It’s too passionately delivered to do it justice in a few words, you really need to watch it. He is refreshingly honest about our current shortcomings and admits that the fans are entitled to be angry. I just hope that all our players feel the same way he clearly does.
Just back from a long foggy journey, which has given time for reflection.
Yes injuries have derailed Blooms plans but dealing with this sort of reality is a big part of the game.
He will have been provided with reconnaissance on the opposition.
Marry those two factors and make a plan. That’s management.
A couple of really fundamental issuesfrom todays showing for me:
We didn’t seem to have a plan given the above.
After half time I expected a battling performance after a dressing room roasting. We got the opposite, almost as if the players didn’t believe in whatever new instructions they had been given.
The truly worrying moment was when the panic substitutions had been made and senior pros were gesticulating like ‘what who where?’. They were clueless and I venture to guess so were whatever direction they were given (Blooms standing silently hands in pockets suggest he wasn’t sure either).
I say he should be given more. If he goes, what happens? We get GA in, which will be lovely for sentiment, and he might do well (although does going back work?) and then he leave again at a point... then what? We're a club based so much on feelings, I'd imagine JJ would get the gig.
We're not getting relegated. I'd much rather take a season finishing in 20th, watch bleak stuff for a few months, and give MB more than one transfer window and a season to figure things out, than bin him now for a merry-go-round manager. The players have all vocally backed MB, Taf said in a vlog he has was it takes to go to the top, and for the sake of a few league positions, I'd like to see him realise that potential here.
Brilliant post! We have to look at the bigger picture. As I said before, if MB had showed nothing it would be one thing, but we had a fantastic patch under him where we were lauding Bloomball.
I love GA, but he left us, not the other way around, and it has resulted in two lost seasons. We should not act like a jilted lover who is going to take the ex back every time they get dumped by their latest squeeze. We have to be forward thinking!
Any new manager capable of making a difference will want to be given a window and some cash before they’ll take the job. RC has a big decision to make, and very soon.
Without being too rose coloured spectacled about the past one thing I would say about the Ainsworth era is that we rarely looked like a team who wanted it less than the opposition. This has not carried forward into the new era. The opposition today definitely wanted it more. Same Tuesday.
I believe the system we are playing is where the problem ultimately lies. We are trying to emulate the sort of possession, passing football that led Ipswich to promotion last season & Portsmouth are playing this season.
The issue, in my opinion, is we’re never going to be able to achieve that on the budget we have or the size of squad we have. Add a couple of injuries to that & we’ll always be struggling. Personally I think 5 across the back works well in L2 & the Championship but a 4 is better in L1, be it 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 or whatever. Certainly our back-up strikers would probably struggle to score in the National League. I do feel sorry for Lyle Taylor as he’s got undoubted talent but not as a centre-forward. In a front three playing off Sam Vokes he’d be a real handful.
That was totally unacceptable today from any viewpoint. The worrying part for me is the players seem to have lost faith in the system they are being asked to play in, hence the lack of energy & running off the ball. And that’s a massive issue. That’s not a green light for hoofball but for a small club like Wycombe a more pragmatic approach is the only way forward.
”we have to pick a team that wants to fight” or words to that effect.
Breckin in the starting line up? Must show something (or even just show up) in training because it was too cold and foggy for the little price this afternoon. Back to Man City asap
I just posted a thread about this - our fight statistically went away when we came back down to L1 from the Champo, and coincides more with Bayo's peak than GA's.
The next league game is against Shrewsbury. I was there for his inauguration and I have sneaky feeling that his fortunes will change with a thumping win over the Salopians.
I don't think there would be nearly as many allowances being made here if the manager was an 'outsider' and not a club legend. I understand why, but sentiment has to be taken out of the equation.
That was absolutely atrocious and I am so annoyed about it. I don't usually get like this either.
I can accept that we will lose games but where was the gung ho effort or throwing caution to the wind as it became clear we were heading out of the cup? At least give us the feeling as we walk back to our cars that we at least gave it a go.
I never feel like this after games but they deserved to be booed off today and I'm afraid that the management is every bit as culpable as the team.
