Great Time to Be Following Us - Notes for Wycombe Wanderers
Tuesday, 28th Dec 2021 15:00 by TomTheWriter

After 10 days without a game, Town are back in action against Wycombe Wanderers at Portman Road on Wednesday and TomTheWriter assesses the mood in the opposition camp.

After having their Boxing Day game at Gillingham postponed due to Covid in the Gills camp, Town welcome Wycombe Wanderers to Portman Road.

The Chairboys, have recovering their form since the reverse fixture in November, which Town won 4-1, and sit in the play-offs.

This season, Sam Vokes has been utilised as the target man, Josh Scowen has been pulling the strings in the midfield with Ryan Tafazolli imperious at the back.

Gareth Ainsworth

“Well, [Gareth] Ainsworth does usually get a tune out of his players”, “Think some of you are being a little unfair to Gareth Ainsworth, who has shown here that he's able and willing to adapt his style to get the most out of the players available”.

Ainsworth’s position as Wycombe manager has never truly been under threat with the connection he has with the fans looking unbreakable.

“What brilliant management from Ainsworth and [Ryan] Dobson yet again”, “How can you watch that every week? Ainsworth and Wycombe are ruining football”, “Under Ainsworth, we've always been the underdog.”

Despite their relegation last season, Ainsworth has been backed to get them straight back into the Championship. Had been looked at for the vacant Preston North End job a few weeks back, before it went to Ryan Lowe, previously at Plymouth.

The State of Play

“What can you do on Boxing Day with no footie?”, “I'm starting to wonder if we won’t see us play again until 2022”, “It's annoying but hopefully it will give our injured players especially Scowen more time to recover.”

As it stands, Wycombe find themselves in fifth place in League One with 12 wins, six draws and four defeats from their 22 games.

“Five of 12 League One games already off, including Ipswich's”, “Charlton's Boxing Day game is off due to cases in their squad. Doesn't bode well for New Year's Day”, “All a farce. If clubs couldn't field 14 players on another occasion they would have to forfeit the match.”

The Chairboys sit six places and 13 points above Town heading into the fixture on Wednesday.

The Squad

Currently Wycombe have a strong selection of attackers to choose from,with Vokes, Adebayo Akinfenwa and Brandon Hanlan all capable of leading the line on their own.

However, on the other hand, the centre midfield position hasn’t been their strongest this season, with Scowen and Curtis Thompson key man in the middle and much missed when unavailable.

Wycombe fans have found a lot to be positive about this season, especially in the recent weeks.

“The midfield is a position we seemed to have so much strength in depth”, “Our aerial ability is always a strength”, “We have limitless strength in depth.”

However, on the other hand, they have found a few things to be negative about. “Whilst we're on the subject of throw-ins, I think they've been a bit of a weakness for us this year”, “Christmas to March has often been our weak spot”, “Has left our defence weak for the season.”

Wycombe Wanderers 2-2 AFC Wimbledon

“The main reason that we didn't have as much impact as normal today was that we persisted with high long balls”, “We deserved a draw but didn't deserve a win in my opinion”, “We weren’t that bad, but unlike other sides Wimbledon didn’t roll over for the first 20 minutes.”

“Thought we showed a lot of character to come away with a point, would have been easy to feel sorry for ourselves after the late sucker punch. Says a lot about the mentality of the squad”, “A good point for us in the end as Wimbledon were a very well-organised side and pressed all over the pitch”, “[Chief operating and financial officer] Pete [Couhig] and [chairman] Rob [Couhig], get your chequebook out next month and allow us to step up again with both a centre-back signing and a midfield addition.”

Ainsworth lined his Wycombe side up in their trademark three-at-the-back formation opting for the 3-5-2 on this occasion with Akinfenwa and Joe Jacobson scoring for the hosts.

Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 Burton Albion

“Good three points and sitting nicely in the league”, “First half was the best I've seen, total domination, second half though was poor in comparison”, “I understand the pressing game is a challenge for 90 minutes but that's why you have subs, use them.”

