The bells and whistles promotion thread

[mowgli]

I hear this a lot from Wycombe fans and it always amuses me.
You have a style and you stick to it, not many like it but it works more often than not? - play off final last season and play off contenders this season tells me it does.
The reason I believe you are having a few dodgy results is due to the small squad you have - Just check out our bench yesterday to see what strength in depth is.
I remember Barnet coming to the Mem' under Davids and they played some of the best football I'd seen that season......they then got relegated.
I'd shudder to think what you'd say about a manager who has you struggling to avoid relegation each year.
Be careful what you wish for.

Err we stayed up on the last day of the season 2 years ago by a goal difference of 3 goals under Ainsworth, at one stage we won one game in 17 and he said we were not in a relegation scrap when it was so obvious to us Wycombe fans that we were, if we could have afforded to sack him we would have and now he's got a stupid contract of 5 years with 4 more to go which is unheard of in League 2. I wanted him out during that horrendous run and i can't see why other Wycombe fans worship him while paying money to watch shite and as i said we have gone backwards this season. Believe me if he was your manager you would want him gone as well.

 

[thewwfc]

It's not the shite football I object to (if you get upset by shite football, League 2 may well not be your Shangri-La), it's just the sheer cynicism of our approach.

It's like trying to win everything on a technicality whilst doing away with any semblance of sporting spirit.

If every team adopted our timewasting I'd seriously give up watching the game.

I doubt it'll happen, but it'd be interesting to see if we did ever get a middling budget for the division, whether we'd drop all the pantomime feigning bullshit.

 

[rudebwoyben]

Once you get into the mindset of playing football it's very hard to transition to playing a more expansive style of football. I agree, it's a very dispiriting experience watching your team play like that. We're not as cynical as you but watching us play this season has not been easy at times. Also, a manager who makes his team play in this way has very little goodwill saved up when results start to deteriorate.

 

[Nelza82]

I didn't think Wycombe were their usual nasty selves when we played them recently, actually thought a couple of other teams were worse for antics.

 

[mowgli]

It's not the shite football I object to (if you get upset by shite football, League 2 may well not be your Shangri-La), it's just the sheer cynicism of our approach.

It's like trying to win everything on a technicality whilst doing away with any semblance of sporting spirit.

If every team adopted our timewasting I'd seriously give up watching the game.

I doubt it'll happen, but it'd be interesting to see if we did ever get a middling budget for the division, whether we'd drop all the pantomime feigning bullshit.

I have watched Wycombe since 1973 in the Isthmian League and all the Leagues after that and can honestly say that the last 3 seasons have been the worst to watch in all that time including under Alan Smith,Tony Adams and Peter Taylor and the last 2 seasons under Gary Waddock. It was Martin O'Neil who got us promoted to The Football League in 1993 and i would love to hear his views on the crap we serve every week. We weren't the best team under O'Neil but at least we tried to play decent football where as now it's a bloody bore with the odd 1-0 win keeping us in the play offs that puts fans off from going to Adams Park. Also i can understand opposition fans moaning about our tactics as we have become what Stevenage used to be under the prick Westley. I'll give you an example, i went to Yeovil away in November and when we scored after 75 minutes to put us 1-0 up Sido Jombati went to tie his boot lace up right near me to waste time i could see it was already done up. I went to The Arrow pub with a mate of mine after who is a Yeovil fan and i found myself saying sorry to him for what he had just witnessed. Fuck this my rant is over!

 

[Gashead]

well, seeing as we've just won 2 in a row, and we haven't managed 3 wins on the bang all season, a dagenham win/draw looks on the cards saturday!

I saw that fixture and thought 'nailed on away win' earlier, so you might be right!

 

[iWomble]

If you lot can keep some consistency for the remaining games, you're certainly in with a shout. However, always the feeling with Pompey that an unexpected loss is around the corner!

And a couple of defeats has the chasing stumbling pack right on Pompey's tail. I think they're pretty safe in the playoffs though, with Wycombe, us, Orient, Exeter and Carlisle going for 7th. Although it's all in our own hands, given our game in hand, I don't have much confidence we'll get it. Orient or Exeter I reckon.

 

[thewwfc]

I have watched Wycombe since 1973 in the Isthmian League and all the Leagues after that and can honestly say that the last 3 seasons have been the worst to watch in all that time including under Alan Smith,Tony Adams and Peter Taylor and the last 2 seasons under Gary Waddock...

