The Playoffs

[Super_horns]

Whoever wins the Sunderland v Sheffield Wednesday will probably have 3 times as many fans as the winner of the other tie at Wembley but its just the sort of thing a team like Wycombe will thrive on and MK Dons are a very good side of course.

 

[thewwfc]

Cmon Wycombe, fuck these argyle pricks over.
Do it for Shaun Devine and David Wheeler.

in fairness, David Wheeler did get an assist for the second goal, although it was irrelevant in the end, as we could have actually lost the game and still got 6th. Next time I bitch about us always having to do things the hard way, I need to remember today, where we could have screwed it up quite badly and still been OK.

That said, there's definitely value in going into the playoffs on form, just from a confidence perspective.

Getting anything out of the playoffs themselves is a big ask and we are rank outsiders though,

Franchise beat us twice in the league, once in the tinpot (1 goal margin each time)
Sunderland - lost 3-1 A, drew 3-3 H
Sheff W - drew 2-2 A, won 1-0 H

 

[Daz_3000]

in fairness, David Wheeler did get an assist for the second goal, although it was irrelevant in the end, as we could have actually lost the game and still got 6th. Next time I bitch about us always having to do things the hard way, I need to remember today, where we could have screwed it up quite badly and still been OK.

That said, there's definitely value in going into the playoffs on form, just from a confidence perspective.

Getting anything out of the playoffs themselves is a big ask and we are rank outsiders though,

Franchise beat us twice in the league, once in the tinpot (1 goal margin each time)
Sunderland - lost 3-1 A, drew 3-3 H
Sheff W - drew 2-2 A, won 1-0 H

Have a feeling you will get past MK Dons mind.

As for our game i literally can’t call it. The home game on Friday will be huge. Darren Moores last two visits to the SOL have shipped 9 goals albeit 2 different teams. However i see it being a very cagey affair.

 

[Bobbin']

Mk Dons Vs Wednesday final is my guess, then anyone’s from there.

 

[ProfessorGreen]

Even by our standards that first half was a spectacular bottle job!

Squad depth told in the end - think we were without 5 starters yesterday. That and our record against the top 6 all season was not good enough.

I’d take 80 points again next year though!

Good luck to the sides in the playoffs.

 

[Camdenite v.ii]

Whoever wins the Sunderland v Sheffield Wednesday will probably have 3 times as many fans as the winner of the other tie at Wembley but its just the sort of thing a team like Wycombe will thrive on and MK Dons are a very good side of course.

Can’t see it being three times the amount. Both Wycombe and ourselves have relatively easy journeys to Wembley, which will help get the “wider support” in the community, such as friends and family along, so don’t use our average League 1 gates as a yardstick.

I don’t know what sort of numbers Wycombe have taken on their previous Wembley appearances and it’s difficult to judge where we’re at in terms of numbers. We took 33,000 against Grimsby on our only visit in 2008 in the JPT, but there were a couple of things that helped boost our numbers: a first trip to the recently built Wembley which only opened a year previously and most of the UK’s population hadn’t had a chance to visit, and relatively cheap tickets (£25 IIRC). In theory the club has grown since then, but that may be offset by the higher prices for the play off finals (starts at about £40 right?) and it being less of a novelty in terms of the venue.

As for the Wycombe game itself, I spent a good few hours in the pubs of Plymouth yesterday post match and all we heard from their fans was “horrible to play against“, “game management”, “feigning injuries” etc., but being honest in the three games with them I’ve seen this season, it’s not really been a factor. Taking the lead helps, I guess. It’ll be interesting to see if we go with Kasumu in the more advanced position he took up yesterday, as Manning indicated this was merely to stifle Houghton (he did a damn sight more than that!) and we may have stumbled across a line up to finally shoehorn all three of our best midfielders (McEachran and Coventry usually) into the starting eleven. It worked a treat and Kas doing what he does higher up the pitch caused massive problems for Plymouth. Definitely worth keeping him there, I’d say.

 

[Super_horns]

That is true - you'll probably get a few fair weather fans too,.

Is quite a lot of history between Plymouth and Wycombe I think but I think the latter do seem to have a certain reputation.

 

[Daz_3000]

Can’t see it being three times the amount. Both Wycombe and ourselves have relatively easy journeys to Wembley, which will help get the “wider support” in the community, such as friends and family along, so don’t use our average League 1 gates as a yardstick.

