some of us do) and they just haven't been able to deliver sadly. Realistically, we all probably expected this and I'm happy we did not punt on expensive signings and, in fact, one of the youth players we were sceptical about has been one of the standouts! As always with football it's the hope that kills yer.
Agree entirely. We will go down in a financially secure position and have learned a lot. Rob has a belief he can create a match day experience that will bring increased revenue to sustain a championship club in the short to medium term future. Not having spaffed the championship windfall on a few players who might have kept us up but equally might not was the right call. Next season will show whether Rob’s vision has merit. I think we’ll compete throughout and wouldn’t be surprised if we are in the playoffs again. If we can hang on to young Anis and showcase him well he might be the ‘football fortune’ that means a championship return and staying in it. Whether that (or a strong league 1 showing but no promotion) leads to increased crowds spending increased cash in a covid world? We’ll see.
Not sure we will ever hear Ainsworth has lost the dressing because of the type of man manager he is and the tremendous team spirit. However there will certainly be more debate around his tactical acumen.
@Hughie is not a great fan of Gasroom 2.0. A founder member, he averages two visits a month. Compare that with, for example, @Malone (average of 145 visits per month) or @Wendoverman (93) and you’ll see what I mean. Even I average 66. Perhaps @Hughie only visits when there’s likely to be an opportunity to say something negative about Gareth Ainsworth, not appreciating (as the vast majority of fans do) that he and Richard Dobson are a perfect fit for Wycombe Wanderers.
I agree that the playing style has been disappointing at times and that there needs to be change in that respect but it won’t happen overnight and, to a large extent, may depend on the development of a few more young players with obvious potential but probably also investing in a few established (but still relatively young) players. No silly money, of course. Let other clubs spend silly money, especially when they come after the likes of Anis Mehmeti. I really hope he signs for at least another year (and that we see a smile on his face from time to time!) but I fear management may have their work cut out trying to convince him that we will be moving towards a more cultured style of football.
@micra said: @Hughie is not a great fan of Gasroom 2.0. A founder member, he averages two visits a month. Compare that with, for example, @Malone (average of 145 visits per month) or @Wendoverman (93) and you’ll see what I mean. Even I average 66. Perhaps @Hughie only visits when there’s likely to be an opportunity to say something negative about Gareth Ainsworth, not appreciating (as the vast majority of fans do) that he and Richard Dobson are a perfect fit for Wycombe Wanderers.
Those stats make it sound like I live in here.
Yet you have more posts than me from half the visits
It depends what "one visit" counts as too. If you stay logged in for half a day, is that your one visit, versus me registering 10 for quickly nipping in and out many times a day?
I know experts will probably disagree but I would suggest that on the whole we have been beaten by mistakes and better players rather than any great tactical genius being displayed by other managers.
@arnos_grove said:
People on here having been sniping at his ‘tactical acumen’ since we were a lowly league two outfit. Not done bad for a chancer has he?
I remember Alan Smith proudly informing us that ‘Martin’ wasn’t big on tactics like he was. That turned out well...
Spot on. There’s a lot of rubbish talked about tactics and style of play. The leading managers are those who get the best out of the players at their disposal and devise a way of playing that suits their strengths and weaknesses.
@arnos_grove said:
People on here having been sniping at his ‘tactical acumen’ since we were a lowly league two outfit. Not done bad for a chancer has he?
I remember Alan Smith proudly informing us that ‘Martin’ wasn’t big on tactics like he was. That turned out well...
Up there with Smith's best ones.
Who could hope to live up to hoofing it to De Souza and Williams sprinting though. That was ahead of its time.
The one that baffled me the most with Smith, was his belief that we didn't take to him as he was a "flash" London bloke.
Then turning up on an end of season video dishevelled and croaky as if he'd just come in straight off a 4 day bender.
@micra said: @Hughie is not a great fan of Gasroom 2.0. A founder member, he averages two visits a month. Compare that with, for example, @Malone (average of 145 visits per month) or @Wendoverman (93) and you’ll see what I mean. Even I average 66. Perhaps @Hughie only visits when there’s likely to be an opportunity to say something negative about Gareth Ainsworth, not appreciating (as the vast majority of fans do) that he and Richard Dobson are a perfect fit for Wycombe Wanderers.
I agree that the playing style has been disappointing at times and that there needs to be change in that respect but it won’t happen overnight and, to a large extent, may depend on the development of a few more young players with obvious potential but probably also investing in a few established (but still relatively young) players. No silly money, of course. Let other clubs spend silly money, especially when they come after the likes of Anis Mehmeti. I really hope he signs for at least another year (and that we see a smile on his face from time to time!) but I fear management may have their work cut out trying to convince him that we will be moving towards a more cultured style of football.
