The Results Business Shows No Mercy to Reputation

Six games, no win and a squad of underachievers low on confidence. Gary Waddock could be forgiven for thinking he's taken on a poisoned chalice at Wycombe Wanderers given his record so far. He may also feel that the club's fall, even under his guidance, could be irreversible. The Blues' defeat last night to Brighton and Hove Albion in a first round FA Cup replay saw the boss ring the changes following the humiliating 6-0 defeat to Huddersfield Town the previous Saturday.

Unfortunately it wasn't enough as Wanderers collapsed to a 2-0 defeat though by all accounts, the performance was an improvement. Those who witnessed the defeat to Huddersfield, live on Sky television, would perhaps argue that nothing could be worse. Granted, Huddersfield are a tidy, upwardly mobile side capable of playing attractive and incisive football. But the manner in which Wycombe were taken apart was abject at best and at its worst, demoralising for players and fans alike. There were pockets of Wycombe's play, mainly in the first-half when the scoreline was respectable, where they looked capable. There were neat exchanges in midfield and attempts to penetrate the channels and hurt the opposition with livewires Scott Davies and Kevin Betsy, talisman Tommy Doherty and re-called hero John Akinde offering a threat.

However, middle third of the pitch aside, in defence Wycombe were disorganised and sloppy, in attack they were toothless and devoid of ideas. Former Premiership defender and Wycombe captain Michael Duberry partnered Luke Oliver in the centre of the backline and so far this season both have managed to produce a series of error-strewn displays. Blues fans must be fondly recalling former defensive lynchpins Jamie Bates, Jason Cousins and Paul McCarthy with a renewed rose-tinted vigour. In his defence, Oliver looks like he is needing the kind of assistance that an in-form, experienced partner would provide and he was kept in the side at Brighton and performed admirably. Duberry may be experienced but in-form he isn't and the natives are restless.

By dropping players like Duberry and Matt Bloomfield, Waddock is follwing a refreshing tack. Unprepared to tolerate poor performance and stick to rigid systems and pick favourite players, he admitted that after the debacle at Huddersfield, the honeymoon was over. To be blandly matter of fact, Wycombe at present are staring relegation in the face and are going down with a whimper. With Millwall away next up followed by a crucial encounter with fellow strugglers Southampton, Waddock and Wycombe desperately need to get into the results business. If this means the collective team ego receiving a well-needed massage ahead of individual reputation, then so be it.

WilliWycombe is an exile from the fair town of High Wycombe and does not get to many games. His opinions are those of the exile, on the outside looking in and should be treated thusly.