Lots of people have been worried about me for as long as I can remember. It doesn’t worry me. Well, not much.
I’ll compound the felony by saying that I would expect a highly paid former Premier League striker to score more goals and provide more assists at our level than big Sam has managed. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is as disappointed as we are.
Brandon Hanlan has also been under-achieving and I can understand now what the Wolves guy said on here (can’t recall which thread) about Chem Campbell being a frustrating player. He has the same difficulty as Mehmeti had until relatively recently in knowing when to release the ball.
In fact, a few of our players got caught in possession when in the attacking third which resulted in dangerous counterattacks.
But, as @ReturnToSenda says, with all the adversity we’ve suffered this season, without let-up, it’s pretty impressive that we’re still within three points of the playoffs.
Vokes scored his second ever highest total of goals last season - 17.
This season has been a lot more disjointed, both in his own fitness concerns, and it took the whole team a few months to get going. It's not surprising the goals have been hard to find across the whole team this season.
People keep desperately scrabbling for that long out-of-date 17 goal statistic @Malone. It’s totally irrelevant to the current situation. No one can deny, without Johnsonian verbal gymnastics, that he has underachieved this season. It’s sad but true, I’m afraid.
1) These aren't players properly suited to attack in a possession-based system. It's only been a few weeks of Blooms trying to change things slightly, and I'm fully prepared to be proved wrong, but there's no reason why they should be brilliant at it. They were brought in to play a certain way under GA and MB has tried to tweak. It looks better on the eye, but we struggle to effectively move the ball through the final 3rd playing like this. Teams take years perfecting this with the ball on the floor.
2) Freeman really impresses in the middle. I've been a vocal critic of his recently, feeling we'd all bought into the lovely narrative of a hero returning from injury. I think he's poor out wide, but he was fantastic today in the middle.
3) Campbell isn't quite up to this level. Maybe expectations have been heightened by Eze and other Premier League loanees we've had, but for me he's too weak. Constantly trying one too many step overs and simply getting things wrong. He can make a good pass and occasionally the step-over does buy him space, but he's not the answer. I understand here we're hampered by a complete lack of fit alternatives.
4) Hanlan didn't play well today. Whether marked out of it, or just didn't have his touch together, it never really fell for him. I've always thought Hanlan plays either like someone in the Champions League or the Conference. Today he was very much the latter.
Without knowing for sure the financial implications of not getting promoted, I'm not bothered about staying in the league. Feel Blooms needs a little while to get the lay of this land and sort what side he wants.
The irony is @prufrock_91 of course that, should we stay in League One certain players will be retained / offered extension, who wouldn’t make the cut if we were to be promoted. Something I find myself dwelling on watching players celebrate like crazy in a play off win.
To be fair a draw was the fair result, neither side played well, perhaps because we each negated the other or just because it was one of those days for both sides. Both teams had little spells where they looked half decent, passing the ball nicely until the final third where we & they rushed things, or snatched at passes, or chose the worng option. It certainly explains why they are where they are. We on the other hand have only recently started playing more floor based passing football & that perhaps explains why we still look less than comfortable trying to pass into the box as opposed to banging in a cross or a long diagonal. Anyway, as MB slowly evolves our style of play he will also look to bring in players better suited to that than to route 1, so logically we should improve, whether we can do it for the final few games of this season seems ever so slightly doubtful, but we are Wycombe so never ever say never...
If we don't go up this season, I don't expect us to be challenging next season. And that's fine - it takes a few windows for any manager to firmly instil their philosophy and make the team theirs. Assuming we stay in League One, I'm excited to see what Blooms does in the market this summer.
Campbell is clearly up to the level in terms of ability - I think his issue is one of mentality, which is understandable to an extent as it must be a bit of a culture shock coming from a Prem environment and being thrust into the physicality of the lower leagues. Some players adapt better than others, and he did come with question marks over his attitude.
There's certainly no guarantee we'll even be competing for the playoffs any time in future seasons, so we need to enjoy the run in and this group of players while they're still here.