I don't give a shit about Tuesday night but they owe us a performance next Saturday. It's Bloomfield's job to send out a team that plays with heart and intensity next Saturday. We might win, we might not, I can accept that. But I do not want to walk away from the ground next week feeling, as I did today, that we had just not given it a go. It feels like a crucial crossroads for Matt Bloomfield. If he sends out a team that gives us a performance with the necessary hunger and desire then it shows he is able to address what happened today.
Another performance like today and then I don't think there's a way back
What was wrong with Breckin? He was Ok I thought and our best player Tuesday.
I wouldn't blame any one individual. Collectively, we aren't making the gameplan work. It only takes 2 or 3 players to lose faith in the plan, or fail to understand it, for the whole thing to fail.
On reflection I kind of feel like Blooms has tried to change things too quickly for the base of the team he adopted from GA. Thus the transition hasn't been fully translated the to the incoming players.
He happily played under GA and got behind his tactics and ethics 100%.... even after that in a more coaching roll under GA.
It's almost like he felt the need to immediately put his stamp on the club, to show he is his own man with his own ethos and ideas.... I get that... but he's just broken a working formula, confused the players, and not getting results.
He seems to not know how to stop this current rot. The team look disassembled and confused by what is expected of them.
I liked his idea of supplementing the old pros we had already with young guns from top clubs. But I feel the promise of young legs and silky skills being taught and helped to integrate and learn from the old boys has been diluted by the fact Blooms is hell bent on implementation of his ideologies ASAP. The originals don't know what they are doing now!! So how can the young lads be expected to supplement effectively??
Injuries have ravaged the squad I do admit. Some of our top players are out.... when top players are on the pitch.... magic can happen regardless of what the manager is trying to achieve playing style wise.... as a superb player can just make things happen.
A back 5 is not working. Our midfield look scared to be creative... and our current strikers are not getting the service to suit their playing style.
Let us hope we have a few of the injured players back for the Shrewsbury game as we need to get a grip now.
We need to add pace in the January window and maybe we need to make a few difficult decisions on some players futures. The two Taylors, Breckin, Mc Carthy, TJ should be on their way out the door. The first 4 we need to let go (if contractually possible) and for TJ, maybe a loan to a league two or National League team to see if he can really cut it with more game time.
Stick with Bloomers and we will be ok. Hopefully he can show a ruthless side to his management and let players go and add better where needed. Always difficult in the January but we need a very good window to get much needed fresh faces, pace and quality into the squad.
Were we at the same game? he was the anonymous kid with 8 on his back. He got the butchers hook early second half after giving nothing up to that point. He hid, didn’t tackle and when the ball found him he played a safe backward pass at best. He was selected, presumably, to be the playmaker mid and summarily failed. He looked both terrified and out of his depth. Taxi for the loanee.
The next step should obviously be to simplify massively and go back to basics.
Go to 4 at the back. Start pressing the opposition to force mistakes and prevent them playing the way they want. Play individuals in their preferred positions. Get Gmac and Sadlier on the wings crossing the ball in. Both Taylor's upfront should be running channels to gain territory.
It isn't groundbreaking stuff but we'd be perfectly compatible in this league doing that.
I like your thoughts but let’s not presume we can’t get relegated. We are six points above the relegation zone with 26 to play and our form over the last 10 games if it continues will see us on 45/46 points come the end of April.
That would historically see us relegated all but once in the last 10 full seasons.
Lets hope things improve and we get some key players back but we are not too big a club to get relegated.
Where the hell were Gmac and Tj playing? It was like an under 11s game at that point. Utter shambles. It appeared that the instructions to the subs was just round about.
Comments
Grimmer's interview: https://twitter.com/wwfcofficial/status/1731012298301423659?t=1O5GPd52zHXWPiIvPy_xcA&s=19
He's been given the best part of a year!
It’s too passionately delivered to do it justice in a few words, you really need to watch it. He is refreshingly honest about our current shortcomings and admits that the fans are entitled to be angry. I just hope that all our players feel the same way he clearly does.
Just back from a long foggy journey, which has given time for reflection.
