Awful first half and really hard to see any positives at half time (really good goal though).
I quite enjoyed the first 15 minutes of the second half when it opened up and for a while we looked half decent, but unfortunately it didn’t last.
Credit to Reading for not sitting back (although we were clearly ripe for taking).
Disappointing as a game following on from two more poor performances.
What shouldn’t be forgotten however was that prior to Cambridge we did look to have developed a style of playing that both looked good (mostly) and was effective.
What didn’t help however was that those good performances against the league’s better clubs didn’t result in more points.
Anyway. More importantly, welcome back @trevor. The Gasroom is a much more karmically balanced place with you around.
This has to be the worst style of football since the Peter Taylor era (and at least he won games).
One of the joys of watching Wycombe under Ainsworth was the feeling we were capable of outscoring the opposition and could fight back from losing positions. Expectations were high and it hurt if we lost. Now I expect to lose and it's a surprise if we don't.
For me, effectively playing with five defenders every week has totally scuppered our potency going forward. It's a boring style of play and it's also proving ineffective. Here's hoping the manager shows some flexibility in his choice of formation.
It's also less than encouraging that our better performers such as Potts and Phillips won't be here next season.
I've been trawling the pages of this forum especially to find your feedback on here. You make some really constructive well made points that i'll implement right away in training.
I still think we have short memories. We had a run of consistently playing well (though not always getting the results, such as Peterborough & Charlton) with this same setup. I think a lot of it is down to losing two exceptional players in Leahy and Potts, and losing the option of Vokes to give us a physical threat in the middle when we need to mix it up.
Blooms is still only a year into his entire management career, and needs some patience.
All I can say is, I'm glad I don't have to watch that every week ... oh bugger, I've just remembered I've got a season ticket.
At least I won't have to freeze my nuts off watching another abject display against Morecambe in the cup next week, as I'll be on a Caribbean cruise, with expected temperatures of 28.
But I'll be back in time for the Shrewsbury game, things can only get better, surely.
It's not fair to say we're sleepwalking into anything. Bloomfield and the boys will be well aware of the scale of the task and working as hard as possible to get it right.
There were at least four occasions in the second half when our centre backs had possession and we had 5 or 6 players in a line up front. Not one of them made a run or came short for the ball. It’s no wonder we keep passing it around between Scowen, Stryjek and the back three.
On one occasion we had seven players in open play, all in a line, completely static.
The decent spell we had for 10 minutes was when players were coming short for the ball and the wing backs getting beyond the strikers.
It was school boy stuff. Pump it long and hope for the best.
It wasn’t as bad as that Tuesday night 0-0 against Boston but it wasn’t far off it.
I think that might be partly because by the time we worked out what we wanted to do (even if that was just loosely get the ball forward with a bit more urgency) most of those that started were knackered and those that came on weren't fit anyway.
I've never liked 3 at the back anyway, but watching Taf and Low constantly receiving the ball in wide positions and struggling to do much with it, it feels very little benefit playing this system. Especially with Grimmer who isn't a wingback anyway, and Boyes who barely got past the half way line.
We'll look a lot better when Potts is available again, as he dovetails excellently with Scowen. But can we play Leahy in there as a 3? Probably not based on early season evidence.
Up front we barely had a chance today. Great goal from Phillips, and hit the post later, but this was a team who've not won away for a year and are bottom for more than deducted point reasoning.
We've lost one hell of a lot of physicality with Vokes and Hanlan out. More than anyone considered I think. Even when both look to be having average games, every ball has to be dealt with strongly against Vokes' strength and aerial ability, and Hanlan always having the potential to get through.
Oh well, hope for the best on Tuesday, and then a break next week, where at least we can dream of the 3rd round of the cup.
You feel we need a big cup tie to look forward to to get through the cold winter!
Today was utterly dispiriting and the overall reaction probably represents the first time MB has had any real heat directed towards him. I hope he and the team find a reaction because that performance was morale-sapping and very ‘un-Wycombe’. No grit, insipid and tactically inept - a dreadful combo.
