I believe Sir Alex Ferguson once said to Tony Pulis that if you're grinding out points and the managers of big teams hate you, then you're doing the right things. If you're getting praise from the big teams but losing every game, you're not doing the right things. Russell Martin was the latter. Full of praise from the big teams but utter garbage results. Plus side was he cursed Guardiola.
We are also first and foremost an attacking side, and all three losses so far (I'm including McCarthy for depth) and the one most likely (Low) are in the back half of the pitch.
I know Morley played as a kind of "quarterback" as well as DM, but my point is that with the full compliment of attackers remaining (and even with some fringe players going from there) we should still score goals. It makes it easier if we have a single area of the pitch to focus on, in a way, as the other "half" does not need to gel.
No need to worry. Lommy explains to Rashford and Deli Alli that they will play for a few grand a week but will be gifted millions sometime in the future.
It's football like it was in the old days. A maximum wage but plenty of ways to stuff cash in their boots.
You certainly live up to your nom de plume. We have an exceptionally good squad even without Taylor and Morley and I’m certain they will be replaced by players who perhaps could be even more talented than those two. Why write off our chances when we haven’t even reached the halfway stage?
For perspective, I still believe Sir Josh is our best player and was very concerned about a drop off in form with him out.
How did it go? WWDDWDWLW, or exactly 2.00 PPG (including these last couple of Scowen sub cameos). A 92 point pace without our best player starting!
I am more concerned about a weakened squad for the next couple of games, including the massive Huddersfield match, than our overall prospects for the second half.
I guess I wouldn’t be living up to my nom de plume then.
I think we have an exceptional manager and maybe three or four exceptional players. I think there are some issues with the squad.
Recruitment isn’t an exact science and replacing the quality of Taylor and Morley is going to be extremely difficult.
We could lose some more of our better players and they’ll need replacing too.
Our form this season is ridiculous. 50 points from 23 matches is simply sensational. It’s unrealistic to expect us to sustain that form for the next 23 matches though, especially with those departures, and we’re going to have to deal with more defeats.
We’re now there to be shot at. We’re competing against significantly bigger clubs. It’s such a huge ask. Is it pessimism or realism? You can judge.
Russell Martin managed Southampton to a record 25 game unbeaten run, and took them up in his first season. I’d have to look it up but remember them scoring 4 or 5 a few times that season.
I am not expecting us to replicate the first half of our season in the remaining months because that would be unrealistic, but Derby County lost 10 games last season and still finished in second place. So far we have lost only 3 games and I see no reason to be pessimistic about our chances of finishing in the top six.
How much of a blow it is will entirely depend on who the replacements are. If we lose Taylor but sign Virgil Van Dijk it's not much of a blow; if they sign me as a replacement relegation could still happen. Let's wait and see what happens
Top of the league with a month left of the window (for good and bad) and a wealthy owner really isn't everything on fire or bedsheet territory.
So much of the league and our not too distant history has included Emergency meetings, Wage deferrals, creditors banging on the door, shady potential owners, our best players leaving on loan or for a pittance, relegation, awful defending and turgid games with past it players.
Our last really good win was a few days ago. There will be plenty of time to worry if things do go south. No need just yet
Most League One teams that we have beaten claimed we were not up to much when we did have all the loanees in place and we would be nowhere near the top. At time of writing we still have Humphreys...who was the one we all loved beyond belief at the start of the season, but who seems to have disappeared in the miasma of grief and expected doom of losing Aaron and Caleb.
Those boys are going to be a big miss, but we all know the deal with loan players, especially if they are any good and I trust the management to fill the gaps, whether it is from the boys we have now or more well thought out loans.
We're top of the League and still in the FA Cup (for now) with a hard-working squad and we've not spent £16 million on a striker or paid anyone £16,000 a month.
I would love us to go up, but if we don't and are going to be demanding promotion as the minimum, I think a lot of fans are going to be disappointed and we're going to get through a lot of Rowetts, Mannings, Robinsons and Evanses over the next few years.
Comments
I believe Sir Alex Ferguson once said to Tony Pulis that if you're grinding out points and the managers of big teams hate you, then you're doing the right things. If you're getting praise from the big teams but losing every game, you're not doing the right things. Russell Martin was the latter. Full of praise from the big teams but utter garbage results. Plus side was he cursed Guardiola.
Joe Low posted on his Instagram story:
"Going to take a while getting over this heartbreak"
I hope this doesn't dishearten him too much. If he stays, we need him happy and at the top of his game.
To lose 50% of the CB pairing is one thing, to lose 100% of the best centre half pairing I've seen at Wycombe, we all know, could change our season.
I trust that we would have done our homework and lined up adequate replacements.
Matt would have been aware of the possibility of Taylor/Morley leaving for a while.
I’m sure he has a robust plan and while the events of the last two days have been a shock to us, won’t be to him.
My big fear is that without that incredible CB pairing protecting him, Ravizzoli's potential short comings could be cruelly exposed.
To be fair, I keep thinking along the lines of -
Morley and Taylor could have been injured at any point in their respective spells here. In that situation, we would have HAD TO use "squad players".
At least now we have the luxury of being able to replace them.
It's a squad game. The strongest squad usually wins the league.
Very good point.
We are also first and foremost an attacking side, and all three losses so far (I'm including McCarthy for depth) and the one most likely (Low) are in the back half of the pitch.
