The official pre, during and post match Wycombe thread

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I bet Leon is kicking himself for missing this match.

I bet Leon is kicking himself AND rolling around on the ground in a theatrical manner

All it needed was the J Block Screamer to make our Christmas complete

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

[B

Piercy had his day in the sun but I'm not convinced playing upfront that he has the pace to trouble better defences than the Wycombe leaky tugboat. Lovely opportunism though for his first screamer of a goal after the blunder by the Wycombe defender. When that went in, you knew it was all over even though we hadn't reached half-time. [/B]

you dont have to have pace to be a striker teddy Sheringham is an example of this and in fact the players who rely on there pace more tend to retire earlier as pace is the first thing to go, cant see owen playing till 37

 

[oneboot]

Are there no ratings out of 10 after this game?

 

[Fran Hagarty]

Trigger usually starts it off. Come on Trigger!

 

[Rambo]

Good xmas pressie, but Wycombe are shit.
Lets wait and see what happens on Sunday.
A win at Swindon and things will be looking great.

 

[Spicy]

I am happy to take any win for us at the moment, irrespective of what the other side play like. A win can only help boost the team's confidence.

4-0 excellent result.

 

[southstandandy]

Shit - that's the last time I spend Christmas with the in-laws in the West Country !

Any bookings for us ?

How did Flitney play ?

 

[Zeitgeist]

Whilst a great result, we were playing easily the worst team seen at Withdean since?.....well, the last worst team. Playing against nine men from a REALLY bad team, I feel we didn't punish them as we perhaps should have done? Instead of turning the knife, the match petered out into little more than a training knock-about. Wycombe seemed to play better when they were down to nine men. Maybe this was because the pressure was off and they had nothing to lose? Man of the match? John Piercy for two goals, the first a brilliant strike, while playing in an unfamiliar role.

Tony Adams name was thrown about the last couple of times we've had managerial vacancies. Judging by Wycombe's ill disciplined permormance today, and his body language which gave the impression of "couldn't give a toss", I'm relieved he never got the job at Withdean!

 

[Theatre of Trees]

Shit - that's the last time I spend Christmas with the in-laws in the West Country !

Any bookings for us ?

How did Flitney play ?

Piercey booked.

Flitney could have read a paper for large portions of the match as he had nothing to do. However, he did have a Coco moment early on when the ball got stuck under his feet.

 

[albiongirl]

That was my first boxing day match and what a classic!!! Wycombe were terrible but we looked like we were having fun out there and playing some good stuff. Chippy's goal was a beuaty and Piercy's 1st who needs Knight!!

 

[Fran Hagarty]

Chippy's goal was a beuaty and Piercy's 1st who needs Knight!!

Both superb goals. It was mentioned on Harty's phone-in that McGhee might have a problem as to whether to put Knight back in at Swindon or operate the "keep the shirt" principle. A difficult one, but I suspect he'll pick Knight.

BTW, has anyone ever seen Knight smile? He seems to be a constant misery!

 

[albiongirl]

Piercy said that as Leon has scored 17 then he expects he will start!! Shame as it would be good to see the Piercy/McPhee partnership again.

 

[albiongirl]

Just saw the goals on Sky surperb!!!

 

[Trigger]

Are there no ratings out of 10 after this game?

Thread started!

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

What more can piercy do than score 2 good goals and people still knock him.alright we were playing a crap side but Gary no goals Hart fails to find the net as usual.

 

[Beach Hut]

Wycombe were dreadful - I feel sorry for Tony Adams, where do they go from here.

Sending off - funniest I've seen for years "where's you F##king flag lino". Have to say not a straight red but unfortunately said at around the quietest time of the game so heard by all.

Superb first have goals, best at Withdean the season and a win.

I lost count of the times we gave the ball away but got it presented back straight away.

 

[Trigger]

I thought Piercy had a fine game... If i was manager i'd be tempted to rest McPhee at Swindon as the lad looked totally shattered and i'd give the Knight/Piercy partnership a go...

 

[Zebedee]

Good xmas pressie, but Wycombe are shit.
Lets wait and see what happens on Sunday.
A win at Swindon and things will be looking great.

The Swindon game will be tough. I'd be delighted with 3 points but would be happy with 1. The important thing will be not to lose. A statement of the blindingly obvious I know but so true at this stage of the season.

 

[London Irish]

you dont have to have pace to be a striker teddy Sheringham is an example of this and in fact the players who rely on there pace more tend to retire earlier as pace is the first thing to go, cant see owen playing till 37

That's a fair point, kinkygerbil. Sheringham has great movement to disrupt defences, plus the footballing brain to get in the right place at the right time. Maybe Piercy has the latter but I'm not sure yet about the former.

The entire game today was us pouring forward from midfield and trying to pass to the front 2 and Hart. The results were very mixed, and although that's harsh when you've won 4-0, McGhee has to be ultra-critical in order to make the right choices in future.

Much of our passing was awry, but you also have to look very closely at how good the targets being presented by the front guys were.

For me, this is where McPhee still probably has the edge over Piercy, I reckon McPhee's movement would ask more questions of properly organised defences.

Piercy probably does have big advantage, though, his shooting really is superb, all his 3 goals this season have really ripped into the net. His second today was similar to his one against Wrexham, a real instinctive strike from a few yards out. Arguably he is a real natural finisher in those situations, maybe better than McPhee. You would bet a lot of money on Piercy getting his hat-trick today with 2 to his name and the Wycombe goalie stranded out of his area, Piercy's shot must have been agonisingly close.

Piercy will always be a useful option up front for McGhee but he will never get in ahead of Leon, and I doubt ahead of McPhee given McPhee's gutsy off-the-ball work.

More interesting surely is whether Piercy will dislodge Gary Hart, who looked a bit below par today. I would still back Harty as when on song he has that extra dimension with his dribbling - although it be interesting to see if McGhee is prepared to drop a 2-goal hero.

On the bookings front, didn't the graceful Zesh also get one for a huge swing that Tiger Woods would have been proud of?

I agree with all those who said the ref had a good game. It is outrageous when paid professional footballers let loose idiotic, foul-mouthed tirades against match officials - that's our job.

 

[London Irish]

Oh, and the ref also deserves a big-up for his impression of Jonathan Edwards hop-skipping and jumping in the long jump pit today. Is there no end to this ref's talents? Please let's have him back at Withdean soon.

Did they get the referee assessor out of the crowd and down to the dugout to assess the consumption of too many sherries at the Referees Association Xmas bash?