Wigan Athletic vs Wycombe Wanderers | League One Preview
For the first time since October 22nd, Wigan Athletic are back at the Brick Community Stadium and this time we face a high-flying Wycombe Wanderers in our fourteenth League One game of the season.
Part One | An overview of our opponents. 🔎
Part Two | “Who to Watch” players. 👓
Part Three | What can we expect from this game? 🏟️
Wigan Athletic return to League One football action with a game against a high-flying and table-topping Wycombe Wanderers side.
Shaun Maloney was left disappointed after Latics surrendered a two-goal advantage to secure only a point at Bloomfield Road, but after a victory in the FA Cup on the weekend, hopefully, we can extend this unbeaten run to three games.
Matt Bloomfield’s side have scored the most goals in the division so far, and are unbeaten in their last eleven games, winning nine. Latics will have to be at their best to put another point or three on the board.
Let’s see what we can expect from this game 👇
Wycombe Wanderers
In 1887, a meeting was held at the Steam Engine pub on Station Road where a group of local football enthusiasts founded Wycombe Wanderers Football Club.
The club competed in friendly matches throughout their formative years before joining the Southern League in 1896. The Chairboys competed in this division until the conclusion of the 1907/08 season before declining an invitation to stay and taking the opportunity to join the Great Western Suburban League.
Wycombe Wanderers are known as the Chairboys due to the town’s history of being known for furniture making, specifically chairs 🪑
Wycombe competed in the GWSL for six seasons, finishing as high as third on three occasions, before the First World War halted the sport. When they returned to action in 1919, Wycombe competed in the Spartan League for two seasons and were back-to-back champions. In their second year, they also won the Berks & Bucks FA County Senior Cup for the fifth time in the previous fifteen attempts 🏆
This success allowed Wycombe to join the Isthmian League in the 1921/22 season. After initial struggles to become anything better than an upper-midtable side, Wycombe finished 3rd and won the FA Amateur Cup in the 1930/31 season.
The Chairboys eventually won the division in 1955/56 and defended their title in the next campaign, before finishing as a runner-up in two of the next three seasons. Between the 1969/70 and 1976/77 seasons, Wycombe won the division four times and finished as runner-up three times 🥇
Brian Lee was in charge throughout these successful years and even won three more Berks & Bucks FA County Senior Cups to take their tally to twenty. Before his departure at the end of the 1975/76 season, Lee led the Chairboys to the Anglo-Italian Semi-Pro Cup, beating Monza in the final.
Over the next eight seasons, Wycombe won two more Berks & Bucks FA County Senior Cups, the Isthmian League Cup, the Isthmian Charity Shield, and the Isthmian League Title, and gained promotion to the Alliance Premier League for the 1985/86 campaign.
A disappointing 20th-place finish saw the club instantly relegated back into the Isthmian League. However, they immediately bounced back and accumulated 101 points from 42 games to win the 1986/87 title and gain promotion to the Conference League. It may be no surprise, but they also won the Berks & Bucks FA County Senior Cup to take their total to 23 🏆
Wycombe’s first three seasons in this new division saw them finish 18th, 4th, then 10th, adding an Isthmian Charity Shield and another Berks & Bucks FA County Senior Cup to their collection.
In February 1990, an up-and-coming Northern Irish manager by the name of Martin O’Neill took charge of the Chairboys and transformed the club. In their first full season together, O’Neill led Wycombe to a fifth-place finish and an FA Trophy victory. Then, he secured a runners-up spot in the league and a cup treble with the Conference League Cup, Conference Championship Shield, and a 25th Berks & Bucks FA County Senior Cup.
Finally, O’Neill secured the Conference League title in the 1992/93 season to gain promotion into the Football League, along with a cup double including another FA Trophy and Conference Championship Shield 👏
O’Neill’s impressive work was not done yet, as he guided Wycombe to a fourth-place finish in Division Three in the 1993/94 season to enter the Play-Offs along with another Conference Championship Shield.
After beating Carlisle United 4-1 in the semi-final, the Chairboys came from 2-1 down against Preston North End to win 4-2 in the final at Wembley and earn promotion to Division Two 📈
Following a 6th-place finish in their first season in Division Two, O’Neill departed to join Norwich City. Five seasons, eight trophies. Unbelievable 👏
Wycombe spent nine seasons struggling to return to the top half of Division Two after O’Neill’s departure, and were relegated to the newly-named League Two with a 24th-place finish in the 2003/04 season.
