There are two camps of Wycombe fans at the moment. Type number 1: Thinks Waddock should go. His signings have been pants, there's no morale and confidence is at a low. This fan thinks a new face in now might stop the club from getting relegated. Type number 2: Is looking at the longer term. Realises that by sacking Waddock, it will cost the club a fortune. Would maybe accept Wadds' resignation, but also realises that a new manager is very likely not to turn things around (as the last two times this situation has happened has proved). I'm type number 2. Even if we do go down, Waddock needs more time. Any club that gets in a manager of his age and with his experience and yet wants to give him the bullet after two years of, overall, not that disappointing performances (we did go up and I do believe 'sexy football' was even mentioned on here at one point) deserves all the issues it has. Waddock's arsed things up this season, that there is no doubt, but everyone arses up at some point. Think of Clough at Derby County. A small club with limited resources needs to invest long term and not look at the short term gains. I'd rather we were in the Conference, with stable governance and finances, and with a manager that had worked at the club for a long time rewarding loyalty with loyalty, than be a League 1 struggler constantly chopping and changing managers in the vain hope of getting immediate success with no cash. Come on you blues.
I'm type 2 also. My intuition tells me it is something to do with Hayes and Waddock's morale, along with the team's, is at a low. As I said in another thread, when was the last time Hayes showed his face. Compared to Ivor Beeks, he is invisible. The best things about supporting a team is doing well in the league and giant killing in the cup. The worst things are sinking in the league and being the victim of a giant killing. Oh dear, the latter sounds like us. By long term planning I assume you mean financially Jock. It is almost impossible for long term planning in terms of team building as we will always lose our best up and coming players to higher division. At least financially we can capitalise on that.
Yep, you are dead right Ron. We need to form a basis where we aren't reliant on handouts (i.e. loans!) from one person who at any point can say 'right that's it, had enough, I want out' and leave us up the proverbial river without a paddle. Whichever manager is in charge wouldn't be able to halt that from happening. For me, short term successes (i.e. the next one or two seasons) mean nothing to me. That, coupled with the fact Waddock is young an inexperienced would make the whole reason for appointing him in the first place ridiculous if we sacked him now.
Is Waddock any younger or less experienced that M O'N was when he took over at Wycombe? I believe Martin had a spell at Grantham Town before joining us and then took us on our journey into the football league. The point is that he put together a squad of players capable of doing well in the conference and then with his management skill, got the best out of the relatively unknown personnel in League 2 and League 1. He also got in some great loan signings of players towards the very end of their career and added some much needed experience. Waddock has inherited a squad capable of doing well in League 2, changed the playing style, added his own personnel, achieved a similar league position in League 2 and then added further personnel, but with no seemed improvement. Do we risk another couple of years see-sawing up and down league 1 & 2 or do we hope that we can get a manager that can get more out of what we currently have? There is uncertainty in whichever route the club takes. Nobody can prove that Waddock will improve with time, just as a new manager may or may not improve our fortunes. With regards to the clubs financial situation, we are travelling down a long and dark path to doom. Either we re-structure totally and cut cost from the club to try and achieve a break even point (or manageable loss) or we end up with one pissed off owner recalling his loan notes and sending us into administration. If we were a club that was investing heavily in the playing squad and ploughing our way through the leagues, then maybe the end goal of Championship football would have been attainable and then the benefits would have helped offset the cost. However, we are a team with almost a Championship backroom staff and systems, but with a league 2 players budget. Yes, it is fantastic to hear away fans beam about our excellent stewards and our facilities. It is great to receive family club of the year accolades. It is great to win awards for our helpful staff and ticketing systems, but it all seems a bit arse about face to me!
I take your point about MO'N Slasher and of course every now and then a manager comes along that sets the world alight pretty quickly, and we're lucky enough that O'Neill was one of those. However that's an exception and not the norm and by and large most managers take time to get going. My view was that we shouldn't have hired someone with Waddock's experience and be prepared to sack him two years' later. We do need to re-structure totally and cut costs as you have suggested, otherwise we are stuffed, and of course that won't happen whilst Hayes is there. I just don't think it's possible to do that as well as maintaining a place as a League 1 side - even if O'Neill was at the helm. Sacking Waddock would just add to uncertainty, a new manager would be very limited with who he could bring in to keep us up and we'd more than likely end up relegated with a lot less money in our pockets. It's not the answer.
JSwwfc, you are right. I do not know these things for definite, but I am taking a relatively educated guess bearing in mind my experience of other similar sized clubs. What we do know is that our backroom staff costs have increased quite considerably over the past few years, which has been proved in the accounts published. I would say that we are pretty much "up there" with regards to systems and staffing compared to most top end league1 / smaller shampionship clubs. I could however be totally wrong and we are just fortunate enough to gained this image through our super efficient staff
I think that if we don't get something out of the game on Saturday then he will be gone. Im not saying I want that but just my gut feeling.
