now list the players who have left and you have your answer, we are short on numbers (which we were last year) and quality of last year. still need 4 or 5 more but of quality in my opinion. bishop is the only upgrade i see. bartolo lets not kid yourself aint nowhere near ready.
A week to go. It's going to be an interesting 7 days to see who the management have already identified and who we now need in light of recent injuries.
I'm guessing as a bare minimum CB, wide right player, wide left player. Probably unfair to think that Hanlan will be firing on all cylinders until Christmas. Even if he makes a return to full training in the autumn it's a long way back from his injury. I'm comfortable to think that Bartolo could be useful in this set-up but he needs time. Squad player but we need a proper competition with GMac.
I love McCleary but if we want to be challenging for the playoffs we can’t be relying on him as heavily as we have in the league so far. There are so many better wingers in the league. I would have anticipated Gmac to be playing a reduced role this season, but the wide areas are so thin in quality that he’s started both league games!
The young Arsenal winger who has gone to Shrewsbury on loan was very close to coming to us. MB and the recruitment team have been busy throughout the summer and hopefully we'll see the fruits of their labour before the end of the window.
I don't get why GMac is coming in for criticism lately, I saw a post recently claiming he has "one good game in every seven" which seems, well, insane.
I'd have to check for sure, but my perception with GMac is that he starts more games now, years on then that first season he came in. When you'd think it'd be the other way round.
I think @Midlander called it right though, saying we've got a good squad but missing that absolute regular game changer in attack.
GMac is a fantastic player for us and physically looks like he could play for another decade. I see a lot of him in me when he removes his shirt. But wingers are always prone to be 'sussed' by teams. In some games he's given space and he will destroy defenders. In other games he simply gets smothered and nullified and not a lot even the best of players can do in that instance. In games where he is nullified I think you need a simple speed merchant to present a different challenge. I would have like to think Chem Campbell could have been that player but despite the pace he didn't have the end product, Kudoa could have been that player but that seems to be a non-starter. I'm sure Dan Rice etc know someone.
Is GMAC the new JJ? Consistently written off at the start of a season and then goes onto prove people wrong. I hope so.
I personally don’t think we can expect him to run rings round everyone, all Game, every game. He’s probably a victim of his own high standards and people expect that all the time - which is grossly unfair.
You could argue JJ, but he wasn’t consistently involved through the season. But that is 3 (or 4) out and 5 (or 6) in depending on your view on Bartolo
But of course you’ll want to include the plethora of Loan players that also left to pad your numbers.
But any loan players coming in is largely out of our hands in many respects, especially this year, with the EURO’s meaning senior players from the clubs we will loan from not joining them during preseason tours, so the loan market is understandably later this year. It’s also why I didn’t include the Ipswich lad in the “in” numbers despite me expecting him the squad this weekend.
That doesn’t reflect us not being able to do “the business” or a “lack of business”, just that the market is later in that respect.
Personally, i think a lot of people have been used to waiting til the end of the window for us to get players in, but we did it at the start. This has made people feel we haven’t made many signings when on WWFC owned players we are in a positive position and now perhaps looking to supplement with the loans we got in a bit earlier last year.
WE might want to be challenging for the playoffs but I don't think that's what the owners are interested in. There's a 10 minute interview with Jeremey Sauer, the new Academy Director, where he outlines the plans to create a Category One Academy at Wycombe. Exciting stuff and he sounds like he knows what he's talking about but you get the feeling (from this and other interviews with the executives at Wycombe) that we just have to avoid getting relegated until 2030 and then all the good stuff will happen.
I'm sure they'd like the playoffs this season but nothing they have said makes me think they care about them for now.
I’m not dismissing McCleary’s ability - I think he’s been underrated if anything - but if we play a back four with wingers then he is undroppable at the moment due to poor squad depth, which is poor squad planning. He’s 37.
I know we improved across the board after January, but it still shows that he actually found his stride as the season went on, rather than fading with age as might be expected.
Sure, if you want to ignore everything I said about Loan business was always going to be at the end of the Window, it’s a ridiculous take.
As is the take that we have struggled to do business, which we demonstrably haven’t.
I’m not ignoring it completely, I’m just not judging it YET because, as another one literally just being confirmed with Kodua return, I am expecting more in the coming few days (for the reasons you have ignored above).
Comments
LACK of business?
Nathan Bishop
Alex Harrridge
Jaiden Bartolo
Tyreeq Bakinson
Dan Harvie
Dan Udoh
how many more first team starters in the first few games did we want/need?
now list the players who have left and you have your answer, we are short on numbers (which we were last year) and quality of last year. still need 4 or 5 more but of quality in my opinion. bishop is the only upgrade i see. bartolo lets not kid yourself aint nowhere near ready.
movements going both ways? sounds like the nora virus
Bartolo appearing in the first team squad actually confirms to me that we are under strength. The lad is not ready yet.
A week to go. It's going to be an interesting 7 days to see who the management have already identified and who we now need in light of recent injuries.
I'm guessing as a bare minimum CB, wide right player, wide left player. Probably unfair to think that Hanlan will be firing on all cylinders until Christmas. Even if he makes a return to full training in the autumn it's a long way back from his injury. I'm comfortable to think that Bartolo could be useful in this set-up but he needs time. Squad player but we need a proper competition with GMac.
