@frequentstander said:
I really hope Mehmeti is fit enough to start on Friday because the thought of Wheeler next to Scowen for such a big game is worrying. If Mehmeti can put in the sort of performance in the role he played against Charlton away then we'll be much better placed to pick up a win... Wheeler looks finished.
I also hope Mehmeti is OK for Plymouth, purely to get into their heads as he was superb against them down at their place, ran rings round them
If he's fit, could we go for broke and field Hanlan on the left, and still play the other 3 attacking boys.
A Man City esque 1 holder, and 2 central attacking mids?
Would be brave!
Mehmeti doesn't necessarily have to play in one of the attacking midfield stratas. He can play next to Scowen. He's played in that deeper role a few times this season and put in some good performances. Having him deeper will definitely aid our ability to play it 'on the deck'... He also covers some of the most ground in the team.
Ideally, of course, we'd have Thommo slot back in next to Josh, but that's very unlikely given he's likely not trained on grass yet (he's only doing gym work at the moment).
Yep, think Gaz said that we'd need to extend our season into the play offs for Thompson to be involved, so that's very likely the absolute stretch target of seeing him back.
However, we have just dished a 3 year deal to Young, so is he worth a start?
Huge ask in such a big game though.
More likely to go Wheeler, although I don't really like him there, or Mehmeti and ask a lot more of Scowen defensively.
Young is clearly rated very highly. We don't dish out three year deals unless we really believe in a player (even Forino and Mehmeti only got a +2.5 year). I do think it's the wrong stage of the season to give him a start though.
I'm with you on Wheeler. I don't think Ainsworth backs him any more. I think he was only brought on because Gillingham were so physical and aerially dominant in midfield. When Wheeler came on he did little to change momentum of the game. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the last time we see him in a Wycombe shirt (unless our injury/suspension crisis deepens). Don't get me wrong - he's been a fantastic servant, but his time has come.
I will be very surprised if JJ keeps starting the rest of this run in. He was very poor when we had the ball today. Solid enough defensively, but so many misplaced passes or phases of play where he wasn't offering an outlet. Obita coming back in would be excellent.
Anyway, I'm not trying to be all doom and gloom. I think we started very well today and on another day we'd have rolled them over with a second goal. I think we'll do the business against Plymouth. I think their league position flatters them.
@frequentstander said:
I really hope Mehmeti is fit enough to start on Friday because the thought of Wheeler next to Scowen for such a big game is worrying. If Mehmeti can put in the sort of performance in the role he played against Charlton away then we'll be much better placed to pick up a win... Wheeler looks finished.
I also hope Mehmeti is OK for Plymouth, purely to get into their heads as he was superb against them down at their place, ran rings round them
If he's fit, could we go for broke and field Hanlan on the left, and still play the other 3 attacking boys.
A Man City esque 1 holder, and 2 central attacking mids?
Would be brave!
Mehmeti doesn't necessarily have to play in one of the attacking midfield stratas. He can play next to Scowen. He's played in that deeper role a few times this season and put in some good performances. Having him deeper will definitely aid our ability to play it 'on the deck'... He also covers some of the most ground in the team.
Ideally, of course, we'd have Thommo slot back in next to Josh, but that's very unlikely given he's likely not trained on grass yet (he's only doing gym work at the moment).
Yep, think Gaz said that we'd need to extend our season into the play offs for Thompson to be involved, so that's very likely the absolute stretch target of seeing him back.
However, we have just dished a 3 year deal to Young, so is he worth a start?
Huge ask in such a big game though.
More likely to go Wheeler, although I don't really like him there, or Mehmeti and ask a lot more of Scowen defensively.
Young is clearly rated very highly. We don't dish out three year deals unless we really believe in a player (even Forino and Mehmeti only got a +2.5 year). I do think it's the wrong stage of the season to give him a start though.
I'm with you on Wheeler. I don't think Ainsworth backs him any more. I think he was only brought on because Gillingham were so physical and aerially dominant in midfield. When Wheeler came on he did little to change momentum of the game. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the last time we see him in a Wycombe shirt (unless our injury/suspension crisis deepens). Don't get me wrong - he's been a fantastic servant, but his time has come.
I will be very surprised if JJ keeps starting the rest of this run in. He was very poor when we had the ball today. Solid enough defensively, but so many misplaced passes or phases of play where he wasn't offering an outlet. Obita coming back in would be excellent.
Anyway, I'm not trying to be all doom and gloom. I think we started very well today and on another day we'd have rolled them over with a second goal. I think we'll do the business against Plymouth. I think their league position flatters them.
