Well personally I am extremely happy that @trevor continues to post on here. He makes me look positively optimistic!
But, I really think this is a very difficult season to predict.
First 11 I don’t think we are quite as strong as we’re were a couple of seasons ago but in terms of the squad, it does feel we have potentially (and that word is doing a lot of work) the strongest squad we’ve had for a long time.
Historically under GA we were always greater than the sum of all parts. The test for MB is to work towards that.
If he can come close to matching that I think we could have a season to remember (for the right reasons).
But, we have to remember his relative inexperience in the role and the likelihood that getting the balance and gelling of the team will take a little time and I do think as supporters we may need to show quite a bit of patience.
My expectation is for a fairly slow start (for good reasons). If we can still pick up the odd win (on a Saturday would be nice) and have around 15 points after 10 games I think we will build on that and challenge the playoffs.
Below that and I think we may be looking at lower mid-table with the odd nervous look over our shoulders if we have a run of bad luck with injuries.
So… 14th
(which is probably my most optimistic pre-season prediction ever!)
It seems a long time since I posted a popular comment dismissing the 'Ainsworth's gone, it's the end' melts and urging everyone to get ready for an exciting new chapter. So far, I think Bloomfield's approach has shown his lack of experience at best and smacks of arrogance at worst. I predict a very bad season.
I've never met him but it seems to me that he took over a winning side and tried to reinvent the wheel. When it wasn't working, he should've realised that winning games was more important than building a side in his own image and reverted to the Ainsworth way. Naive at best.
We're heading into a season with much of our XI completely changed and a new, pretty much, untested manager. MB will have learned a lot about the squad, but expecting everything to click quickly would be ridiculous.
I'd imagine we'll stutter a bit to start, and start to see progress around November. There is an issue with the Couhig's looking to bring in funding - a poor on-pitch product without too good a league position can't be that attractive to bidders.
I think describing MB as untried, inexperienced is ignoring his performance in bringing together a management team that has done well in recruiting. Surely having 3 young, talented players on season long loans speaks well of how Premier and championship teams view him. Maybe the first few matches will be a bit patchy as regards performance and line up. But surely we must be optimistic for a top 6 finish and even top 2. We will have a well regarded team both as regards performance and reputation.
Another point about MB - we had just lost our best defender (Mawson) and best attacker and creative x-factor (Mehmeti) not long before GA left, so it was going to be very difficult to play the same way with the same success anyway. Mehmeti especially left right before Ainsworth if I remember correctly, so we were always going to look more toothless in attack. It would be a little bit like blaming the new Spurs manager if Kane leaves and they look a little toothless at the start of the season.
He managed Col U for about 3 months, then us for another 3. He's done a brilliant job pulling in experience around him, and they've all done good groundwork in getting what seem to be brilliant Prem loans.
Going into this season thinking a top 6 finish should be automatically achievable because of that, is a silly mindset to have. Then again, pre-season is a time for optimism, otherwise what's the point
You know what? You are right there. I did not realize that the final few games of that winning streak were without Anis. For some reason I thought GA had left within a week or so. Good point. I still disagree about MB being arrogant, but you have your facts right on the results!
Oh, I'm extremely excited and optimistic. I do just worry that if we don't fly out of the gates, people will be irrationally angry at what should be expected. I heard wayyyy too many 'Bloomfield isn't good enough' type comments last year to not be worried about that.
If people are not irrationally angry on the Gasroom at some point either early doors, during mid season slump or the chase for the playoffs, I will be very surprised!!!😀
The very worst thing Blooms could have done was come in and pretend to be GA. He’s done a fantastic job of building a team on paper this summer. I’m expecting a rough few weeks as that team gels, but I think overall we’re in for a fantastic season.
What everyone seems to forget when praising Gareth and knocking Matt is that we nearly lost our league status under Gareths first full season, so cut Matt some slack.
Always good to see your expectations exceeded! We’ve done a lot of that in recent years.
The counterpart is being a supporter of someone like Man City. You have the best team, you know you are going to win pretty much everything. Where do the highs come from? (Okay, okay winning titles and trophies, tick. But there’s a slight bit of weird logic in there somewhere. Maybe)
Comments
Well personally I am extremely happy that @trevor continues to post on here. He makes me look positively optimistic!
But, I really think this is a very difficult season to predict.
First 11 I don’t think we are quite as strong as we’re were a couple of seasons ago but in terms of the squad, it does feel we have potentially (and that word is doing a lot of work) the strongest squad we’ve had for a long time.
Historically under GA we were always greater than the sum of all parts. The test for MB is to work towards that.
If he can come close to matching that I think we could have a season to remember (for the right reasons).
But, we have to remember his relative inexperience in the role and the likelihood that getting the balance and gelling of the team will take a little time and I do think as supporters we may need to show quite a bit of patience.
My expectation is for a fairly slow start (for good reasons). If we can still pick up the odd win (on a Saturday would be nice) and have around 15 points after 10 games I think we will build on that and challenge the playoffs.