But even the most negative downer can't write us off with us being 3 points off 5th and 6th places, with an equal amount of games played and MK up next.
While they won't be a push over and are on a 3 game winning run now, it's very much up for grabs still.
Obvs don't win that one, and then be facing Ipswich away and we'll have to dip further into the positivity reserves.
I dont have a problem with his attitude. Its more about learning when and what to do at this level. Weve not had many prem loans from memory recently, so maybe I'm expecting too much from him.
I know criticism of players and performances is usually met with derision as we are a pretty partisan lot but today some players were poor. Hanlan non existent. Tjay gave the ball away more than kept it. Wheeler had 2 chances to score and should have scored both. Campbell a waste of talent today, shines coming forward, invisible tackling back, has a lot to learn if he is to make it at higher levels.
All that being said you can’t have a squad take Vokes, GMac, Gape, Mawson, Orbita, and Thompson out and expect us to deliver consistent performances. Our bench had one option and that one option was exceptional. Other teams we play against can change the whole outlook with six quality experienced players. We are Mother Hubbard.
Not a terrible result today. If able to ignore the current imperative to win every match because of our league position, a point away at the Valley is never a bad result.
While I generally like Brandon Hanlan as a player, largely because of his willing endeavour, I felt he was poor today. A match up between him and Michael Hector didn’t sound promising on paper and so it proved.
If you’re going to play 4-2-3-1 you really need your front man to be able to hold the ball up in order to bring the 3 behind him into play. I’m not sure Brandon’s got the skills to play that role - it’s bloody hard - personally I think he’s better from a wide position as you get the benefit of his athleticism and work rate from a defensive point of view.
Without Sam Vokes we’re left horribly short up front and whenever we are short we tend to turn to one bloke to sort it out - David Wheeler. He’s about the only player we’ve got who could play that role and offer any aerial threat.
Without Vokes I also think we need to go with a front two. I’d stick Wheeler up top next week and just play 4-4-2 with TJay much closer to him rather than dropping off in the No.10 role as he did today.
I’d be curious as to what Gaz would be doing with the players we have standing.
Today was an odd one, maybe some tiredness, both mental and physical. I think this is where we miss Dobbo. It must be bloody hard to keep a playoff push going when all the other teams just keep winning. Although a few just above us might be feeling it too now.
It’s not over. Do the franchise scummers and someone just above loses and maybe Ipswich away could be just what we need. ‘Little Wycombe’ away at a club too big for the division. Bring it on!
Surprised about the criticism of Campbell, I think he’s been fantastic. Always willing to take players on and more often than not beating them.
We were always likely to be light in attacking positions once we let Horgan and Kaikai go. Then there was the blow of losing Anis. I don’t know why we’ve left ourselves so light in forward positions.
Just got home. Sort of a fair result that, we wasn't poor, but weren't great. Think what was very obvious today was... Tjay and Hanlan up front isn't going to work, we were so toothless, tbh we've looked pretty toothless for a few games now... whether Micra likes it or not, we are much better with Vokes in the team.. Am I allowed to say... I think we look a bit boring all of a sudden ?
Side note, if there is anyone on here that knows the drummer, tell him to be careful, was lucky he didn't get a whack today, only so many people you can call a see you next Tuesday and get away with it !
@TheAndyGrahamFanClub any post that works such excellent similes of the ‘Mother Hubbard’ and ‘needing snookers’ quality into their work deserves POTD. Different gravy.
Campbell had a very good first half but then seemed to vanish after the break.
He’s young and inexperienced and that happens some times.
Both he and TJay struggled the more that game went on but there’s plenty to like about both of them, they just need a bit of time and patience to let them come on a bit.
Campbell may have come from the Prem but he's early Anis or early Eze, expecting him to make the right decision every time or stand up to getting whacked about and get up quickly for another go after a handful of games is optimistic at best. Good comparison with Rak-Saki who looked a world beater at AP but more than a little green today. JJ has been immense since Obita went of injured, having been all but written off as A LB, but should have been rinsed constantly by Charltons quick forwards if they'd been just a touch smarter.