Absolutely agree with that.
I love McCleary but if we want to be challenging for the playoffs we can’t be relying on him as heavily as we have in the league so far. There are so many better wingers in the league. I would have anticipated Gmac to be playing a reduced role this season, but the wide areas are so thin in quality that he’s started both league games!
The young Arsenal winger who has gone to Shrewsbury on loan was very close to coming to us. MB and the recruitment team have been busy throughout the summer and hopefully we'll see the fruits of their labour before the end of the window.
I don't get why GMac is coming in for criticism lately, I saw a post recently claiming he has "one good game in every seven" which seems, well, insane.
A little harsh for sure.
I'd have to check for sure, but my perception with GMac is that he starts more games now, years on then that first season he came in. When you'd think it'd be the other way round.
I think @Midlander called it right though, saying we've got a good squad but missing that absolute regular game changer in attack.
Those don't come cheap though.
GMac is a fantastic player for us and physically looks like he could play for another decade. I see a lot of him in me when he removes his shirt. But wingers are always prone to be 'sussed' by teams. In some games he's given space and he will destroy defenders. In other games he simply gets smothered and nullified and not a lot even the best of players can do in that instance. In games where he is nullified I think you need a simple speed merchant to present a different challenge. I would have like to think Chem Campbell could have been that player but despite the pace he didn't have the end product, Kudoa could have been that player but that seems to be a non-starter. I'm sure Dan Rice etc know someone.
Is GMAC the new JJ? Consistently written off at the start of a season and then goes onto prove people wrong. I hope so.
I personally don’t think we can expect him to run rings round everyone, all Game, every game. He’s probably a victim of his own high standards and people expect that all the time - which is grossly unfair.
Like it but I think my auntie (flaming) Nora might have been offended, gawd rest her stool.
Ok - 1st Team Wycombe wanderers players:
KVY
Strykek
Forino.
You could argue JJ, but he wasn’t consistently involved through the season. But that is 3 (or 4) out and 5 (or 6) in depending on your view on Bartolo
But of course you’ll want to include the plethora of Loan players that also left to pad your numbers.
But any loan players coming in is largely out of our hands in many respects, especially this year, with the EURO’s meaning senior players from the clubs we will loan from not joining them during preseason tours, so the loan market is understandably later this year. It’s also why I didn’t include the Ipswich lad in the “in” numbers despite me expecting him the squad this weekend.
That doesn’t reflect us not being able to do “the business” or a “lack of business”, just that the market is later in that respect.
Personally, i think a lot of people have been used to waiting til the end of the window for us to get players in, but we did it at the start. This has made people feel we haven’t made many signings when on WWFC owned players we are in a positive position and now perhaps looking to supplement with the loans we got in a bit earlier last year.
It doesn’t make sense to me to exclude loan players if what we are trying to assess is whether the squad is stronger now or at the end of last season.
For me, it’s always Buck.
WE might want to be challenging for the playoffs but I don't think that's what the owners are interested in. There's a 10 minute interview with Jeremey Sauer, the new Academy Director, where he outlines the plans to create a Category One Academy at Wycombe. Exciting stuff and he sounds like he knows what he's talking about but you get the feeling (from this and other interviews with the executives at Wycombe) that we just have to avoid getting relegated until 2030 and then all the good stuff will happen.
I'm sure they'd like the playoffs this season but nothing they have said makes me think they care about them for now.
I’m not dismissing McCleary’s ability - I think he’s been underrated if anything - but if we play a back four with wingers then he is undroppable at the moment due to poor squad depth, which is poor squad planning. He’s 37.
There was a comment on the excellent Heroes of HP12 podcast that suggested investment in academies comes under FPP in the Championship but not in L1.
Sounds like we will pump the money in here for a season or two then before we set course for European Champions.
Regarding GMac, interestingly his 23/24 season broke down as follows:
1st half: 12 starts, 67 MOTM votes, 5.58 votes per start.
2nd half: 15 starts, 121 MOTM votes, 8.06 votes per start.
I know we improved across the board after January, but it still shows that he actually found his stride as the season went on, rather than fading with age as might be expected.
Utterly ridiculous to take, don't count loan players in a conversation about squad quality.
Especially when two of our best three players last season were loanees (Lonwijk and Potts; Scowen is permanent).
Kodua confirmed on Twitter
Love it! I think he will crack on this season. GMac is a great player to learn from!
Sure, if you want to ignore everything I said about Loan business was always going to be at the end of the Window, it’s a ridiculous take.
As is the take that we have struggled to do business, which we demonstrably haven’t.
I’m not ignoring it completely, I’m just not judging it YET because, as another one literally just being confirmed with Kodua return, I am expecting more in the coming few days (for the reasons you have ignored above).
Showed the odd glimmer last season, hopefully he can kick on this season and make an impression.
tremendous news. Welcome back, Gideon.
Gideon's back! - Wycombe Wanderers (wwfc.com)
I hope so, we need alot more quality and more numbers on last season
Really pleased to have Kodua back.