I agree that we have taken the tainted mantle of "the new Stevenage", sadly.

Don't agree that the football is worse than it was under Taylor - we do TRY and score goals now, it's just that we're not very good at it, whereas under Taylor the minute we scored that was it, the bus was parked, no matter how crap the opposition. You almost yearned not to score in the first half lest you had to watch 45 minutes of pure defence.

 

[rudebwoyben]

I agree that we have taken the tainted mantle of "the new Stevenage", sadly.

Don't agree that the football is worse than it was under Taylor - we do TRY and score goals now, it's just that we're not very good at it, whereas under Taylor the minute we scored that was it, the bus was parked, no matter how crap the opposition. You almost yearned not to score in the first half lest you had to watch 45 minutes of pure defence.

Was that the season where you got promoted after losing at home?

 

[thewwfc]

Was that the season where you got promoted after losing at home?

hahaha, yes, exactly.

But in a way it was the perfect way to get promoted under Peter Taylor, summing up all the frustration of watching his brand of "football".

Notts County (who had nothing to play for and hadn't won in ages) went ahead...we levelled...

but Taylor was so, so fricking defensive that we parked the bus the minute we EQUALISED (not went ahead, equalised for fuck's sake) in the hope that Bury, who were level with us on points, wouldn't score another!

They didn't, in the end, but because their kickoff was delayed we had an agonising wait of about 10 minutes after our game had finished to see whether they'd score again...

I imagine that was very similar to how it must feel when a side gets promoted or saved from relegation through another side being docked points. Certainly didn't feel like a victory at the time.

 

[Carver]

Aww the poor man Mowgil is getting all worked up.

It's funny how he is slagging Ainsworth off so much now as last season he was saying the complete opposite of him and thought that Wycombe were very lucky to have him as a manager and how he's been their best manger in years.

Suck a fickle bastard isn't he!

 

[antn1.b]

Wouldnt be at all surprised if we cock up again saturday. Said since Christmas it will only take a run of 4 wins to to crack the top three and still think that's the case.

 

[BRFC_Gas]

Aww the poor man Mowgil is getting all worked up.

It's funny how he is slagging Ainsworth off so much now as last season he was saying the complete opposite of him and thought that Wycombe were very lucky to have him as a manager and how he's been their best manger in years.

Suck a fickle bastard isn't he!

lol yeah I kept hearing Ainsworth being raved about, especially last season while we were slumming it in non-league, which ironically is where we should have condemned his team to.
I remember being bored shitless towards the end of Paul Trollopes reign with the football we were playing, we were a mid-low L1 side at the time. This seemed like a wet dream compared to losing to Braintree early doors last season.
I'd choose points over performances any day.

 

[Optogas]

lol yeah I kept hearing Ainsworth being raved about, especially last season while we were slumming it in non-league, which ironically is where we should have condemned his team to.
I remember being bored shitless towards the end of Paul Trollopes reign with the football we were playing, we were a mid-low L1 side at the time. This seemed like a wet dream compared to losing to Braintree early doors last season.
I'd choose points over performances any day.

So would I, but watching that negative anti football that Wycombe, Crawley and Stevenage play week in week out would be depressing. It's pretty much how John Ward had us playing and look where we ended up under him! It works well when you have the right players but still terrible to watch. The wrong players and your probably doomed, Little room for error those 1-0 wins become 1-0 defeats very quickly.

 

[mowgli]

Aww the poor man Mowgil is getting all worked up.

It's funny how he is slagging Ainsworth off so much now as last season he was saying the complete opposite of him and thought that Wycombe were very lucky to have him as a manager and how he's been their best manger in years.

Suck a fickle bastard isn't he!

Just like you slagging off Curle all last season and just for a change you're not in a relegation scrap and you think he's the dogs bollocks

 

[martinox]

Getting into the playoffs might mean promotion to League 1. The question is which of the contenders is most likely to be able to survive the promotion to a higher league? I have always thought it is better to watch your team do well in a lower division than get hammered every week and then end up in a relegation fight in a higher league.

 

[yellow]

A playoff quartet of Argyle, Exeter, Rovers and Pompey would be interesting viewing.

 

[Optogas]

Getting into the playoffs might mean promotion to League 1. The question is which of the contenders is most likely to be able to survive the promotion to a higher league? I have always thought it is better to watch your team do well in a lower division than get hammered every week and then end up in a relegation fight in a higher league.