We are what we are, Blooms can only do so much until he gets some influence via signings, good point in circumstances. We've pretty much made playoffs or near every season for ages, wonder what some people expect.
Btw Sessgnons brother, Carl Leaburn and Kevin Campbell's son's, more than a hint of tribute act about Charlton today.
I don't think Gaz would do anything different to what happened today and I very much doubt if he was in charge if the result would be different. The 11 that started were just about the 11 we had. Tjay was on form and deserved the nod upfront making Nick Freeman the unlucky one to miss out. It is 'just' the 11 we had did not click today and that to me was down to individual performances not being as good as we know they can be. Wheeler scores after 50 seconds we win, plain and simple. His volley on his right foot in the second half is a chance I would expect him to score too. But I am not making him the fall guy as the rest of his game was strong, just saying his finishing is usually a lot better. Tjay and Hanlan know they can play better and simply gave the ball away constantly. In seasons when you go up you play poorly and win.
I thought it was a decent enough performance today. We needed the win, but with the injuries, it was always going to be a struggle. We kept going though and in the end were very close to getting 3 points
Considering we've not had anything close to a first choice starting XI I think Bloomfield has done remarkably well in his time here. Would help massively if we could have 1 or 2 back next week.
Comments
Lots of people have been worried about me for as long as I can remember. It doesn’t worry me. Well, not much.
I’ll compound the felony by saying that I would expect a highly paid former Premier League striker to score more goals and provide more assists at our level than big Sam has managed. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is as disappointed as we are.
Brandon Hanlan has also been under-achieving and I can understand now what the Wolves guy said on here (can’t recall which thread) about Chem Campbell being a frustrating player. He has the same difficulty as Mehmeti had until relatively recently in knowing when to release the ball.
In fact, a few of our players got caught in possession when in the attacking third which resulted in dangerous counterattacks.
But, as @ReturnToSenda says, with all the adversity we’ve suffered this season, without let-up, it’s pretty impressive that we’re still within three points of the playoffs.
Vokes scored his second ever highest total of goals last season - 17.
This season has been a lot more disjointed, both in his own fitness concerns, and it took the whole team a few months to get going. It's not surprising the goals have been hard to find across the whole team this season.
A defeat would have felt like the beginning of the end today, but looking at the table it’s impossible to feel like we’re out of it.
Also, we’re Wycombe Wanderers so the next time we’ll be in 6th place is going to be just before the final whistle at Fratton Park.
People keep desperately scrabbling for that long out-of-date 17 goal statistic @Malone. It’s totally irrelevant to the current situation. No one can deny, without Johnsonian verbal gymnastics, that he has underachieved this season. It’s sad but true, I’m afraid.
You could argue a lot of our players have been under what they've previously showed.
It needs a full context though and the understanding that expectations are different for certain players.
Do you think for instance, we'd have been higher or lower in the table playing today's front 2 all season instead of Vokes and McCleary up there?
I deny it
A few things were clear watching us today:
1) These aren't players properly suited to attack in a possession-based system. It's only been a few weeks of Blooms trying to change things slightly, and I'm fully prepared to be proved wrong, but there's no reason why they should be brilliant at it. They were brought in to play a certain way under GA and MB has tried to tweak. It looks better on the eye, but we struggle to effectively move the ball through the final 3rd playing like this. Teams take years perfecting this with the ball on the floor.
2) Freeman really impresses in the middle. I've been a vocal critic of his recently, feeling we'd all bought into the lovely narrative of a hero returning from injury. I think he's poor out wide, but he was fantastic today in the middle.
3) Campbell isn't quite up to this level. Maybe expectations have been heightened by Eze and other Premier League loanees we've had, but for me he's too weak. Constantly trying one too many step overs and simply getting things wrong. He can make a good pass and occasionally the step-over does buy him space, but he's not the answer. I understand here we're hampered by a complete lack of fit alternatives.