Yes injuries have derailed Blooms plans but dealing with this sort of reality is a big part of the game.
He will have been provided with reconnaissance on the opposition.
Marry those two factors and make a plan. That’s management.
A couple of really fundamental issuesfrom todays showing for me:
All very worrying.
It shows where we are that this is seen as patience (and I am not knocking you - the average tenure is so low that it may actually be).
Whoever said this is not 35 years ago is spot on as far as loyalty. Have a bad run? Off you go. And to think we mocked Watford once upon a time!
Thank you for providing the link and also @glasshalffull for pointing me in the right direction
I say he should be given more. If he goes, what happens? We get GA in, which will be lovely for sentiment, and he might do well (although does going back work?) and then he leave again at a point... then what? We're a club based so much on feelings, I'd imagine JJ would get the gig.
We're not getting relegated. I'd much rather take a season finishing in 20th, watch bleak stuff for a few months, and give MB more than one transfer window and a season to figure things out, than bin him now for a merry-go-round manager. The players have all vocally backed MB, Taf said in a vlog he has was it takes to go to the top, and for the sake of a few league positions, I'd like to see him realise that potential here.
Brilliant post! We have to look at the bigger picture. As I said before, if MB had showed nothing it would be one thing, but we had a fantastic patch under him where we were lauding Bloomball.
I love GA, but he left us, not the other way around, and it has resulted in two lost seasons. We should not act like a jilted lover who is going to take the ex back every time they get dumped by their latest squeeze. We have to be forward thinking!
Any new manager capable of making a difference will want to be given a window and some cash before they’ll take the job. RC has a big decision to make, and very soon.
Without being too rose coloured spectacled about the past one thing I would say about the Ainsworth era is that we rarely looked like a team who wanted it less than the opposition. This has not carried forward into the new era. The opposition today definitely wanted it more. Same Tuesday.
I believe the system we are playing is where the problem ultimately lies. We are trying to emulate the sort of possession, passing football that led Ipswich to promotion last season & Portsmouth are playing this season.
The issue, in my opinion, is we’re never going to be able to achieve that on the budget we have or the size of squad we have. Add a couple of injuries to that & we’ll always be struggling. Personally I think 5 across the back works well in L2 & the Championship but a 4 is better in L1, be it 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 or whatever. Certainly our back-up strikers would probably struggle to score in the National League. I do feel sorry for Lyle Taylor as he’s got undoubted talent but not as a centre-forward. In a front three playing off Sam Vokes he’d be a real handful.
That was totally unacceptable today from any viewpoint. The worrying part for me is the players seem to have lost faith in the system they are being asked to play in, hence the lack of energy & running off the ball. And that’s a massive issue. That’s not a green light for hoofball but for a small club like Wycombe a more pragmatic approach is the only way forward.
Just watched Blooms interview with @bluntphil
”we have to pick a team that wants to fight” or words to that effect.
Breckin in the starting line up? Must show something (or even just show up) in training because it was too cold and foggy for the little price this afternoon. Back to Man City asap
I just posted a thread about this - our fight statistically went away when we came back down to L1 from the Champo, and coincides more with Bayo's peak than GA's.
The next league game is against Shrewsbury. I was there for his inauguration and I have sneaky feeling that his fortunes will change with a thumping win over the Salopians.
I don't think there would be nearly as many allowances being made here if the manager was an 'outsider' and not a club legend. I understand why, but sentiment has to be taken out of the equation.
Is it free to listen to because I’m not spending another £4.99 on the club tonight
I'll always remain optimistic, maybe blindly optimistic that we can win the next game. At least at the start of the game.
But to envisage a "thumping" win really does delve deep into delusion territory.
Bayo was like a card in some tabletop game that gave all the other cards +2 ability whenever he was played.
You'll be calling me Nostradamus next week.
That was absolutely atrocious and I am so annoyed about it. I don't usually get like this either.
I can accept that we will lose games but where was the gung ho effort or throwing caution to the wind as it became clear we were heading out of the cup? At least give us the feeling as we walk back to our cars that we at least gave it a go.
