Ainsworth praise is nauseating

Imake no apology for returning to the subject of the EFL and a crazy strategy that led to a quite remarkable, and thoroughly undeserved, promotion for Wycombe Wanderers.

I won’t be joining in the rather nauseating praise for a club who voted to stop the season for 19 clubs so they and three others could take a shot at promotion to the Championship.

Wycombe’s Wembley win prompted the club’s fans to start trolling me on social media and I respond here to some of the comments.

Wycombe’s promotion justified the use of PPG to settle the League One table.

‘Er how? Playing three matches after a three-month break proved nothing. Luck played a huge part in Wycombe’s success, namely the collapse in form of two goalkeepers who are usually among the steadiest in League One. The winning penalty at Wembley should not have been awarded as the attacker involved was offside. Luck evens out over an entire season, but it didn’t over three matches. Wycombe deserved to win the play-offs. You’re just bitter. Wycombe deserved to win the semi-final against a Fleetwood side who imploded in a fashion that will haunt manager Joey Barton, but they were inferior to Oxford who would have won the final at a canter if they hadn’t bottled so many excellent attacking positions. They ran rings round Wycombe in the second-half with some precise passing, but were eventually undone by a huge punt forward from one goalkeeper and a howler from the other ‘keeper.

Posh weren’t good enough over 35 games. It’s their own fault they didn’t get promoted.

Yes, because Posh should have realised that the season would stop with nine games remaining. Of course if Posh had played two more home games than away games like Wycombe had, they might well have been sitting in an automatic promotion place when the season stopped. If Posh had played Bolton’s youth team at the start of the season they might have been second, and if they had not played virtually all of the top sides twice before lockdown they might also have finished second. All that statement does is highlight what a crass decision the EFL allowed League One clubs to make. Oh come on Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth (right) has done a cracking job. He deserves respect. I agree. The mid-table finish they were heading for before lockdown would have been a great effort with these players playing in such an ugly style (their time-wasting tactics are legendary in the lower divisions) so to take them into the Championship is a stunning achievement. Don’t be fooled into thinking Ainsworth is some sort of genius coach as he isn’t. If he has any sense he’ll find that better job this summer as he won’t enjoy what’s coming next season.