Wycombe Wanderers vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread
Posted: Mon Dec 30, 2019 8:48 pm
Wycombe Wanderers v Ipswich Town
Wednesday 1st January 2020 – 15:00
Adams Park
Pre Match Thoughts - Mike
Worrying Times......
Even the most optimistic among us cannot hide from the fact that Town are currently in a desperate run of poor form and what was being deemed a blip is clearly now something far more than that, the embarrassing defeat to Lincoln summed up just how poor we are right now and highlighted a few frailties that currently exist within the team, our defending was nothing short of shocking and our passing woeful, yes we scored Three goals which is quite something but I still felt throughout the game that Lincoln carried the greater threat going forward, time and time again their fullbacks ran beyond the wide players to offer support, something we so sadly lack and for me even though their defence looked pretty poor it still looked slightly more solid than ours, without laying into individuals how on earth can Tomasz Holy still be sitting on the bench while Will Norris plods away as the Number One ?
There are so many things that need to be improved upon for us to get back to what we were doing in the opening weeks of the season, the captain has come out and offered an honest assessment of the situation and where some of our shortcomings lie so there's no need for me to highlight them again but the truest thing he said was actions speak louder than words and at the moment I am sick of words.
We are in grave danger of the relationship between the fans and manager falling apart and after all the good he has done since coming in here that would be a tragic waste, it is most definitely not terminal, as has been said One good result can change it and instill some much needed confidence into the fragile players but it needs to happen soon, patience is wearing thin and this run cannot go on much longer.
Where Paul Lambert can help and keep fans onside is by settling on a damn settled side wherever possible, find a system that work (3-5-2 for me) and select in form players (we all know who they are), and stop demoralising them even more with this rotation nonsense, I think he has been caught out with it and needs to eat a bit of humble pie because another inept showing on New Years day could see it really turn on him, I want Lambert here and I want him to take us to where we want to be, crazily I still believe we will achieve it but many more horror shows like Sincil Bank and that belief will ebb away very quickly indeed.
As I Suspected......
It comes as no surprise to me to see that our New years day opponents Wycombe Wanderers are on as bad a run of form as we are, going on what I saw at Portman Road I find it staggering they are top but it won't last, yes they are still there but not for much longer, Three defeats on the spin to Oxford, Portsmouth & Coventry has seen the chasing pack close up on them, it's just a shame we have failed to capitalise on their results with our own poor run showing no signs of abating just yet, this could well be a good time to face them and with pressure on them to get back to winnings ways it may just be they find the expectation a heavy burden to handle, no doubt their fans will be expecting a reaction just as ours are so it is set up to be a very nervy affair, who will handle it best will decide then outcome but I am pinning my hopes on the "Dressing Room" discussion Lambert held at Lincoln, if there is any truth in the clear the air discussions being helpful then we need to show it, mad I may be but I think it could just have come at the right time and I can see Town winning this one against all the odds to get the wheels just a little bit back on track, an Eighth away win for me and a huge sigh of relief all round. IPSWICH TIL I DIE..........
The Opposition – Wycombe Wanderers
The exact details of the formation of Wycombe Wanderers F.C. have largely been lost to history. A group of young furniture trade workers started a team to play matches in 1884. This team was called North Town Wanderers.
In 1887, a meeting held at the Steam Engine public house in Station Road, High Wycombe saw the formation of Wycombe Wanderers F.C. It is highly likely the club was named Wanderers after the famous Wanderers, winners of the first F.A. Cup in 1872. The club played friendly matches between 1887 and 1896. It first entered the F.A. Amateur Cup in 1894 and the F.A. Cup in 1895. In 1895 the club moved to Loakes Park, which would become its home for the next 95 years. In 1896 the club joined the Southern League and competed in the Second Division until 1908.
In the summer of 1908 the club declined the invitation to retain their membership of the Southern League. The club decided to pursue amateur instead of professional football and joined the Great Western Suburban League and remained there until the outbreak of the First World War. After the hostilities had ended the club joined the Spartan League in 1919 and were Champions in successive years. In March 1921 the club's application to join the Isthmian League was accepted.
The club remained a member of the Isthmian League until 1985, when they finally accepted promotion to the Alliance Premier League. For over sixty years the Wanderers sought to be the greatest amateur club in the country. One of the club's greatest achievements came in April 1931 when it won the F.A. Amateur Cup. The Wanderers beat Hayes 1–0 in the final at Highbury, home of Arsenal. The club also reached the first round proper of the F.A. Cup for the first time in November 1932, losing to Gillingham in a replay at Loakes Park.
The club remained active during the Second World War, competing in the Great Western Combination, which was won in 1945. In 1947 Frank Adams, who had captained the club to its double Championship victories in the Spartan League and made 331 appearances for the Wanderers, scoring 104 goals, made arguably his greatest contribution when he gave Loakes Park to the club. It provided the basis for a period of unprecedented success in 1950s.
