We don’t know if Duff is self critical/takes some of the blame. All we know is that he doesn’t appear to do it publicly. After so many years of Gaz and Blooms we have become accustomed to it and almost expect it. Gaz saying things like ‘that one was on me’.
I’m a bit conflicted with Duff’s interview last night. While I agree with a lot of what he said and often admire his honesty I was a tad uncomfortable with just how brutally honest & open he was. Maybe some of it could (should ?) have been kept for the players ears only.
It’s clear he’s incredibly frustrated as are we all and probably if he’d had more time to reflect he might’ve been a little more guarded in what he said. I’m not a fan of managers being too publicly critical of players in post match interviews but it at least shows how exasperated he is and he really gives a shit about wanting to do something to sort it out.
He may not be to everyone’s taste but he is transparent & pragmatic and a huge upgrade on Dodds’ “leadership”. Given a say in the incomings & outgoings this summer and with a full pre season I believe we’ll see a truer picture of what a Duff team really looks like. If it brings back the grit we’ve been missing I look forward to it.
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I think Ainsworth or Bayo (can’t remember which) said in your interview around that time that Bayo’s training linked with his form. If he was out of form then he made the decision of attending the training ground more often to get himself back into form.
When he was in form / performing well, GA / the club allowed Bayo to complete his training elsewhere and attended the training ground for light sessions and pre-game meetings
He’s laughing in Dan Rices face with these comments
Duff knows the real problem here and if Rice doesn’t back him to make the player decisions in the transfer window he will walk.
We have a squad full of statistically good players but I don’t see a single leader from the players Rice has bought in. Grimmer Scowen and Leahy are on watch 24/7, while the others are below deck as the ship goes down.
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To be honest, I find Duff’s interviews quite refreshing when compared to other managers. We have all seen managers (here & on tv) dig themselves into a hole because they try and brush over or ignore what everyone else is seeing. Also he’s putting several people on notice that they need to improve or get out without naming players even tho he might have done that in the dressing room.
We have seen in games our lack of disicpline and sometimes respect for the opposition when players start acting out of character or leaving their roles. I remember he called Casey out in a game when we won and its those moments where the squad need to address these moments and be accountable.
We all know that Scowen is a model professional and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him having the capt armband next season. We know he’s the engine room on the pitch and leaves everything on the pitch. He is the base level, he’s getting towards the end of his career, has had an awful injury, if much younger and fitter players can’t match that, then that says a hell of a lot about their attitude and I think we can name several that is currently in that category!
My only concern about this window is that I wonder how many players we are going to have to terminate their contracts because we can’t sell them and Duff doesn’t want them around the team in order to free up space for new arrivals? People like Lowry, Tilley, Berry, maybe Fink or van Sas etc can’t have just signed for 1 season and we will def make a lose if we are expecting a fee for them (I know Tilley was a free)
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I like Michael Duff but it certainly sounds like he has had enough and I would not be surprised to see him go after the final game of the season. I suspect there is something else that is not sitting nicely with him and although no firm information, I think Rice and his side kicks have ground the guy down.
The Wycombe we have all loved for a very long time appears to be changing very quickly and maybe not for the better. At the heart of some of these issues is probably that the management team have over sold the ‘PROJECT’ to a number of these new players, who in reality are not good enough for the task in hand.
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I don’t think there needs to be a great influx of new players.
We had one of the best defences in the League when Casey and Anders were fit and playing. The problem when they got injured is that the cover was totally inadequate. Taylor and Allen need to be upgraded (and Skura given a new contract)
Obviously we need a new goalkeeper in the Stockdale mould of character and leadership.
The lack of a striker has cost us numerous points, as others have said we have played well in many games but still lost. So two replacements are needed and Fink sent home or out on loan.
I have doubts about Duff but would probably stick with him for the start of next season.
Do the above and we will be ok.
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Players like Jack, Josh and Luke know exactly what qualities are required to succeed in League One.
Players like Casey, Anders and Boyd-Munce have quite quickly found out and have successfully adapted.
Most of the others (recruited during the vacuum between Bloomfield’s departure and Duff’s arrival) have found themselves luxuriating in a world a million miles apart from the ethos of Swiss, Scottish, Danish and Irish football. Included within this latter group are probably a few who will knuckle down sufficiently to meet the required levels of mentality and physicality.
We just have to hope that there is still sufficient mutual respect between Dan Rice and Michael Duff for the necessary change of direction in player recruitment to be implemented.
If it quickly becomes apparent that they are indeed singing from the same hymn sheet, I think we can look forward to next season being the most successful since the 1.74 ppm version.
1.74 ppm of course would have been insufficient this season for an automatic place and we have enjoyed mixed fortunes (putting it mildly) in League One play offs!
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He does love talking about mentality.
Mentality and physicality. Two vital components.
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To me, the expected goals table says it all. According to it, we should be joint 4th, only 3 points behind Lincoln. Instead, we’re 40 points behind them. And 13 points worse off than we theoretically “should” be.
I know people don’t like xG, for reasons I very much agree with. But it’s very revealing of our problems over the course of a season. We haven’t been clinical in the attacking box (no proper striker), and we’ve been conceding far more goals at the other end than we should have (terrible GK). Our general play has been very good this season, and as Duff said, we’ve put in a lot of very good displays. We’ve won loads of matches by 3 or 4 goals. We’ve been racking up goals in some games, but we’ve lost so many of the tight ones. Again, the table below shows this.
