MATCHWATCH : Wycombe Wanderers (h)

[Extended-Phenotype]

7th in the League at the moment

Wild. I wonder if it’s my nostalgia of being a decent championship club that makes me feel our performances aren’t worthy of a play-off spot.

[Clyde1998]

Attendance 13,105 today.

Seems to have been 1,682 away fans - so 11,423 home fans.

That's a big drop on the previous two Mad Stad matches against Wycombe in recent years:

1. 2024-25: 15,228 total; 13,556 home; 1,672 away.
2. 2023-24: 15,038 total; 13,386 home; 1,652 away.

[Armadillo Roadkill]

Reading Fans February 2025 - “The club means everything to me, it’s the heart of the community, I just don’t know what we’d do if we lose this club.”



Reading Fans February 2026 “There’s too much side ways passing and we’re not blowing every other team off the park. Winning isn't enough, I want to see football like the Brazil 1982 side. I might not bother to turn up any more.”

[Orion1871]

Reading Fans February 2025 - “The club means everything to me, it’s the heart of the community, I just don’t know what we’d do if we lose this club.”



Reading Fans February 2026 “There’s too much side ways passing and we’re not blowing every other team off the park. Winning isn't enough, I want to see football like the Brazil 1982 side. I might not bother to turn up any more.”

Not what people are saying, but ok.

[Hound]

Reading Fans February 2025 - “The club means everything to me, it’s the heart of the community, I just don’t know what we’d do if we lose this club.”



Reading Fans February 2026 “There’s too much side ways passing and we’re not blowing every other team off the park. Winning isn't enough, I want to see football like the Brazil 1982 side. I might not bother to turn up any more.”

Not what people are saying, but ok.

Yes that’s a ridiculous take I’m afraid

[WestYorksRoyal]

7th in the League at the moment

Wild. I wonder if it’s my nostalgia of being a decent championship club that makes me feel our performances aren’t worthy of a play-off spot.

There's definitely a bit of that, but today Wycombe had more possession, more territory and more shots. You will lose more than you win if that happens consistently.

[info@farwayhideaway]

The amount of crosses we allowed them to make. Poor decision making. Inability to keep the ball. Weird unfathomable goal kick routine. The performances are going backwards atm. We were extremely lucky today. We won't get anywhere near the playoffs unless we start improving all-round play.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

God, I think the team board is a more depressing read now than when dai was in charge

[Snowflake Royal]

I find the questioning of how we're winning a bit bizarre. We have the division's joint top scorer, someone who has always had a high goals to minutes ratio and is exceptional at finishing and anticipation. And for all the 'he adds nothing but goals' he's got 3 assists too.

We have one of the division's best performers overall in Wing. He's got 10 goals, 9 assists, his defensive stats are good too with over an interception a game, 2 tackles a game, 2 clearances per game and almost a block a game. He's second in whoscored average rating.

Pereira, despite a couple of ropey moments recently is an excellent keeper.

We've scored at 2 goals in the last six games running. In fact we barely ever don't score. Which makes us rather hard to beat. We've lost just 4 league games from 17 under Leam... his win rate is 53%. We've drawn too many games because we concede too many silly goals, but then our first choice centrebacks have only played 9 games together this season.

[Hound]

In my case it’s not ‘how are winning’ more it’s not a sustainable way to keep winning and I don’t think we’ll continue to win so many points unless performances improve (which they might)

Marriotts always scored goals but not like this. He’s massively outperforming his career stats. Can it continue? Maybe. Wing and JP are class but the defence is very shaky. No one else is regular scoring goals other than Wing and JM

To answer the other point on Marriott, no doubts his general play has improved from what it was with fitness and confidence. He’s never going to be a big contributor outside the pen area but he’s doing well in all aspects currently so good on him and long may it continue. Doesn’t change my opinion that the front 4 doesn’t work as a unit though

[yuomi]

Just watched the game. Few thoughts:
- At any level, you simply can't back off as much - and allow as many crosses - as we do.
- Ditto marking. We're currently tracking players at an u14 level.
- Lane is properly awful. You'd be forgiven for thinking he was playing for Wycombe.
- Doyle's weird habit of shutting down attacks continues. Is he really slow, lacking confidence, or what?
- Both GKs should have done better with the second goals.
- Marriott's a godsend.

[West F]

Just watched the game. Few thoughts:
- At any level, you simply can't back off as much - and allow as many crosses - as we do.
- Ditto marking. We're currently tracking players at an u14 level.
- Lane is properly awful. You'd be forgiven for thinking he was playing for Wycombe.
- Doyle's weird habit of shutting down attacks continues. Is he really slow, lacking confidence, or what?
- Both GKs should have done better with the second goals.
- Marriott's a godsend.

The tracking of players issue comes from the lack of forward or midfield width. Any scout or coach watching us would know that they can double up on our fullbacks and get at us down the flanks.