Obita, like Hanlan are definitely unlucky to not have been starting recently, so could well be time for both to come in.
I think Wheeler is in the same boat as Gape really. Clinging on at the fringes and could well be ushered out in the summer. If we sign Wing, Gape really has it all to do to get near it, and would be 5th choice at best, and arguably no higher up the list than out of position players too.
I agree with what Micra said earlier in this thread. I don’t believe it was a case of us sitting back to defend a lead, more a case of Gillingham forcing us back. It was also a desperately important game for them and they upped their game in the second half and we were unable to get the ball down and play.
I thought Vadaine Oliver was lucky to stay on the field due to persistent foul play and their only real threat came from long throw ins, however they deserved a draw, We looked leggy in the second half and let’s not forget this was our third game in seven days.
I stand corrected. Incidentally, I thought Gillingham were a difficult team to play against and in their last four games they have won at Accrington, held us and Sheffield Wednesday to draws and lost to a stoppage time goal at Sunderland. We got them at the wrong time.
@LX1 said:
Wasn't a red. Wasn't a yellow. Wasn't a foul.
If Stockdale slides across his box whilst the play is up the other end is it a red card?
I saw it live, but have only just seen the replay a few times and I can definitely see what you mean.
Their player's reaction has definitely decided the outcome there.
Sitting back on a one goal lead is never a good idea so many times the law of averages says that if you invite the opposition to attack you'll let one in.
The most upsetting and glaring example for me was England taking that early lead against Italy in the Euro Final and sitting back and inviting Italy to come at them and Italy then took control. It was only when we were desperate to avoid penalties that we started attacking again and then for extra time we looked the better team again but all to no avail and the now 56 years of hurt goes on!
This is pretty dire for Wycombe because those two points were invaluable and we now lose Wing for those matches,
PS I was on the Lancashire telegraph website last week after another terrible result for Blackburn which has seen them fall from a pretty unwarranted second to outside the play off places. Therefore it's all "Mowbray out" in the comments and one commenter's message was "I'd like us to go for Gareth Ainsworth he's done a really good job at Wycombe". I'd advise Ainsworth to give that one a miss if they make any overtures towards as now Jack Waker's a distant memory and his family have no interest in the club the glory days are over and parachute payments all used up - before Walker took over they were getting crowds of sometimes under 4000 - much less than nearby Burnley even though Blackburn is twice the size of Burnley and in those days Burnley were in a lower division - the old 4th division! If he goes he needs to go somewhere with more potential than fading Blackburn Rovers.
Disagree that we sat back and disagree that it was a dire result. As mentioned above, Gillingham have been in good form recently and if we’d be offered 7 points from the last 3 games we’d have taken it.
Also, Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford all dropped points today. We’re still in the mix.
A draw was fair. We played well enough in the first half, but without really troubling their keeper besides the goal. A tough place to come and play a relegation battling side in a bit of form.
@LX1 said:
Wasn't a red. Wasn't a yellow. Wasn't a foul.
If Stockdale slides across his box whilst the play is up the other end is it a red card?
I saw it live, but have only just seen the replay a few times and I can definitely see what you mean.
Their player's reaction has definitely decided the outcome there.
I said it live and I maintain it now I’ve seen the replay, it wasn’t a red card. It’s two footed but he’s in complete control, doesn’t leave the ground, wins the ball cleanly and the Gillingham player arrives after the balls gone. Very harsh,
@LX1 said:
Wasn't a red. Wasn't a yellow. Wasn't a foul.
If Stockdale slides across his box whilst the play is up the other end is it a red card?
I saw it live, but have only just seen the replay a few times and I can definitely see what you mean.
Their player's reaction has definitely decided the outcome there.
It’s two footed
This is why it is a red, irrelevant of whether he is in control of himself.
It’s just like a tackle from behind, even if you win the ball cleanly it is still a foul.
Perhaps, on balance, forget appealing (risk of additional game suspension if rejected) and welcome him back for what may be a crucial game against Burton Albion.
I tuned in just before 3.30 pm yesterday and it was nearly half time before I learned that Mehmeti had been injured. I noticed that a Gillingham player was also subbed at the same time so I assumed there was a ‘coming together’ of some kind. Also, there was a suggestion that Mehmeti may have come into the game with a slight fitness doubt.
As someone said yesterday, he terrorised Plymouth at Home Park and being without him on Good Friday would not be good!
@A_Worboys said:
Although not as bad as Martin O’Neill but I’m pretty superstitious when it comes to football. Why on earth after that brilliant performance at Cambridge playing in red & white quarters did we play in the shit-kit today? For goodness sake we looked imperious in red & white at the Abbey Stadium so why change? People might argue the kit doesn’t matter - in my view it’s very important.
