All this talk of 4 vs 5 at the back, personally I'm bored of watching 1 up front. It severely limits the types of attacks you can make, and when those attacks aren't working, making a sub and going 2 up top would be the obvious switch as the opposition defenders suddenly have a very different job to do. It looks like every team in the division has worked out exactly how to snuff out the very few attacking plays we ever do, and yet we just keep doing them.
Just having Hanlan on near the end was exciting. Hopefully we can work him in, as he's just such a threat with his pacey strong bustling style. He really works defenders out and they often have to be last ditch to deny him.
Excellent post @Malone but not sure GA will do it. There seems to be a real reluctance to take the shackles off this team. Such a shame really as we have the players to do it.
I can't remember who it was, but someone summed it up brilliantly before, saying it's the first time in a long time under the Gaz era, where the team is feeling lesser than the parts.
Hopefully it can be as simple as getting a Gape or Scowen back in there, but as influential as they are, certainly the latter, surely it can't just be down to 1 player?
Even the best aerial ability strikers will struggle with aimless straight balls just oafed up in the sky.
This isn't the premier league with centre backs whose main skills are on the ball, these are league 1 guys who typically have heading as a key attribute.
Everyone in the ground could see it. We saw if Tuesday. We saw it today. Is the loss of coaching staff offering advice an excuse for another voice saying ‘gaffer, hoofing the ball to Voksey ain’t doing anything’. It’s quite baffling.
I honestly think some of the body says it all - McCleary and Vokes look a shadow on last season. That's not necessarily a criticism of the individual but they both look frustrated.
Listen, all teams have bad spells. This is our "bad" patch and we are still in mid table in a league that we all agreed the last few seasons we punched above our weight. This might be the level that we are actually at. It's frustrating given some of the talent that we have, but other teams strengthened over the summer so the league has got stronger whilst we haven't.
Hang in there until January, make a signing or two - and you never know.
Vokes as a lone striker isn't a problem in itself - and he's still caused plenty of problems for defences this season - but we do lack flexibility, which has fed into us being found out to a certain extent. But I don't think 4-4-2 would solve the problem: we're one-dimensional enough without reverting to the most rigid system there is. I think we'd get more out of him in the middle of a front three and getting the ball into those things on the end of his legs (we can dream...).
Ainsworth keeps harping on about this is the best squad he has ever had. Even with injuries we still had Horgan, Hanlan, Wheeler and Kaikai on the bench and Ainsworth uses one of the them when it’s too late. I would like to ask him why when 5 are allowed , does he use subs so sparingly.
To be honest I wasn’t necessarily saying 4-4-2 was the answer I was just pointing out that it was the formation Vokes enjoyed most success in (and in a better division than League One).
Although, I’m not totally sure it isn’t as it could play to our strengths. I’d give it a whirl to see what happens rather than sticking with three at the back.
it’s been a long time since we tried it. Millwall at home in Championship by my reckoning. Not including any horrible midfield diamonds.
Whilst we are all understandably disappointed by the last two games, it’s worth pointing out that we have taken ten points from our last seven fixtures. In our bad spell last season between January and March we took three points from seven games and still got to the playoff final. I’m not trying to paper over the cracks, just pointing out that things can quickly change and there are still 30 games to play.
We all said at the start of the season that refs and other teams have probably figured us out. Killing off games has been the biggest problem for us and we have been victims of how to do it this season.
If luck had gone our way the last two games would have seen us with another 6 points. In my eyes, we essentially won the last two but for disallowed goals. We would be in the playoffs now.
I’ve just viewed the highlights, absolutely nothing wrong with the Vokes goal and given how many players were in the six yard box, how on earth could the same assistant decide that the ball had crossed the line for their goal but not see Max having his arm held? Irrespective of our own failings, we have been badly let down by officials two games in a row.
We have failed the last two games. We dominated for over 45 minutes of both games and came out with 1 point. If we were serious about challenging for promotion that would not be the case.
I know exactly how football works and what we needed to do to win, so thanks.
The refs on the other hands don't realise how detrimental their decisions are to hundreds/thousands of people. We won the last two games without disallowed goals.
We did score enough goals, the ref decided to chalk them off. Therefore, we did enough.
Wasnt able to take the family to the game yesterday due to a trip away, but reading all the comments about it and decisions made (or not made), isn’t it a pity all the people that know how best to manage football teams are busy doing other jobs or sitting on your sofas?
All these comments about substitutions, formations, players being picked etc, my I remind you armchair critics that you clearly believe they know more than a man who played 600 games in professional football and has been a successful manager for 10 years.
All these thoughtless cliches trotted out by people with no comparable background in the game.
Comments
Jobita or Obicobson? Both sound like Tolkien characters.
He has Wheeler back, who he has utilised in centre mid before, often to close games out.
Surely he'd be some sort of other option in there?
It all depends when Gape is back. He's the one we have no idea at all with. At least with Scowen we have some vague sort of idea.
But Gape could be back next game or not back until Feb.
All this talk of 4 vs 5 at the back, personally I'm bored of watching 1 up front. It severely limits the types of attacks you can make, and when those attacks aren't working, making a sub and going 2 up top would be the obvious switch as the opposition defenders suddenly have a very different job to do. It looks like every team in the division has worked out exactly how to snuff out the very few attacking plays we ever do, and yet we just keep doing them.
Just having Hanlan on near the end was exciting. Hopefully we can work him in, as he's just such a threat with his pacey strong bustling style. He really works defenders out and they often have to be last ditch to deny him.