Below that and I think we may be looking at lower mid-table with the odd nervous look over our shoulders if we have a run of bad luck with injuries.
So… 14th
(which is probably my most optimistic pre-season prediction ever!)
It seems a long time since I posted a popular comment dismissing the 'Ainsworth's gone, it's the end' melts and urging everyone to get ready for an exciting new chapter. So far, I think Bloomfield's approach has shown his lack of experience at best and smacks of arrogance at worst. I predict a very bad season.
I think you'd be hard pressed to find many people in pro football less suiting the word "arrogant" than Bloomfield for goodness sake.
I've never met him but it seems to me that he took over a winning side and tried to reinvent the wheel. When it wasn't working, he should've realised that winning games was more important than building a side in his own image and reverted to the Ainsworth way. Naive at best.
We're heading into a season with much of our XI completely changed and a new, pretty much, untested manager. MB will have learned a lot about the squad, but expecting everything to click quickly would be ridiculous.
I'd imagine we'll stutter a bit to start, and start to see progress around November. There is an issue with the Couhig's looking to bring in funding - a poor on-pitch product without too good a league position can't be that attractive to bidders.
Any manager will put a new spin on a team when they take over.
It's unrealistic to expect that he could just be Gareth and do everything like him.
We also did have a few injuries that helped derail us too.
The jury is still out, and we'll all feel better if we can actually win a Saturday game and even 2 games back to back early doors.
I think describing MB as untried, inexperienced is ignoring his performance in bringing together a management team that has done well in recruiting. Surely having 3 young, talented players on season long loans speaks well of how Premier and championship teams view him. Maybe the first few matches will be a bit patchy as regards performance and line up. But surely we must be optimistic for a top 6 finish and even top 2. We will have a well regarded team both as regards performance and reputation.
Another point about MB - we had just lost our best defender (Mawson) and best attacker and creative x-factor (Mehmeti) not long before GA left, so it was going to be very difficult to play the same way with the same success anyway. Mehmeti especially left right before Ainsworth if I remember correctly, so we were always going to look more toothless in attack. It would be a little bit like blaming the new Spurs manager if Kane leaves and they look a little toothless at the start of the season.
@drcongo can only know...
My recollection is that we were playing fantastically well without Mehmeti and Mawson.
Only if they were dim enough to use their same email address!
He managed Col U for about 3 months, then us for another 3. He's done a brilliant job pulling in experience around him, and they've all done good groundwork in getting what seem to be brilliant Prem loans.
Going into this season thinking a top 6 finish should be automatically achievable because of that, is a silly mindset to have. Then again, pre-season is a time for optimism, otherwise what's the point
I thought maybe the good dr might be able to see IP address 🤔
That was just me speculating though.
I have only basic to minimal understanding of this stuff
You know what? You are right there. I did not realize that the final few games of that winning streak were without Anis. For some reason I thought GA had left within a week or so. Good point. I still disagree about MB being arrogant, but you have your facts right on the results!
You can create different IP addresses on the same laptop.
Heck, half the gasroom have an IP address in a different country on a match day 😂
I sometimes feel sorry for those who sadly predict an underwhelming season before a ball has been kicked in anger. What's the point?
Having to play Hanlan instead of Vokes did not help.
Yes spot on - from a NordVPN user. 👍
Oh, I'm extremely excited and optimistic. I do just worry that if we don't fly out of the gates, people will be irrationally angry at what should be expected. I heard wayyyy too many 'Bloomfield isn't good enough' type comments last year to not be worried about that.
If people are not irrationally angry on the Gasroom at some point either early doors, during mid season slump or the chase for the playoffs, I will be very surprised!!!😀
I'm currently rationally angry about something irrational
The very worst thing Blooms could have done was come in and pretend to be GA. He’s done a fantastic job of building a team on paper this summer. I’m expecting a rough few weeks as that team gels, but I think overall we’re in for a fantastic season.
Arse waits 6hrs before suggesting @Malone takes a looks in the mirror.
Looking at one's arse in the mirror is inadvisable
Gasroomers are welcome to enter this FREE prediction competition
https://wycombewandererstrust.com/2023/08/the-trust-chairboys-challenge-can-you-forecast-the-chairboys-football-fate
What everyone seems to forget when praising Gareth and knocking Matt is that we nearly lost our league status under Gareths first full season, so cut Matt some slack.
The devil isn’t in the detail with you, @trevor. With you, it seems to be an all-encompassing, all-consuming pessimism.
Ukraine v England in September.
Played in Wroclaw, Poland.
I'm off representing Wycombe here, but is there a chance Putin will bomb the place?
Always good to see your expectations exceeded! We’ve done a lot of that in recent years.
The counterpart is being a supporter of someone like Man City. You have the best team, you know you are going to win pretty much everything. Where do the highs come from? (Okay, okay winning titles and trophies, tick. But there’s a slight bit of weird logic in there somewhere. Maybe)