Sir Gareth Ainsworth! Always a class act when he comes back and acknowledges our fans! Would you have him back as manager when the Cowleys move on?

[Sincilbanks]

Tactical masterstroke?
Good point, and one they clearly came for, but an utter crime against sport. I can take all the tricks later in the game, not from the first whistle.

and yet after our wembley game..
"We are "streetwise" and we (staff/players/managers/fans) know exactly what we are all about, and our strengths. Like Notty, the views on other forums brighten my day. I loved the outrage from some on the Shrews forum. Of course some take a more measured view, and are willing to admit that we were better than them on the day.
The Carlisle forum last week was an absolute joy to behold"

Hmmm..

 

[collingham imps]

Complete prat - setting your team up like that - aided and abetted by an inept referee - lost all respect for the guy and the club - this is not football as it should be played - very very cynical.

 

[MaineRoad_96]

The hypocrisy on here is astounding. For those with short memories Ainsworths mentor at Lincoln was John Beck, so it’s clear where he learnt some of these so called dark arts.

 

[Luke Imp]

I wasn't there last night but it sounds like Wycombe were a little OTT. It's unusual for DC to come out and effectively say Wycombe spoilt the whole game for 9,000 people (in amongst a few positives for them).

 

[Sincilbanks]

Complete prat - setting your team up like that - aided and abetted by an inept referee - lost all respect for the guy and the club - this is not football as it should be played - very very cynical.

It's one of those irregular verbs isn't it? We are streetwise, you timewaste, they are a cheating bunch of bastards with no respect for the spirit of the game...

"Bernard Woolley:
That's one of those irregular verbs, isn't it? I give confidential security briefings. You leak. He has been charged under section 2a of the Official Secrets Act."

 

[Eweimps]

Wycombe can try to waste time from the first minute as much as they like and will do while the ref allows them to. A yellow card for their keeper after about 15mins would have sorted it. Simples
Now where’s that rate the ref thread...my blood vessels are still bursting!

 

[Casperimp]

For those with short memories Ainsworths mentor at Lincoln was John Beck, so it’s clear where he learnt some of these so called dark arts.

You are absolutely correct and it was horrid in the extreme. Couldn't go back to those days again it was awful I remember winning games and coming away feeling cheated under Beck, just bizarre!.

I take back what I put earlier I wouldn't want Ainsworth here, fair play to them they did a job and the ref was weak and let then get away with it.

We employ lots of Gamesmanship tactics under Danny but we certainly do not go to that extreme and go over the line like that.

 

[collingham imps]

Wouldn't hold Beck up as a paragon of virtue in any respect - and Wycombe crossed a line last night - spoiled what could have been a very attractive and competitive game - Exeter are breathing down their necks and hope they make it at Wycombe's expense - a tasty play-off could be in store if that happens.

Not sure I understand why Ainsworth is held in such iconic store here - nothing special and didn't reach the dizzy heights of some other former LCFC players - wouldn't want him here if last nights spectacle is anything to go by.

 

[lindumimp]

The Wycombe I saw at the away match was nothing like the Wycombe I saw last night.

 

[MaineRoad_96]

Not sure I understand why Ainsworth is held in such iconic store here - nothing special and didn't reach the dizzy heights of some other former LCFC players - wouldn't want him here if last nights spectacle is anything to go by.

Apart from almost single handedly saving us from relegation to the Conference, being part of a League Cup run that saw us beat Man City and draw away at Southampton and play a small part of our promotion campaign in 97 before he left. All the time showing skill, fight and a desire to play for the shirt.

But yeah, apart from that he did FA for us.

 

[Scotimp]

Would Gareth Ainsworth really be the one to carry on what Danny & Nicky have started? Really?

Unfortunately, fans become blinded by playing records. They welcome back playing 'legends' as manager simply because of that playing record when there is often very little else to base the appointment upon.

Furthermore, I also find the hero-worship of Ainsworth a little hard to understand. Yes, he did a good job for us at a time when we were playing the game a certain way, and that is directly reflected in the way he plays the game as a manager, but to see him voted fourth (I think) in the 100 League Legends poll was ridiculous.

What we will need to do when DC leaves is find the best manager for the job ahead, and the chances of that being a former player are very small.

 

[Sincilbanks]

Would Gareth Ainsworth really be the one to carry on what Danny & Nicky have started? Really?

Unfortunately, fans become blinded by playing records. They welcome back playing 'legends' as manager simply because of that playing record when there is often very little else to base the appointment upon.

Furthermore, I also find the hero-worship of Ainsworth very hard to understand. He had one very good season with us, but to see him voted fourth (I think) in the 100 League Legends poll was ridiculous. I have been watching Lincoln for almost 50 years and he wouldn't be anywhere near my own top ten even in that time.

Yes, he did a good job for us at a time when we were playing the game a certain way, and that is directly reflected in the way he plays the game as a manager.

