Tom Hounsell is not playing along. Three wins from three as Wycombe Wanderers interim head coach, a climb from second-bottom to 14th in the League One table, and the 30-year-old still will not be tempted into saying what everyone seems to be asking: does he want the job?

"I've said it before. My thoughts are never on myself, it's about the group of players," Hounsell told BBC Three Counties Radio after the weekend victory over Wigan. "I'm employed by this football club, ultimately, to help us get wins. That's my commitment and it's a commitment from the whole staff."

It is a measured line, carefully maintained. Whether it reflects genuine indifference or a well-practised bit of man-management is hard to say from the outside. What is harder to argue with is the results.

From the bottom to the middle

Hounsell inherited a club that had taken nothing from its opening five League One fixtures under Michael Duff, who was sacked earlier this month. The mood, by most accounts, was flat. A first game in charge brought a 3-2 win at Leyton Orient. Two further victories followed, and Adams Park's supporters can now look at a mid-table position rather than the trapdoor.

It is worth noting that the EFL Trophy win over Chelsea Under-21s sits outside League One competition, though it will have done no harm to dressing-room confidence. The league form is what matters, and three wins from three in the third tier is, by any measure, a promising start for someone stepping up in an emergency.

Limited managerial experience, obvious early impact

Hounsell is young for the role. His only previous stint as head coach came in a 12-match caretaker spell at Burton Albion in 2024, before Gary Bowyer was brought in as the permanent appointment. That appointment at Burton might reasonably be read as a signal of how these situations tend to resolve. Clubs with options tend to use them.

Wycombe's board have given no public indication of their thinking on who leads the club beyond the interim period. Hounsell, to his credit, is not nudging them publicly in any direction.

"I'm pleased with the work we're doing, pleased with the momentum we're taking, pleased with the week that we've had," he said, "but I haven't thought more about it than that."

He was notably generous about whoever does eventually take the role on a permanent basis. "Whoever is manager of this football club is in an incredibly blessed position," he said. "Whatever happens with the manager's post, that individual will be extremely lucky to work with this group of players and the structure and processes that exist behind the scenes."

That is either a man at ease with whatever comes next, or someone making very sure he is not seen to be campaigning. Both readings are plausible.

What Wycombe need now

For supporters, the managerial question is clearly secondary to the league position for now. Three weeks ago this was a club staring at the kind of start that tends to drag teams into a relegation scrap they cannot escape. The table has shifted. The confidence, by Hounsell's account, has shifted with it.

Wycombe host Reading at the weekend, a fixture that will test whether the recovery is genuine or whether easier opposition flattered the early numbers. A fourth successive win would make it considerably more difficult for the club to look elsewhere without a very good reason.

For now, Hounsell's position is straightforward: he is thinking about the next match, not the next contract. Whether that changes may well depend on what happens against Reading.

Frequently asked

Who is Wycombe Wanderers interim manager?
Tom Hounsell has been in interim charge of Wycombe Wanderers since Michael Duff was sacked earlier this month. He has won all three of his matches in the role.
Why was Michael Duff sacked by Wycombe?
Michael Duff was dismissed after Wycombe failed to win any of their opening five League One matches of the season, leaving the club near the bottom of the table.
Will Tom Hounsell get the Wycombe job permanently?
Hounsell has refused to be drawn on the question, saying his focus is on the players and getting results. Wycombe's board have not made any public statement on the permanent appointment.