Predictions 2008-9 - 7th Wycombe Monday, 4th Aug 2008 20:53
We're into the Play Off positions now, and the first of those sides that we reckon will be battling it out for Wembley will be Wycombe Wanderers. Their prediciton now online.
Wycombe |
last
season at a glance |
Another season, another year tipped to go up, and
another year of disappointment after falling short yet again. There is
clearly a difference between the expectations of this Wycombe side and
reality. I don't know whether those expectations come from the club's
supporters or whether its the media who look upon Wycombe, see a couple
of players they've heard of (he's got long hair, he's an Argie and he's
called Torres - he must be good) and immediately stick them down as
favourites. Either way, it didn't happen for them, as they fell short to
Stockport in the Play Offs, being beaten on aggregate over the two legs.
Be interesting to know whether making the play offs was seen as an
achievement or as a failure.
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The
gaffer - Peter Taylor |
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I have no idea what is going on with Peter Taylor. There's clearly an awful
lot going for him, and he's done a brilliant job at many of the clubs that he's
worked at so far. But there's also enough evidence to suggest that things aren't
always peachy creamy with him, and there's been plenty of supporters happy to
see the back of him from their club.
And then there's the non league thing. Quite why Peter Taylor dropped into
the Conference to work is something of a mystery. It's not like that he had to
drop down to that level because his reputation in the game was damaged
sufficiently so that it was the only place he could get work. Or that Stevenage
were suddenly chucking money around making it too good a job to turn down. It
was almost as if he he went there for the quieter life- a sort of semi
retirement.
So which Peter Taylor will turn up at Adams Park remains to be seen.
Appointing a name manager like Taylor will no doubt bring its benefits. Signings
must certainly be easier when a former England manager comes calling rather than
a manager who has slowly built up a decent reputation at this level. But does
Taylor still have the stomach required for the professional game? Could you see
him putting in anything close to the number of hours that Hill and Flitcroft do?
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Reasons for a better season |
One thing you can't accuse Wycombe of is a lack of
changes from the side that finished last season. They've got a new
manager on board - a well known manager with bags of experience and
highly rated by many. They've signed players that Taylor has worked with
before - a typical Taylor trait tho' they still no doubt await the
arrival of Junior Lewis, and one thing that Taylor won' t be short of
this next season is options.
The star man from last season was Scott McGleish,
and whilst he's not the fresh daisy he once was, he'll have plenty of
support around him to ensure that Taylor doesn't over rely on him,
giving him plenty of rest as and when required.
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Reasons for a worse season |
You have to wonder whether there
has been enough changes at the club over the Summer so that the culture
of underachievement has gone. It's all well and good changing a few
faces in the squad, but it would appear to go deeper than that and be a
deep rooted problem at the club which has affected them for a few
seasons now.
The departure on Sergio Torres
could be a blow. He always struck me as a little over hyped for various
reasons, but it could just be that he's not performed when I've seen him
play. He must have been doing something right to have been named as one
of the best players outside of the Premiership. Anyway, he's off to
Peterborough now for £150,000 because they didn't have enough players.
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Season depends on - Leon Knight |
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It's been said before, but Leon Knight
should be the best striker in the division. He's probably the
most gifted, but a look back at his last few years and it just
seems to have been disappointment after disappointment, and
tales of how he's fallen short of his potential, followed by yet
another manager willing to take a chance on him.
The fact so many managers have taken a chance on him is proof
of how highly his potential is thought of. But it's also a sign
of how many clubs are happy to let him go. So with that in
mind, I suppose we could just cut and paste what we said about
him last year when we had him as the main man for MK Dons.
I suppose there is the chance that an experienced manager
like Peter Taylor who through his England U-21 job has worked
with many a big player and will have experience of dealing with
egos, will be able to get the best out of Knight on a consistent
basis. But failing that, he'll no doubt be moving on again in
January, with somewhere like Brentford his next destination.
But if Taylor can get him firing, it could be the difference
between Play Offs and top three for the Chairboys.
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RochdaleAFC.com Prediction |
7th - Play Offs
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Reasons for our prediction |
The last few years have seen me put Wycombe down for
a high position, only for a nagging doubt at the back of my head telling
"but it's Wycombe....." Their underachievement is now part of the very
make up of League Two, and it'll come as no surprise when it happens all
over again this year. For me, there's too many question marks over
them. Take the manager. Proven manager, with a many a success on his
track record, and his abilities should be worth an extra ten points or
so over the season. But there's about him dropping down to this level
(albeit via the Conference) which worries me. His record at Stevenage
wasn't impressive which suggests he won't just turn up at Adams Park and
produce some sort of magic touch to make everything fall into place.
And that goes for the squad too. There's too many should do betters
in there. Players such as Knight and Doherty have got bags of talent
without really doing as well as they should have done, and Summer
signings Grant and Zebrowski come with their fair share of baggage.
It's not all negative. They had a great goalscorer in the form of
Scott McGleish, who fought against his aging years to finish as second
top scorer in the division last season, though he apparently has gone
his entire career without a single promotion.
There's enough quality and experience to make you think that if it
all comes off, they could run away with the title, especially with
perhaps less strong rivals around this time, but it keeps coming down to
the whole "if...." thing with Wycombe and recent history would suggest
that the "ifs" don't always come off at Wycombe.
They'll do well. They'll run riot against some sides. But it's what
happens from that first dressing room row onwards which will inevitably
happen with so many characters and underachievers at the club.
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