Playoffs 2020 Thread

[Plumbob]

I think a lot depends on the way fans perceive their clubs and their traditional way of playing football and what has been successful for them.

We seem to have fans that demand total effort rather than silky skills, some of the best players to play here were never appreciated in the same way that Stewart Talbot, Gerry Gow and Dave Watson were.

I guess some will see us as a hoofball team, a lot of our players are 6ft plus so that gets us a negative "land of the giants" tag. But we play 2 wingers most of the time and we tend to play football in the other teams half.

We do have players who can pass out from the back but we are more likely to get it out to the wings quickly or go direct to Smith, Ladapo or Vassell and play from the half way line.

We had Alan Stubbs who tried to play out from the back which at first looked pretty, but it wasn't long before the opposition worked us out, we lost the ball in dangerous positions and it cost us a lot of goals.

Warne was part of Ronnie Moore's back to back promotion team so he understands what the Rotherham crowd want.
He was also fitness coach during Steve Evans back to back promotions,

Most of our successful teams have had the same way of playing so I guess that's why we tend to prefer it.

There is room for all types of football, two of the best games we had this season were against Oxford. At NYS they totally out footballed us and won pretty comfortably. At the Kassam we totally bullied them by pressing high up and taking the ball off them in their own half.

Dear old, Keith Alexander used to say something like "We'll play our football in the final third where it counts, and I'll make no apologies for that".
This last season, I've seen plenty more goals conceded than made by fucking about with the ball in our own box.

 

[Robie]

The Oxford/Pompey game was definitely a difficult watch.

I think Wycombe probably need promotion from a financial point of view more than Oxford.

I hope we haven't spent beyond our means this season.

We also sold Baptiste and Fosu in January for a good fee.

The club failed to sign a replacement in January that the directors admitted would have pushed the budget too far (Will Grigg?) but Sunderland didn't want to sell to a rival.

We have played this season calm and measured and will be strong next season as a result.

Our play off games have been difficult with players clearly not fully fit or on form so those watching us for the first time this season won't have seen what we are capable of.

 

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Would love Bayo to be given an opportunity to play in the Championship, even if only for minutes each game.

 

[Super_horns]

Fleetwood accused of racism by Akinfenwa

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53338603

 

[Don Tonberry]

Good luck to Oxford tonight. The three previous teams to beat us in the play-off semis have lost the final.

Can they break the curse?

 

[Super_horns]

Wycombe 1-0 up.

 

[kiwi]

Oxford look dreadful.

 

[Plumbob]

Oxford look dreadful.

Especially the keeper.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Alsopp again.

 

[Plumbob]

Wow. The Oxford keeper looks like he's never played before.

 

[Super_horns]

Neither goalie covered themselves in glory tonight then!

 

[Kenneth E End]

Well done Wycombe on getting promoted without playing football...

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Not watched the game but looks like Oxford have been Wycombe'd in the most classic of fashions. BBC giving them 25% possession! Scored off a set piece and a penalty.

Everyone will predict them bottom next season but I think there style translates really well and used to grinding out results.

 

[kieran_vale]

Well done to the legend that is Gareth Ainsworth. Fantastic achievement for him.

 

[Super_horns]

Congratulations to Wycombe.

 

[Kenneth E End]

We really really can’t get relegated now and get overtaken by that lot.

 

[Plumbob]

Not watched the game but looks like Oxford have been Wycombe'd in the most classic of fashions. BBC giving them 25% possession! Scored off a set piece and a penalty.

Everyone will predict them bottom next season but I think there style translates really well and used to grinding out results.

All 3 goals were keeper fuck-ups. But, yes Oxford also got Wycombed. Even at 1 each Allsop was using up about 30 seconds per goal kick.
Fair play to Sir Gareth it's effective.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Someone has to take a chance on Ainsworth despite the fact he’s shithoused his way through two divisions.

I laughed at Ainsworth getting a 6 year contract a few years ago; his agent should’ve been knighted, but in hindsight what a blinder that was.

 

[Guernica]

Arise Sir Gareth!

Congrats Wycombe.

 

[thewwfc]

I guess I’ll take that.

 

[Robie]

Gutted.

 

[Boz]

Although I hoped Portsmouth would go up as the only one of the four to vote for playing on, hope Wycombe enjoy their first spell in the second tier. Saw both league games against Rovers and they were certainly effective at taking control and seeing a game out.

 

[E10rifle]

Just here for eric read ’s delicious salty tears.

 

[kiwi]

It’s certainly not the purest version of the game but there’s more than one way to skin a cat. I’d expect Wycombe to do better than Luton and Barnsley next season. Trying to match teams with fifteen times your budget on pure ability is never going to work. Dragging them down to your level is as valid a tactic as any other. Ainsworth’s done a brilliant job.

 

[Plumbob]

Someone has to take a chance on Ainsworth despite the fact he’s shithoused his way through two divisions.

I laughed at Ainsworth getting a 6 year contract a few years ago; his agent should’ve been knighted, but in hindsight what a blinder that was.

Played for us under the master of shithousery. Not a bad way to learn the underdog ropes. Far better player than the Beck ways, but he's proving a very good student of them.
Good luck to him and Wycombe. I just hope the beast gets a chance to batter a few pretty boys next season, and they can old man the likes of Bournemouth. They wont know whats hit em.

 

[valefan16]

Chuffed for Wycombe and of course Vale legend Gaz Ainsworth.

Never forgot the way the facilitated us with a marquee and extra stand when we won promotion there in 2013 when many clubs would have said here’s your 1000 take it or leave it and their fans clapping ours on the pitch and shaking our hands etc. Good little club.

Shows that the Championship dream is still reachable for any club.

 

[Indian Dan]

Why have the keepers in almost all the PO games been dreadful?

Flappy McFlapface that Eastwood - God bless him!

 

[K-Win]

Well done, Wycombe. Fantastic achievement and good luck in the Championship. It will be tough, but timing-wise it's not a bad season to go up as many Championship teams will have to cut budgets next year.

Plenty of people on here criticising the standard of play in the play-offs and the standard of keeping especially. Personally, I think it's very understandable given the unique circumstances. Players sat on their arses for months and then thrown straight into their most important games of the season. Impossible to get back into a good rhythm.

In hindsight, the situation probably favoured Wycombe a little in that their lesser squad resources weren't too affected by typical end of season injuries and wear and tear. They were able to put out their best 11 and it got the job done.

 

[Millerbri]

Congratulations to Wycombe I had a feeling they would win the play offs but sadly didn't back them.

Everything was in their favour really, as K-Win says they just played the best 11 and kept it simple.

Fleetwood lost it in the home game because they were off colour and pressured into mistakes.

No crowds, so the advantage Oxford would have had at Wembley evaporated.

Plus if they get in front they are masters of slowing everything down, at NYS early in the season they went 1 up and it was practically impossible to get a head of steam up and put pressure on them............... they won.

It's not pretty but it is effective and you have to admire them for getting more than the sum of their parts.

Of course when they come to NYS next year I will be moaning at them for rolling around and wasting time but that's a typical football fan isn't it.

 

[Fedora Dale]

Well done Wycombe. And well done Gareth Ainsworth, getting promoted with the third or fourth lowest budget in the division.

Like many, I'm looking forward to big Bayo imposing himself on certain Championship centre backs - particularly those who don't realise that the big man is a pretty decent ball player.