4) Hanlan didn't play well today. Whether marked out of it, or just didn't have his touch together, it never really fell for him. I've always thought Hanlan plays either like someone in the Champions League or the Conference. Today he was very much the latter.
Without knowing for sure the financial implications of not getting promoted, I'm not bothered about staying in the league. Feel Blooms needs a little while to get the lay of this land and sort what side he wants.
The irony is @prufrock_91 of course that, should we stay in League One certain players will be retained / offered extension, who wouldn’t make the cut if we were to be promoted. Something I find myself dwelling on watching players celebrate like crazy in a play off win.
To be fair a draw was the fair result, neither side played well, perhaps because we each negated the other or just because it was one of those days for both sides. Both teams had little spells where they looked half decent, passing the ball nicely until the final third where we & they rushed things, or snatched at passes, or chose the worng option. It certainly explains why they are where they are. We on the other hand have only recently started playing more floor based passing football & that perhaps explains why we still look less than comfortable trying to pass into the box as opposed to banging in a cross or a long diagonal. Anyway, as MB slowly evolves our style of play he will also look to bring in players better suited to that than to route 1, so logically we should improve, whether we can do it for the final few games of this season seems ever so slightly doubtful, but we are Wycombe so never ever say never...
If we don't go up this season, I don't expect us to be challenging next season. And that's fine - it takes a few windows for any manager to firmly instil their philosophy and make the team theirs. Assuming we stay in League One, I'm excited to see what Blooms does in the market this summer.
Campbell is clearly up to the level in terms of ability - I think his issue is one of mentality, which is understandable to an extent as it must be a bit of a culture shock coming from a Prem environment and being thrust into the physicality of the lower leagues. Some players adapt better than others, and he did come with question marks over his attitude.
There's certainly no guarantee we'll even be competing for the playoffs any time in future seasons, so we need to enjoy the run in and this group of players while they're still here.
But even the most negative downer can't write us off with us being 3 points off 5th and 6th places, with an equal amount of games played and MK up next.
While they won't be a push over and are on a 3 game winning run now, it's very much up for grabs still.
Obvs don't win that one, and then be facing Ipswich away and we'll have to dip further into the positivity reserves.
I dont have a problem with his attitude. Its more about learning when and what to do at this level. Weve not had many prem loans from memory recently, so maybe I'm expecting too much from him.
To be fair @ReturnToSenda you didn't think we would be challenging this year after ten games.
I know criticism of players and performances is usually met with derision as we are a pretty partisan lot but today some players were poor. Hanlan non existent. Tjay gave the ball away more than kept it. Wheeler had 2 chances to score and should have scored both. Campbell a waste of talent today, shines coming forward, invisible tackling back, has a lot to learn if he is to make it at higher levels.
All that being said you can’t have a squad take Vokes, GMac, Gape, Mawson, Orbita, and Thompson out and expect us to deliver consistent performances. Our bench had one option and that one option was exceptional. Other teams we play against can change the whole outlook with six quality experienced players. We are Mother Hubbard.
We move on but we need snookers imho.
I can't remember that far back to deny this, so I'll take your word for it
Not a terrible result today. If able to ignore the current imperative to win every match because of our league position, a point away at the Valley is never a bad result.
While I generally like Brandon Hanlan as a player, largely because of his willing endeavour, I felt he was poor today. A match up between him and Michael Hector didn’t sound promising on paper and so it proved.
If you’re going to play 4-2-3-1 you really need your front man to be able to hold the ball up in order to bring the 3 behind him into play. I’m not sure Brandon’s got the skills to play that role - it’s bloody hard - personally I think he’s better from a wide position as you get the benefit of his athleticism and work rate from a defensive point of view.
Without Sam Vokes we’re left horribly short up front and whenever we are short we tend to turn to one bloke to sort it out - David Wheeler. He’s about the only player we’ve got who could play that role and offer any aerial threat.
