Interesting views though a little disappointing with some of the infighting between various posters on here. Ainsworth still has a lot of credit in the bank, so IF we finished mid table I would be happy for him continue but what’s needed??
A substantial squad refresh of course for one.
A change of approach in the way we play….less in the air, more on the ground for starters. Let’s try to play more ‘football’, but of course this requires more skilled and technical players, can we afford that type of player and that is the conundrum. Let’s try and stop the time wasting and cheating nonsense - I know other clubs do it but we are masters of it and I hate it. I’m old school and like to watch football not all the time wasting shenanigans. How utterly crazy was it to see Wigan time wasting when three one up. They didn't need to, they had played us of the park.
Finally the gaffer…present a more professional image. He is not a rock star, needs to get a hair cut and stop dying it! Very personal I know but image IS important in this world and I wonder whether the image he portrays would put off other clubs coming in for him. He was cruelly described on the Sunderland message board as looking like a ‘tranny’. His motivational skills are of course excellent and we’ve been lucky to have him.
This will all be irrelevant of course if he leads us out in a play off final which is still not out of the question.
I also don't think you need a lot of money to implement a nice brand of football. We've got the right players to play more of a passing game as it is - save maybe for playing extremely short out from the back, which is more specialised than a lot of coaches in the lower leagues seem to realise.
Who gives two hoots what he looks like. Amazing comments about his hair and dress sense.
He is a real good guy and although I don’t always agree with his selection or tactics, he is without doubt 100% committed to the task in hand.
We need to be careful what we wish for. I actually think he may decide to go this summer just to try how he would get on somewhere other than Wycombe. After all familiarity breeds contempt.
@ReturnToSenda has mentioned a nice brand of football a few times. I do not understand that term! Last premier league game I watched was the Manchester derby - bored me to tears - won’t be watching another premier league game anytime soon. We may not like the results at the moment, albeit we did when we were winning by the odd goal in 5 or 7, but it gives us plenty to talk about and win or lose it is entertaining
@MBS said:
Finally the gaffer…present a more professional image. He is not a rock star, needs to get a hair cut and stop dying it! Very personal I know but image IS important in this world and I wonder whether the image he portrays would put off other clubs coming in for him. He was cruelly described on the Sunderland message board as looking like a ‘tranny’.
A time traveller from the 1950s writes.
If a smart and tidy image is that important how does Steve Evans get regular work?
I’d add that you’re on iffy ground suggesting Gareth should change his look to avoid being called ‘a tranny’ by some illiterate dinosaurs on a message board.
These are the sort of people who used to argue that the racist slur they’d just used wasn’t a derogatory term as it stood for ‘western oriental gentleman’. And are huge fans of ‘banter’.
I would be fascinated to see how long a League One team lasted under Bielsa before they had to get games called off for physically not having enough players available
@MBS said:
Finally the gaffer…present a more professional image. He is not a rock star, needs to get a hair cut and stop dying it! Very personal I know but image IS important in this world and I wonder whether the image he portrays would put off other clubs coming in for him. He was cruelly described on the Sunderland message board as looking like a ‘tranny’.
A time traveller from the 1950s writes.
If a smart and tidy image is that important how does Steve Evans get regular work?
I’d add that you’re on iffy ground suggesting Gareth should change his look to avoid being called ‘a tranny’ by some illiterate dinosaurs on a message board.
These are the sort of people who used to argue that the racist slur they’d just used wasn’t a derogatory term as it stood for ‘western oriental gentleman’. And are huge fans of ‘banter’.
How does Michael Appleton keep getting jobs with all his tattoos...?
@ReturnToSenda said:
How does Michael Appleton keep getting jobs with all his tattoos...?
Off topic, but I recently saw an online review questioning how a restaurant could hold a Michelin star when the head chef ‘appears to be covered in tattoos’.
The issue of failing to hold a lead and second half performance does need addressing. A common thread in this poor run is opposition managers reacting tactically to overcome our dominance. For whatever reason we aren’t great at anticipating or overcoming this. I remain undecided as to why, however it does strike me that Gaz’s natural instinct to any issue is to simply work harder. Perhaps counter intuitively this isn’t always the solution, yet working smarter always is. For talismanic players like GMac and possibly Kaikai et al to be ‘running their hearts out for the badge’ might not be the solution so deep into a long season.
As I introduced the ‘hair and jacket’ theme I feel responsible. The debate is a distraction, apologies. That said, when brands re-launch they usually signal this with a change of identity. And now might just be that time for us, certainly doing the same over and over again expecting a different outcome is generally accepted to be madness.