I’m guessing no press from Matt tonight. James Richings posted about an hour ago that no show and nothing on the club feed. Shame. I would like to know his thinking on tactics. Selection I get. Tactics I don’t. Playing a flat back 5 makes us less of an attacking threat of course so I assume the plan is to win by not conceding. But as we have one of the worst goals conceded records in the league that doesn’t stack up.
Anecdotally that result will have hit the attendance for Saturday. So many people in the bar saying they were not going to bother now with Saturday’s game. Performances like that will directly undermine any chance of growing attendances no doubt.
The guys on the sideline when they see the fullbacks drop into a deep position can simply say ‘hey chap, push on’. Boyes on many occasions got the ball at the halfway line and checked back to the centre halves. No intention of attacking. No intention of getting past his man. This was a tactic or a player not doing as he’s told. I suspect a tactic else someone would have given him a rocket.
I feel for Max. He’s being made to look a pretty average keeper right now with the terrifying build from the back. When will teams learn they are not good enough to emulated Man City? Also the build from the back kills momentum. There was a chance of Max getting warned for time wasting when we were losing.
It feels like we’re so used to having Vokes (a target man) in the team that when he’s not available we come unstuck in between trying to play football and trying to go direct. Today was underwhelming however if we’d not gifted reading the first goal I think we’d still win the game.
Of course, Boyes and Grimmer produced little of quality but not even they would put that down to being set up to be overly cautious or defensive.
Either the lack of movement meant the easy option wasn't on or the ball wasn't good enough. Too often the first lead to the second.
Reading were always going to pick up a bit and have a smattering of good pros and a great youth system providing some willing runners. We needed to go at them from the off, they had us figured out pretty early and showed no fear.
MB deserves credit for his post match with Phil, he pulled no punches on how he was disappointed with the performance & acknowledged it wasnt good enough.
What made no sense for the first goal, is that Keogh had the ball in loads of space and had an easy ball to the right sideline to Low, or a very slightly harder ball left to Taf.
Instead he inexplicably went back to Max, who then even more inexplicably did an Allison straight to their man.
Yes the cross was a mishit and fluke of a goal, but there was absolutely no need to involve Max in the move anyway.
It wouldn't have made much difference to the result, but the refereeing was really poor again.
Boyes beat his man once first half, was clearly pulled back and the ref awarded a free kick. It should be a booking. How do officials not understand that failing to book that sort of foul just means it will inevitably continue to happen all game? There were 3 or 4 similar incidents that went unpunished. Grimmer committed a similar foul just as the guy was about to burst through into the box and somehow got away with it.
Very irritating as it rewards teams for deliberately breaking up promising attacks.
The linesman on the main stand side of the pitch was absolutely pathetic. He was unable to keep up with play and got caught out struggling to make up ground on at least four occasions. Very poor linesman.
Lol, just had a look at the comments this poster has made since joining and almost all of them are praising Taff, saying he should have played when he didn't or slating the other choices, hope this is just someone fan-boying , if it's anyone close to Taff it's embarrassing.
He's a very good player on his day but it often isn't his day and his fitness is poor despite his self help videos. For anyone to look objectively at the teams performances this season and pick Taff as standing out is a bit odd.
There was one moment in the first half where everyone around me were baying for the Reading forward to be offside, however however our back 3 were in a J shape and were playing him on.
Comments
Awful first half and really hard to see any positives at half time (really good goal though).
I quite enjoyed the first 15 minutes of the second half when it opened up and for a while we looked half decent, but unfortunately it didn’t last.
Credit to Reading for not sitting back (although we were clearly ripe for taking).
Disappointing as a game following on from two more poor performances.
What shouldn’t be forgotten however was that prior to Cambridge we did look to have developed a style of playing that both looked good (mostly) and was effective.
What didn’t help however was that those good performances against the league’s better clubs didn’t result in more points.