Off the top of my head, we’ve put in these really dominant performances without winning the game, and in most cases losing:
Exeter (h), Port Vale (a), Plymouth (h), AFC Wimbledon (a) in second half, Plymouth (a), Mansfield (a), Reading (a), Bolton (a), Blackpool (h), Lincoln (a).
In most cases, we’ve missed loads of chances at one end, and absolutely gifted the opposition goals at the other end during their few forays forward. But some of the passing, technical ability, dribbling, and attacking incisiveness has been brilliant.
I think there’s the spine of a really good team in defence and midfield, provided they stay fit. Casey and Anders look fantastic at the back. The centre of midfield is stacked with excellent players (CBM, Morley, Scowen, Henderson). The two huge priorities are a new GK and a new striker. And then strengthening squad depth, because some of our squad players are a huge step down. If we can do that - a very big if - we should be in an excellent position to do well under Duff next season.
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For context, look at Stevenage this season. They’re in the playoffs, 12 points ahead of us, with a far worse goal difference, and far worse overall performance metrics. But they’ve been scraping out huge numbers of 1 goal wins (usually 1-0), without winning any games by more than 2 goals.
They’re very clinical at one end, and very defensively stubborn at the other. They find a way to win most of the tight games. It’s the opposite of us. In fact, it’s basically us under Gareth.
So much of the difference is intangible. Character based stuff. Grit. The type of stuff that Gareth would specifically search for in players, but which “data” doesn’t reveal
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After a Huddersfield town manager video rabbit hole. He regularly says the same things, about mentality, or about playing well enough to win, or should win.
His Huddersfield season is similar to his with us. Long run of good form to get into contention, then it falters and the blame is on the mentality of the players.
He won 4 in 15 at the end of his Huddersfield spell, and lost 4 in a row before being sacked. They also only scored 40 odd in 35 games, even after spending 3m on a striker.
If his issue is the mentality at Huddersfield and at Wycombe, plus I saw sonething at Swansea. Is he trying instil the correct mentality? Or is ge doing it in a way the players believe.
Its all got a bit messy really, but ultimately the responsibility is the manager.
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Please please please tell me there is something more to this that I have missed. You would rather lose 3-4 than draw 0-0?
It is such a poor mentality. So so poor. Winning should be the ONLY thing that matters in EVERY game that you play.
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Class from Wycombe Fans.
I’ve never posted on another club’s fan group before but I couldn’t let this pass.
Lots of good comments on here about Lincoln deserving to win the league. They are appreciated.
Way above that are your fans who took the time and thought to make a banner ’Proper Club Proper Champions’. To go to the trouble to actually make a banner is beyond decent. Thank you so much it really was noted and appreciated. Also, those fans who stayed behind and joined in our Trophy celebration. You were very welcome and I’m glad our PA presenter called you out and the whole ground applauded you.
That is what football is all about.
Our paths have crossed quite often in key matches for Lincoln. When we won the Vauxhall Conference in 1988 to get back into the league you were our final match opponent…when we got back into the league for the second time you were our first opponent and then yesterday.
Yesterday was in my view the greatest day in our history. Yes, we were in 2nd tier for most of the 1950s but money available to clubs is now much more a factor than it was then.
I’ve read lots of discussion on your forum about the manager and the way forward for you.
In the past 3 or 4 seasons Lincoln fans have looked upon Wycombe as really tough opponents and have often got the better of us. Physical, uncompromising, well organised.
Last season you did the double over us and on the day were the best team we played at Sincil Bank (including Birmingham) .
We have steadily built the club under an excellent Chairman and Board of Directors. We’ve lived within our means and invested in great recruitment and coaching staff. We reinvested the money from our FA Cup run to the Quarter Finals as a non league club in excellent training facilities not squandered on some over paid players. We’ve searched far and wide for talent and it’s paid off.
We may not even have the best players in the league but we’ve been by far the best team. We do though have some excellent individual players. The players know exactly what is expected of them and they themselves demand high standards of each other.
So, we embark on an adventure in the Championship next season. This has been our plan and we know we can’t compete paying huge salaries but will continue with the model that works for us on and off the pitch.
Lots of discussion amongst your fans after the match.
I don’t think you are far away from having a good shot at promotion next season on what I saw yesterday. Our first goal was pure class from an exceptional young player.
If I can be candid on what I saw yesterday. You knocked the ball about well maybe a bit too much at times. Your centre forward had a nightmare and he must surely be better than what he showed yesterday.
You caused us problems when you got the ball wide and whipped it in early as possible into the danger area.
There seemed a disconnect between the last line of defence and Norris. Norris’s starting position was too deep for the line you were defending. We tried the long kick from the keeper over the top and the ball ran away from our striker. Then second time it was perfectly executed for our fourth goal.
I’m sure you will be competitive next season as you’ve got good players already.
Once again thanks for the class act from your fans and best wishes and good luck for next season. You will go well.
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Good luck in the Championship. The step up these days is huge with the sort of money sloshing around up there but with a well organised team like you have, you should put in a good showing.
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Not really.
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He’s not. And we paid 900k Euros for him.
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Most of us have come to the conclusion that he is nowhere near League 1 standard, excepting @Chairboys80 who think he’s the bees knees!
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