What we will need to do when DC leaves is find the best manager for the job ahead, and the chances of that being a former player are very small.

I'm judging him on his record at Wycombe, done very well with a very very limited budget, knows how to win a game and set a team up. As for his playing record Gareth is more than a legend at Lincoln, he is greeted with adulation at QPR both for his attitude and performance as a player and his time as caretaker boss under the nightmare that was Briatore. He also has something which Danny and Nicky don't which is knowledge of the game higher up the leagues and no doubt an excellent contact book.

 

[plumbob]

and yet after our wembley game..
"We are "streetwise" and we (staff/players/managers/fans) know exactly what we are all about, and our strengths. Like Notty, the views on other forums brighten my day. I loved the outrage from some on the Shrews forum. Of course some take a more measured view, and are willing to admit that we were better than them on the day.
The Carlisle forum last week was an absolute joy to behold"

Hmmm..

I do take your point, but to be clear, we didn't try to run the clock down from the first whistle to the last! We did actually try to compete and win that game, just as we did at Carlisle, and to my knowledge every game.

 

[Casperimp]

The Wycombe I saw at the away match was nothing like the Wycombe I saw last night.

Tbf I think we were all just happy to be there competing in League Football I think most us were rapped up in the occasion to take that much notice!

I wondered if it was just us moaning after last night but I think if you look at other clubs boards about tonight's games you will see all of them have a poor opinion of Wycombe and their antics period!

 

[Sincilbanks]

I do take your point, but to be clear, we didn't try to run the clock down from the first whistle to the last! We did actually try to compete and win that game, just as we did at Carlisle, and to my knowledge every game.

According to the BBC they had 9 shots with 5 on target to our 7 with 2 on target and 6 corners to our 5...

 

[collingham imps]

Wycombe's intent was clear from the off and didn't change for all the game - if that's the mark of a innovative manager whose philosophy is open attacking football then Vladimir Putin is the new Mother Theresa

 

[Casperimp]

Wycombe's intent was clear from the off and didn't change for all the game - if that's the mark of a innovative manager whose philosophy is open attacking football then Vladimir Putin is the new Mother Theresa

Absolutely! Some on here seem to think it's having ago at Ainsworth and from my point of view it isn't, he did a job on us and fair play.

I just would not want to go back to that type of completely cynical and frustrating play. Anybody who likens our display at Carlisle to that last night watched two different matches to what I saw (and I was at both). We definitely use some gamesmanship but we don't do it for 90 minutes and make fools of the paying public.

It looks as though the Wycombe public aren't that impressed either. Despite being 3rd there average attendance this season is 4,439 when they finished 13th in 2016 it was 4,034 hardly a surge of support for a team doing well and scoring lots of goals! Because it's I frustrating and dire to watch!

 

[Snats]

Remember one of our players deliberately forearmed an opposition goalkeeper in the face a couple of weeks ago. A bit worse than timewasting.

 

[elkimp]

Great thread, that after the game has changed and divided opinion. My first game was in '88, so I grew up seeing Ainsworth as a great Imp and Becks' management as a necessary evil. But not something I admired or would condone or want again.
Last night we should have won and we didn't because of 3 great missed chances in the first half. All the other decisions happen and they were close calls. Albeit the ref was very weak and this led to the game being spoiled by a very cynical outfit overwhelming the whole contest. And the ref then made often impulsive and wrong decisions against both teams.
The ref should have clamped down on the time wasting and rolling around from the get go.
But on to Ainsworth's and Wycombe's game management. Yes, I have seen Lincoln do this in the distant past, but never to this level under DC. We play to win and then see games out last 15 mins. This is how DC plays, in 15 min breakdowns of the game, and I am damn sure he has never instructed his teams to waste time in any way possible for the whole 90 mins as Wycombe did. Under Ainsworth instruction, their keeper was a disgrace and as far from sportsmanlike as I could imagine. The whole team acted on the game management down to a tee. It was pathetic to watch and every single one of their players, for this one match at least, were an embarrassment to their profession. They crossed the line between gamesmanship and professionalism.
Some may think I am being hypocritical, but for a team pushing for promotion who have a great away record and scored plenty this was poor. Maybe a compliment to us, but poor all the same.
So on this occasion, Sir Gareth was not a class act and probably never was or will be as a manager. As a player, yes. And NO, 100% I would not have this Beck protege back as manager.

 

[Merthyr Imp]

Apart from almost single handedly saving us from relegation to the Conference, being part of a League Cup run that saw us beat Man City and draw away at Southampton and play a small part of our promotion campaign in 97 before he left. All the time showing skill, fight and a desire to play for the shirt.

But yeah, apart from that he did FA for us.

Apart maybe from Gordon Hobson in the earlier part of his career Ainsworth was just about the best goalscoring winger I can remember seeing play for City.