“If the final position does all come down to goal difference it will be very disappointing but at the moment three points is three points”, “Funny night. At times it felt like a friendly. We attacked at will in the first half”, “Comfortable enough in the end, but we overcooked the press in the first half - which was a big factor in the Ipswich loss in my opinion.”

In Wycombe’s 2-1 victory over Burton Albion, they once again lined up with three defenders, with young starlet Chris Forino-Joseph taking his place in the centre of the defence.

Goalkeepers

“{David] Stockdale was superb too”, “We'd have lost pretty comfortably were it not for Stockdale”, “Stockdale is a must-keep in my opinion. He has made such a difference this season.”

Starting every game in League One this season, Stockdale has been one of the strongest goalkeepers in the third tier. Facing the most shots of any goalkeeper, he is the main reason why Wycombe are fighting for promotion.

“It was fantastic for Forino and [Adam] Przybek to get that experience under their belts”, “Adam Przybek may be one of them. He has played a handful of games at a decent level but information about him is a bit scanty”, “Would hope Przybek gets a start.”

Ex-Ipswich goalkeeper Przybek has featured twice since the fixture at Adams Park, both in cup competitions, as he struggles to displace Stockdale from the starting XI.

Defenders

“From my view, [Jack] Grimmer has been solid”, “Grimmer quietly did a sound job”, “Grimmer deserve a big mention for enabling him to play with such a degree of competence.”

Versatile defender Grimmer was injured for the previous game with Town, but came back into the side for the last two fixtures. Likely to start at Portman Road.

Jack Grimmer

“That said, [Anthony] Stewart being out is complicating things”, “At least Taff and Stewart now have strong competition for their positions”, “I seem to recall Anthony Stewart being labelled injury-prone and he has gone on to start (and finish) the vast majority of games.”

A mainstay in the league season this year, Stewart has missed the last two games that Wycombe having been ill. It’s unclear whether he will feel better for the trip to Suffolk.

“I actually thought Tafazolli played very well overall today having not played in a fortnight and against a physical opponent”, “Excellent anticipation from that lumbering beast”, “I know we have mentioned that Tafazolli is eligible for Iran but why hasn't he been selected for their national team?”

Having described him as a ‘goalscoring defender’ ahead of Town’s 4-1 win at Adams Park in November, Tafazolli hasn’t found the net since October. Missed the Burton game due to a knock, but returned for the Wimbledon draw.

“He’s pretty raw and can look ungainly at times but did really well tonight and grew in confidence”, “Forino did not look too out of his depth on Tuesday”, “A real pick and mix of a performance that left me scared from his first missed header.”

Young defender Forino-Joseph was originally used in the cup games, but a goal against Hartlepool United in the FA Cup has seen him push the senior players for starts in the league.

Full-Back

“He looks devoid of confidence, his crossing and his weight of passing is poor”, “Caught on the break far too many times. I think [Jason] McCarthy is also guilty of this”, “McCarthy seemed not to notice their striker coming in behind him and got beaten for the header.”

Utilised more as a wide midfielder rather than a full-back, McCarthy has been the wing-back in the three-at-the-back formation that Wycombe have favoured this season.

“It worked well when McCarthy was playing so well last season but his attacking confidence looks shot to pieces”, “McCarthy is getting into great positions time and time again to show off both elements of his crossing”, “McCarthy is slightly over-committing going forward.”

Has started the last seven league games, but hasn’t found the back of the net yet this season. Looks to be included each game for his defensive stability rather than his attacking prowess.

Centre-Back

“On the subject of defenders being used as emergency holding midfielders, I’ve always wondered if Joe Jacobson would be any good there”, “Lose JJ's delivery and assurance at times, but I suppose has to be for the greater good of the attack”, “Superb at the back, cleared one off the line and then held it together to score the pen.”

Experienced defender Jacobson is known for his impressive ability from set pieces and scored a 96th minute equaliser from the penalty spot in their last game with Wimbledon.