I know Morley played as a kind of "quarterback" as well as DM, but my point is that with the full compliment of attackers remaining (and even with some fringe players going from there) we should still score goals. It makes it easier if we have a single area of the pitch to focus on, in a way, as the other "half" does not need to gel.
No need to worry. Lommy explains to Rashford and Deli Alli that they will play for a few grand a week but will be gifted millions sometime in the future.
It's football like it was in the old days. A maximum wage but plenty of ways to stuff cash in their boots.
And telling Rashford he could play against Man U in the Championship next season should tempt him.
You certainly live up to your nom de plume. We have an exceptionally good squad even without Taylor and Morley and I’m certain they will be replaced by players who perhaps could be even more talented than those two. Why write off our chances when we haven’t even reached the halfway stage?
You have a point to be fair. It was more a response to those trying to argue that Taylor and Morley’s recalls aren’t really that bad.
Gawd! I used to think 'Why no new players????' from May to August was bad. Success might need me to avoid the Gasroom in January as well.
For perspective, I still believe Sir Josh is our best player and was very concerned about a drop off in form with him out.
How did it go? WWDDWDWLW, or exactly 2.00 PPG (including these last couple of Scowen sub cameos). A 92 point pace without our best player starting!
I am more concerned about a weakened squad for the next couple of games, including the massive Huddersfield match, than our overall prospects for the second half.
I guess I wouldn’t be living up to my nom de plume then.
I think we have an exceptional manager and maybe three or four exceptional players. I think there are some issues with the squad.
Recruitment isn’t an exact science and replacing the quality of Taylor and Morley is going to be extremely difficult.
We could lose some more of our better players and they’ll need replacing too.
Our form this season is ridiculous. 50 points from 23 matches is simply sensational. It’s unrealistic to expect us to sustain that form for the next 23 matches though, especially with those departures, and we’re going to have to deal with more defeats.
We’re now there to be shot at. We’re competing against significantly bigger clubs. It’s such a huge ask. Is it pessimism or realism? You can judge.
We're also now a sweetshop for people to pry away some of our talent.
I could see Kone being bought out from under us by a Mid table championship club.
I saw this about Swinkels coming to us a few weeks back, so you never know 👇
https://www.astonvillanews.co.uk/2024/12/06/sil-swinkels-wycombe-loan-deal-mooted-amid-aston-villa-contract-development/
Let's see how good our Argentinian is without Mr Taylor in front of him, I think you may unfortunately see some cracks appearing.
Russell Martin managed Southampton to a record 25 game unbeaten run, and took them up in his first season. I’d have to look it up but remember them scoring 4 or 5 a few times that season.
I am not expecting us to replicate the first half of our season in the remaining months because that would be unrealistic, but Derby County lost 10 games last season and still finished in second place. So far we have lost only 3 games and I see no reason to be pessimistic about our chances of finishing in the top six.
Losing the two certainly is a blow and while we hope we can find an effective solution it's definitely not a given.
However, we go again tomorrow, midtable yet not to be underestimated Blackpool and let's see if we can win and keep things going.
Game by game.
It’s interesting to see what our promotion rivals think.
You described it as a ‘blow.’
Our Birmingham correspondent described it as a ‘major blow.’
Our Wrexham correspondent described it as a ‘huge blow.’ Oh and as a ‘massive boost’ to them.
Nothing from our Huddersfield correspondent as I write this.
How much of a blow it is will entirely depend on who the replacements are. If we lose Taylor but sign Virgil Van Dijk it's not much of a blow; if they sign me as a replacement relegation could still happen. Let's wait and see what happens
I wouldn't put a second thought into what rival fans or journos think.
I dare say if their management were interviewed they wouldn't be saying such things.
It's this entirely.
We've spent all season boasting about how strong our squad is, now's the time to see. And that's pre any incoming business we may do.
…and we come full circle. Shall I post it again? How many sugars do you want?
The proof is in the pudding.
If we lose tomorrow I'll have a little home made banner at the ready rivalling that one you and flloyd created 20 odd years ago.
Probably not the time or place but the Sanchez Out banner wasn’t motivated by results nor the sale of Sean Devine.
Top of the league with a month left of the window (for good and bad) and a wealthy owner really isn't everything on fire or bedsheet territory.
So much of the league and our not too distant history has included Emergency meetings, Wage deferrals, creditors banging on the door, shady potential owners, our best players leaving on loan or for a pittance, relegation, awful defending and turgid games with past it players.
Our last really good win was a few days ago. There will be plenty of time to worry if things do go south. No need just yet
Brilliant post, puts things into perspective.
Most League One teams that we have beaten claimed we were not up to much when we did have all the loanees in place and we would be nowhere near the top. At time of writing we still have Humphreys...who was the one we all loved beyond belief at the start of the season, but who seems to have disappeared in the miasma of grief and expected doom of losing Aaron and Caleb.
Those boys are going to be a big miss, but we all know the deal with loan players, especially if they are any good and I trust the management to fill the gaps, whether it is from the boys we have now or more well thought out loans.
We're top of the League and still in the FA Cup (for now) with a hard-working squad and we've not spent £16 million on a striker or paid anyone £16,000 a month.
I would love us to go up, but if we don't and are going to be demanding promotion as the minimum, I think a lot of fans are going to be disappointed and we're going to get through a lot of Rowetts, Mannings, Robinsons and Evanses over the next few years.