I must admit I also checked the visit rate a while back, though looking more at totals, and indeed, there is that unmistakable "Big Three" of @micra, @Malone and @Wendoverman.
I assume you three are going to be off and form a European Super Forum, leaving the rest of us to scrape and grovel for our part of the reduced TV pie.
@micra said: @Hughie is not a great fan of Gasroom 2.0. A founder member, he averages two visits a month. Compare that with, for example, @Malone (average of 145 visits per month) or @Wendoverman (93) and you’ll see what I mean. Even I average 66. Perhaps @Hughie only visits when there’s likely to be an opportunity to say something negative about Gareth Ainsworth, not appreciating (as the vast majority of fans do) that he and Richard Dobson are a perfect fit for Wycombe Wanderers.
I agree that the playing style has been disappointing at times and that there needs to be change in that respect but it won’t happen overnight and, to a large extent, may depend on the development of a few more young players with obvious potential but probably also investing in a few established (but still relatively young) players. No silly money, of course. Let other clubs spend silly money, especially when they come after the likes of Anis Mehmeti. I really hope he signs for at least another year (and that we see a smile on his face from time to time!) but I fear management may have their work cut out trying to convince him that we will be moving towards a more cultured style of football.
I must admit I also checked the visit rate a while back, though looking more at totals, and indeed, there is that unmistakable "Big Three" of @micra, @Malone and @Wendoverman.
I assume you three are going to be off and form a European Super Forum, leaving the rest of us to scrape and grovel for our part of the reduced TV pie.
What a badge of honour.
I'd be more interested (loose use of that word) at total posts.
I bet @micra is about 5,000 clear of the nearest rival.
I don't particularly like the way we play but my main criticism this season has been the endless chopping and changing. I appreciate I'm probably being a bit naive, but I wish GA would decide on his best 11 and, so far as is realistically possible, stick to it. Just as an example, back in December we had a good performance at Preston, with Kashket and Aki as the front two. We stuck to that for the next game (Barnsley) where we didn't play so well so then, for the next game, a more winnable fixture against Coventry, both are left out and replaced by Samuel. Why?
@Doob said:
I don't particularly like the way we play but my main criticism this season has been the endless chopping and changing. I appreciate I'm probably being a bit naive, but I wish GA would decide on his best 11 and, so far as is realistically possible, stick to it. Just as an example, back in December we had a good performance at Preston, with Kashket and Aki as the front two. We stuck to that for the next game (Barnsley) where we didn't play so well so then, for the next game, a more winnable fixture against Coventry, both are left out and replaced by Samuel. Why?
The absolutely unprecedented stacked set of games, with midweek fixtures 8 or 9 weeks in a row is a huge reason for the rotations.
Also, what is our best team? I get this real nag that it doesn't really matter what version of our attack we put out, there is no particular answer this season, we're just out classed.
I just hope we can shake off this season, and that we hit next season running as surely we have a quality squad as good as anyone next season?
There have been more changes than usual throughout the EFL this season because of the intense schedule of games and the subsequent crop of injuries. I don’t think Ainsworth has made significantly more changes than most Championship managers.
@micra said: @Hughie is not a great fan of Gasroom 2.0. A founder member, he averages two visits a month. Compare that with, for example, @Malone (average of 145 visits per month) or @Wendoverman (93) and you’ll see what I mean. Even I average 66. Perhaps @Hughie only visits when there’s likely to be an opportunity to say something negative about Gareth Ainsworth, not appreciating (as the vast majority of fans do) that he and Richard Dobson are a perfect fit for Wycombe Wanderers.
I agree that the playing style has been disappointing at times and that there needs to be change in that respect but it won’t happen overnight and, to a large extent, may depend on the development of a few more young players with obvious potential but probably also investing in a few established (but still relatively young) players. No silly money, of course. Let other clubs spend silly money, especially when they come after the likes of Anis Mehmeti. I really hope he signs for at least another year (and that we see a smile on his face from time to time!) but I fear management may have their work cut out trying to convince him that we will be moving towards a more cultured style of football.
I must admit I also checked the visit rate a while back, though looking more at totals, and indeed, there is that unmistakable "Big Three" of @micra, @Malone and @Wendoverman.
I assume you three are going to be off and form a European Super Forum, leaving the rest of us to scrape and grovel for our part of the reduced TV pie.
What a badge of honour.
I'd be more interested (loose use of that word) at total posts.
I bet @micra is about 5,000 clear of the nearest rival.
I realize I actually looked at comments previously rather than visits, but here are both. I know when I looked before, you three were thousands ahead in comments, but I think the visits leaderboard would be different (I just checked and I have 8000+ visits, but 3000+ comments, so it depends on whether you are visiting to post or to loiter!).