The club appointed Sid Cann as coach in 1952 and he led the Wanderers to their first Isthmian League title in 1956. The title was successfully defended the following season, and the club also reached Wembley for the first time in their history. They were beaten 3–1 by Bishop Auckland in the final of the F.A. Amateur Cup in April 1957. Their North-East rivals were something of a nemesis having also beaten the Chairboys at the semi-final stage in both 1950 and 1955. The second round proper of the F.A. Cup was reached in December 1959 when the club was defeated 5–1 by Watford at Vicarage Road. The stars of the team included winger Len Worley and striker Paul Bates.
Cann left the club to join Norwich City in 1961 and the club's fortunes took something of a downturn during the 1960s. That changed in December 1968 when Brian Lee was appointed as the club's first conventional manager. He changed several aspects of the club including team selection, which up to that point had been chosen by committee. He led the Wanderers to a third Isthmian League title in 1971 and it was again defended successfully in 1972. The club suffered yet more F.A. Amateur Cup disappointment at the semi-final stage, losing 2–1 to Hendon at Griffin Park, Brentford.
A fifth Isthmian League title was won in 1974 and the following season it was defended yet again, this time by the narrowest of margins, a superior goal difference of 0–1 to Enfield. In the same season the club created history by reaching the third round proper of the F.A. Cup for the first time, losing 1–0 to First Division Middlesbrough in a replay at Ayresome Park having drawn 0–0 at Loakes Park.
Lee retired as manager in 1976 and again the Wanderers suffered a decline. A significant factor was the abolition of amateur football by the F.A. in 1974 which left the club without a sense of purpose. The Wanderers rejected the invitation to join the Alliance Premier League on its formation in 1979 and again in 1981 with concern over the increased travelling costs. The club reached the semi-finals of the F.A. Trophy for the first time in 1982 but lost out to Altrincham. A seventh Isthmian League title was won in 1983 but promotion to the Alliance Premier League was again turned down.
As a consequence crowds at Loakes Park dropped to record lows and the club decided to accept promotion to the Gola League in 1985, having finished third in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The club's first season in a national league ended in disappointment, with the Wanderers relegated on goal difference. They soon returned after romping to an eighth Isthmian League title in 1987 after a battle with Yeovil Town. The club consolidated their place in the newly named GM Vauxhall Conference and under manager Jim Kelman they finished in fourth place in 1989. The following season would be the club's last at their Loakes Park home. It was a disappointing season on the field with Kelman being asked to resign following an ignominious defeat to the Metropolitan Police in the F.A. Trophy.
The club appointed Martin O'Neill as his successor and he went on to lead the Wanderers to unprecedented success. The club moved to its new Adams Park home in 1990, and in May 1991, the Blues defeated Kidderminster Harriers 2–1 in the final of the F.A. Trophy in front of a then-record crowd. The club narrowly missed out on promotion to the Football League the following season, finishing level on 94 points with Colchester United, but placing second in the league on goal difference.
The club recovered to become only the third in history to do the Non-League double. The Wanderers claimed the Football Conference title before winning the F.A. Trophy again, beating Runcorn 4–1 in the final at Wembley in May 1993. O'Neill rejected the chance to manage Nottingham Forest that summer, remaining to lead the club to fourth in the Third Division to qualify for the play-offs in their inaugural season in the Football League. They beat Carlisle United in the two-legged semi-final, and beat Preston North End 4–2 in the final at Wembley in May 1994 to secure their second consecutive promotion.
In their first season in the Second Division, the club finished in sixth place in the table, but due to league re-organisation the club missed out on a play-off place. O'Neill left the club to become manager of Norwich City in June 1995. Former Crystal Palace manager Alan Smith was appointed as his successor but was sacked in September 1996. John Gregory took over and steered the club to safety on the penultimate weekend of the 1996/97 season. He left to manage Aston Villa in February 1998 and youth team boss Neil Smillie was given the job.
Smillie was sacked in January 1999 with the team looking destined for relegation. Lawrie Sanchez was given the task of keeping the club in the Second Division and safety was secured on the final day of the season. As a result of this result, the club acquired a new mascot, in the form of the Wycombe Comanche. In 2000–01, the club reached the semi-finals of the F.A. Cup, beating First Division sides Grimsby Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Wimbledon and a quarter-final win over Premier League Leicester City. The semi-final at Villa Park saw Liverpool claim a 2–1 victory.
The following season, results tailed off and the season after that was one of struggle. Sanchez was eventually sacked in September 2003 and his successor Tony Adams failed to save the club from only its second ever relegation. At the time the Wanderers were English football's last members' club but at an extraordinary general meeting in July 2004 the members voted by a narrow margin to restructure the club as a Public Limited Company. Chairman Ivor Beeks, Director Brian Kane and sponsor Steve Hayes all subsequently invested in the club, with an approximate total value of £750,000.