Without Vokes I also think we need to go with a front two. I’d stick Wheeler up top next week and just play 4-4-2 with TJay much closer to him rather than dropping off in the No.10 role as he did today.
True. Athough I would be happy to see them pick up 3 points against Peterborough on the 1st April.
I’d be curious as to what Gaz would be doing with the players we have standing.
Today was an odd one, maybe some tiredness, both mental and physical. I think this is where we miss Dobbo. It must be bloody hard to keep a playoff push going when all the other teams just keep winning. Although a few just above us might be feeling it too now.
It’s not over. Do the franchise scummers and someone just above loses and maybe Ipswich away could be just what we need. ‘Little Wycombe’ away at a club too big for the division. Bring it on!
Surprised about the criticism of Campbell, I think he’s been fantastic. Always willing to take players on and more often than not beating them.
We were always likely to be light in attacking positions once we let Horgan and Kaikai go. Then there was the blow of losing Anis. I don’t know why we’ve left ourselves so light in forward positions.
That's laughable
Almost sounds like something Tony Adams would come up with.
Just got home. Sort of a fair result that, we wasn't poor, but weren't great. Think what was very obvious today was... Tjay and Hanlan up front isn't going to work, we were so toothless, tbh we've looked pretty toothless for a few games now... whether Micra likes it or not, we are much better with Vokes in the team.. Am I allowed to say... I think we look a bit boring all of a sudden ?
Side note, if there is anyone on here that knows the drummer, tell him to be careful, was lucky he didn't get a whack today, only so many people you can call a see you next Tuesday and get away with it !
@TheAndyGrahamFanClub any post that works such excellent similes of the ‘Mother Hubbard’ and ‘needing snookers’ quality into their work deserves POTD. Different gravy.
Campbell had a very good first half but then seemed to vanish after the break.
He’s young and inexperienced and that happens some times.
Both he and TJay struggled the more that game went on but there’s plenty to like about both of them, they just need a bit of time and patience to let them come on a bit.
Campbell may have come from the Prem but he's early Anis or early Eze, expecting him to make the right decision every time or stand up to getting whacked about and get up quickly for another go after a handful of games is optimistic at best. Good comparison with Rak-Saki who looked a world beater at AP but more than a little green today. JJ has been immense since Obita went of injured, having been all but written off as A LB, but should have been rinsed constantly by Charltons quick forwards if they'd been just a touch smarter.
We are what we are, Blooms can only do so much until he gets some influence via signings, good point in circumstances. We've pretty much made playoffs or near every season for ages, wonder what some people expect.
Btw Sessgnons brother, Carl Leaburn and Kevin Campbell's son's, more than a hint of tribute act about Charlton today.
I don't think Gaz would do anything different to what happened today and I very much doubt if he was in charge if the result would be different. The 11 that started were just about the 11 we had. Tjay was on form and deserved the nod upfront making Nick Freeman the unlucky one to miss out. It is 'just' the 11 we had did not click today and that to me was down to individual performances not being as good as we know they can be. Wheeler scores after 50 seconds we win, plain and simple. His volley on his right foot in the second half is a chance I would expect him to score too. But I am not making him the fall guy as the rest of his game was strong, just saying his finishing is usually a lot better. Tjay and Hanlan know they can play better and simply gave the ball away constantly. In seasons when you go up you play poorly and win.
I thought it was a decent enough performance today. We needed the win, but with the injuries, it was always going to be a struggle. We kept going though and in the end were very close to getting 3 points
Considering we've not had anything close to a first choice starting XI I think Bloomfield has done remarkably well in his time here. Would help massively if we could have 1 or 2 back next week.
Kevin Campbell's son is Tyrese Campbell (Stoke)
Ah, thought it was him but you are right, Tyreece Anthony "Tupac Shakur" Campbell has only ever played for Charlon, thought he was pretty handy tbh.