I still can't believe it. Wycombe Wanderers are in the Championship. Somebody pinch me! I think I'm still dreaming.
Commiserations ladies and gents. I know losing to Wycombe Wanderers is hard to take at any time, never mind in a League One Play-off final at Wembley.
I guess when you are beating Manchester United in a League Cup quarter-final, facing the Chairboys in a league game less than seven years later is something of a comedown. Especially as we were beating Didcot Town 4-0 in a Berks & Bucks Cup tie just three days after you had knocked the Red Devils out of the cup.
It probably explains why you have never been able to take us seriously. You'd like to think that managers and players would show a bit more respect, but for the supporters, we are forever the annoying little upstarts from down the road.
It tends to work in our favour, especially when you have a manager in Gareth Ainsworth and a squad of players who have such belief. The current side reminds me of the spirit we had under Martin O'Neill and it can take you a long way. Even to the Championship. It felt like this was an opportunity not to be passed up. Carpe Diem.
It's put a few noses out of joint and in pretty much every game we've played this season we've been described as a pub team, poor, rubbish, aimless and thuggish. We do nothing, create nothing and just got lucky. You wouldn't believe how lucky we have got this season. Long may it continue! Rumours that Covid-19 started from a laboratory in the West Wycombe caves should be taken with a pinch of salt!
Oh and we have been serenaded with "I wouldn't want to watch that every week" after almost every game we've won. We all find different things entertaining but this season has been joyful and I have been thoroughly entertained. Winning matches will always be fun, especially with such rich rewards.
Gareth Ainsworth was managed by John Beck at three different clubs as a player and his influence is clear. I think he has adapted it for the modern game and eschewed possession for purpose, using the strengths of the players at his disposal and exposing the weaknesses of opponents. Character is just as important as ability and I think that showed last night. When you have a player like Joe Jacobson, with such a superb delivery from set-pieces, why wouldn't you embrace it? I thought the tactical move to put Jack Grimmer on Marcus Browne worked a treat, especially with David Wheeler covering the full-back position. Karl Robinson reacted positively by introducing Liam Kelly at the break and it gave you a renewed impetus until the second-half drinks break which gave us a chance to recompose ourselves and go again.
The only real clear cut chance of the game fell for James Henry and I think his lack of confidence was clearly illustrated in his decision to square the ball instead of taking the shot on. I understand he's been one of your best players this season, so perhaps you could give him a break, although I realise that's easy for me to say. I remember Matt Taylor tearing our defence apart when playing for Bristol Rovers back in 2015. He looked a pale shadow of that player last night. Apart from the period between Mark Sykes equaliser and the drinks break, I felt there was a lack of belief from your side. I'm not sure why but we appear to have had a psychological edge over several opponents this season and it has made the difference.
From the outside it might be difficult to fully appreciate the impact Adebayo Akinfenwa has had on our club since signing in 2016. He is arguably our greatest ever signing as a Football League club. Now our leading goalscorer in the Football League, he leads by example and the spirit he encourages among the squad is one of the reasons we have achieved so much in those four years. He is loved by pretty much everyone at the club and will be leading the line for us again next season.
You wouldn't believe how proud some of us are of our club. It is rather a fairytale story for us. 133 years of history, started by a group of young lads working in the chair factories, over half of which was then spent pursuing amateur glory, and now we are in the second tier of English football. It will give us a huge financial boost and a stability we haven't had for almost a decade, but glory on the pitch is really what we all do this for.
I've always thought that you earn respect in the same way that you earn your rewards. Maybe last night will have earned us a little more respect and I must admit I've been surprised by some of the compliments and congratulations from some on here. It probably suits us better if you keep belittling us, dismissing us and writing us off though.
Oh and btw, we can agree on one thing. We are not rivals. Enjoy your battles with Swindon Town next season. We'll try and beat Reading for you.