@micra said: @Hughie is not a great fan of Gasroom 2.0. A founder member, he averages two visits a month. Compare that with, for example, @Malone (average of 145 visits per month) or @Wendoverman (93) and you’ll see what I mean. Even I average 66. Perhaps @Hughie only visits when there’s likely to be an opportunity to say something negative about Gareth Ainsworth, not appreciating (as the vast majority of fans do) that he and Richard Dobson are a perfect fit for Wycombe Wanderers.
I agree that the playing style has been disappointing at times and that there needs to be change in that respect but it won’t happen overnight and, to a large extent, may depend on the development of a few more young players with obvious potential but probably also investing in a few established (but still relatively young) players. No silly money, of course. Let other clubs spend silly money, especially when they come after the likes of Anis Mehmeti. I really hope he signs for at least another year (and that we see a smile on his face from time to time!) but I fear management may have their work cut out trying to convince him that we will be moving towards a more cultured style of football.
I must admit I also checked the visit rate a while back, though looking more at totals, and indeed, there is that unmistakable "Big Three" of @micra, @Malone and @Wendoverman.
I assume you three are going to be off and form a European Super Forum, leaving the rest of us to scrape and grovel for our part of the reduced TV pie.
What a badge of honour.
I'd be more interested (loose use of that word) at total posts.
I bet @micra is about 5,000 clear of the nearest rival.
I realize I actually looked at comments previously rather than visits, but here are both. I know when I looked before, you three were thousands ahead in comments, but I think the visits leaderboard would be different (I just checked and I have 8000+ visits, but 3000+ comments, so it depends on whether you are visiting to post or to loiter!).
Comments
You still hate it though.
LOL
I'm not bothered at all tbh, I have incredibly thick skin
@glasshalffull. I am a fan of GA and he has done an exceptional job for WW. He’s a decent bloke & has raised our profile again in the football world to where it was under MO’N & probably above. He clearly loves the club & its fans & it’s great having that stability for a club of Wycombe’s size. To get us to the Championship for the first time will go down in the history of the club.
However, I find it very frustrating watching us not creating chances in front of goal while we have a goalscorer & all-round nuisance like Scott Kashket warming the bench for most of the time. Who else in the side would have scored our goal v Millwall? I just think we need to play a bit more & utilise the talent I think we have. Despite our rock-bottom position the players give 100% every game. It must be hard being in that position & motivating yourself to play to your best week in, week out. But you are right - I’m not keen on our narrow pitch or our long-ball tactics - if it’s not working. However, mixed with a bit more football on the deck, together with a great team spirit, I still think we’ve got enough to stay in this division.
Luton have received £12 million in player sales since going up to the Championship in May 2019. In that same period we have received a fee for McCarthy believed to be around £0.1million.
This season our wage budget is believed to be 3-4 million. Last season Luton's was 7 million as quoted by Gary Sweet the CEO in April 2020. He quoted again in September 2020 that they had increased the playing budget by around 20% but this left them bottom of the wage budgets apart from the teams coming up from League One.
We can't possibly compete with anyone in this league, even homeless Coventry spent well in excess of 1 million on a player at the start of this season.
It's a miracle we have 27 points.
Spot on @TheAndyGrahamFanClub ! Totally agree which I suppose puts us in the 'some on here will be happy with...' category. We like these players (well some of us do) and they just haven't been able to deliver sadly. Realistically, we all probably expected this and I'm happy we did not punt on expensive signings and, in fact, one of the youth players we were sceptical about has been one of the standouts! As always with football it's the hope that kills yer.
Coventry and Rotherham came up with us, spend more, and both are struggling.
All three promoted teams last season struggled, and two escaped by the skin of their teeth.
Even WITH a bit of money, you have to find a way to survive the first season. I know there are some who don't like crying poor, but it is such a step up that everything has to go right for even a Coventry, who dominated L1 last season.
Lessons learned, and if we can get back up here again we will be even better prepared.
Ainsworth IN, always!
I think it puts our season into perspective when you realise that out of the 24 clubs in the Championship, 16 have played in the Premier League including some in the last few years, and another 6 have played in the top flight at some point in their history. Only Rotherham and Wycombe have never played at the highest level, only Wycombe have never played before in the second tier.
As wwfcblue said, it’s a miracle that we have as many as 27 points with hopefully more to come.
Agree entirely. We will go down in a financially secure position and have learned a lot. Rob has a belief he can create a match day experience that will bring increased revenue to sustain a championship club in the short to medium term future. Not having spaffed the championship windfall on a few players who might have kept us up but equally might not was the right call. Next season will show whether Rob’s vision has merit. I think we’ll compete throughout and wouldn’t be surprised if we are in the playoffs again. If we can hang on to young Anis and showcase him well he might be the ‘football fortune’ that means a championship return and staying in it. Whether that (or a strong league 1 showing but no promotion) leads to increased crowds spending increased cash in a covid world? We’ll see.