Lane will be awful as long as he is played out of position. The only time he did play from the left was against Barnsley, where he linked up well with Roberts.

Doyle’s issue is that he is slow. Often painfully so. He has great feet and a great touch on the ball. If he could really run, he would still be at Brighton instead of shuffling about in league one before going on a free at the end of the season. To be fair to him, I still don’t know where he is supposed to be playing in our tactical set up. He popped up on the right against Wigan in the second half, with Lane on the left, which resulted in a goal. But, most of the time he seems to have a free role in both attacking and defending.

[SouthDownsRoyal]

I find the questioning of how we're winning a bit bizarre. We have the division's joint top scorer, someone who has always had a high goals to minutes ratio and is exceptional at finishing and anticipation. And for all the 'he adds nothing but goals' he's got 3 assists too.

We have one of the division's best performers overall in Wing. He's got 10 goals, 9 assists, his defensive stats are good too with over an interception a game, 2 tackles a game, 2 clearances per game and almost a block a game. He's second in whoscored average rating.

Pereira, despite a couple of ropey moments recently is an excellent keeper.

We've scored at 2 goals in the last six games running. In fact we barely ever don't score. Which makes us rather hard to beat. We've lost just 4 league games from 17 under Leam... his win rate is 53%. We've drawn too many games because we concede too many silly goals, but then our first choice centrebacks have only played 9 games together this season.

Spot on, everyone wants to watch exciting, sexy football

But in reality the constant complaints can only be one of two things.

Either people who will never be happy or those that still have a poster of NHunt on their bedroom wall.

[Clyde1998]

In my case it’s not ‘how are winning’ more it’s not a sustainable way to keep winning and I don’t think we’ll continue to win so many points unless performances improve (which they might)

Marriotts always scored goals but not like this. He’s massively outperforming his career stats. Can it continue? Maybe. Wing and JP are class but the defence is very shaky. No one else is regular scoring goals other than Wing and JM

To answer the other point on Marriott, no doubts his general play has improved from what it was with fitness and confidence. He’s never going to be a big contributor outside the pen area but he’s doing well in all aspects currently so good on him and long may it continue. Doesn’t change my opinion that the front 4 doesn’t work as a unit though

I'd be very surprised if Marriott can continue his goalscoring record. He's scored fifteen league goals from an xG of 6.26 and an xGOT (expected goals on target) of 8.73.

If we converted that to playing every 90 minutes of a league season, his goals per minute would equate to 38.57 goals compared to an xG of 16.10 and an xGOT of 22.45. He's over-performing by 22.47 or 16.12 goals over the course of a league season at the moment, depending on the measure. That's completely unsustainable imo.

We need goals to come from players other than Marriott and Wing more consistently.

[Armadillo Roadkill]

Reading Fans February 2025 - “The club means everything to me, it’s the heart of the community, I just don’t know what we’d do if we lose this club.”



Reading Fans February 2026 “There’s too much side ways passing and we’re not blowing every other team off the park. Winning isn't enough, I want to see football like the Brazil 1982 side. I might not bother to turn up any more.”

Not what people are saying, but ok.

Yes that’s a ridiculous take I’m afraid

Based entirely on the people calling and texting in after the game to BBCRB. Such a completely ridiculous and entirely unmerited sense of entitlement they could have been Spurs fans.

[WestYorksRoyal]

In my case it’s not ‘how are winning’ more it’s not a sustainable way to keep winning and I don’t think we’ll continue to win so many points unless performances improve (which they might)

Marriotts always scored goals but not like this. He’s massively outperforming his career stats. Can it continue? Maybe. Wing and JP are class but the defence is very shaky. No one else is regular scoring goals other than Wing and JM

To answer the other point on Marriott, no doubts his general play has improved from what it was with fitness and confidence. He’s never going to be a big contributor outside the pen area but he’s doing well in all aspects currently so good on him and long may it continue. Doesn’t change my opinion that the front 4 doesn’t work as a unit though

I'd be very surprised if Marriott can continue his goalscoring record. He's scored fifteen league goals from an xG of 6.26 and an xGOT (expected goals on target) of 8.73.

If we converted that to playing every 90 minutes of a league season, his goals per minute would equate to 38.57 goals compared to an xG of 16.10 and an xGOT of 22.45. He's over-performing by 22.47 or 16.12 goals over the course of a league season at the moment, depending on the measure. That's completely unsustainable imo.

We need goals to come from players other than Marriott and Wing more consistently.

I actually wouldn't be shocked. Strikers sometimes have a season where everything they touch goes in. He's clearly in the form of his life and confidence is sky high.

It may be that the end of season or a pre-season injury is what breaks the momentum. His scoring record this season is comfortably his best which is why he's never really established himself at a higher level. But right now, he's absolutely flying and I don't see any reason why it should stop.