Thinking of the American NFL model that Rob will be familiar with. We have a great GM/Coach combination in Pete Couhig and Gareth. The time with the Couhigs has been our most successful ever period. So Rob is very unlikely to make changes even if we don’t make play offs this season.
First of all expect a huge effort to make the play offs possibly including bringing in new players if possible.
Then in the close season I would expect them to reconsider the team and style of play that will get us to the Championship. What works in this division and do we have the right players? Where do we need to strengthen?
That is a professional way of looking at the challenge and everything I see about Rob makes me believe he is extremely professional and business like,
@Bacon_Sandwich please read my first 2 paragraphs, all I did was praise, congratulate and admire Gareth & his team's achievements. I don't want him out and if/when he does leave, it'll be a very sad day for Wycombe Wanderers. However, it does raise the concern as to why Gareth hasn't been linked to more jobs in the past in higher divisions? Could this be a reflection on his tactics?
He's been linked to 4 or 5 hasn't he?
How many would you expect?
There's a bit of a line going round that people would be more likely to put up with poor results if the football was better to watch but I'm not sure how you define that or if there's any truth in it. People moan when we lose and cheer when we score or win, it is that simple.
Whilst I'm sure people would like to see more passing and a "better style" of football more often if it was on offer we have been a side set up to counter and beat bigger sides with better players for most of a decade and it's both been successful and somewhat ingrained.
I'm not sure you can back a manager whilst interfering in tactics and I'm not sure that if we started passing it around at the back and getting caught that would make anyone happier.
Lastly we do play decent football at times, most often when we are on decent runs with a settled side or enjoying domination within games so it's a bit chicken and egg. We've had some wonderful times in recent years, let's not throw it all away.
@StrongestTeam said:
I'm not sure you can back a manager whilst interfering in tactics and I'm not sure that if we started passing it around at the back and getting caught that would make anyone happier.
Agreed. I don't like our current style of football, but I do generally like the results.
I will say that if someone had told me when promoted from L2 that we would have finished 17th, 3rd, 22nd in Champo and then be slumming it in 8th, I'd have been as giddy as a schoolgirl at a Justin Bieber concert.
@Shev said:
I will say that if someone had told me when promoted from L2 that we would have finished 17th, 3rd, 22nd in Champo and then be slumming it in 8th, I'd have beenas giddy as a schoolgirl at a Justin Bieber concert.
@Bacon_Sandwich please read my first 2 paragraphs, all I did was praise, congratulate and admire Gareth & his team's achievements. I don't want him out and if/when he does leave, it'll be a very sad day for Wycombe Wanderers. However, it does raise the concern as to why Gareth hasn't been linked to more jobs in the past in higher divisions? Could this be a reflection on his tactics?
He's been linked to 4 or 5 hasn't he?
How many would you expect?
Apart from Sunderland, who else has actually approached Wycombe to speak to him. And even then, its a sidewards move, not a step up (league wise)
@Bacon_Sandwich please read my first 2 paragraphs, all I did was praise, congratulate and admire Gareth & his team's achievements. I don't want him out and if/when he does leave, it'll be a very sad day for Wycombe Wanderers. However, it does raise the concern as to why Gareth hasn't been linked to more jobs in the past in higher divisions? Could this be a reflection on his tactics?
He's been linked to 4 or 5 hasn't he?
How many would you expect?
Apart from Sunderland, who else has actually approached Wycombe to speak to him. And even then, its a sidewards move, not a step up (league wise)
Come on. Dont be deluded. Gaz AKA John Beck anti football. If thats what we want forever then carry on. We have been very lucky to get promoted. Maybe is it time for change. That doesn't mean i wont forget this era.
GA stuck with us when we were shit. Let's all stick by him. We are punching well above our weight vs teams that have spent 6 figures plus and have followings far greater than ours.
All in a season when the toughest game on paper in WORLD FOOTBALL....MAN CITY AWAY....and we went 1-0 up.
When we were rock bottom of the Championship playing the same 433 formation and having team after team bypass us by playing wide while we just knocked it up and let them scoop up the second ball, I did wonder whether Gareth would last the close-season. I thought Rob Couhig's open letter was an attempt of what in politics is known as rolling the pitch - preparing the ground for a subsequent sacking. I remember at the time not being the only one on here speculating about that.