I don't like Pep's jumpers. Now that nice Mr Tisdale always cut a fine figure and I believe he prefers your Sinatra style crooners. A lot more decorum. He may be managing Stevenage in L2 now but if we want Gap to sponsor us rather than a record company...
All the talk of GA & Dobbo having a lot of credit in the bank is true and we have a lot to be thankful to them in terms of past performance (over many seasons). However, to suggest, that this current run of form isn't damaging is equally nonsense.
Just ask Bielsa what happens when an owner finally decides whatever credit you have in the bank isn't enough to cover the current rate of withdrawal!
We may not be facing the prospect of falling into the relegation struggle, but at some point the focus for planning will switch to next season. No one can tell me that at that point RC won't look at our current form as one of many indicators. GA & Dobbo will be acutely aware of this of course - and players too, especially those who might find themselves out of contract at the end of the season.
@micra said:
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?
I wonder how much of this season's problems are down to us trying to do exactly that against entirely different types of teams to we were last year. It would certainly explain why we so often look so great in the first half, as oppositions expect the Wycombe they played a couple of seasons ago, but utterly dismal in the second half when the opposition have had a half time team talk that says "hey, just run at them wherever and whenever you get the ball, nobody is going to try to stop you". Every time that happens, we go back to lumping it forward.
Back end of last season to all intent and purpose the pressure was off, we were down. So we could play with a ‘let’s just go for it’ freedom, and hang the consequences. We took the confidence that engendered into the start of this season and our end of season form preceded us with opponents respectful of our Championship credentials. Then we went top and the thought that the bravado of bouncing straight back might actually be correct hit home, pressure mounted, we got found out a couple of times and confidence has imploded. Is it a blip, a dip or a trend? Who knows. But how to regain that early season swagger is the next phase of our management teams education.
@drcongo and @perfidious_albion - I think there’s a lot of truth in what you both say. The Championship teams we played towards the end of last season were much less physical and “in yer face”/at yer ankles than the teams we’ve played recently and none would have felt the need to park the bus (double decker) like Shrewsbury. That particular game must have done more than most to undermine confidence. Having 26 shots (9 on target) and not being able to score wouldn’t do any attacking player’s confidence much good!
Do people forget how many of these runs of poor form we’ve had before and then we usually win a game against the run of play (which I hope is what will happen Tuesday) and it’ll be back to the state of the toilets and lack of chips from the kiosks
Let's be honest, we've defended like crap for most of the season - and I think we've finally stopped riding our luck. Chopping and changing can't have helped, and something about our mentality isn't right as we keep blowing leads - and so easily - but the cracks could only be papered over for so long. We're not generally giving up better chances or more of them, but we were getting away with teams' sloppy finishing, Stocko pulling off worldies etc. previously.
I think the gaffa is a bit naive or inept tactically, but what he’s good at is finding the right players, man management, players who play the wycombe way, being in the championship and having funds, has lead to building a team on so called better players than we had last season, it has been mentioned on here previously that we have a better starting 11 now than we’ve had previous seasons, but we’ve turned into a normal team where we are trying to find a better starting 11 than the next team
When we were little wycombe, fighting against the odds, always being the underdog, we had fight, those players played together, some prayed together, holiday together, socialised together, a complete togetherness, they would fight to the last minute for their team mates, generally resulting in last gasp goals, I don’t see that now, I see potentially a better starting line up, but not the same fight
It’s not always about who has the better team, look at Leicester who won the title against far superior man for man teams, it’s more about fighting for each other and the togetherness of the dressing room, the gaffa did that with the type of players he brought in, and that’s his skill, so all the nonsense of changing management should stop, rally the troops and push ahead
Back to MBS’s original question. I know that this comes from a place of mainly just being tired of the style of play and gamesmanship we employ, and when in a bad run this feeling definitely comes to the fore more quickly. It is only 7 games since we were top of the league, that is quite crazy when we think of how down we all feel.
Bottom line, although I am probably more critical about our style than most, my answer is unequivocally No. Gareth has done an unbelievable job for the club in the last decade, has shown great loyalty to us at different times and wonderful fortitude in difficult times. He has been absolutely magnificent for our club.
But I want to see him do four things in the next 18 months or so. Get back to his favoured defensive shape for many years (4 at the back and 2 holding midfielders). Refresh the squad defensively with 3 or 4 new players. Evolve the style of play - not a massive change, direct football is fine and much more interesting to watch than the interminable passing around the back/short goal kick style which I personally find very dull. But there is a difference between direct and long ball. We have the players to play great passing football in the final third at times, we’ve seen it this season and we need to try to play more like that more often. Finally, I’d like to see a change in attitude to be more confident, less gamesmanship etc. We are one of the better sides in League 1 now and that should reflect in how we approach the game. Driving home and attacking when on top against weaker sides rather than mostly trying to just defend a lead.