Anyway. More importantly, welcome back @trevor. The Gasroom is a much more karmically balanced place with you around.
8 points off the playoffs. 6 points off the relegation spots.
All to pray for.
Dear Matt. I will not boo but that display was truly woefull. Regards John
This has to be the worst style of football since the Peter Taylor era (and at least he won games).
One of the joys of watching Wycombe under Ainsworth was the feeling we were capable of outscoring the opposition and could fight back from losing positions. Expectations were high and it hurt if we lost. Now I expect to lose and it's a surprise if we don't.
For me, effectively playing with five defenders every week has totally scuppered our potency going forward. It's a boring style of play and it's also proving ineffective. Here's hoping the manager shows some flexibility in his choice of formation.
It's also less than encouraging that our better performers such as Potts and Phillips won't be here next season.
Dear John,
I've been trawling the pages of this forum especially to find your feedback on here. You make some really constructive well made points that i'll implement right away in training.
Best Regards,
Matt
We're already in a relegation fight and have been all season.
I still think we have short memories. We had a run of consistently playing well (though not always getting the results, such as Peterborough & Charlton) with this same setup. I think a lot of it is down to losing two exceptional players in Leahy and Potts, and losing the option of Vokes to give us a physical threat in the middle when we need to mix it up.
Blooms is still only a year into his entire management career, and needs some patience.
All I can say is, I'm glad I don't have to watch that every week ... oh bugger, I've just remembered I've got a season ticket.
At least I won't have to freeze my nuts off watching another abject display against Morecambe in the cup next week, as I'll be on a Caribbean cruise, with expected temperatures of 28.
But I'll be back in time for the Shrewsbury game, things can only get better, surely.
Jamaica?
Yes. By threatening to sue her.
It's not fair to say we're sleepwalking into anything. Bloomfield and the boys will be well aware of the scale of the task and working as hard as possible to get it right.
There were at least four occasions in the second half when our centre backs had possession and we had 5 or 6 players in a line up front. Not one of them made a run or came short for the ball. It’s no wonder we keep passing it around between Scowen, Stryjek and the back three.
On one occasion we had seven players in open play, all in a line, completely static.
The decent spell we had for 10 minutes was when players were coming short for the ball and the wing backs getting beyond the strikers.
It was school boy stuff. Pump it long and hope for the best.
It wasn’t as bad as that Tuesday night 0-0 against Boston but it wasn’t far off it.
I think that might be partly because by the time we worked out what we wanted to do (even if that was just loosely get the ball forward with a bit more urgency) most of those that started were knackered and those that came on weren't fit anyway.
All feels a little bit off at the moment.
I've never liked 3 at the back anyway, but watching Taf and Low constantly receiving the ball in wide positions and struggling to do much with it, it feels very little benefit playing this system. Especially with Grimmer who isn't a wingback anyway, and Boyes who barely got past the half way line.
We'll look a lot better when Potts is available again, as he dovetails excellently with Scowen. But can we play Leahy in there as a 3? Probably not based on early season evidence.
Up front we barely had a chance today. Great goal from Phillips, and hit the post later, but this was a team who've not won away for a year and are bottom for more than deducted point reasoning.
We've lost one hell of a lot of physicality with Vokes and Hanlan out. More than anyone considered I think. Even when both look to be having average games, every ball has to be dealt with strongly against Vokes' strength and aerial ability, and Hanlan always having the potential to get through.
Oh well, hope for the best on Tuesday, and then a break next week, where at least we can dream of the 3rd round of the cup.
You feel we need a big cup tie to look forward to to get through the cold winter!
Today was utterly dispiriting and the overall reaction probably represents the first time MB has had any real heat directed towards him. I hope he and the team find a reaction because that performance was morale-sapping and very ‘un-Wycombe’. No grit, insipid and tactically inept - a dreadful combo.
