Wycombe to bury you, not praise you. Wycombe (h) Sat 6 Aug @3pm.

[TonyDomingos]

Marvellous. This time last season we were scoring three and conceding three.

[DJBlu]

Thanks for the contributions DSB.

Appreciated.

[officer_dibble]

Didn’t miss Charles at all. Deffo healthy competition up top.

[BWFC_Insane]

Didn’t miss Charles at all. Deffo healthy competition up top.

Dare I say I think we looked better without him….

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Thanks for the contributions DSB.

Appreciated.

No problem, I was on catch-up - out all day yesterday. Sounds like I missed a good result. Gareth Ainsworth’s post-match (available to watch on their site but not embeddable) had it as an even game, and certainly the underlying numbers don’t scream 3-0… but if we can turn fairly tight six-pointers into 3-0 wins all season, we will be putting ourselves in a good position.

I said before the game that I would t get too carried away with a win but it would show we *can* do it against bruisers and contenders. Now we’ve got to keep doing it. Get through this first month looking good and I’ll start to get real confidence.

[Bruce Rioja]

Didn’t miss Charles at all. Deffo healthy competition up top.

Dare I say I think we looked better without him….

We looked different, obviously, and showed we have the options to play in a way which is equally effective without him. Quite a shout to say we looked 'better' though, no?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Evatt on Charles:
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... e-victory/

He’s got a slight thigh strain. He felt it tight on Wednesday, but felt he was okay the next day. However, we decided to get it scanned to make sure there was nothing underlying and basically it’s just a strain. Obviously, with strains they can become bigger things moving forwards so we decided not to take the risk. And the squad we’ve got enables us to not take chances with players because Dion’s going to be a big player for us, as they all are this season. Nothing too major. We think probably about a week and then he’ll be back in.

A thought. Charles is – and I don't use this adjective lightly - a phenomenal closer-down. That's brilliant for when we're playing high-possession teams whom we want to rush out of their style. Wycombe? Less so. I'm not saying it was a tactical pretend injury: just saying that his industry won't have been quite as important against Wycombe's style.

Now, one could counter-argue that if them lumping it into the final third is their main creative outlet, then closing down is a hindrance to them. It's a fair point - but I still think Dion's endless hassling is more trouble for those with ball-players at the back.

[BWFC_Insane]

Didn’t miss Charles at all. Deffo healthy competition up top.

Dare I say I think we looked better without him….

We looked different, obviously, and showed we have the options to play in a way which is equally effective without him. Quite a shout to say we looked 'better' though, no?

I think it will depend who we are playing. Bakayoko really had a good game and he worked ideally with Dapo but as DSB notes against a possession based team Charles really does chase defenders and upsets them.


But I’d say we have four strikers who will all make an impact and that’s a good place to be. And I class Dapo as one of those.

[TANGODANCER]

I think it will depend who we are playing. Bakayoko really had a good game and he worked ideally with Dapo but as DSB notes against a possession based team Charles really does chase defenders and upsets them. But I’d say we have four strikers who will all make an impact and that’s a good place to be. And I class Dapo as one of those.

Always has to be a big factor. Choosing games you can rest certain players in is as important as those you can't. Have to say there won't be too many of the former in this league.

[Worthy4England]

Didn’t miss Charles at all. Deffo healthy competition up top.

Dare I say I think we looked better without him….

We looked different, obviously, and showed we have the options to play in a way which is equally effective without him. Quite a shout to say we looked 'better' though, no?

I think it will depend who we are playing. Bakayoko really had a good game and he worked ideally with Dapo but as DSB notes against a possession based team Charles really does chase defenders and upsets them.


But I’d say we have four strikers who will all make an impact and that’s a good place to be. And I class Dapo as one of those.

TBF, Charles didn't have a good game against Ipswich, for me. But as it stands, we've got cover so another attacker wasn't a priority for me.

[BWFC_Insane]

Didn’t miss Charles at all. Deffo healthy competition up top.

Dare I say I think we looked better without him….

We looked different, obviously, and showed we have the options to play in a way which is equally effective without him. Quite a shout to say we looked 'better' though, no?

I think it will depend who we are playing. Bakayoko really had a good game and he worked ideally with Dapo but as DSB notes against a possession based team Charles really does chase defenders and upsets them.


But I’d say we have four strikers who will all make an impact and that’s a good place to be. And I class Dapo as one of those.

TBF, Charles didn't have a good game against Ipswich, for me. But as it stands, we've got cover so another attacker wasn't a priority for me.

Oh yeah. 4 strikers is fine we have the cover there and options. And I think it’s an area we can rotate by game like Ferguson did with his 4 in 99ish…we can rotate the four and find pairings that work in different situations.