After four seasons finishing in the top half, including two failed Play-Off campaigns in 05/06 and 07/08, Peter Taylor took charge in May 2008 and achieved automatic promotion in his first season to return Wycombe to the third division.
Taylor lasted until October 2009 but was sacked after a difficult start to the campaign, being replaced by Gary Waddock. Wycombe couldn’t avoid relegation, finishing 22nd, but Waddock immediately guided them back after securing 3rd place in the next season. However, another relegation followed due to finishing 21st, and a poor start to their 2012/13 League Two campaign saw Waddock sacked.
On November 8th 2012, former Wycombe midfielder and centurion, Gareth Ainsworth, was announced as their manager after a successful time in caretaker charge. Despite two difficult seasons, where Wycombe finished 15th before surviving relegation to the Conference League due to having a better goal difference than Bristol Rovers, the board kept their faith in the project and Ainsworth led the club to a Play-Off Final in the 2014/15 season 🤝
Wycombe beat Plymouth Argyle 5-3 on aggregate in the semi-final but lost to Southend United on penalties in the final. Two midtable finishes followed, before the Chairboys secured promotion to League One with a 3rd-place finish in the 2017/18 season.
Ainsworth guided the club to 17th in their first season back in the third tier, before securing a 3rd-place finish in the 2019/20 season to enter the Play-Offs. Wycombe beat Fleetwood Town 6-3 on aggregate in the semi-final, and Oxford United 2-1 in the final to reach the Championship - the highest level the club has ever competed at 👏
Wycombe failed to stay up after picking up just 11 wins and 10 draws, and returned to League One for the 2021/22 season.
“It might seem a strange thing to say because we've been relegated, but finishing third from bottom in the Championship is one of the proudest moments in my career.”
Gareth Ainsworth | May 2021
Ainsworth almost achieved an instant return to the second division after securing a 6th-place finish to enter another Play-Off campaign, but after beating MK Dons 2-1 in the semi-final, they lost 2-0 to Sunderland in the final. The club looked on course for another top six finish in the 2022/23 season, but in February 2023 Ainsworth departed the club after more than a decade to take charge of QPR in the Championship.
Matt Bloomfield was named as his successor, and in his first full season he guided the Chairboys to 10th place in League One and an EFL Trophy final - their first final in any domestic cup since becoming a member of the Football League. Despite losing 2-1 to Peterborough United in an exciting game at Wembley, Bloomfield had created a solid base for the club to rebuild on and this has allowed them to excel this season.
To prepare for the new season, Bloomfield bid farewell to; Maksymilian Stryjek (GK to Polish side Jagiellonia), Nathan Shepperd (GK to ‘Free Agent’), Chris Forino (CB to Bolton Wanderers), Jack Wakely (CB to ‘Free Agent’), Joe Jacobson (LB to ‘Free Agent’), Kane Vincent-Young (RB to ‘Free Agent’), and D’Mani Mellor (CF to Gateshead) 👋
Wycombe have welcomed plenty of new players to their squad, including; Nathan Bishop (GK on loan from Sunderland), Shamal George (GK from Livingston FC), Alex Hartridge (CB from Exeter City), Caleb Taylor (CB on loan from West Brom), Daniel Harvie (LB from MK Dons), Jack Matton (DEF from Woking), Tyreeq Bakinson (CM from Sheffield Wednesday), Aaron Morley (CM on loan from Bolton Wanderers), Cameron Humphreys (CM on loan from Ipswich Town), Fred Onyedinma (CAM from Luton Town), Daniel Udoh (FWD from Shrewsbury Town), Jaiden Bartolo (FWD from Wealdstone), Brody Peart (FWD from Brighton), and Gideon Kodua (FWD on loan from West Ham) ✍️
So far this season, Wycombe are exceeding all expectations and sit top of the table with 29 points, tied with Birmingham City and four points ahead of third-place Wrexham. Matt Bloomfield’s side are already seven points clear of seventh place, and their impressive form is not slowing down.