I’m guessing no press from Matt tonight. James Richings posted about an hour ago that no show and nothing on the club feed. Shame. I would like to know his thinking on tactics. Selection I get. Tactics I don’t. Playing a flat back 5 makes us less of an attacking threat of course so I assume the plan is to win by not conceding. But as we have one of the worst goals conceded records in the league that doesn’t stack up.
Anecdotally that result will have hit the attendance for Saturday. So many people in the bar saying they were not going to bother now with Saturday’s game. Performances like that will directly undermine any chance of growing attendances no doubt.
Surely we didn't intend to play a flat back 5 against bottom of the league, hapless Reading?
It surely panned out that way from a poor performance.
The guys on the sideline when they see the fullbacks drop into a deep position can simply say ‘hey chap, push on’. Boyes on many occasions got the ball at the halfway line and checked back to the centre halves. No intention of attacking. No intention of getting past his man. This was a tactic or a player not doing as he’s told. I suspect a tactic else someone would have given him a rocket.
I feel for Max. He’s being made to look a pretty average keeper right now with the terrifying build from the back. When will teams learn they are not good enough to emulated Man City? Also the build from the back kills momentum. There was a chance of Max getting warned for time wasting when we were losing.
There are only 3 players playing well currently:
Scowen
Taffazoli
Phillips
It feels like we’re so used to having Vokes (a target man) in the team that when he’s not available we come unstuck in between trying to play football and trying to go direct. Today was underwhelming however if we’d not gifted reading the first goal I think we’d still win the game.
Of course, Boyes and Grimmer produced little of quality but not even they would put that down to being set up to be overly cautious or defensive.
Either the lack of movement meant the easy option wasn't on or the ball wasn't good enough. Too often the first lead to the second.
Reading were always going to pick up a bit and have a smattering of good pros and a great youth system providing some willing runners. We needed to go at them from the off, they had us figured out pretty early and showed no fear.
Let's be fair, if Max could kick well he wouldn't be playing at this level.
At least it might put a few of the summer bidders off.
MB deserves credit for his post match with Phil, he pulled no punches on how he was disappointed with the performance & acknowledged it wasnt good enough.
What made no sense for the first goal, is that Keogh had the ball in loads of space and had an easy ball to the right sideline to Low, or a very slightly harder ball left to Taf.
Instead he inexplicably went back to Max, who then even more inexplicably did an Allison straight to their man.
Yes the cross was a mishit and fluke of a goal, but there was absolutely no need to involve Max in the move anyway.
It wouldn't have made much difference to the result, but the refereeing was really poor again.
Boyes beat his man once first half, was clearly pulled back and the ref awarded a free kick. It should be a booking. How do officials not understand that failing to book that sort of foul just means it will inevitably continue to happen all game? There were 3 or 4 similar incidents that went unpunished. Grimmer committed a similar foul just as the guy was about to burst through into the box and somehow got away with it.
Very irritating as it rewards teams for deliberately breaking up promising attacks.
Alright Mrs Taffazoli, we heard you the first 8 times you praised hubby. Unfortunately we also have eyes so saw how “well” he played.
Hashtagprayforwycombe
The fightback starts on Tuesday in South Yorkshire
The linesman on the main stand side of the pitch was absolutely pathetic. He was unable to keep up with play and got caught out struggling to make up ground on at least four occasions. Very poor linesman.
Lol, just had a look at the comments this poster has made since joining and almost all of them are praising Taff, saying he should have played when he didn't or slating the other choices, hope this is just someone fan-boying , if it's anyone close to Taff it's embarrassing.
He's a very good player on his day but it often isn't his day and his fitness is poor despite his self help videos. For anyone to look objectively at the teams performances this season and pick Taff as standing out is a bit odd.
There was one moment in the first half where everyone around me were baying for the Reading forward to be offside, however however our back 3 were in a J shape and were playing him on.
Did you hear a whooshing sound just above your head @trevor
😉
Is Trevor Mrs Tafazolli? Scandal