Wycombe Wanderers manager Matt Bloomfield has heaped praise on his players following a 4-1 win at Shrewsbury Town on Saturday.
The Chairboys currently sit top of League One having not recorded a league defeat since losing to Birmingham City on August 17th. Since then, they have picked up 13 wins and four draws, keeping them one point above second-placed Birmingham.
They entered the game at the Croud Meadow having dropped points in their previous two games though, opening up an opportunity to the chasing pack. Having drawn against Exeter City and Reading, whilst also suffering a shock EFL Trophy exit at the hands of Swindon Town last week, a return to winning ways was imperative.
The last person Bloomfield would have wanted to come up against was his former boss Gareth Ainsworth. The 51-year-old had an 11-year stint as manager at Adams Park before departing for Queens Park Rangers in 2023. Now residing at Shrewsbury, this was his first meeting with his former club.
Despite a nervy opening 15 minutes, Wycombe took hold of the game on the half hour mark and never looked back, eventually securing a 4-1 victory.
Bloomfield Admits Summer Recruitment Paying Off
Wycombe are the division’s top scorers by some distance, notching 43 goals in 19 games. Bloomfield admits his team’s successes in front of goal aren’t by accident, telling Bucks Free Press:
“We know we have got a lot of goals in us at the top of the pitch as we did a lot of work in the summer on our recruitment.
“We need to keep creating chances and this isn’t by accident.
“It’s about the work the players put in as they demand a lot from each other to keep their standards high.”
Continuing, the 40-year-old urged his players to enjoy the ride, claiming nobody expected them to be involved in the race for promotion at the start of the season:
“To be where we are in December is above any expectation of anyone in the football world as no one expected us to be where we are.
“We have to enjoy it as the boys have been working hard.”
Writer’s View
Wycombe’s stranglehold on League One shows that success can be achieved with hard work. Birmingham were expected to run away with the title following their big-money summer transfer window but the Chairboys have had other ideas. Their form has continued for too long for this to be a flash in the pan scenario, and they are likely to push the West Midlands-based outfit all the way.