A Sperm Whale's skin can be up to 14 inches thick!
No Plan B klaxon! It’s been coming.
Won’t be long before we hear ‘lost the dressing room’ and ‘tactically naive’ (think we’ve already had that one, actually).
Not sure we will ever hear Ainsworth has lost the dressing because of the type of man manager he is and the tremendous team spirit. However there will certainly be more debate around his tactical acumen.
@Hughie is not a great fan of Gasroom 2.0. A founder member, he averages two visits a month. Compare that with, for example, @Malone (average of 145 visits per month) or @Wendoverman (93) and you’ll see what I mean. Even I average 66. Perhaps @Hughie only visits when there’s likely to be an opportunity to say something negative about Gareth Ainsworth, not appreciating (as the vast majority of fans do) that he and Richard Dobson are a perfect fit for Wycombe Wanderers.
I agree that the playing style has been disappointing at times and that there needs to be change in that respect but it won’t happen overnight and, to a large extent, may depend on the development of a few more young players with obvious potential but probably also investing in a few established (but still relatively young) players. No silly money, of course. Let other clubs spend silly money, especially when they come after the likes of Anis Mehmeti. I really hope he signs for at least another year (and that we see a smile on his face from time to time!) but I fear management may have their work cut out trying to convince him that we will be moving towards a more cultured style of football.
People on here having been sniping at his ‘tactical acumen’ since we were a lowly league two outfit. Not done bad for a chancer has he?
I remember Alan Smith proudly informing us that ‘Martin’ wasn’t big on tactics like he was. That turned out well...
Those stats make it sound like I live in here.
Yet you have more posts than me from half the visits
It depends what "one visit" counts as too. If you stay logged in for half a day, is that your one visit, versus me registering 10 for quickly nipping in and out many times a day?
I have persistent (chronic) verbal diarrhoea @Malone .
Just noticed that @Shev (key man) must be near to topping the visits chart. Love his latest thread.
I’m afraid I nip slowly in and out and tap away until my eyes blur or, as now, it’s time to get the evening meal!
Bloody hell @micra now I know why the days and weeks towards my inevitable end are slipping by so fast for me. Its Gasroom addiction!
I know experts will probably disagree but I would suggest that on the whole we have been beaten by mistakes and better players rather than any great tactical genius being displayed by other managers.
Spot on. There’s a lot of rubbish talked about tactics and style of play. The leading managers are those who get the best out of the players at their disposal and devise a way of playing that suits their strengths and weaknesses.
Up there with Smith's best ones.
Who could hope to live up to hoofing it to De Souza and Williams sprinting though. That was ahead of its time.
The one that baffled me the most with Smith, was his belief that we didn't take to him as he was a "flash" London bloke.
Then turning up on an end of season video dishevelled and croaky as if he'd just come in straight off a 4 day bender.
I must admit I also checked the visit rate a while back, though looking more at totals, and indeed, there is that unmistakable "Big Three" of @micra, @Malone and @Wendoverman.
I assume you three are going to be off and form a European Super Forum, leaving the rest of us to scrape and grovel for our part of the reduced TV pie.
What a badge of honour.
I'd be more interested (loose use of that word) at total posts.
I bet @micra is about 5,000 clear of the nearest rival.
I don't particularly like the way we play but my main criticism this season has been the endless chopping and changing. I appreciate I'm probably being a bit naive, but I wish GA would decide on his best 11 and, so far as is realistically possible, stick to it. Just as an example, back in December we had a good performance at Preston, with Kashket and Aki as the front two. We stuck to that for the next game (Barnsley) where we didn't play so well so then, for the next game, a more winnable fixture against Coventry, both are left out and replaced by Samuel. Why?
The absolutely unprecedented stacked set of games, with midweek fixtures 8 or 9 weeks in a row is a huge reason for the rotations.
Also, what is our best team? I get this real nag that it doesn't really matter what version of our attack we put out, there is no particular answer this season, we're just out classed.
I just hope we can shake off this season, and that we hit next season running as surely we have a quality squad as good as anyone next season?
There have been more changes than usual throughout the EFL this season because of the intense schedule of games and the subsequent crop of injuries. I don’t think Ainsworth has made significantly more changes than most Championship managers.
I realize I actually looked at comments previously rather than visits, but here are both. I know when I looked before, you three were thousands ahead in comments, but I think the visits leaderboard would be different (I just checked and I have 8000+ visits, but 3000+ comments, so it depends on whether you are visiting to post or to loiter!).
Visits:
@Malone - 9014
@Wendoverman - 6812
@micra - 4884
Comments:
@micra - 11,395
@Malone - 10,563
@Wendoverman - 9589
I wonder if anyone has a more outrageous visit to post count than the boy @micra
How many hours does it take to make 11,395 comments!