After 13 games, Wycombe have won 9, drawn 2, and lost 2. Those losses occurred in the first two games against Wrexham and Birmingham, but they are now on an eleven-game unbeaten streak. Bloomfield’s side have scored 31 goals (the most in League One), conceded 16, and kept 4 clean sheets. They have scored at least three goals in each of the last five games in all competitions 🤯
Away from home, Wycombe have won 4 and drawn 2 of their 7 games, scoring 18 goals, conceding 11, and keeping just 1 clean sheet. They have the second-best away form in the division, picking up just one point less than Barnsley.
Wycombe Wanderers’ Last 5 League One Results
Wycombe Wanderers 1 - 0 Crawley Town
⚽ Goals: F. Onyedinma (23’)
Wycombe Wanderers 3 - 1 Peterborough United
⚽ Goals: R. Kone (63’, 67’, Pen. 72’)
Burton Albion 2 - 3 Wycombe Wanderers
⚽ Goals: G. Kodua (16’), L. Leahy (53’), Own Goal (81’)
Wycombe Wanderers 3 - 0 Leyton Orient
⚽ Goals: F. Onyedinma (5’), D. Udoh (45+5’), C. Humphreys (59’)
Stockport County 0 - 5 Wycombe Wanderers
⚽ Goals: R. Kone (10’, 18’), F. Onyedinma (11’, 70’), A. Morley (77’)
With Wycombe starting the season incredibly well, selecting just three players who have impressed me most was tough. However, these are my three ones to watch 👇
Richard Kone (#24, Forward, Age: 21, joined on January 5th 2024 from Essex Senior League side, Athletic Newham)
If you are looking for a feel-good story this season, Richard Kone’s journey to League One football will satisfy your search 🇨🇮
The Ivorian arrived in the UK in 2019 to feature in the Homeless World Cup - an annual tournament that advocates for the end of homelessness. National teams are made up of players who are at least 16 years old and have not competed in the competition before. Players must also either; have been homeless at some point in the year leading up to the tournament, make their main living as a street paper vendor, be an asylum seeker without residency, or currently be in drug or alcohol rehabilitation and have been homeless within two years of the tournament start date.
Ivory Coast finished third in the Dragon Cup (Tier 4), and after the tournament ended Kone joined Dagenham-based side Lopes Tavares, now known as Athletic Newham. Kone scored 20 goals in 31 appearances in his first season, with the side being promoted to the Essex Senior League which is tier nine in the English pyramid. The striker scored 42 goals in 48 games in all competitions, with 31 in the league to become the top scorer.
Kone’s impressive goalscoring record led Football League sides to begin scouting him, but his visa status prevented him from joining professional clubs. In the 2022/23 season for Athletic Newham, Kone scored another 40 goals in all competitions, and in the first half of the 2023/24 season, he netted a further 21 times. A change in visa status allowed professional sides to sign him, and Wycombe Wanderers secured his signature after an extended trial ✍️
Matt Bloomfield handed Kone his debut in the EFL Trophy quarter-final against West Ham United U21s on January 9th, playing alongside Dale Taylor up front, and he scored in the 32nd minute. The goal may have come from a Hammers defender gifting Kone a 1v1 with a misplaced pass, but the knee slide celebration to the corner flag showed just how much that goal meant.
Last season, Kone netted 4 times and assisted 4 more in his 21 appearances in all competitions, and started up top for Wycombe in the EFL Trophy final against Peterborough United. It was clear that Bloomfield had a tremendous amount of belief in him, and in his 18 appearances in all competitions this season Kone has scored 10 and assisted 1.
Kone’s goalscoring stats include a nine-minute hattrick against Peterborough United in mid-October and an eight-minute brace against Stockport County last time out 🤯
Cameron Humphreys (#20, Attacking Midfielder, Age: 21, on a season-long loan from Ipswich Town)
One of the most exciting under-21 players in League One, if not the entire EFL, is Ipswich Town loanee, Cameron Humphreys 📌
The attacking midfielder progressed through his parent club's academy and signed a professional contract in June 2021 when they were competing in the third tier. The then 17-year-old made his senior debut on October 10th in an EFL tie against Newport County. However, he spent the majority of the season with the U18s and helped them win the Professional Development League Cup by registering three assists in the 7-0 final against Coventry City.
