Along with Mehmeti, I think Gape's form has been a rare plus this season.
Whilst I do feel down from watching that, it is worth saying that we've just played Derby and Sheff Weds away, missing 2 crucial defensive midfielders in Scowen and Thompson. We'd be fine missing one, but to have both out leaves us severely short especially when playing the top sides. Worth remembering we were 4 unbeaten prior to this. My main worry is the possibility of Scowen being out for a while. If that were the case, then I suspect we are in for a tough time.
Bang average performance from a team who look consistently bang average.
Strange thing is that the sum of the parts (on paper) don’t equal the whole. We have our most expensive squad ever and yet we huff and puff like today and just look …mneh.
Horgan back to the Horgan of old (not a compliment). Wing went backwards today compared to previous weeks. McCarthy having to play an unfamiliar role looked like a player playing an unfamiliar role against a top player.
And therefore no one can be surprised at the result I guess. I was expecting 10th at the start of the season. I reckon I’m safe.
Yes we’ve just played Derby and Sheff Wed away but we only have 11 points from a possible 30, so it is a little bit more than just those two tough games.
We can turn things around but this is not a little blip at all.
Just listened to GA’s post match interview with 3CR. Lots of talk again on opposition budgets, attendances, and injuries rather than getting into the performance in any real level of detail. I think he might be starting to feel the pressure.
One thing that also concerns me is he has stated a few times about getting to the second half of the season when he hopes things will turn around; are we just supposed to write off the next 11 games then?
My thoughts exactly. Our injury ‘crisis’ really isn’t as bad as some are making out, GA included. We were 2 players away from what most would consider our strongest starting XI today.
The reality is we lack quality throughout the squad, not just in what we need in reserve when injuries are an issue.
Aside from Scowen & McLeary it’s really only not having Hanlan to call off the bench that is a miss. We’ve been without Thommo for ages and have plenty of options in CM.
Whatever the reasons for our poor recruitment in the summer it’s really hurting us.
On the subs, yet again he waited to the 75th minute.
Just after the hour mark he called over AAH and he & Dobbo started to give him instructions. I called it out to those around me that we wouldn’t see the change until the 75th minute. Predictably, once the clock hit 74 the tops of AAH & Freeman came off.
We've played and lost away to 2 teams that get home attendances over 20k and no doubt have a lot larger budgets than ours. We have been competitive in both games but ultimately have lost to better teams on the day with 2 of our best players missing.
Some people on this board need to wake up to reality.
We didn't lose our fifth league game until 29th December last season so it's a miserable start to this one and the table doesn't lie after ten games. We were outclassed again today and barring Mehmeti there was little to get excited about. Disjointed performances have become the norm and the Wycombe spirit seems to have vanished for now. Tough times compared to last year, but hopefully we can find a couple of wins to change the dynamic. The fact that everyone had such high expectations (pre August) makes it feel worse.
10% shimmering apes, 10% grizzled vets, 10% professional positive spinners, 65% silent minority, 5% handsome well thought out posting legends, and 1% who can't add up.
Poor recruitment ( apart from Mawson) is hitting us hard. I’d like to know why Ainsworth is so reluctant to use subs earlier. Needed an extra forward with pace .
It's a difficult one, as we have all the players we need in the squad.
We just don't have them in form and fit.
You can't just go and bring a pacy forward, a Bayo, another centre back, mid etc in, because there's number restraints, not to mention the obvious budget restraints.
So he's clearly gone the development route, which has a bit more flexibility.
That playoff final with the extra games and timescale definitely seems to have disrupted our season though. Starting a few weeks behind, strange choice of friendlies, being a bit too relaxed with at least replacing what we'd lost.
Certain if we had a bigger budget we would have brought in players like Shef Wed have done. I'm concerned that with crowds of 5k we are already spending too much on player wages.
We do receive mixed messages about whether we are Little Wycombe any more (for the record, I think we always will be). If we are doing well, we have outgrown that tag, but when we lose to clubs we are supposed to be battling against for promotion, it is okay because they are so big compared to us.
Comments
I'd have put Thompson above Gape before Gape came back strongly at the end of last season.
But on this season's form, I'd take Gape as the equal of Thompson.
Scowen a tier above both, but still not a playmaker in the same way as Bannan is.
Just subjecting myself to the 'highlights' - the back three looked... confused?
That was my view having watched the whole match. With all that experience we had no leader/organiser. JJ (and I love him), was well off pace.
Along with Mehmeti, I think Gape's form has been a rare plus this season.
Whilst I do feel down from watching that, it is worth saying that we've just played Derby and Sheff Weds away, missing 2 crucial defensive midfielders in Scowen and Thompson. We'd be fine missing one, but to have both out leaves us severely short especially when playing the top sides. Worth remembering we were 4 unbeaten prior to this. My main worry is the possibility of Scowen being out for a while. If that were the case, then I suspect we are in for a tough time.
Bang average performance from a team who look consistently bang average.
Strange thing is that the sum of the parts (on paper) don’t equal the whole. We have our most expensive squad ever and yet we huff and puff like today and just look …mneh.
