Rival Watch

[NathStPaul]

Well of course - genuinely be pleased if Wycombe come back up

Was kinda hoping they'd lose the playoffs and Ainsworth would walk meaning we could get him at Reading for free.

[South Coast Royal]

Well of course - genuinely be pleased if Wycombe come back up

Was kinda hoping they'd lose the playoffs and Ainsworth would walk meaning we could get him at Reading for free.

I think you have been championing his cause for some years.
Next week it could happen and I doubt that many Reading fans would object to him joining us.

[NathStPaul]

Well of course - genuinely be pleased if Wycombe come back up

Was kinda hoping they'd lose the playoffs and Ainsworth would walk meaning we could get him at Reading for free.

I think you have been championing his cause for some years.
Next week it could happen and I doubt that many Reading fans would object to him joining us.

He's very well suited to us. Has a great track record of working under extremely tight budget constraints and developing youth players. Owner will be completely oblivious to that though.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

His style of football is pretty dire though in all fairness.

[NathStPaul]

His style of football is pretty dire though in all fairness.

Yeah it isn't the prettiest but it is effective. I think the more direct style can be forgiven if it comes with success. Issue I have with Ince is that it is both dull and gets us nowhere a lot of the time. I don't think hiring Ainsworth would automatically bring success btw, just think he would be the best coach we could get in our current state.

[South Coast Royal]

His style of football is pretty dire though in all fairness.

Very difficult to judge a manager's "style".
It is often dictated by the quality of signings that you can make as a manager.

Parky for instance at Wrexham has got his side playing a passing game because he has had the money to buy decent players at that level but, quite sensibly, he still uses the long throw of Tozer to create havoc in opposition defences.
Also Allardyce in those early Blackburn days had some great ball-players in his side and yet elsewhere has developed a long-ball reputation.

Ainsworth was a winger in a decent footballing side at QPR so could well have it in him an ability, with the right tools, to produce a different type of team.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

His style of football is pretty dire though in all fairness.

Very difficult to judge a manager's "style".
It is often dictated by the quality of signings that you can make as a manager.

Parky for instance at Wrexham has got his side playing a passing game because he has had the money to buy decent players at that level but, quite sensibly, he still uses the long throw of Tozer to create havoc in opposition defences.
Also Allardyce in those early Blackburn days had some great ball-players in his side and yet elsewhere has developed a long-ball reputation.

Ainsworth was a winger in a decent footballing side at QPR so could well have it in him an ability, with the right tools, to produce a different type of team.

Yeah I agree with the narrative of the manager works with what he has got. He's never really looked to change his style but then again he wouldn't do when it has been successful anyway.

Judging off what his Wycombe days have been like, that's not really the football I'd like to see here, but if it brings success for a couple of seasons at least, as mentioned, I'd be happy with that. We aren't exactly a big fish in this league at the moment who can have the arrogance to say we "should" play a certain way, we should just be happiest winning games and getting as many points as possible.

The rumour is Ainsworth may well end up at Blackburn next season anyway.

[tidus_mi2]

If Ainsworth takes Wycombe up via the play-offs I'd take him here when he's available simply because he'd maintain a 100% play-off record in 3 attempts.

Maybe we'd actually win the oxf*rd play-offs for a change.

[Ascotexgunner]

We should have got Ainsworth 2 years ago. He was an obvious choice back then.
When you look at his budget....which is bugger all......he has got that team punching way above their weight.
Easily their greatest manager next to Martin o Neill.
When it comes to style of football, is it really any worse than we have witnessed over the last few years? At least we might be able to see the actual style rather than sit there wondering exactly what our tactics are.

[Mr Angry]

Surprised nobody has mentioned Birmingham given their news.................

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/ ... r-23911163

It looks like Lee Bowyer will be out of a job shortly........

[URZZZZ]

Surprised nobody has mentioned Birmingham given their news.................

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/ ... r-23911163

It looks like Lee Bowyer will be out of a job shortly........

Not a well run club but he hasn’t done very well this season, still enough quality in their squad to have been doing better

Said a few weeks ago but just waiting for their inevitable drop down, just think how well they were run a few years back overachieving with Rowett

[Hendo]

Surprised Bower has lasted this long, tbh. Been pretty shocking for a while now.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

I actually had half a mind at the beginning of the season to say they were outsiders for the play offs given they seemed to make some shrewd business on paper and started the season well. I thought them and QPR would be somewhere near, instead neither finished close and Birmingham have been extremely poor.

Depending on their summer business, they could well be one who end up in L1 by the end of next season.

[Nameless]

We should have got Ainsworth 2 years ago. He was an obvious choice back then.
When you look at his budget....which is bugger all......he has got that team punching way above their weight.
Easily their greatest manager next to Martin o Neill.
When it comes to style of football, is it really any worse than we have witnessed over the last few years? At least we might be able to see the actual style rather than sit there wondering exactly what our tactics are.