“For the talk of JJ's total missed pens, he does deliver when the pressure is really on”, “He was everywhere and looked as assured in possession as I've seen him”, “Thought JJ was class, he was cleaning up everything.”

Primarily a left-back, Jacobson has found a new home on the left side of the three-man defence this season, using his wand of a left foot to drive the team down the field. Currently has three goals for the season.

Midfielders

“I thought [Anis] Mehmeti was off the pace today but he is young and you have to expect that at times”, “It boggles my mind that nobody other than Mehmeti ever runs directly at the defence”, “Mehmeti was probably as good as anyone before he came off.”

Albanian midfielder Mehmeti has recently found his form, scoring three goals in his last four games. Likely to feature from the start on Wednesday.

Anis Mehmeti

“Josh Scowen is easily the best centre midfielder we've had in the last 10 years”, “Almost certain Scowen was a hamstring strain so he could be out for a bit”, “We really miss Scowen.”

One of the main reasons for Wycombe’s good form early in the season, Scowen has missed the last five games with an injury. At time of writing it’s not known if he will be fit to feature against Town.

“I agree we need to get a loanee centre midfield in, especially if [Dominic] Gape is injured long-term”, “Problem is Gape is extremely injury-prone”, “My reason for not losing any sleep should Dom Gape depart next summer hinges largely on the fact that, even if he regains full fitness, he would have difficulty regaining his place.”

Another midfielder that hasn’t featured in a while is Gape, who hasn’t been seen since the 2-2- draw against Hartlepool United in the FA Cup in November.

“Perhaps if [David] Wheeler had been well we'd have had the stability we needed in the centre and won quite comfortably”, “I think we did play much more assuredly when he was subbed for Wheeler”, “I'm surprised Wheeler has been dropped for this one.”

The scorer of the Chairboys’ goal in Town’s 4-1 victory at Adams Park in November, Wheeler hasn’t found the back of the net since that game. Came off the bench for the Burton game, but didn’t feature against Wimbledon.

“[Sullay] Kaikai has made a few decent assists, but he's simply not featured that much”, “Kaikai and [Daryl] Horgan on paper perhaps haven't delivered but when you look into it is not so much that they haven't delivered but rather it's hard to shift the players that are starting”, “I’d agree that Kaikai has been the most disappointing.”

A signing that promised so much in the summer, Kaikai has struggled for consistency in the Wycombe side this year. Still without a goal to his name, he has had to be content with substitute appearances recently.

“[Garath] McCleary, off the top of my head, has six goals from under two xG [expected goals] - but none of us will be surprised by that as we know he's an outrageous finisher”, “McCleary came good in the second half and we looked much more potent in attack”, “McCleary hasn't had the best of games so far by his extraordinarily high standards”,

Wycombe’s key man this season was missing for the Town fixture last month and has recently returned to the squad for the last five games, scoring once to take his tally to six this season.

Winger

“I'm possibly the only one still not convinced by [Jordan] Obita”, “Definitely need some shooting practice, Obita especially”, “Just watching Obita's free-kick back again and as sweet a strike as it was, that is exactly why Bailey Peacock-Farrell has dropped all the way down to League One. But we’ll take those!”

Versatile option Obita has been used in both the midfield and the defence this season, but has found his home on the left side of the midfield four. Scored his first goal of the season against Sheffield Wednesday a few weeks back.

“A shout-out to Obita though - what a way to open his Wycombe account! Delighted that he gets that hero moment”, “Obita isn’t the best defender but is being completely exposed time and time again today due to a lack of cover”, “Interesting that Obita is playing on the left of a four.”

Has missed only one game in all competitions this season, the 2-1 victory away to Shrewsbury in September with five assists to his name from the wide midfield position.

Centre Midfielder

“Tireless work having to pretty much play a lone midfield role and deserves huge credit again”, “One of the most unselfish players we've had but without whom everything disintegrates”, “The only person who's going to be asked to do more work than that this month in Father Christmas.”