Horgan back to the Horgan of old (not a compliment). Wing went backwards today compared to previous weeks. McCarthy having to play an unfamiliar role looked like a player playing an unfamiliar role against a top player.
And therefore no one can be surprised at the result I guess. I was expecting 10th at the start of the season. I reckon I’m safe.
The weird thing is if you take away the first and last 38 seconds, we are simply bemoaning coughing up another lead for a creditable draw...
Yes we’ve just played Derby and Sheff Wed away but we only have 11 points from a possible 30, so it is a little bit more than just those two tough games.
We can turn things around but this is not a little blip at all.
Just listened to GA’s post match interview with 3CR. Lots of talk again on opposition budgets, attendances, and injuries rather than getting into the performance in any real level of detail. I think he might be starting to feel the pressure.
One thing that also concerns me is he has stated a few times about getting to the second half of the season when he hopes things will turn around; are we just supposed to write off the next 11 games then?
My thoughts exactly. Our injury ‘crisis’ really isn’t as bad as some are making out, GA included. We were 2 players away from what most would consider our strongest starting XI today.
The reality is we lack quality throughout the squad, not just in what we need in reserve when injuries are an issue.
Aside from Scowen & McLeary it’s really only not having Hanlan to call off the bench that is a miss. We’ve been without Thommo for ages and have plenty of options in CM.
Whatever the reasons for our poor recruitment in the summer it’s really hurting us.
Second best today by a long chalk. But I know we have a decent team and one of the best management teams in the league so onwards and upwards.
Grating, isn't it.
On the subs, yet again he waited to the 75th minute.
Just after the hour mark he called over AAH and he & Dobbo started to give him instructions. I called it out to those around me that we wouldn’t see the change until the 75th minute. Predictably, once the clock hit 74 the tops of AAH & Freeman came off.
We've played and lost away to 2 teams that get home attendances over 20k and no doubt have a lot larger budgets than ours. We have been competitive in both games but ultimately have lost to better teams on the day with 2 of our best players missing.
Some people on this board need to wake up to reality.
It's worrying, as it suggests he's not holding much hope on getting those players back and in form by then.
Thompson he's already said something along the lines of "we hope to get him back to play a part in the second season".
That doesn't sound like Jan, more like will he get back for a few games at the end.
We didn't lose our fifth league game until 29th December last season so it's a miserable start to this one and the table doesn't lie after ten games. We were outclassed again today and barring Mehmeti there was little to get excited about. Disjointed performances have become the norm and the Wycombe spirit seems to have vanished for now. Tough times compared to last year, but hopefully we can find a couple of wins to change the dynamic. The fact that everyone had such high expectations (pre August) makes it feel worse.
Talk on Facebook about making a 40ft banner with ‘Ainsworth Out’.
Thought it was a joke but seems not.
Tilley.
He's a wind up merchant that for some reason they won't ban.
But then it's a slightly strange moderating set up with the main guy being based in America. Not sure how he got the job.
Because all the best Wycombe fans are based in America!
The FB group is the definition of a dumpster fire, filled with people bitter at how stupid GA regularly makes them look.
There's always been this strange under current that is never too far away if we lose a couple of games.
I think some of them think there's a lower league Pep ready to come in and have us playing champagne football.
What's your general FB demographic like these days? I've not used it for yeeeaaars.
Never use it and by the sounds, not missing anything.
10% shimmering apes, 10% grizzled vets, 10% professional positive spinners, 65% silent minority, 5% handsome well thought out posting legends, and 1% who can't add up.
The most active users i see are late 20s to mid 40s. Basically the people who signed up as college students or recent grads when it first started.
Poor recruitment ( apart from Mawson) is hitting us hard. I’d like to know why Ainsworth is so reluctant to use subs earlier. Needed an extra forward with pace .
It's a difficult one, as we have all the players we need in the squad.
We just don't have them in form and fit.
You can't just go and bring a pacy forward, a Bayo, another centre back, mid etc in, because there's number restraints, not to mention the obvious budget restraints.
So he's clearly gone the development route, which has a bit more flexibility.
That playoff final with the extra games and timescale definitely seems to have disrupted our season though. Starting a few weeks behind, strange choice of friendlies, being a bit too relaxed with at least replacing what we'd lost.
Certain if we had a bigger budget we would have brought in players like Shef Wed have done. I'm concerned that with crowds of 5k we are already spending too much on player wages.
We do receive mixed messages about whether we are Little Wycombe any more (for the record, I think we always will be). If we are doing well, we have outgrown that tag, but when we lose to clubs we are supposed to be battling against for promotion, it is okay because they are so big compared to us.
I wonder where we'd fall if the division was ranked by size of club?
What position ceases to be over achieving?
I'd argue that only FGR, Accrington, Fleetwood, Morecambe and Burton are smaller than us. Then there are probably a fair few with whom we're on a par.
Fleetwood must have a much bigger budget than us, though? FGR quite possibly likewise - Burton probably slightly bigger?