Why would Ainsworth leave Wycombe ? It’s a lovely job. No real pressure , no ‘history’ weighing heavily on his shoulders, he pretty much is the club, probably unsackable and can run the place just as he wants.
Takes a smart man to realise when he is in a good position and stick with it !

[Hound]

We should have got Ainsworth 2 years ago. He was an obvious choice back then.
When you look at his budget....which is bugger all......he has got that team punching way above their weight.
Easily their greatest manager next to Martin o Neill.
When it comes to style of football, is it really any worse than we have witnessed over the last few years? At least we might be able to see the actual style rather than sit there wondering exactly what our tactics are.

Why would Ainsworth leave Wycombe ? It’s a lovely job. No real pressure , no ‘history’ weighing heavily on his shoulders, he pretty much is the club, probably unsackable and can run the place just as he wants.
Takes a smart man to realise when he is in a good position and stick with it !

Money and/or ambition?

Maybe doesn’t always want to manage a lower division side who make the odd foray into the second tier

[Nameless]

We should have got Ainsworth 2 years ago. He was an obvious choice back then.
When you look at his budget....which is bugger all......he has got that team punching way above their weight.
Easily their greatest manager next to Martin o Neill.
When it comes to style of football, is it really any worse than we have witnessed over the last few years? At least we might be able to see the actual style rather than sit there wondering exactly what our tactics are.

Why would Ainsworth leave Wycombe ? It’s a lovely job. No real pressure , no ‘history’ weighing heavily on his shoulders, he pretty much is the club, probably unsackable and can run the place just as he wants.
Takes a smart man to realise when he is in a good position and stick with it !

Money and/or ambition?

Maybe doesn’t always want to manage a lower division side who make the odd foray into the second tier

‘Ambition’ is one of the most overrated words around.
Much more sensible to find a level where you are properly rewarded financially, enjoy what you do and don’t have to deal with excessive stress.
He’s clearly happy at Wycombe, he’ll be earning a very decent wage but still has time to play in a band, play local football etc etc.
If he wants to move up then he’d have no trouble finding a club but the fact that he has stayed suggests he’s got his priorities sorted.

[Hound]

Why would Ainsworth leave Wycombe ? It’s a lovely job. No real pressure , no ‘history’ weighing heavily on his shoulders, he pretty much is the club, probably unsackable and can run the place just as he wants.
Takes a smart man to realise when he is in a good position and stick with it !

Money and/or ambition?

Maybe doesn’t always want to manage a lower division side who make the odd foray into the second tier

‘Ambition’ is one of the most overrated words around.
Much more sensible to find a level where you are properly rewarded financially, enjoy what you do and don’t have to deal with excessive stress.
He’s clearly happy at Wycombe, he’ll be earning a very decent wage but still has time to play in a band, play local football etc etc.
If he wants to move up then he’d have no trouble finding a club but the fact that he has stayed suggests he’s got his priorities sorted.

That’s quite subjective

If they go up his stock might be as high as it will ever be. The offer of a bigger club might not happen again

I’d argue you want to go back at the end of your career and say you’ve really tested yourself at the highest level you can manage

Tbf I wouldn’t blame him either way but as a professional sportsman and now manager I suspect he’d be more competitive to just want to stay somewhere safe and comfortable

[Nameless]

Money and/or ambition?

Maybe doesn’t always want to manage a lower division side who make the odd foray into the second tier

‘Ambition’ is one of the most overrated words around.
Much more sensible to find a level where you are properly rewarded financially, enjoy what you do and don’t have to deal with excessive stress.
He’s clearly happy at Wycombe, he’ll be earning a very decent wage but still has time to play in a band, play local football etc etc.
If he wants to move up then he’d have no trouble finding a club but the fact that he has stayed suggests he’s got his priorities sorted.

That’s quite subjective

If they go up his stock might be as high as it will ever be. The offer of a bigger club might not happen again

I’d argue you want to go back at the end of your career and say you’ve really tested yourself at the highest level you can manage

Tbf I wouldn’t blame him either way but as a professional sportsman and now manager I suspect he’d be more competitive to just want to stay somewhere safe and comfortable

He’s been at Wycombe 10 years. I think that probably says it all.
There may be a time when you think the only thing that matters is to fight your way as high up the career ladder as you can. Then one day you realise there is actually a better way to live your life.
He may change his priorities, but surely an ‘ambitious’ manager would have moved on after 2 or 3 years ?
It’s all subjective, although I did make the decision that ‘ambition’ is not necessarily about running yourself into the ground chasing money and status. It can be much more down to earth than that.
All getting a bit philosophical !

[tidus_mi2]

Would it be fair for us to have beef with the EFL if no one gets sanctioned next season? Can't see how Stoke can't be breaching FFP with their losses.

[Hound]

Would it be fair for us to have beef with the EFL if no one gets sanctioned next season? Can't see how Stoke can't be breaching FFP with their losses.

Yeah it’d be fair