You can't win. If we didn't wear the gold kit you'd be moaning on behalf of all the fans that have spent money on it and never got to see us play in it.
Reading Mr Warboys’ comments I would be thinking that it would be impossible to score a goal of such class as we did yesterday, wearing such a kit. The fact that we did, renders his kit-bashing nonsense as sub-astrological bullshit.
I have just replayed the red card incident a few times.
There’s no doubt that Wing tackled with both feet, but the Gillingham player deliberately made it look worse by rolling over a couple of times and I noticed that he even glanced up towards the assistant referee. Was Wing ‘out of control’ ? Arguably not. Did he ‘endanger his opponent’? Debatable, and the player in question played on after brief treatment.
@ReturnToSenda said:
We all know that if it wasn't a Wycombe player, we wouldn't be having this debate. The ref applied the laws correctly.
That is your opinion to which you are perfectly entitled. Was the referee unduly influenced by the reaction of the Gillingham player? In my opinion quite possibly, and I also note that it was the 10th red card he has shown this season.
The fact of the matter is, Wing gave the referee a decision to make.
By going in two footed, the ref always has an argument for showing the red. Regardless of whether it was reckless, dangerous, over the top of the ball, studs up...he gave the ref a decision to make, which in itself was needless in the middle of the pitch, with no immediate danger apparent, and directly infront of the referee. He does not strike me as a dirty player, but lesson learned.
@LeedsBlue said:
Reading Mr Warboys’ comments I would be thinking that it would be impossible to score a goal of such class as we did yesterday, wearing such a kit. The fact that we did, renders his kit-bashing nonsense as sub-astrological bullshit.
regarding the kit. I will first of all say But I don’t like the kit but on a more practical level I don’t think it’s necessarily a good idea to play in such a colour under floodlights. I’m not going to blame that kit for every poor performance but quite a few people I have spoken to have expressed dislike for the kit and the difficulty in picking out the players. I’m not sure how it would fare on a Tuesday night in November. However I understand that it may be going at the end of the season due to a change of kit supplier. In which case it can be consigned to history alongside the dreaded Alan Smith stripey quarters
I didn’t think there was anything wrong with Wing’s challenge, but if you leave your feet these days you risk getting a red regardless of whether you make contact with ball, player, or fresh Kent air.
Comments
Young is clearly rated very highly. We don't dish out three year deals unless we really believe in a player (even Forino and Mehmeti only got a +2.5 year). I do think it's the wrong stage of the season to give him a start though.
I'm with you on Wheeler. I don't think Ainsworth backs him any more. I think he was only brought on because Gillingham were so physical and aerially dominant in midfield. When Wheeler came on he did little to change momentum of the game. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the last time we see him in a Wycombe shirt (unless our injury/suspension crisis deepens). Don't get me wrong - he's been a fantastic servant, but his time has come.
I will be very surprised if JJ keeps starting the rest of this run in. He was very poor when we had the ball today. Solid enough defensively, but so many misplaced passes or phases of play where he wasn't offering an outlet. Obita coming back in would be excellent.
Anyway, I'm not trying to be all doom and gloom. I think we started very well today and on another day we'd have rolled them over with a second goal. I think we'll do the business against Plymouth. I think their league position flatters them.
Obita, like Hanlan are definitely unlucky to not have been starting recently, so could well be time for both to come in.
I think Wheeler is in the same boat as Gape really. Clinging on at the fringes and could well be ushered out in the summer. If we sign Wing, Gape really has it all to do to get near it, and would be 5th choice at best, and arguably no higher up the list than out of position players too.
I agree with what Micra said earlier in this thread. I don’t believe it was a case of us sitting back to defend a lead, more a case of Gillingham forcing us back. It was also a desperately important game for them and they upped their game in the second half and we were unable to get the ball down and play.
I thought Vadaine Oliver was lucky to stay on the field due to persistent foul play and their only real threat came from long throw ins, however they deserved a draw, We looked leggy in the second half and let’s not forget this was our third game in seven days.
Third game in eight days
I stand corrected. Incidentally, I thought Gillingham were a difficult team to play against and in their last four games they have won at Accrington, held us and Sheffield Wednesday to draws and lost to a stoppage time goal at Sunderland. We got them at the wrong time.
I saw it live, but have only just seen the replay a few times and I can definitely see what you mean.
Their player's reaction has definitely decided the outcome there.
Sitting back on a one goal lead is never a good idea so many times the law of averages says that if you invite the opposition to attack you'll let one in.