Excellent post @Malone but not sure GA will do it. There seems to be a real reluctance to take the shackles off this team. Such a shame really as we have the players to do it.
Very much agree with this. As much as anything because Vokes is absolutely crying out for a strike partner.
He doesn’t have the pace to run in behind so it’s a really tough gig to play up their on his own.
The most successful part of his career was under Sean Dyche at Burnley who nearly always played 4-4-2.
Get Hanlan up there with him, it’ll help us get the best out of both of them.
I can't remember who it was, but someone summed it up brilliantly before, saying it's the first time in a long time under the Gaz era, where the team is feeling lesser than the parts.
Hopefully it can be as simple as getting a Gape or Scowen back in there, but as influential as they are, certainly the latter, surely it can't just be down to 1 player?
Even Derek Adams has worked out how to nullify the threat of a lone striker.
Derek. Adams.
The problem is like we saw with Bayo.
Even the best aerial ability strikers will struggle with aimless straight balls just oafed up in the sky.
This isn't the premier league with centre backs whose main skills are on the ball, these are league 1 guys who typically have heading as a key attribute.
Everyone in the ground could see it. We saw if Tuesday. We saw it today. Is the loss of coaching staff offering advice an excuse for another voice saying ‘gaffer, hoofing the ball to Voksey ain’t doing anything’. It’s quite baffling.
I honestly think some of the body says it all - McCleary and Vokes look a shadow on last season. That's not necessarily a criticism of the individual but they both look frustrated.
Listen, all teams have bad spells. This is our "bad" patch and we are still in mid table in a league that we all agreed the last few seasons we punched above our weight. This might be the level that we are actually at. It's frustrating given some of the talent that we have, but other teams strengthened over the summer so the league has got stronger whilst we haven't.
Hang in there until January, make a signing or two - and you never know.
Vokes as a lone striker isn't a problem in itself - and he's still caused plenty of problems for defences this season - but we do lack flexibility, which has fed into us being found out to a certain extent. But I don't think 4-4-2 would solve the problem: we're one-dimensional enough without reverting to the most rigid system there is. I think we'd get more out of him in the middle of a front three and getting the ball into those things on the end of his legs (we can dream...).
Ainsworth keeps harping on about this is the best squad he has ever had. Even with injuries we still had Horgan, Hanlan, Wheeler and Kaikai on the bench and Ainsworth uses one of the them when it’s too late. I would like to ask him why when 5 are allowed , does he use subs so sparingly.
To be honest I wasn’t necessarily saying 4-4-2 was the answer I was just pointing out that it was the formation Vokes enjoyed most success in (and in a better division than League One).
Although, I’m not totally sure it isn’t as it could play to our strengths. I’d give it a whirl to see what happens rather than sticking with three at the back.
it’s been a long time since we tried it. Millwall at home in Championship by my reckoning. Not including any horrible midfield diamonds.
So no disallowed goals on the 2 min highlights OR the extended highlights!!!
What the actual fuck?? Was I at a different match today? Was the editing been done by the referees best mate?
A Wycombe supporting friend has pointed out the following to me:
We are 5th in the 1st half table.
We are 22nd in the 2nd half table.
Let's all allow that to sink in.
This is a brilliant site for all that kind of stuff: https://www.soccerstats.com/halftime.asp?league=england3
Whilst we are all understandably disappointed by the last two games, it’s worth pointing out that we have taken ten points from our last seven fixtures. In our bad spell last season between January and March we took three points from seven games and still got to the playoff final. I’m not trying to paper over the cracks, just pointing out that things can quickly change and there are still 30 games to play.
We all said at the start of the season that refs and other teams have probably figured us out. Killing off games has been the biggest problem for us and we have been victims of how to do it this season.
If luck had gone our way the last two games would have seen us with another 6 points. In my eyes, we essentially won the last two but for disallowed goals. We would be in the playoffs now.
Did their "goal" cross the line by the way?
I honestly couldn’t say from my angle, one of them ones you hoped someone was filming in their phone at just the right moment
I’ve just viewed the highlights, absolutely nothing wrong with the Vokes goal and given how many players were in the six yard box, how on earth could the same assistant decide that the ball had crossed the line for their goal but not see Max having his arm held? Irrespective of our own failings, we have been badly let down by officials two games in a row.
I don't think we failed the last two games. On another day we win both games 3-1.
Bad luck unfortunately.
We have failed the last two games. We dominated for over 45 minutes of both games and came out with 1 point. If we were serious about challenging for promotion that would not be the case.
We have a garden hose with no water coming out. The kink in the hose is halfway down the park . GA isn’t playing his preferred midfield .
Amazing stat that. What goes on during the half time break?
I seem to remember the bad patch last season coincided with Scowen being injured.
Anyone* got our PPG with and without Scowen in the team over the past season and a bit?
*And by that I mean @ReturnToSenda if they have time and inclination…
I know exactly how football works and what we needed to do to win, so thanks.
The refs on the other hands don't realise how detrimental their decisions are to hundreds/thousands of people. We won the last two games without disallowed goals.
We did score enough goals, the ref decided to chalk them off. Therefore, we did enough.
Mawson isn't suspended btw
I can find that out in 2 mins, will look later
Wasnt able to take the family to the game yesterday due to a trip away, but reading all the comments about it and decisions made (or not made), isn’t it a pity all the people that know how best to manage football teams are busy doing other jobs or sitting on your sofas?
All these comments about substitutions, formations, players being picked etc, my I remind you armchair critics that you clearly believe they know more than a man who played 600 games in professional football and has been a successful manager for 10 years.
All these thoughtless cliches trotted out by people with no comparable background in the game.