I never feel like this after games but they deserved to be booed off today and I'm afraid that the management is every bit as culpable as the team.
I don't give a shit about Tuesday night but they owe us a performance next Saturday. It's Bloomfield's job to send out a team that plays with heart and intensity next Saturday. We might win, we might not, I can accept that. But I do not want to walk away from the ground next week feeling, as I did today, that we had just not given it a go. It feels like a crucial crossroads for Matt Bloomfield. If he sends out a team that gives us a performance with the necessary hunger and desire then it shows he is able to address what happened today.
Another performance like today and then I don't think there's a way back
What was wrong with Breckin? He was Ok I thought and our best player Tuesday.
I wouldn't blame any one individual. Collectively, we aren't making the gameplan work. It only takes 2 or 3 players to lose faith in the plan, or fail to understand it, for the whole thing to fail.
On reflection I kind of feel like Blooms has tried to change things too quickly for the base of the team he adopted from GA. Thus the transition hasn't been fully translated the to the incoming players.
He happily played under GA and got behind his tactics and ethics 100%.... even after that in a more coaching roll under GA.
It's almost like he felt the need to immediately put his stamp on the club, to show he is his own man with his own ethos and ideas.... I get that... but he's just broken a working formula, confused the players, and not getting results.
He seems to not know how to stop this current rot. The team look disassembled and confused by what is expected of them.
I liked his idea of supplementing the old pros we had already with young guns from top clubs. But I feel the promise of young legs and silky skills being taught and helped to integrate and learn from the old boys has been diluted by the fact Blooms is hell bent on implementation of his ideologies ASAP. The originals don't know what they are doing now!! So how can the young lads be expected to supplement effectively??
Injuries have ravaged the squad I do admit. Some of our top players are out.... when top players are on the pitch.... magic can happen regardless of what the manager is trying to achieve playing style wise.... as a superb player can just make things happen.
A back 5 is not working. Our midfield look scared to be creative... and our current strikers are not getting the service to suit their playing style.
Its all a bit of a mess right now.
I don't know what the next step is...
Let us hope we have a few of the injured players back for the Shrewsbury game as we need to get a grip now.
We need to add pace in the January window and maybe we need to make a few difficult decisions on some players futures. The two Taylors, Breckin, Mc Carthy, TJ should be on their way out the door. The first 4 we need to let go (if contractually possible) and for TJ, maybe a loan to a league two or National League team to see if he can really cut it with more game time.
Stick with Bloomers and we will be ok. Hopefully he can show a ruthless side to his management and let players go and add better where needed. Always difficult in the January but we need a very good window to get much needed fresh faces, pace and quality into the squad.
Seeing lots of this
This is Jack's interview on the club's link and is free to view.
https://www.wwfc.com/news/2023/december/02/jack-s-honest-assessment/
The manager's interview, also free.
https://www.wwfc.com/news/2023/december/02/matt-s-morecambe-reaction/
Were we at the same game? he was the anonymous kid with 8 on his back. He got the butchers hook early second half after giving nothing up to that point. He hid, didn’t tackle and when the ball found him he played a safe backward pass at best. He was selected, presumably, to be the playmaker mid and summarily failed. He looked both terrified and out of his depth. Taxi for the loanee.
The next step should obviously be to simplify massively and go back to basics.
Go to 4 at the back. Start pressing the opposition to force mistakes and prevent them playing the way they want. Play individuals in their preferred positions. Get Gmac and Sadlier on the wings crossing the ball in. Both Taylor's upfront should be running channels to gain territory.
It isn't groundbreaking stuff but we'd be perfectly compatible in this league doing that.
I like your thoughts but let’s not presume we can’t get relegated. We are six points above the relegation zone with 26 to play and our form over the last 10 games if it continues will see us on 45/46 points come the end of April.
That would historically see us relegated all but once in the last 10 full seasons.
Lets hope things improve and we get some key players back but we are not too big a club to get relegated.
Where the hell were Gmac and Tj playing? It was like an under 11s game at that point. Utter shambles. It appeared that the instructions to the subs was just round about.