Where did it all go wrong for Waddock? (From This Is Local London)

Where did it all go wrong for Waddock?

11:07am Monday 24th September 2012 in Latest Sport By Andy Carswell

IT was supposed to be a day of celebration as Wanderers marked their 125th anniversary against another supporter owned club.

Instead Blues fans were treated to a limp display that proved to be the final nail in Gary Waddock's managerial coffin, with the manager being dismissed in the wake of the 1-0 defeat to AFC Wimbledon.

Not for the first time this season his players showed no reaction to a dressing room dressing down at half time, and Waddock said in his final post match press conference they had let themselves, the club and him down.

He sounded a broken man who probably knew his fate after Wycombe's latest poor showing.

Just days after being given a vote of confidence from joint chairman Don Woodward, Waddock was shown the door after an alarming slide down the Football League that sees them outside the relegation zone on goal difference only.

Appointed in 2009, Waddock was unable to keep Wycombe in League One after taking over from Peter Taylor but bounced back from that setback to lead them to promotion the following season.

Since then it's been all downhill - the statistics don't lie and they paint an alarming picture. Five defeats already this season, one win since March, and 99 goals conceded in league matches since the start of last season - during which time they've kept just four clean sheets.

But what's been more alarming than that is the manner of some of those defeats.

There were several thrashings last season, the worst of which saw Jordan Rhodes plunder five of the six goals Huddersfield stuck past them at Adams Park in January.

Waddock said he felt lower after that thrashing than he did when Blues were relegated in his first season in charge.

At least on that occasion he can truthfully say his team were beaten by a far superior side - in far too many other games they simply rolled over.

A 4-0 hammering at Chesterfield against a side who would have been relegated had they failed to win was the low point, but Wycombe failed to show up during a home defeat against fellow strugglers Yeovil Town, a 5-2 thrashing at Brentford and a limp loss at Bournemouth in the first game of 2012.

Those performances have carried on over into this season. Opposing goalkeepers were left untroubled against Southend and AFC Wimbledon, while Blues were outplayed in holding on for a draw against Cheltenham.

The rain came to their rescue against Bristol Rovers, with the match being called off with Blues 3-1 down. Had the match been completed without any alterations to the scoreline Wanderers would now be in the relegation zone.

Waddock said time and again his players needed to take greater responsibility, but far too many of the men brought in by him weren't good enough.

John Halls, Ben Harding, James Tunnicliffe and Elliot Benyon failed to cut the mustard in League One last season and some of the loan signings made during Waddock's tenure were questionable to say the least.

But while supporters can forgive poor results in the face of adversity they cannot accept a poor attitude, and for whatever reason far too many players wouldn't perform for Waddock.

On Saturday there was an air of inevitability about the defeat as several players went through the motions as a side themselves without a win since the opening day of the season strolled to victory.

Injuries didn't help Waddock's cause and while he wouldn't use that as an excuse for failure, any manager would have struggled had they been shorn of more than half of their first choice XI.

Nikki Bull, Grant Basey, Matt Bloomfield, Sam Wood, Dennis Oli and Marvin McCoy are all on the treatment table and the problems worsened after Stuart Lewis was taken to hospital on Saturday.

There's enough talent in that list of players to get Wanderers out of trouble. It's down to whoever comes in to do what Waddock failed to do and get the best out of them.