I don’t know what sort of numbers Wycombe have taken on their previous Wembley appearances and it’s difficult to judge where we’re at in terms of numbers. We took 33,000 against Grimsby on our only visit in 2008 in the JPT, but there were a couple of things that helped boost our numbers: a first trip to the recently built Wembley which only opened a year previously and most of the UK’s population hadn’t had a chance to visit, and relatively cheap tickets (£25 IIRC). In theory the club has grown since then, but that may be offset by the higher prices for the play off finals (starts at about £40 right?) and it being less of a novelty in terms of the venue.

As for the Wycombe game itself, I spent a good few hours in the pubs of Plymouth yesterday post match and all we heard from their fans was “horrible to play against“, “game management”, “feigning injuries” etc., but being honest in the three games with them I’ve seen this season, it’s not really been a factor. Taking the lead helps, I guess. It’ll be interesting to see if we go with Kasumu in the more advanced position he took up yesterday, as Manning indicated this was merely to stifle Houghton (he did a damn sight more than that!) and we may have stumbled across a line up to finally shoehorn all three of our best midfielders (McEachran and Coventry usually) into the starting eleven. It worked a treat and Kas doing what he does higher up the pitch caused massive problems for Plymouth. Definitely worth keeping him there, I’d say.

Taking the lead is a must if you want to avoid the timewasting and shithousery. They are the masters. Gillingham at the SOL were just as bad. That 95th minute winner was sweet (technically relegated them) sorry Gillingham fans. I do like Gillingham as a club and i genuinely hope you get back up. However in these play offs I hope we are in a position to do a Wycombe or Gillingham and timewaste/shithouse our way to the championship. The standard of refereeing in this league is horrific as well.

 

[Super_horns]

I think in general teams get away with time wasting too much which is why they do it - hardly every get booked and injury time is limited usually.

Yet you can get booked for celebrating a goal quite easily.

 

[DippyDon]

Wycombe and the TVP are fuming at the allocation we’re given them. Good.

 

[Indian Dan]

Which is?

 

[DippyDon]

Which is?

Not entirely sure but it looks like the minimum we’re required to give at 2000. All I’ve seen is this tweet from a freelancer.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1521103852816277505

 

[Indian Dan]

I always thought it was a % of capacity

 

[DippyDon]

I always thought it was a % of capacity

It’s 2,000 or 10%, whichever is smaller

 

[eric read]

Seems fair, as Wycombe won't give MK any more than that. Probably 1,800?

 

[PuB]

Wycombe should react in kind, move the away allocation around to different parts of their ground too

 

[WhiteRussian]

Wycombe should react in kind, move the away allocation around to different parts of their ground too

There wouldn't be many fans in the stadium at all then with segregation would there.

As far as we are concerned, why not. Give us the best advantage we can. I suspect the Wycombe fans will be in the 2 corners with the centre cordoned off, they can't be spread apart any further unless some get put in the top tier.

 

[Camdenite v.ii]

There wouldn't be many fans in the stadium at all then with segregation would there.

As far as we are concerned, why not. Give us the best advantage we can. I suspect the Wycombe fans will be in the 2 corners with the centre cordoned off, they can't be spread apart any further unless some get put in the top tier.

They are in the top tier.

 

[Camdenite v.ii]

We’ve sold about 1,400 for the away leg so far leaving approx 400 left, but sales taken offline while the work out the player’s guest tickets. That’s a bit unprofessional not sorting it out straight away IMHO. There won’t be much more than a couple of hundred left when they go back on sale.

Also, these went on sale Saturday late afternoon. Most of the away regulars were driving back from Plymouth or still down there in the pubs. We’ve given no indication how sales were going during Sunday and a lot have missed out and facing a scrap for tickets now.

Looks like plenty available in the home ends though if we want them:

 

[PuB]

They are in the top tier.

Exactly, they could easily space you all out in the top tier on the bank side, be real sticklers for allocated seat numbers and give over the tradition away end to home fans.

 

[Luke Imp]

MK and Wycombe are interesting ones beyond this season in the sense that Wednesday/Sunderland will always be able to attract and keep players because of their size but MK will probably get raided if they don't go up and lose loan players (similar to us last season)?

Wycombe feel like with the average age of their squad, at some point they're doing to have to re-build a bit.

How are the Plymouth lot seeing their summer? Their season wasn't too far off mirroring ours last season really.

 

[WhiteRussian]

MK and Wycombe are interesting ones beyond this season in the sense that Wednesday/Sunderland will always be able to attract and keep players because of their size but MK will probably get raided if they don't go up and lose loan players (similar to us last season)?