[Worthy4England]

That said, I was a little surprised to see Baka get the nod, rather than JDB...

[TANGODANCER]

Didn't see the game, followed it on text, so a question: Wycombe's manager claims we won because we took our chances and a bit sort of if they'd taken chances they could have won. Didn't sound like that to me. Is it a bit sour grapes?

[Bruce Rioja]

Didn't see the game, followed it on text, so a question: Wycombe's manager claims we won because we took our chances and a bit sort of if they'd taken chances they could have won. Didn't sound like that to me. Is it a bit sour grapes?

Had their shot which hit the foot of the post at 1-0 gone in, then maybe we'd have seen a different game, but then they got off lightly when Bakayoko couldn't quite get on the end of what was, for me, Our best attacking move in a long, long time.
Ultimately, not withstanding that he dealt with crosses expertly, Trafford didn't have a save to make.
3-0 isn't perhaps a fair reflection of the game, but we won on merit from three excellent goals from open play. I've really no idea which Wycombe chances he's referring to other than for the one I mentioned.

[TANGODANCER]

"But it’s not that easy – it’s a tough, tough league this season. But they were definitely better than us today"

Hadn't seen that. Thanks and to Bruce.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Didn't see the game, followed it on text, so a question: Wycombe's manager claims we won because we took our chances and a bit sort of if they'd taken chances they could have won. Didn't sound like that to me. Is it a bit sour grapes?

Had their shot which hit the foot of the post at 1-0 gone in, then maybe we'd have seen a different game, but then they got off lightly when Bakayoko couldn't quite get on the end of what was, for me, Our best attacking move in a long, long time.
Ultimately, not withstanding that he dealt with crosses expertly, Trafford didn't have a save to make.
3-0 isn't perhaps a fair reflection of the game, but we won on merit from three excellent goals from open play. I've really no idea which Wycombe chances he's referring to other than for the one I mentioned.

I presume he means Mehmeti's header from McCleary's right-wing cross, between our 2nd and HT. But he's being highly selective and subjective. He also seems to imply our third was a "breakaway" when it was from a throw-in in their half. You wanna tighten up on your set-pieces, mate.

Before Freeman's shot just over with the last kick of the game, the only other two Wycombe "chances" on the 9.5-minute iFollow highlights - presumably edited centrally and dispassionately for both clubs - are two 20-yard wafters, one wide from Vokes and one from Mehmeti into the North Stand top tier. Whereas I count 11 reasonable chances for us.

Mehmeti's header is at roughly 4.44 at https://www.bwfc.co.uk/ifollow/latest-videos/ if you sign in to iFollow.

[malcd1]

That said, I was a little surprised to see Baka get the nod, rather than JDB...

My son and I were discussing this during the game (he is a Dad Bod fan). I think a factor could have been Baka’s defensive presence for Wycombe’s corners and free kicks. Dad Bod is good in the air but Baka is stronger and may have offered more in our own box.

Personally, I think Iredale, Dempsey and Baka were all brought in to combat Wycombe’s attacks.

[Prufrock]

DadBod was struggling with a niggly foot injury in pre-season as well wasn't he? So might be a little behind the rest.

They also had a good chance first half which Vokes inexplicably tried to control and duffed.

But we we're comfortable winners.

[BWFC_Insane]

DadBod was struggling with a niggly foot injury in pre-season as well wasn't he? So might be a little behind the rest.

They also had a good chance first half which Vokes inexplicably tried to control and duffed.

But we we're comfortable winners.

Yeah I think Bodvarrson is just a bit further behind in development though Baka also missed some of pre season.

[Bruce Rioja]

I presume he means Mehmeti's header from McCleary's right-wing cross, between our 2nd and HT. But he's being highly selective and subjective. He also seems to imply our third was a "breakaway" when it was from a throw-in in their half. You wanna tighten up on your set-pieces, mate.

Before Freeman's shot just over with the last kick of the game, the only other two Wycombe "chances" on the 9.5-minute iFollow highlights - presumably edited centrally and dispassionately for both clubs - are two 20-yard wafters, one wide from Vokes and one from Mehmeti into the North Stand top tier. Whereas I count 11 reasonable chances for us.

Mehmeti's header is at roughly 4.44 at https://www.bwfc.co.uk/ifollow/latest-videos/ if you sign in to iFollow.

Ah yes, I'd forgotten about the header.
I'd be happy to see us see the season out restricting every other side to 20 yard 'chances'

And think on, we'd have had further opportunities had Mr Iredale calmed himself on a couple of occasions.