Football Season Guide

It has been another summer of change for Wycombe Wanderers, this time off the pitch. Georgian billionaire Mikheil Lomtadze became the unlikely owner of the Chairboys after purchasing the club from its American owners at the end of last season. It remains to be seen what he really wants with a small market town club from Buckinghamshire and it has been an understated start so far this summer. Matt Bloomfield, a club legend with 558 appearances for the Chairboys, oversaw a season of transition having faced the unenviable task of following in Gareth Ainsworth’s footsteps. It was a qualified success, with a Wembley final in the EFL Trophy, albeit one which ended in defeat. A relegation battle loomed large in January yet the season ended in a 10th-placed finish in April. Bloomfield isn’t afraid of making big decisions with first-choice goalkeeper Max Stryjek jettisoned in March and Nathan Bishop will be first-choice this season after signing on a season-long loan from Sunderland. Other additions have been steady if unspectacular, striker Daniel Udoh perhaps the best of the bunch, having opted for a move away from Shrewsbury Town. The squad didn’t need big changes in truth, just some shrewd additions, and there’s still room for a couple more. The loss of centre-back Chris Forino-Joseph is certainly the biggest blow, having rejected a new deal to sign for Bolton Wanderers. Centre-back Nigel Lonwijk and midfielder Freddie Potts’ departures were expected but will take some replacing after impressing whilst on loan. Bloomfield will be looking to build on his first full season in charge and push his vision forward as they target another top-half finish.