Then Gareth turned it round, almost overnight (in the process temporarily ditching the leather jacket, for the poster above who suggested he get a new wardrobe). A new style, a new formation, a new confidence.
He now needs to do exactly the same. Maybe it's a case of moving the spine of the team down a generation - Forino, Mehmeti, whoever else is ready to step up and cement a first team place. Maybe it's a return to the 442 of the League Two play-off campaign. Maybe it's something else he and his team have been cooking up, ready to confound us when the time is right.
He's earned the right to try that before anyone starts agitating for him to go. But I do think that if we limp in to a mid-table finish playing uninspiring football the chairman may not be as tolerant as many of the fans might be. With a business model based on building worldwide subscribers to an online streaming service, he needs the team to be playing positive, exciting football that gets back quickly to delivering results.
For all the talk of changing tactics we are (at the moment) scoring goals relatively freely.
The problem is that our defending (at the moment) is very, very fragile.
Whether that is due to a loss of confidence, or some power play/politics I’ve no idea, but if we can remember how to defend properly we will start to win games again
@bookertease said:
For all the talk of changing tactics we are (at the moment) scoring goals relatively freely.
The problem is that our defending (at the moment) is very, very fragile.
Whether that is due to a loss of confidence, or some power play/politics I’ve no idea, but if we can remember how to defend properly we will start to win games again
Exactly, right now if playing 3cb’s then we are crying out for 3 PROPER cb’s to give us a strong and solid platform.
Can anyone suggest why we seem unable to return to the style of football that entertained us so wonderfully towards the end of last season and came within a smidgin of keeping us in the Championship? Are this season’s squad less talented individually? Is the increase in the number of individuals with previous experience at Championship level and above (and therefore with expectations of more game time) proving counterproductive? Is it the recurring injuries to key central midfielders (and their diminutive size)? Is it the unpredictable availability of “Taf”? Maybe a combination of these and other factors.
Can’t wait to see Nick Freeman resume his burgeoning career as right wingback!
Can anyone suggest why we seem unable to return to the style of football that entertained us so wonderfully towards the end of last season and came within a smidgin of keeping us in the Championship? Are this season’s squad less talented individually? Is the increase in the number of individuals with previous experience at Championship level and above (and therefore with expectations of more game time) proving counterproductive? Is it the recurring injuries to key central midfielders (and their diminutive size)? Is it the unpredictable availability of “Taf”? Maybe a combination of these and other factors.
Can’t wait to see Nick Freeman resume his burgeoning career as right wingback!
For me, the biggest difference is that McCarthy just hasn’t been in the same form at right wing back.
On one level my suggestion to get a hair cut and ditch the jacket is of course risible, but it was only made slightly ‘in cheek’. “Call me Gaffer not Gaz” and moving the dugouts round pre season worked a few years back, slight touches on the tiller that led to massive course correction down the line. So once again now might just be the time for some signalling of change - only Gaz (sorry The Gaffer) and Dobbo know what that might be however it’s in difficult times that insightful inspirational management earn their corn. I’m sure they are sitting down this morning to plot their strategy.
The more we analyse this situation the more you realise that there is a need for a refresh of playing staff in the summer. Maybe the reliance on the generals needs to change and with Bayo retiring and Bloomers retired already, we are moving in that direction anyway.
JJ and Wheeler may be coming to the end of the line as well.
It is also likely that Horgan, Wing and Tafazolli will be on their way at the end of the season.
In addition Stewart and Vokes may well decide to leave the club but I really hope not.
So we could well have 8+ squad places to fill before next season kicks off.
Change is definitely upon us whether we like it or not really.
I had a look the other day and I think we'll only have 13 contracted players if all the OOC players leave (unsure of how the option on Vokes' contract works)
Presumably also De Barr, Pendlebury, Fischer, Leathers, and maybe Parsons?
Not sure if he meant they'd all extended to 2023 or later, but this is what Rob said last year: "Garath McCleary, Ryan Tafazolli, Curtis Thompson and David Wheeler’s contracts have been extended through next year and beyond".