Humphreys was named the 2021/22 Academy Player of the Year and featured 17 times for the first team a season later as Ipswich Town won the League One title. The midfielder netted two goals and assisted one during this campaign.
With the Tractor Boys competing in the Championship last season, Humphreys was limited to just three league appearances and six cup appearances, scoring one goal against Reading in an EFL Cup Second Round tie. Due to their promotion to the Premier League, Kieran McKenna has decided to loan the youngster out to Wycombe Wanderers ✍️
Matt Bloomfield has Humphreys operating fairly centrally at the top of the midfield, with license to drift into wider spaces to support the wingers. His positioning isn’t too dissimilar to that of Thelo Aasgaard in many respects.
Humphreys has started in eight of his ten league appearances so far, netting 3 times and assisting two more goals. He has hit the target with 9 of his 15 shots, has a ground duel win rate of 65%, and is relentless in his drive to find a strong passing option.
Fred Onyedinma (#44, Winger, Age: 27, joined on September 10th 2024 from ‘Free Agent’)
If a list were to be created with the best free-agent signings in League One this season, Fred Onyedinma’s name would be very high up on that list.
The former Millwall Academy product spent two loan spells at Wycombe early on in his career, before the move was made permanent in July 2019. Onyedinma enjoyed two seasons with the Chairboys and played a huge role in their promotion to the Championship before joining Luton Town on a permanent deal in July 2021.
Onyedinma helped Luton Town gain promotion into the Premier League with 17 appearances and 2 assists in their final Championship campaign together, but he was loaned out to Rotherham last July. In January, Rob Edwards recalled the winger after picking up a hamstring injury. Once Onyedinma was back to full fitness, he featured in eight of the remaining nine Premier League fixtures 👏
Despite being late to join the party, Onyedinma has now started in four of the last seven league games, netting four goals and providing one assist. His performance against Stockport County last time out, which saw him score a brace and assist Aaron Morley for their fifth of the night, was one to behold.
As you can see below, Onyedinma has featured more predominantly coming in off the left wing but does roam across the attacking line to find spaces to exploit. He has hit the target with all five of his shots, has the second-highest passing accuracy in the squad (80%), and is the Chairboys’ joint second-highest goal contributor so far with 5 to his name 🫡
If you have been watching any of Wycombe’s games so far this season, you will have seen how incredibly well-structured and disciplined they are. Along with that, you may have noticed how high they press out of possession.
Against Stockport County last time out, they had them pinned in their own half for the majority of the first half. After 18 minutes, they were 3-0 up at Edgeley Park due to not giving the County backline a second to think about what they wanted to do with the ball. Matt Bloomfield will lead this team to great things this season based on their start to this campaign.
We can expect Wycombe to set up in a basic 4-2-3-1 formation, with the fullbacks stepping up more often than not to create a 2-4-3-1 designed to suffocate the opponents and force turnovers of possession. The key to their success is the pairing of pace and desire. They will not give up in the press, and once they have the ball they move quickly and directly. It is no wonder that they are the highest scorers in the division 🥇
With all of this in mind, Shaun Maloney has one hell of a job in trying to find a way that we can match them in and out of possession. Wycombe are 5th in the division for total shots taken (176) and 1st for total shots on target (67). Our backline will need support from the midfielders and forwards to get back and help to defend, but also to find space upfield so that our defenders can easily locate passing options when Wycombe are pressing high.
In terms of choosing a starting eleven, I would like to see us stick with the one deployed at Blackpool. In that first half, we looked back to our best for the most part. We moved the ball quickly, we pressed high, we scored two excellent goals, and if not for the own goal in stoppage time, it could well be regarded as the best half of football we have seen all season.
I do not doubt that this is going to be one of the toughest opponents we have faced yet. However, in these fixtures, we see Latics thrive more often than not and I am feeling cautiously confident that we can pick up at least a point on Saturday afternoon 🤞
👕 Starting XI Prediction: Tickle, Ramsay, Kerr, Aimson, Sessegnon, M Smith, Francois, Rankine, Aasgaard, Olakigbe, Taylor
⚽ Score Prediction: Wigan Athletic 2 - 2 Wycombe Wanderers
Up the Tics 🔵⚪️
🙌 Thank you for reading!
✍🏼 Charlie Keegan / Central Wigan
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