It would be better to have him go before Christmas if he's going to. I like the guy, but what we're doing right now is obviously not working.
The root problem will not be solved by sacking Waddock. A team with low morale and insecurity will not win under any manager. Any replacement manager won't last. All we will get is someone who just wants a guaranteed year's wages, or someone less experienced than Waddock. Another Martin O'Neil is not going to pop out of the Non League woodwork. The root problem needs to be solved. If this was a company we would be looking for a merger/takeover, strip the assets and move on having cleared the debts, halved the expenses and doubled the income (very broadly speaking). What are the other options: A new, rich committed owner (unlikely as they will not be able see a return on their investment) Administration Please add any other options, particularly any that will see the team move forward as a successful unit. We badly need some positive suggestions.
Sacking Waddock is definately NOT the answer. I agree with Jock - sacking him now would make no sense whatsover. He is a young and relatively inexperienced manager and we knew this when we hired him. I do get a little frustrated when we compare any manager to Martin O'Neill. Lets get in straight once and for all - MON was a one off, a man who delivered immediate success in quite a short space of time - PL teams pay out billions looking for this type of guy so anyone comparing Waddock is living in cloud cuckoo land. It is my belief that many Wycombe fans have been spoilt in the time they have supported our club. I met a Rochdale fan years back who hadnt seen his team promoted or relegated for something near on 20 years!! If the worst happens (and it will be the worst thing) and Waddock leaves, ill be gutted and almost certain we will go down. Also, lets say a new guy comes in, gets us relegated, turns out Ron is right and Hayes is the cause of this. What then? Sack him too and start again? ludicrous! Waddock should be given time to build again, even if we do go down.
Martin O'Neill maybe unique in his management style, but he is not the only manager to have taken clubs from the lower leagues in to the championship / Premiership. Therefore, my point is not directly asking for a MON but hoping to get a manager that will make that significant difference. The proof is in clubs like Swansea, Brighton, Doncaster, Peterborough, Hull, Fulham etc. There are many more, some of which have since fallen from grace. I am not saying we should rush to get rid of Waddock, but stay open minded as sometimes a change of management can make a huge difference with a similar / same squad. Look at Brighton a year or two back. They were floundering with us at the bottom of League 1 when they changed the management team and brought in Poyet. He took that same squad from the bottom to promotion. OK, he has since had considerable investment as they went into the championship, but it was his management skill that turned the squad around. You may then say that Waddock hasn't the same calibre of squad, but he has had the last two years to change that and bring in his own. So are we saying that he has made poor choices? You could argue that we don't have the finances of some clubs, but i know for a fact that we have spent more in wages than some in League 1 but with little reward. Don't get me wrong, I am not convinced changing manager is correct, but you have to take these points into account and not dismiss that there are managers out there that could potentially take us further.
paul simpson, a great young manager took us to the play off finals, now he may keep you up, or david beckham player manager
It's difficult to judge whether he has made poor choices Slasher when the hole team (almost) is under performing. I'm not convinced it is the lack of ability in many players that is the problem. Don't forget, it wasn't long ago we were praising his choices (not all admittedly) and the team and manager drew praise from the fans when we beat Sheff Utd and Hartlepool and even when we lost to Preston. The team morale is low and I sense Waddock's might be also, which is why I look elsewhere for the root problem. I believe that any player who is good enough for a L2 promotion side is good enough to avoid relegation from L1. Some players have shown form good enough for L1 but for some reason are not firing at present, to the extent one could argue wouldn't keep us in L2.
I always expected us to struggle once back in League One, so I'm not surprised at our position. We just need to stay up and consolidate, if anyone was expecting anything other than mid-table (which is after all still possible) I certainly wasn't. I would give Waddock the rest of the season, I think he can get us out of the mess. What's the worst that can happen? We get relegated again. As others have said, I doubt anyone will do much better than claw us to safety...although GW could not manage that when PT went. Let Gary claw us back. As others have said non-League Nigel was skirting with relegation at Direby last season, but they stuck by him. GW does need to improve though and this is certainly a stern test for him...if he passes...it's got to be good for him and the club next year.
slasher behave yourself,blue soldier informed me you are a pikey now , on a serious note i have been a big waddock fan since he arrived,i know he has made some bad signings but even sir alex ferguson has done that,i think the players need to stand up and be counted and repay waddocks faith in them.lets get behind the lads on saturday and hopefully celebrate a rare blues win.