Comments
Interesting views though a little disappointing with some of the infighting between various posters on here. Ainsworth still has a lot of credit in the bank, so IF we finished mid table I would be happy for him continue but what’s needed??
A substantial squad refresh of course for one.
A change of approach in the way we play….less in the air, more on the ground for starters. Let’s try to play more ‘football’, but of course this requires more skilled and technical players, can we afford that type of player and that is the conundrum. Let’s try and stop the time wasting and cheating nonsense - I know other clubs do it but we are masters of it and I hate it. I’m old school and like to watch football not all the time wasting shenanigans. How utterly crazy was it to see Wigan time wasting when three one up. They didn't need to, they had played us of the park.
Finally the gaffer…present a more professional image. He is not a rock star, needs to get a hair cut and stop dying it! Very personal I know but image IS important in this world and I wonder whether the image he portrays would put off other clubs coming in for him. He was cruelly described on the Sunderland message board as looking like a ‘tranny’. His motivational skills are of course excellent and we’ve been lucky to have him.
This will all be irrelevant of course if he leads us out in a play off final which is still not out of the question.
What a load of bollocks. Who gives a fuck how someone looks if they're comfortable?
A step down?
Hear this haircut nonsense time and time again and I agree with @ReturnToSenda . It is absolute bollocks and to one stage further bordering on abuse.
If we get promoted this season I don’t care if his hair reaches down to his backside and he stands on the touchline with a guitar in his hands.
I also don't think you need a lot of money to implement a nice brand of football. We've got the right players to play more of a passing game as it is - save maybe for playing extremely short out from the back, which is more specialised than a lot of coaches in the lower leagues seem to realise.
Who gives two hoots what he looks like. Amazing comments about his hair and dress sense.
He is a real good guy and although I don’t always agree with his selection or tactics, he is without doubt 100% committed to the task in hand.
We need to be careful what we wish for. I actually think he may decide to go this summer just to try how he would get on somewhere other than Wycombe. After all familiarity breeds contempt.
Well it def isn't a step up!
@ReturnToSenda has mentioned a nice brand of football a few times. I do not understand that term! Last premier league game I watched was the Manchester derby - bored me to tears - won’t be watching another premier league game anytime soon. We may not like the results at the moment, albeit we did when we were winning by the odd goal in 5 or 7, but it gives us plenty to talk about and win or lose it is entertaining
Bielsa’s available...
A time traveller from the 1950s writes.
If a smart and tidy image is that important how does Steve Evans get regular work?
I’d add that you’re on iffy ground suggesting Gareth should change his look to avoid being called ‘a tranny’ by some illiterate dinosaurs on a message board.
These are the sort of people who used to argue that the racist slur they’d just used wasn’t a derogatory term as it stood for ‘western oriental gentleman’. And are huge fans of ‘banter’.
I would be fascinated to see how long a League One team lasted under Bielsa before they had to get games called off for physically not having enough players available
How does Michael Appleton keep getting jobs with all his tattoos...?
Off topic, but I recently saw an online review questioning how a restaurant could hold a Michelin star when the head chef ‘appears to be covered in tattoos’.
Incredible.
The issue of failing to hold a lead and second half performance does need addressing. A common thread in this poor run is opposition managers reacting tactically to overcome our dominance. For whatever reason we aren’t great at anticipating or overcoming this. I remain undecided as to why, however it does strike me that Gaz’s natural instinct to any issue is to simply work harder. Perhaps counter intuitively this isn’t always the solution, yet working smarter always is. For talismanic players like GMac and possibly Kaikai et al to be ‘running their hearts out for the badge’ might not be the solution so deep into a long season.
As I introduced the ‘hair and jacket’ theme I feel responsible. The debate is a distraction, apologies. That said, when brands re-launch they usually signal this with a change of identity. And now might just be that time for us, certainly doing the same over and over again expecting a different outcome is generally accepted to be madness.
I don't like Pep's jumpers. Now that nice Mr Tisdale always cut a fine figure and I believe he prefers your Sinatra style crooners. A lot more decorum. He may be managing Stevenage in L2 now but if we want Gap to sponsor us rather than a record company...
All the talk of GA & Dobbo having a lot of credit in the bank is true and we have a lot to be thankful to them in terms of past performance (over many seasons). However, to suggest, that this current run of form isn't damaging is equally nonsense.
Just ask Bielsa what happens when an owner finally decides whatever credit you have in the bank isn't enough to cover the current rate of withdrawal!
