It has been a restless opening to the League One season for two clubs who will each hope to find their footing quickly. AFC Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson and the circumstances surrounding Michael Duff's dismissal at Wycombe Wanderers were both in the spotlight on the latest edition of the BBC's 72+ podcast, and there is plenty worth unpacking from a third-tier perspective.

Five games and out at Wycombe

The central question the podcast poses about Wycombe is one that many supporters and observers around the division have been asking: was Michael Duff's sacking, after just five League One fixtures, a harsh call? On the bare facts, the Chairboys sat 23rd in the table when the decision was taken, which is about as stark a position as a club can find itself in at any stage of a season. But five games is five games, and there is a reasonable argument that even well-constructed squads can take a month or more to click under a new manager.

Wycombe, of course, have not been standing still otherwise. This site has reported on the arrival of Danny Ings, the return of Sam Vokes in a coaching capacity, and the free-transfer signing of goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith. There has been genuine activity at Adams Park in the summer, and a 23rd-place position after five rounds does not necessarily tell you everything about where a team is heading. Whether the board felt the results pointed to something more structural, or whether this was simply an impatient reaction to a difficult start, is harder to say without knowing the conversations that took place internally.

What is clear is that Wycombe now need to move quickly. The third tier shows little mercy to clubs who linger near the bottom while their rivals accumulate points; the gap to safety can widen in a fortnight if the fixtures fall unkindly.

Jackson takes stock at Wimbledon

Meanwhile, Jackson's presence on the podcast offers a window into how Wimbledon are approaching what is still a very young season. The former Charlton Athletic midfielder has been building steadily at Plough Lane, and his reflections on the campaign so far will be of interest to supporters who are trying to calibrate expectations for the months ahead.

There is an implicit comparison worth drawing here. Both Wimbledon and Wycombe are clubs of broadly similar scale and ambition within League One: founder members, in a sense, of what you might call the division's determined middle tier. How each navigates the opening third of the season could shape where they end up in May. Jackson, at least, appears to be having his conversations about progress in public rather than behind closed doors.

Wider context in the division

The podcast also touches on Leicester City's position following a 4-0 defeat to Oxford United that left them 18th in the third tier. For those clubs aiming at the play-off places, the presence of a club of Leicester's resources in the bottom half rather than the top six is a reminder of how the division's contours can shift unexpectedly in September. Every point accumulated before the clocks go back carries disproportionate weight.

For Wycombe, the priority is straightforward: find a manager, stabilise the results, and stop the 23rd-place position from becoming a habit. For Wimbledon, it is a case of building quietly and seeing whether Jackson's squad can sustain form over a full campaign rather than in bursts. Both stories are worth tracking closely as autumn arrives.

Frequently asked

Why was Michael Duff sacked by Wycombe Wanderers?
Duff was dismissed after just five League One games, with Wycombe sitting 23rd in the table. The club has not given detailed public reasons, but the poor early results appear to have prompted the decision.
Who is AFC Wimbledon's manager?
Johnnie Jackson is the AFC Wimbledon manager. He recently appeared on the BBC's 72+ podcast to reflect on the club's start to the League One season.
Where are Wycombe Wanderers in the League One table?
At the time of Michael Duff's sacking, Wycombe were 23rd in League One after five games, placing them in the bottom three of the third tier.