The most upsetting and glaring example for me was England taking that early lead against Italy in the Euro Final and sitting back and inviting Italy to come at them and Italy then took control. It was only when we were desperate to avoid penalties that we started attacking again and then for extra time we looked the better team again but all to no avail and the now 56 years of hurt goes on!
This is pretty dire for Wycombe because those two points were invaluable and we now lose Wing for those matches,
PS I was on the Lancashire telegraph website last week after another terrible result for Blackburn which has seen them fall from a pretty unwarranted second to outside the play off places. Therefore it's all "Mowbray out" in the comments and one commenter's message was "I'd like us to go for Gareth Ainsworth he's done a really good job at Wycombe". I'd advise Ainsworth to give that one a miss if they make any overtures towards as now Jack Waker's a distant memory and his family have no interest in the club the glory days are over and parachute payments all used up - before Walker took over they were getting crowds of sometimes under 4000 - much less than nearby Burnley even though Blackburn is twice the size of Burnley and in those days Burnley were in a lower division - the old 4th division! If he goes he needs to go somewhere with more potential than fading Blackburn Rovers.
Disagree that we sat back and disagree that it was a dire result. As mentioned above, Gillingham have been in good form recently and if we’d be offered 7 points from the last 3 games we’d have taken it.
Also, Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday and Oxford all dropped points today. We’re still in the mix.
A draw was fair. We played well enough in the first half, but without really troubling their keeper besides the goal. A tough place to come and play a relegation battling side in a bit of form.
So Wheeler, JJ and Wing are all finished? That was a big game.
Amazing how one game can change people’s opinions, isn’t it?
I said it live and I maintain it now I’ve seen the replay, it wasn’t a red card. It’s two footed but he’s in complete control, doesn’t leave the ground, wins the ball cleanly and the Gillingham player arrives after the balls gone. Very harsh,
This is why it is a red, irrelevant of whether he is in control of himself.
It’s just like a tackle from behind, even if you win the ball cleanly it is still a foul.
Perhaps, on balance, forget appealing (risk of additional game suspension if rejected) and welcome him back for what may be a crucial game against Burton Albion.
I tuned in just before 3.30 pm yesterday and it was nearly half time before I learned that Mehmeti had been injured. I noticed that a Gillingham player was also subbed at the same time so I assumed there was a ‘coming together’ of some kind. Also, there was a suggestion that Mehmeti may have come into the game with a slight fitness doubt.
As someone said yesterday, he terrorised Plymouth at Home Park and being without him on Good Friday would not be good!
@micra The only coming together was between the Gillingham player and the advertising hoardings!
Aha! Didn’t touch Mehmeti en route then?
Nope! (I read the first part of this in an Alan Partridge voice)
Aha, see what you mean!
I can hear it now. Aha.
You can't win. If we didn't wear the gold kit you'd be moaning on behalf of all the fans that have spent money on it and never got to see us play in it.
Reading Mr Warboys’ comments I would be thinking that it would be impossible to score a goal of such class as we did yesterday, wearing such a kit. The fact that we did, renders his kit-bashing nonsense as sub-astrological bullshit.
I have just replayed the red card incident a few times.
There’s no doubt that Wing tackled with both feet, but the Gillingham player deliberately made it look worse by rolling over a couple of times and I noticed that he even glanced up towards the assistant referee. Was Wing ‘out of control’ ? Arguably not. Did he ‘endanger his opponent’? Debatable, and the player in question played on after brief treatment.
We all know that if it wasn't a Wycombe player, we wouldn't be having this debate. The ref applied the laws correctly.
That is your opinion to which you are perfectly entitled. Was the referee unduly influenced by the reaction of the Gillingham player? In my opinion quite possibly, and I also note that it was the 10th red card he has shown this season.
He did seem extremely quick on the draw!
The fact of the matter is, Wing gave the referee a decision to make.
By going in two footed, the ref always has an argument for showing the red. Regardless of whether it was reckless, dangerous, over the top of the ball, studs up...he gave the ref a decision to make, which in itself was needless in the middle of the pitch, with no immediate danger apparent, and directly infront of the referee. He does not strike me as a dirty player, but lesson learned.
I didn’t think there was anything wrong with Wing’s challenge, but if you leave your feet these days you risk getting a red regardless of whether you make contact with ball, player, or fresh Kent air.
Here's Gazza's horror tackles in the 91 Cup Final (nobody brandishes an imaginary card)
Here's Koeman scything down Platt in the crucial 93 World Cup Qualifier (Shearer brandishes imaginary card 6:37 in)
The formation of the Premier League occurred between these events.