We may not be facing the prospect of falling into the relegation struggle, but at some point the focus for planning will switch to next season. No one can tell me that at that point RC won't look at our current form as one of many indicators. GA & Dobbo will be acutely aware of this of course - and players too, especially those who might find themselves out of contract at the end of the season.
I wonder how much of this season's problems are down to us trying to do exactly that against entirely different types of teams to we were last year. It would certainly explain why we so often look so great in the first half, as oppositions expect the Wycombe they played a couple of seasons ago, but utterly dismal in the second half when the opposition have had a half time team talk that says "hey, just run at them wherever and whenever you get the ball, nobody is going to try to stop you". Every time that happens, we go back to lumping it forward.
Back end of last season to all intent and purpose the pressure was off, we were down. So we could play with a ‘let’s just go for it’ freedom, and hang the consequences. We took the confidence that engendered into the start of this season and our end of season form preceded us with opponents respectful of our Championship credentials. Then we went top and the thought that the bravado of bouncing straight back might actually be correct hit home, pressure mounted, we got found out a couple of times and confidence has imploded. Is it a blip, a dip or a trend? Who knows. But how to regain that early season swagger is the next phase of our management teams education.
@drcongo and @perfidious_albion - I think there’s a lot of truth in what you both say. The Championship teams we played towards the end of last season were much less physical and “in yer face”/at yer ankles than the teams we’ve played recently and none would have felt the need to park the bus (double decker) like Shrewsbury. That particular game must have done more than most to undermine confidence. Having 26 shots (9 on target) and not being able to score wouldn’t do any attacking player’s confidence much good!
Do people forget how many of these runs of poor form we’ve had before and then we usually win a game against the run of play (which I hope is what will happen Tuesday) and it’ll be back to the state of the toilets and lack of chips from the kiosks
Let's be honest, we've defended like crap for most of the season - and I think we've finally stopped riding our luck. Chopping and changing can't have helped, and something about our mentality isn't right as we keep blowing leads - and so easily - but the cracks could only be papered over for so long. We're not generally giving up better chances or more of them, but we were getting away with teams' sloppy finishing, Stocko pulling off worldies etc. previously.
Yep. What we're missing is another attacking mid clearly
What we’re missing is a calm composed good passer of the ball. No scuffling now @Malone.
Putting those traffic cones in front of the bandwagon again, eh? It's hard enough getting this this thing down Hillbottom Road!!!
I think the gaffa is a bit naive or inept tactically, but what he’s good at is finding the right players, man management, players who play the wycombe way, being in the championship and having funds, has lead to building a team on so called better players than we had last season, it has been mentioned on here previously that we have a better starting 11 now than we’ve had previous seasons, but we’ve turned into a normal team where we are trying to find a better starting 11 than the next team
When we were little wycombe, fighting against the odds, always being the underdog, we had fight, those players played together, some prayed together, holiday together, socialised together, a complete togetherness, they would fight to the last minute for their team mates, generally resulting in last gasp goals, I don’t see that now, I see potentially a better starting line up, but not the same fight
It’s not always about who has the better team, look at Leicester who won the title against far superior man for man teams, it’s more about fighting for each other and the togetherness of the dressing room, the gaffa did that with the type of players he brought in, and that’s his skill, so all the nonsense of changing management should stop, rally the troops and push ahead
I think there is something in that actually.
Being little Wycombe did encourage that never say die fighting spirit with leaders all over the pitch.
Someone said earlier we wouldn’t have lost these recent leads with someone like Darius Charles on the pitch and I totally agree.
Back to MBS’s original question. I know that this comes from a place of mainly just being tired of the style of play and gamesmanship we employ, and when in a bad run this feeling definitely comes to the fore more quickly. It is only 7 games since we were top of the league, that is quite crazy when we think of how down we all feel.
Bottom line, although I am probably more critical about our style than most, my answer is unequivocally No. Gareth has done an unbelievable job for the club in the last decade, has shown great loyalty to us at different times and wonderful fortitude in difficult times. He has been absolutely magnificent for our club.
But I want to see him do four things in the next 18 months or so. Get back to his favoured defensive shape for many years (4 at the back and 2 holding midfielders). Refresh the squad defensively with 3 or 4 new players. Evolve the style of play - not a massive change, direct football is fine and much more interesting to watch than the interminable passing around the back/short goal kick style which I personally find very dull. But there is a difference between direct and long ball. We have the players to play great passing football in the final third at times, we’ve seen it this season and we need to try to play more like that more often. Finally, I’d like to see a change in attitude to be more confident, less gamesmanship etc. We are one of the better sides in League 1 now and that should reflect in how we approach the game. Driving home and attacking when on top against weaker sides rather than mostly trying to just defend a lead.
Liverpool are the perfect example of direct but not long ball