It’s fair to say that Michael Duff would’ve learnt a lot about his new Wycombe squad over his first four games in charge, as he continues to try and figure out his best eleven.
The quality in depth Wanderers have makes it very difficult to whittle it down to just eleven starters and seven substitutes on a match day, but the picture of who should be included and who shouldn’t has certainly got clearer in the last two weeks.
Questions were asked after Wycombe’s defeat to Wimbledon over the team selection, particularly at the back, as the central trio of Taylor Allen, Connor Taylor, and Jack Grimmer struggled throughout the game.
Despite this, Duff opted to stick to his guns and use this trio against Barnsley on Saturday, but opted to put Will Norris behind them, instead of Mikki Van Sas.
Unfortunately, it didn’t pay off, and a defensive mishap from Taylor cost Wycombe the first goal.
They changed shape in the second-half and withdrew Grimmer, but this didn’t work either, as what can only be described as amateur defending saw Davis Keillor-Dunn double the Tykes’ lead.
Whilst Wycombe would go on to snatch a point via two late goals from Sam Bell and Alex Lowry, it was really paper over the cracks, as the football on show for 85 minutes was, to put it bluntly, abysmal.
Whilst there were plenty of calls on social media post match for difference-makers Donnell McNeilly and Lowry to start in future, which are certainly justified after today, we’ve instead opted to focus on the defensive side of the team selection, which has been questionable for weeks.
Since Wanderers have opted to play a back three/five, they’ve mainly used Allen on the left, Taylor through the middle, and Grimmer on the right, which hasn’t brought much stability.
Summer additions Allen and Taylor have had slow starts to life at Adams Park, but the former has only just started being utilised in his natural position, having played at left-back and even left-wing under Mike Dodds.
Former Bristol Rovers captain Taylor was a wanted man in the summer, and it looked to be a real coup for Wycombe when they beat Peterborough United to the acquisition of the towering centre-half.
However, things haven’t started well for the 23-year-old, having looked kept just two clean sheets, and making costly errors in recent matches against Wimbledon and Barnsley.
This has led to calls for him to be dropped from the squad for next weekend’s trip to Wigan Athletic, but what are Duff’s options if he decides to heed those cries.
The Chairboys currently have three other centre-backs on the books in Dan Casey, Anders Hagelskjær, and Declan Skura, all of whom have had limited minutes so far this season.
The last time any of these three featured for the Blues was in the 2-0 victory over Wigan in the Carabao Cup just under two weeks ago, where they all performed exceptionally to keep the Latics out.
Hagelskjær has been touted as Wycombe’s best centre-back by many supporters, and it’s hard to disagree having seen some of his performances so far this season.
However, the Dane has mysteriously been exiled from the squad for Duff’s first three league games, and with no mention of whether his absence is down to injury or something else, fans are wondering where the January signing is.
Given his performances in the early stages of the season, Hagelskjær should certainly be involved for the Blues when he’s fit, as he’s one of the best progressive passers the club has on the books.
The left-footed defender has all the attributes to perform well in Duff’s system, and now he’s up to speed after a disturbed first six months in England, he has to be under consideration when available.
Then there’s Casey, who arrived at Adams Park in the summer with a great pedigree in Scottish football. However, he’s still somewhat of an unknown quantity, having featured sporadically so far this season.
His opening two league games were shaky, particularly against Stockport County, where he was played out of position at right-back, in what can only be described as a tactical disasterclass from Dodds.
Since then, the Irishman has looked like he’s beginning to acclimatise to English football, and proved this with excellent displays against Wigan and Bromley in the Carabao Cup.
Whilst he’s not a towering powerhouse like Hagelskjær, Casey is very combative, good in the air, calm with the ball at his feet, and a useful asset from both attacking and defensive set pieces.
The 27-year-old hasn’t played a minute of league action since the second game of the season, but the performance in the cup nearly a fortnight ago has definitely thrown his hat in the ring to earn his spot back.
Finally, B-team graduate Skura has always looked solid and reliable when he’s featured for the Blues across all competitions.
An excellent loan spell at Ebbsfleet United saw him return to Adams Park and break into the first team last term, but thanks to the form of Sonny Bradley and Caleb Taylor at the back end of the campaign, he couldn’t get a look in after Dodds was appointed.
The 23-year-old became somewhat of a forgotten man at Adams Park, until he resurfaced in the Wigan game as a second-half substitute, collecting his first competitive minutes of the season.
Skura is a highly-rated prospect, and has all the minerals to succeed in professional football. He’s quick, good in the air, comfortable with the ball at his feet, and versatile, possessing the ability to play at right-back, as well as centrally.
With that in mind, it would be interesting to see him on the right-hand side of a back three, as he’s proven to have the skillset required to play as a wide centre-back, which could be a role he absolutely thrives in.
Whilst Skura is probably bottom of the pecking order, he certainly shouldn’t be ruled out of contention, especially if Duff opts to stick with a back three rather than a four.
So where do we go from here? Well, the new Wycombe boss has the opportunity to experiment on Tuesday with the visit of Fulham Under-21s in the Vertu Trophy, which has probably come at the perfect time with these selection questions.
We’re likely to see plenty of changes, particularly at the back, and this will prove to be the chance for any of the three players mentioned to send a message to their new head coach, saying ‘I’m your man for this position’.
It’s key that someone in the defensive department lays down the gauntlet on Tuesday, even if it is a Vertu Trophy game, as not only will it help Duff with his selection dilemmas, but also send a message out to their colleagues that they must raise their game to be in the squad.
