Blues Out to End Winless Run and Sky Hoodoo Against Leaders Wycombe Tuesday, 31st Dec 2019 12:46 Town get 2020 under way away against leaders Wycombe Wanderers looking to end both their seven-game winless League One run and their Sky hoodoo (Sky Sports Main Event/Football from 2.45pm). The Blues, who dropped to fourth following Sunday’s 5-3 defeat at Lincoln, last won in the league at Rochdale on November 5th. In all competitions they have failed to win in 90 minutes for 10 matches. In live Sky feature games the Blues haven’t won for 15 matches and four years with their last success the 1-0 defeat of the MK Dons at Stadium MK in December 2015. Boss Paul Lambert and his squad held an hour-long discussion in the dressing room after the Lincoln match aimed at getting to the root of the current problems. And both skipper Luke Chambers and Lambert said afterwards that they believe one victory and positive performance could kickstart a Blues revival. “It definitely could,” Lambert insisted. “We have to get back to that feeling where they’re just playing with the freedom of the first 15 games where they were blitzing everything in sight. “They were great, no problem, nothing’s changed for us, for the staff or anything. But as a group, as a team, we have to come out of the traps again.” He added: “We’ll go there, we’ve had a good chat and if they perform the way they’re speaking then hopefully we’ll get a different outcome.” With the match the fourth league game in 11 days Lambert will almost certainly continue his rotation policy to some degree and second-guessing his XI as ever is all but impossible. Tomas Holy may return in goal with Will Norris having had a tough afternoon at Sincil Bank. At the back, Lambert could stick with a four-man backline but may be forced into a change with Janoi Donacien having been forced off against Lincoln with a knee problem. Luke Woolfenden could move out to right-back, as he did against the Imps, with James Wilson joining skipper Luke Chambers at the centre of the defence. Alternatively, Gwion Edwards could start at right-back. Luke Garbutt looks a certain starter on the left. Lambert’s midfield selection is likely to depend on whether Cole Skuse (neck) and Jon Nolan (foot) are back after missing the trip to Sincil Bank with niggles. If fit, Skuse seems likely to join Flynn Downes in what could be a midfield trio with the Chairboys tending to play 4-3-2-1. Emyr Huws is yet to feature over the Christmas period and could return, while Nolan and Andre Dozzell are other options. Up front, Lambert could start Will Keane, who scored his fourth goal of the season off the bench on Sunday, or James Norwood down the middle with Kayden Jackson perhaps on the right and Alan Judge on the left. Wycombe also go into the game off the back of a poor run of form having lost their last three, including a 4-1 home thrashing by Coventry on Sunday, their first loss at Adams Park this season. “[The Coventry game] was a tough day at the office, but the lads would run through brick walls for me and I wouldn’t have it any other way as they’re a great bunch,” manager Gareth Ainsworth told the Bucks Free Press. “I just think we gifted them a couple of goals as well which is very uncharacteristic of us, and when you do that against a team like Coventry who are a very good side, you’re asking for trouble. “They played some good stuff, have some good players and they have a great way of playing as they’ve developed well over the years, but the defeat will be tough to take and that’s our home record gone.
“I wish I could have finished the decade off with a win, but I’m now hoping to start the new year with one.” Ainsworth, whose side are four points ahead of Oxford at the top of the table, is looking for his side to get the 2020s off to a victorious start. https://www.twtd.co.uk/images/news/8911_g.jpg “We start a new decade on Wednesday and we need to get back to winning ways,” he added. “It’s going to be a tough game because Ipswich are in a bad place at the moment as they haven’t won so many games in the league lately. “But again, we’ve had a very tough Christmas and I don’t think anyone’s fixtures could rival ours for toughness as we have had Oxford and Portsmouth away, and Coventry and Ipswich at home. We’re looking forward to Wednesday so that we can try and get back on track.” Town and Wycombe will be meeting at Adams Park in a competitive game for the first time, although the teams drew 2-2 in a pre-season friendly there in July 1995. November’s match at Portman Road was the first ever competitive fixture between the sides. In that match, the Blues had a goal controversially ruled out just before half-time and Tomas Holy saved a second-half penalty as what was a top-v-second clash ended 0-0. Just before half-time, Luke Chambers’s header was diverted into his own net by Curtis Thompson but referee Alan Young wrongly disallowed it having consulted linesman Aaron Farmer with the players already lined-up for the restart. In the second half, Holy stopped Joe Jacobson’s spotkick after Chambers had fouled David Wheeler. Town boss Lambert was in charge at Wycombe between June 2006 and May 2008 during which time the club, his first in England, played 108 games, winning 44, drawing 29 and losing 35. Blues right-back Donacien spent a short spell on loan with Wycombe between August and September 2015, making two starts. Wycombe stalwart Bloomfield, 35, came through the Town academy and made one senior appearance as a sub before joining the Chairboys in December 2003. The Felixstowe-born midfielder has now made played more than 500 games for the Buckinghamshire side. Wednesday’s referee is Robert Lewis from Shrewsbury, who has shown 64 yellow cards and three red in 17 games this season. Lewis will be taking charge of his first Town match. Squad from: Norris, Holy, Donacien, Garbutt, Kenlock, Chambers (c), Wilson, Woolfenden, Nsiala, Skuse, Dozzell, Downes, Huws, Nolan, Judge, Edwards, Dobra, Jackson, Keane, Norwood, Sears.
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