Adams remained in the manager's job for just a year, resigning in November 2004, and John Gorman was appointed as his successor. His tenure saw a record of 21 league games unbeaten at the start of the 2005–06 season. A double tragedy hit the club with midfielder Mark Philo killed in a road accident in January 2006 and Gorman's wife Myra dying of cancer in March. Subsequently the team's form slipped and they fell from top spot to eventually finish in sixth place. Cheltenham Town won the two-legged play-off semi-final 2–1 and Gorman was sacked in May 2006.
Paul Lambert was appointed manager in June 2006, and took the club to the semi-finals of the League Cup. Having never passed the second round, the club defeated Fulham away, and then knocked out the then Premier League side Charlton Athletic in the quarter-finals before beaten beaten by Chelsea in the Semi-final. The side's league form subsequently suffered and a number of changes were made in the summer of 2007. The team reached the League Two play-offs in 2008 but were beaten 2–1 on aggregate by Stockport County. Lambert resigned shortly afterwards.
Peter Taylor was appointed as his successor in May 2008 and he led the side to another lengthy unbeaten start which lasted 18 games. The side was nine points clear at the top at Christmas but results soon tailed off and the team eventually finished in the last automatic promotion place, ahead of Bury by virtue of a superior goal difference of just one. The summer of 2009 saw Steve Hayes become the first sole owner of the club, converting £3m of loans into equity. He also announced his intention to move the club into a community stadium based on the site of the Wycombe Air Park.
Taylor was sacked in October 2009 after a poor start to the season, and was replaced by Gary Waddock who was unable to save the club from relegation back to League Two. Waddock did however guide the Wanderers straight back to League One at the first attempt. He led the side to a third-place finish, and achieved a points total of 80, the highest the club had recorded since its promotion to the Football League. In July 2011, after much argument and debate, Wycombe District Council announced that work on the community stadium proposed at Wycombe Air Park would stop.
Wycombe were relegated back to League Two on 28 April 2012, after a 4–3 home defeat to Notts County.
On 30 June 2012, the Wycombe Wanderers Supporters' Trust formally took over the club. This financial stabilisation ended a transfer embargo. Gary Waddock took advantage of this immediately and signed several new players for the 2012–13 season. The season also included their 125th anniversary, and the shirt design was an adaptation of their first-ever kit, in Oxford and Cambridge Blue halves (instead of quarters).
Wycombe kicked off their new season in League Two with a strong start, however, they went through a bad period soon after and for a while sat just above the relegation zone in League Two. On 22 September 2012, after Wycombe's third successive defeat, Waddock was sacked as manager with immediate effect.
Former club captain, Gareth Ainsworth was immediately named as the caretaker manager in Waddock's absence. Just over a month later, on 8 November 2012, Ainsworth was named as Wycombe's permanent manager. He signed a contract, lasting for the rest of the season. Ainsworth revitalised the squad and the club as a whole, and steered Wycombe safely away from the relegation threat. Wycombe eventually ended the season in 15th place, nine points clear of relegation. At the end of the season, Wycombe's player-manager Gareth Ainsworth announced his retirement from professional football (after an 18-year career), although he signed a new two-year contract as Wycombe manager.
Wycombe finished the 2013/14 season in 22nd place, above Bristol on goal difference, to remain in the Football League.
Following the near-relegation of the previous season, Gareth Ainsworth released seven players from the club, the 2014–15 season saw the club spend the majority of the season in the automatic promotion places. However, two costly home defeats to Morecambe and local rivals Oxford United led to a finishing position of 4th, setting up a play-off fixture against Plymouth Argyle which Wycombe won. The play-off final took place on 23 May against Southend and the scores were tied 1-1 after extra time. Southend won the shoot out 7–6.
In the 2017–18 season, Exeter and Notts County both losing respectively combined with Wycombe winning their penultimate game of the season ensured promotion to EFL League One, joining Luton Town and EFL League Two champions Accrington Stanley.
The Manager – Gareth Ainsworth
Form Guide
Wycombe Last 5 Matches - Currently in 1st place with 43 points
26 Nov Ipswich Town 0 - 0 Wycombe
14 Dec Wycombe 2 - 0 Burton Albion
21 Dec Oxford Utd 1 - 0 Wycombe
26 Dec Portsmouth 2 - 0 Wycombe
29 Dec Wycombe 1 - 4 Coventry City
Ipswich Last 5 Matches – Currently in th place with points
7 Dec Coventry City 1 - 1 Ipswich Town
14 Dec Ipswich Town 1 - 2 Bristol Rovers
21 Dec Portsmouth 1 - 0 Ipswich Town
26 Dec Ipswich Town 0 - 0 Gillingham
29 Dec Lincoln City 5 - 3 Ipswich Town
Match Referee – Robert Lewis
WYCOMBE WANDERERS 0 IPSWICH TOWN 1