Wycombe feel like with the average age of their squad, at some point they're doing to have to re-build a bit.

How are the Plymouth lot seeing their summer? Their season wasn't too far off mirroring ours last season really.

There's no probably about it. Our team will be decimated if we don't go up. Obviously the loanees will go back. Our good players will be bought and we will have to rebuild, There is already talk about Manning being head hunted which I expect TBH.

If we don't go up, it's start from scratch time.

 

[thewwfc]

We have 11 players out of contract in the summer.

I'd expect the majority to be offered a new contract - Akinfenwa aside, who is def retiring. Joe Jacobson is getting on a bit, but for now we appear to be able to work around his terminal lack of pace, and he's still got a very good footballing brain for this level, which makes up for any perceived physical decline, at least at L1 level.

But there are some who may wish to leave if we don't get promoted also - maybe Vokes, maybe Lewis Wing who we signed on a short-term deal from Middlesbrough this year.

Time will tell though, and I'm not worried either way.

Ainsworth always used to bang on about how we had one of the lowest wage bills in the division, we certainly can't claim that any more if we can attract the likes of Lewis Wing, who was also being courted by Pompey.

The low wage bill was true for a long time, and we had to rely on finding rough diamonds that others had dumped on the scrapheap - now, not so much.

 

[Tea Towel]

Ainsworth always used to bang on about how we had one of the lowest wage bills in the division, we certainly can't claim that any more if we can attract the likes of Lewis Wing, who was also being courted by Pompey.

How’s Wing been for you? He was so disappointing for us.

 

[thewwfc]

How’s Wing been for you? He was so disappointing for us.

The first couple of games, he looked distinctly average - but there’s enough quality there that I feel he’d be a good signing if he decides to stay.

He seems like an intelligent player who reads the game well and can pick a clever pass rather than just the obvious one. We’d mostly been playing 2 scrappers in centre mid prior to him - which worked, but offers less creativity.

We’ll see. I won’t be devastated if he goes, but he’s earnt his stay if he wants it.

 

[K-Win]

Ainsworth always used to bang on about how we had one of the lowest wage bills in the division, we certainly can't claim that any more if we can attract the likes of Lewis Wing, who was also being courted by Pompey.

Yes, we were told that we couldn't afford his wages in January. Mind you, we'd already wasted a big wage on Tyler Walker who is destined to go down as possibly our worst loan signing ever, all things considered.

 

[ProfessorGreen]

MK and Wycombe are interesting ones beyond this season in the sense that Wednesday/Sunderland will always be able to attract and keep players because of their size but MK will probably get raided if they don't go up and lose loan players (similar to us last season)?

Wycombe feel like with the average age of their squad, at some point they're doing to have to re-build a bit.

How are the Plymouth lot seeing their summer? Their season wasn't too far off mirroring ours last season really.

Our whole squad is under contract next year and been retained. Add to that our strengthened financial position for this summer (increased FA Cup and TV income as well as higher than forecasted crowds), we are in a good position to hopefully bolster the squad and add the much needed depth that cost us the playoffs.

We may well end up selling Cooper for several million but I should think with that we'd be able to identify a more than suitable replacement with that, and then some.

 

[WhiteRussian]

Our whole squad is under contract next year and been retained. Add to that our strengthened financial position for this summer (increased FA Cup and TV income as well as higher than forecasted crowds), we are in a good position to hopefully bolster the squad and add the much needed depth that cost us the playoffs.

We may well end up selling Cooper for several million but I should think with that we'd be able to identify a more than suitable replacement with that, and then some.

The problem comes when someone further up the food chain makes a decent offer for your top player(s) and they understandably want away. Keep them and you risk a toxic dressingroom. I'd love us to tell all comers that Scott Twine isn't for sale whatever happens but it's just not feasable.

 

[Agombar stool]

The problem comes when someone further up the food chain makes a decent offer for your top player(s) and they understandably want away. Keep them and you risk a toxic dressingroom. I'd love us to tell all comers that Scott Twine isn't for sale whatever happens but it's just not feasable.

How much realistically do you reckon you'll get for Twine? We have 20% of any profit as a sell on so looking on with interest!

 

[WhiteRussian]

How much realistically do you reckon you'll get for Twine? We have 20% of any profit as a sell on so looking on with interest!

I have no idea if there are any release clauses in his contract. I hope not as we have got burned by that before. If not 5m? I know all fans overvalue their players but he is that good.

Saying that I've seen Darling being touted to Swansea for 1m and that would be an absolute givaway so who knows how our club works!!!