I've probably missed someone - I'm still not used to us having so many players!
I suppose that from the position of last summer and looking forward, that was a sensible option to allow a cheaper route to strengthen should we find ourselves in the Championship. Still holds partly true in allowing a route for restructure/rebuild for future promotion campaigns. We won't have the funding of course....
@M3G said:
Come on. Dont be deluded. Gaz AKA John Beck anti football. If thats what we want forever then carry on. We have been very lucky to get promoted. Maybe is it time for change. That doesn't mean i wont forget this era.
In what way is our style of play ‘anti football?’ Who dictates how the game should be played? Leicester won the PL playing a very different style to every other team, was that anti football? You say we have been ‘very lucky to get promoted’ but you don’t explain which of the promotions under GA you are referring to or do you mean both of them?
Comments
Thinking of the American NFL model that Rob will be familiar with. We have a great GM/Coach combination in Pete Couhig and Gareth. The time with the Couhigs has been our most successful ever period. So Rob is very unlikely to make changes even if we don’t make play offs this season.
First of all expect a huge effort to make the play offs possibly including bringing in new players if possible.
Then in the close season I would expect them to reconsider the team and style of play that will get us to the Championship. What works in this division and do we have the right players? Where do we need to strengthen?
That is a professional way of looking at the challenge and everything I see about Rob makes me believe he is extremely professional and business like,
He's been linked to 4 or 5 hasn't he?
How many would you expect?
There's a bit of a line going round that people would be more likely to put up with poor results if the football was better to watch but I'm not sure how you define that or if there's any truth in it. People moan when we lose and cheer when we score or win, it is that simple.
Whilst I'm sure people would like to see more passing and a "better style" of football more often if it was on offer we have been a side set up to counter and beat bigger sides with better players for most of a decade and it's both been successful and somewhat ingrained.
I'm not sure you can back a manager whilst interfering in tactics and I'm not sure that if we started passing it around at the back and getting caught that would make anyone happier.
Lastly we do play decent football at times, most often when we are on decent runs with a settled side or enjoying domination within games so it's a bit chicken and egg. We've had some wonderful times in recent years, let's not throw it all away.
No team has played tiki-taka for years
Agreed. I don't like our current style of football, but I do generally like the results.
I will say that if someone had told me when promoted from L2 that we would have finished 17th, 3rd, 22nd in Champo and then be slumming it in 8th, I'd have been as giddy as a schoolgirl at a Justin Bieber concert.
This is exactly the right perspective.
I thought Peterborough did when we cheated them out of promotion!!
Just as a light relief from all our frustrations - Peterborough are bottom of the Championship Yessssss!!!!!
Apart from Sunderland, who else has actually approached Wycombe to speak to him. And even then, its a sidewards move, not a step up (league wise)
Lincoln
Come on. Dont be deluded. Gaz AKA John Beck anti football. If thats what we want forever then carry on. We have been very lucky to get promoted. Maybe is it time for change. That doesn't mean i wont forget this era.
GA stuck with us when we were shit. Let's all stick by him. We are punching well above our weight vs teams that have spent 6 figures plus and have followings far greater than ours.
All in a season when the toughest game on paper in WORLD FOOTBALL....MAN CITY AWAY....and we went 1-0 up.
It's a blip.
So proud of our boys.
Nick Freeman.
When we were rock bottom of the Championship playing the same 433 formation and having team after team bypass us by playing wide while we just knocked it up and let them scoop up the second ball, I did wonder whether Gareth would last the close-season. I thought Rob Couhig's open letter was an attempt of what in politics is known as rolling the pitch - preparing the ground for a subsequent sacking. I remember at the time not being the only one on here speculating about that.
Then Gareth turned it round, almost overnight (in the process temporarily ditching the leather jacket, for the poster above who suggested he get a new wardrobe). A new style, a new formation, a new confidence.
He now needs to do exactly the same. Maybe it's a case of moving the spine of the team down a generation - Forino, Mehmeti, whoever else is ready to step up and cement a first team place. Maybe it's a return to the 442 of the League Two play-off campaign. Maybe it's something else he and his team have been cooking up, ready to confound us when the time is right.