I think Northampton would be fine, not pulling up any trees but steady. Oxford would need to strengthen same as Rover's, so then it comes down to board backing. Oxford have had good cup runs and should be able to invest enough to stay up. Rover's new board gives me hope we would get the players we would need but it's an unknown quantity. They make the right noises but the proof will be in the pudding. Plymouth and Accrington would struggle in my opinion. Plymouth have relied heavily on the loan market and would have to replace those players. Just can't see how Accrington could build a good enough side in ffp rules. Portsmouth would be fine and probably push at the top end. The others would be anyone's guess they would all need to strengthen and need their boards to back them. Can't see that happening for Wycombe or Exeter. Cambridge and Carlisle would probably recruit massively. Wimbledon would depend on the guy who donates to them every season.

 

[Womble98]

I think Northampton would be fine, not pulling up any trees but steady. Oxford would need to strengthen same as Rover's, so then it comes down to board backing. Oxford have had good cup runs and should be able to invest enough to stay up. Rover's new board gives me hope we would get the players we would need but it's an unknown quantity. They make the right noises but the proof will be in the pudding. Plymouth and Accrington would struggle in my opinion. Plymouth have relied heavily on the loan market and would have to replace those players. Just can't see how Accrington could build a good enough side in ffp rules. Portsmouth would be fine and probably push at the top end. The others would be anyone's guess they would all need to strengthen and need their boards to back them. Can't see that happening for Wycombe or Exeter. Cambridge and Carlisle would probably recruit massively. Wimbledon would depend on the guy who donates to them every season.

And every other fan who donates. He usually doubles the amount fans raise.

 

[Robie]

Shhhhhh!

Well I have just put money on you sneaking into 7th so that has definitely put an end to your form!
You will be playing Northampton when they are already champions and then Brizzle is the only tough game in your run in.

 

[Carver]

Do Bristol Rovers have a Billionaire owner?

 

[Optogas]

Do Bristol Rovers have a Billionaire owner?

Answers on a postcard please? Nobody really knows, as the Al Qadi family as a whole own the club, together they our worth over a billion and more. Wael is the president and we seem to very much be his project. He says all the right things and does make me feel positive but with so much sh#t over the years with Rovers some of us are naturally cautious. The debts have been paid off, people employed to build the stadium who previously worked on Wembley, Bundeslega performance analyst to help with scouting and the team etc. We our on a long journey pretty sure it's going to be a good one.

 

[Aber gas]

Do Bristol Rovers have a Billionaire owner?

 

[Gashead]

Do Bristol Rovers have a Billionaire owner?

Not in the 'it's great to be here at Notts County, now let's spend a shit tonne of money and ruin the club in the long-term' kind of way.

As Opto says, Wael is part of the wealthy Al-Qadi family, and whilst his rumoured personal wealth is significant, it isn't outrageous as far as we're aware.

Very much a financially prudent, long-term project though. He isn't pumping money into the stadium for example, that will be financed via various avenues if statements and discussions are to be believed. Likewise, whilst I believe there will be sufficient support on the pitch I don't think it'll be a Crawley or Fleetwood scenario.

The only key indicators that the new owners/board are actually any good are their contacts and appointments with regards to the new stadium, so I am reserved until stuff actually happens.

 

[Gassy]

Do Bristol Rovers have a Billionaire owner?

As a family, I believe their net worth is in the billions, but in terms of cash, no.

They took over about 2 months ago. And in case you're wondering, no we haven't splashed any cash at all since they came in

 

[Carver]

Bristol Rovers to make the Premier League then?

 

[Urban]

If every Rovers fan chipped in £1 they'd have more money than their current owners do anyway, so this is a moot point.

 

[Gashead]

If every Rovers fan chipped in £1 they'd have more money than their current owners do anyway, so this is a moot point.

£1? We're not greedy. 50p each should be enough.

 

[Optogas]

Bristol Rovers to make the Premier League then?

See now I'm not to keen on the Premier league and all it stands for. I'm probably in a minority but being priced out of my club to watch a bunch of overpaid, prancers on the pitch on Mugged off sky TV paying more than I did to watch real football doesn't appeal to me......

 

[StagsForLife]

Looks like a straight fight between Wycombe, Carlisle, Orient, Wimbledon and Exeter for 7th.