Football Season Review

Wycombe Wanderers recorded their best finish in the Football League for 17 years as manager Gareth Ainsworth guided them to safety in League One. Promotion from League Two was a remarkable achievement for the Chairboys, who are punching above their weight under Ainsworth. His style might not be popular with opposing managers and supporters but it has certainly proved successful and they were competitive throughout much of the campaign; twice holding Sunderland to 1-1 draws. It took them time to acclimatise to life at a higher level but soon found their feet and reached the giddy heights of 9th place by November. Their success was built on a dogged midfield duo of Curtis Thompson and Dominic Gape; the pace and set-piece delivery of full-backs Jason McCarthy and Joe Jacobson respectively, and the speed of loan strikers Fred Onyedinma and Randell Williams. Striker Adebayo Akinfenwa’s influence waned due to a troublesome knee injury, and summer signing Alex Samuel was another gamble which paid off for Ainsworth as he led the line with aplomb. January saw the departure of those loanees but the side were still in 9th place in February before results fell off a cliff. The side slipped into a relegation battle on the back of a 12-match winless run. Victories against relegation rivals Southend United and Walsall were crucial as they clambered to safety; finishing just three points above the drop zone. Ainsworth described survival as his greatest achievement as a manager and could see this as the right time to seek a new challenge.

Player of the Season: Curtis Thompson