Steve Cook has called on Wycombe Wanderers to embrace an "us against the world" mentality after Saturday's 3-2 win at Leyton Orient lifted the Chairboys out of the League One relegation places and gave their supporters something to genuinely celebrate for the first time this season.

It was a result that arrived against a complicated backdrop. Just four days before kick-off, Wycombe had sacked manager Michael Duff, leaving interim boss Tom Hounsell to take the reins at Brisbane Road. That he steered the side to their first victory of the campaign, and their first away win since March, felt significant to everyone inside the ground.

"We want to give the fans more to cheer about, rather than hear songs about not winning away," Cook told BBC Three Counties Radio. "We want to turn that narrative around, and that's down to us on the pitch."

The result moved Wycombe up to 19th in the third-tier table, one place and a few points clear of the bottom four depending on results elsewhere. It is hardly a platform yet, but Cook was keen to stress that the atmosphere around the camp has been the problem as much as anything tactical or structural.

"There's been a lot of change, player-wise and staff-wise, and a lot of outside noise," he said. "We've got to clear that, and be together in the dressing-room."

Cook drew on the club's recent history to make his point. The experienced centre-back previously worked under Gareth Ainsworth at QPR, and he acknowledged that Ainsworth's most successful spell was at Adams Park, where a tight-knit squad punched consistently above its weight.

"This club enjoyed the success it did by that togetherness, that feel-good factor, that 'us against the world' mentality," Cook said. "I'm an experienced player, and I know how much the players need the fans. It hasn't been nice for them probably, seeing us lose away week in week out, and it probably spilled on from last season."

That last point is worth dwelling on. Wycombe had been in contention for the play-offs last season before losing four of their final six matches and eventually finishing 11th. The hangover from that collapse appeared to follow the squad into pre-season and through the opening weeks of the new campaign, with the side picking up results that suggested confidence was fragile rather than form simply poor.

With the search for a permanent head coach ongoing, the club faces a familiar third-tier dilemma: trying to attract a credible appointment while also staying competitive in a division that rarely pauses for anyone's recruitment process. Cook, for his part, was reluctant to let the uncertainty become an excuse.

"I really think this can be a successful season, and I know the fans will feel that too," he said. "But they need to see that belief on the pitch, and we're desperate to give them that. We're playing catch-up, simple as that. We've got a 40-game season now, with lots of twists and turns, but we're up for the challenge."

He also pointed to emerging attacking options as reason for optimism, highlighting the contributions of Fred Onyedinma, Jayden Wareham, and Dan Harvey as goalscoring outlets that could make Wycombe a genuine threat going forward.

The scenes at the final whistle, with players and staff embracing supporters on the Brisbane Road pitch, suggested something had shifted, even if one win does not rewrite a troubled start. Cook described it plainly: "That's what this club is all about."

Whether Hounsell keeps the job on a longer-term basis or acts purely as a bridge, Wycombe's next task is ensuring Saturday's performance was a foundation rather than a one-off. The League One table is unforgiving at this stage, and the Chairboys have ground to make up.

Frequently asked

Did Wycombe win their first game of the season?
Yes. Wycombe's 3-2 victory at Leyton Orient on 14 September 2026 was their first win of the League One season, and their first away win since March.
Who is in charge of Wycombe after Michael Duff was sacked?
Tom Hounsell took charge as interim manager following Michael Duff's dismissal on Tuesday. The club is searching for a permanent head coach.
Where are Wycombe in the League One table?
The win at Brisbane Road lifted Wycombe out of the relegation places and up to 19th in the League One table.