Opposition Lowdown: Mike Dodds’ Wycombe Wanderers
Reading head back to the Select Car Leasing Stadium this Saturday as they take on M4 rivals Wycombe Wanderers. Join us as we take a closer look at the opposition.
Form
Wycombe Wanderers finished last season in 10th place in League One following 17 wins, 14 draws and 15 losses. This is their fourth straight season in the third tier, having been relegated from the Championship in 2020/21 after finishing 22nd.
They are right in the hunt to secure promotion back to the second tier, currently sitting third in the league, three points behind second-placed Wrexham, but with a game in hand and a superior goal difference. Their recent form has been mixed, having seen two wins, two draws and one loss in their last five games.
They come into this weekend’s game off the back of a 0-0 draw at home to bottom club Shrewsbury Town in the week. The two sides met at Adams Park back in December, playing out a 1-1 draw, with Harvey Knibbs cancelling out Beryly Lubala’s opener.
The boss
Mike Dodds: Dodds was appointed Wycombe head coach in February, following Matt Bloomfield’s departure to Championship Luton Town.
Although he did not have a career as a player, his coaching journey started at the age of 18, when he took on a job in the Coventry City youth setup. He also spent time as a youth coach at Birmingham City before becoming their academy manager.
Dodds went on to join Sunderland in 2021, initially as head of individual player development, but he had three separate spells as interim manager, as well as a holding an assistant manager role in Regis Le Bris’ coaching team.
The 38-year-old is a strong developer of players, both in a youth team and senior setup. Since taking over at the Chairboys, Dodds has won four of his 11 games in charge and he will be looking to guide Wycombe back to the Championship in his first season in management.
Squad
Wycombe boosted their promotion chasing squad with the signing of 10 players in the January transfer window, with six joining permanently and four signing on loan.
Those joining permanently included goalkeeper Will Norris (Portsmouth), defender Anders Hagelskjaer (Molde), midfielders Magnus Westergaard (Viborg) and Alex Lowry (Rangers) and wingers Adam Reach (unattached) and James Berry (Chesterfield).
They also secured the loan signings of defenders Sonny Bradley (Derby County), Caleb Taylor (West Bromwich Albion) and Fin Back (Nottingham Forest), while midfielder Xavi Simons joined from Hull City.
Predicted lineup
Norris, Grimmer, Bradley, Taylor, Pattenden, Leahy, Simons, Lowry, McCleary, Humphreys, Kone
Key player
24. Richard Kone: Forward Kone signed for Wycombe in January last year from non-league Athletic Newham after a successful trial the previous summer.
His footballing story is not the typical route into football – Kone played in the Homeless World Cup in 2019 and stayed in the UK, joining Athletic Newham, where he spent five years. He was a prolific goalscorer in non-league, scoring 88 goals for the club.
Kone scored on his Wycombe debut last January in their EFL Trophy quarter-final game against West Ham United under-21s. He went on to score a further three goals last season but he has really found form this season and is currently League One’s top scorer, with 18 goals to his name.
The 21-year-old Ivorian plays as a striker and is a strong finisher who also contributes defensively.
One to watch
20. Cameron Humphreys: Midfielder Humphreys joined Wycombe on a season-long loan deal from Premier League Ipswich Town over the summer. A product of the Tractor Boys’ youth system, Humphreys made his debut for the club in 2021 and has since gone on to make 39 appearances for the club, scoring four goals.
Humphreys joined Wycombe on loan in a search for more regular first team football and he has certainly found it, appearing in all but one league game for the Chairboys this season, scoring seven goals and logging six assists.
The 21-year-old is a midfielder who typically plays in the number 10 role, but can also play in the middle of the park. He is a strong passer of the ball and likes to shoot from range.