He's earned the right to try that before anyone starts agitating for him to go. But I do think that if we limp in to a mid-table finish playing uninspiring football the chairman may not be as tolerant as many of the fans might be. With a business model based on building worldwide subscribers to an online streaming service, he needs the team to be playing positive, exciting football that gets back quickly to delivering results.
I can't wait to turn the key in the Nick Freeman bandwagon, when he is back from injury!
For all the talk of changing tactics we are (at the moment) scoring goals relatively freely.
The problem is that our defending (at the moment) is very, very fragile.
Whether that is due to a loss of confidence, or some power play/politics I’ve no idea, but if we can remember how to defend properly we will start to win games again
Exactly, right now if playing 3cb’s then we are crying out for 3 PROPER cb’s to give us a strong and solid platform.
Ditch the leather jacket Gaz or Rob will write a letter again to make you turn it all around.
No pressure then, Nick!
Can anyone suggest why we seem unable to return to the style of football that entertained us so wonderfully towards the end of last season and came within a smidgin of keeping us in the Championship? Are this season’s squad less talented individually? Is the increase in the number of individuals with previous experience at Championship level and above (and therefore with expectations of more game time) proving counterproductive? Is it the recurring injuries to key central midfielders (and their diminutive size)? Is it the unpredictable availability of “Taf”? Maybe a combination of these and other factors.
Can’t wait to see Nick Freeman resume his burgeoning career as right wingback!
Smidgin now that’s a lovely word.
For me, the biggest difference is that McCarthy just hasn’t been in the same form at right wing back.
It's not having Scowen and Thompson available to play at the same time. The difference that makes is so clear
(I'd play Taffazolli as well if available)
That's more of a general point about our current run if form btw, I realise that we didn't have Scowen last season
On one level my suggestion to get a hair cut and ditch the jacket is of course risible, but it was only made slightly ‘in cheek’. “Call me Gaffer not Gaz” and moving the dugouts round pre season worked a few years back, slight touches on the tiller that led to massive course correction down the line. So once again now might just be the time for some signalling of change - only Gaz (sorry The Gaffer) and Dobbo know what that might be however it’s in difficult times that insightful inspirational management earn their corn. I’m sure they are sitting down this morning to plot their strategy.
The more we analyse this situation the more you realise that there is a need for a refresh of playing staff in the summer. Maybe the reliance on the generals needs to change and with Bayo retiring and Bloomers retired already, we are moving in that direction anyway.
JJ and Wheeler may be coming to the end of the line as well.
It is also likely that Horgan, Wing and Tafazolli will be on their way at the end of the season.
In addition Stewart and Vokes may well decide to leave the club but I really hope not.
So we could well have 8+ squad places to fill before next season kicks off.
Change is definitely upon us whether we like it or not really.
I had a look the other day and I think we'll only have 13 contracted players if all the OOC players leave (unsure of how the option on Vokes' contract works)
It's not fully clear, but I think these players are all OOC this summer:
Wing
Bayo (obvs retiring)
JJ
Vokes
Stocko
Horgan
Stewart
Gape
Przybek
Dickinson
Presumably also De Barr, Pendlebury, Fischer, Leathers, and maybe Parsons?
Not sure if he meant they'd all extended to 2023 or later, but this is what Rob said last year: "Garath McCleary, Ryan Tafazolli, Curtis Thompson and David Wheeler’s contracts have been extended through next year and beyond".
I've probably missed someone - I'm still not used to us having so many players!
I suppose that from the position of last summer and looking forward, that was a sensible option to allow a cheaper route to strengthen should we find ourselves in the Championship. Still holds partly true in allowing a route for restructure/rebuild for future promotion campaigns. We won't have the funding of course....
With respect, I’m not sure you can describe going from Wycombe to Sunderland as a sideways move.
In what way is our style of play ‘anti football?’ Who dictates how the game should be played? Leicester won the PL playing a very different style to every other team, was that anti football? You say we have been ‘very lucky to get promoted’ but you don’t explain which of the promotions under GA you are referring to or do you mean both of them?