Midfielder Thompson has only missed two league games this season, one of those was the 4-1 drubbing by Town at Adams Park. When he plays, the midfield plays better and looks stronger.

“A pretty blatant booking there for Thompson too, but we’ll let that one slide!”, “Thompson the same. Sharpest to everything. Very impressive”, “Wheeler and Thompson in midfield works for me. Fingers crossed for good result and no injuries.”

Also has one goal to his name this season, but his job isn’t in the final third. The battle between him and the midfield pair on Wednesday will be interesting.

Attack

“I totally understand why we like [Brandon] Hanlan”, “Hanlan and McCleary are very exciting to watch”, “Hanlan was on fire first half, needs some shooting practice but excellent all the same.”

Scorer in the Burton victory a few weeks back, Hanlan now has five goals for the season as he looks to improve on his displays with Bristol Rovers last season.

“Akinfenwa invariably causes chaos when he plays”, “Bayo has always been pretty icy-chilled in these situations too, I'd maybe go with him over JJ by a smidgen if I was choosing but it's close”, “A shame our last match is away this season. Bayo's home send-off will be something!!!”

Adebayo Akinfenwa

A scorer against his old side AFC Wimbledon in Wycombe’s last match, Akinfenwa is looking to have the best send-off possible this season. Currently has four goals to his name for the season.

“Him and Horgan are in the same boat on that front although Horgan has become marginally more effective”, “Kaikai and Horgan have both been impeded from a run in the first team by the club deciding to play matches during international breaks [when they’ve been away]”, “Horgan was excellent when he came on by not giving the ball away and passing the ball fantastically well.”

Irish winger Horgan, like Kaikai, has been unable to find consistency this season due to playing for his country during the international breaks. Has only one goal for the season, but three assists.

Striker

“Vokes isn't doing too badly but as well as better service he might need a rest, not sure how much football he's had in the last couple of years before joining us”, “They were singing 'same old Wycombe, always cheating' after Vokes has almost had his legged snapped in two by their young number 10”, “Vokes and Bayo cannot be on the pitch together, it doesn't work.”

Star striker Vokes is the joint top-goalscorer for the Chairboys this season, alongside McCleary on six goals. However, he hasn’t found the back of the net in three games.

“I think Vokes is a good player for us… but can't help but think Uche [Ikpeazu] could have done really well this season in this league in front of us lot!”, “Solid performance again, we need him to do exactly what he’s doing and that’s leading the line to a high level”, “I thought Vokes was causing them a lot of bother myself.”

Has scored twice since the visit by Town and the fans will be looking to him to be their leading man if they want their promotion dream to become a reality this season.

Wycombe Fans on ITFC

“Saw the last few minutes [of Town’s FA Cup replay with Barrow], Ipswich showing no great urgency. Not a kitchen sink in sight. But in the newly-developing traditions of the competition, they made nine changes. What kind of message?”, “Cook sacked at Ipswich”, “I think against Ipswich the problem was obvious - loss of midfield structure with Thompson not playing, exacerbated by Gape being deployed in the old Matt Bloomfield role”, “Both Ipswich and Portsmouth have been defeats that could easily have been victories, with draws perhaps the fairest results.”

Last Time Out - Wycombe Wanderers 1-4 Ipswich Town

“That was entertaining if rather frustrating. Well done to Ipswich who have some top-notch individuals, don't they, even if I thought they were over-robust when in the lead, even judged by normal standards”, “I don't see any reason there why we don't stand a reasonable chance of winning the return fixture at Portman Road”, “First half was very even but a mistake or two second half let Ipswich capitalise. I thought they were very good at coming forward in numbers.”

“Not as disappointed as some. Come the end of the season Ipswich will be in the top five, but probably higher”, “I've certainly seen us play worse, but that said we were well below our usual standards this evening”, “I have to admit it, really disappointed tonight.”

In Wycombe’s 4-1 defeat to Town, they set up in the 3-4-3 formation as they looked to heavily press the Blues defenders into submission. However, that didn’t pay off.