Wycombe provide test of how far we've come
By Nathan Jackson
December 27 2006
For the second time in a week, the Imps will face a side that they've never beaten in the Football League at Sincil Bank. Wycombe have won every single meeting at City since the Imps secured promotion from their single season in the Conference in the 80s, but is that about to change?
3 local derbies, 3 wins, 6 goals for, 2 against, not bad for 10 days worth of football is it? It's the sort of run which has seen us return to being a prime candidate for automatic promotion and with the top 4 starting to pull away, it's vital that the Imps don't lose any time soon, something made more difficult given that Wycombe have won every single league meeting between the two sides at Sincil Bank. It'll be the second time in 4 days that we're facing a team we've never beaten in the football league so hopefully this can have the same result at the previous.
The game against Boston followed suit with the majority of games that we've played recently, that being with the Imps controlling the game but almost losing points after the opposition scores with their first shot. It's a trend we certainly have to avoid against Wycombe because without doubt, Wycombe have a more deadly attacking partnership that anyone we've faced in recent months and as Mooney showed with his goal against City at Adams Park as he reacted first to Easter's shot that hit the bar.
If the Imps do manage the win, it will be the first since god knows when (possibly the first ever time) that City have gone into the New Year with 50 points and given our next 2 opponents, we'll need to be on our best form to stay in touch with the Top 3.
There has been a lot of talk over the last few days about what formation the Imps will play. 4-4-2 has been the main formation this year and it came as no surprise that we improved after changing from 4-3-3 the other day. You do get the feeling though that we only played 4-3-3 because of Frecklington's suspension against Peterborough and it would surprise many if he, and Jeff Hughes don't start the game for the Imps after both changed the game on Boxing Day.
With the likely change to 4-4-2, the forward partnership is likely to be Forrester and Stallard, despite the latter still recovering from toe surgery.
Other than that, the rest of the squad is a virtual guarantee.
Who I think will start (Right to left)
Eaden Beevers Brown Hughes
Amoo Kerr Frecklington Nicholson
Forrester Stallard
| Wrexham | D 1-1 | ||||||
| Bristol Rovers | W 2-1 | ||||||
| Notts. County | L 0-1 | ||||||
| Bury | W 3-0 | ||||||
| Swansea City | LC | W 3-2 | |||||
| Macclesfield Town | W 2-0 | ||||||
| Mansfield Town | W 1-0 | ||||||
| Chester City | W 1-0 | ||||||
| Hereford United | W 2-1 | ||||||
| Rochdale | W 2-0 | ||||||
| Fulham | LC | W 2-1 | |||||
| Lincoln City | L 1-3 | ||||||
| Swindon Town | D 1-1 | ||||||
| Accrington Stanley | L 1-2 | ||||||
| Torquay United | W 2-0 | ||||||
| Walsall | L 0-2 | ||||||
| Swindon Town | JP | W 1-0 | |||||
| Peterborough United | W 2-0 | ||||||
| Doncaster Rovers | LC | D 2-2 (3-2 pens) | |||||
| Boston United | W 1-0 | ||||||
| Bristol Rovers | JP | L 0-2 | |||||
| Shrewsbury Town | D 0-0 | ||||||
| Notts. County | LC | W 1-0 | |||||
| Oxford United | FA | W 2-1 | |||||
| Grimsby Town | D 1-1 | ||||||
| Hartlepool United | L 0-2 | ||||||
| Stockport County | FA | L 1-2 | |||||
| Darlington | W 1-0 | ||||||
| Barnet | D 1-1 | ||||||
| Milton Keynes Dons | L 1-3 | ||||||
| Charlton Athletic | LC | W 1-0 | |||||
| Stockport County | W 2-0 | ||||||
| Swindon Town | L 1-2 | ||||||
Wycombe's progress in the Carling Cup is a perfect example of what is wrong with football in this country. Instead of getting the praise they deserve for getting as far as they have in that competition, beating so called "better" opposition along the way, all that you heard after they beat those teams were how badly the Premiership side played, there was virtually no credit whatsoever given out to Wycombe and I'm prepared to give respect to any team that that beat a Premiership side, especially after we shoved 4 goals past Fulham last year and still didn't win.
Wycombe's league form is certainly taking a nose-dive because of their cup form and just 2 wins from their last 8 games is certainly not form that will be capable of keeping them in the automatic promotion race, especially as 2 of their defeats were against two of their fellow automatic promotion fighters. The form of 8 wins in a row earlier in the season has certainly gone out of the window. Extend their form back a bit and since that 8 game winning run, they've only won of 5 their last 15 league games.
Wycombe do have a highly capable squad, most notable being arguably the best attacking partnership in the division. Tommy Mooney and Jermaine Easter has both scored a fair few goals goals in recent times.
Their away form of late hasn't been particulary good and they've lost their last 3 league games on the road and worryingly for them, all 3 were against teams that currently sit in the Top 7. Unless they improve their form, then they'll have trouble hanging onto a place in the Top 7, let alone challenge for automatic promotion.