Tom Hounsell says the atmosphere around Wycombe Wanderers has shifted noticeably after back-to-back League One wins, with the interim head coach describing the squad as being in "positive spirits" ahead of what looks a significant fixture against Wigan Athletic.
A timely change of mood
It has been a turbulent opening to the season at Adams Park. Mathew Duff was dismissed after a winless five-game start, and Hounsell stepped into the role on a temporary basis. The Wycombe faithful were understandably nervous. Back-to-back wins in the third tier do not sound spectacular on paper, but in the context of where this club found itself a few weeks ago, they represent a meaningful shift in direction.
Speaking to BBC Three Counties Radio, Hounsell was measured but upbeat. "The players are in positive spirits," he said, a sentiment that carries more weight than the phrase might suggest given the turbulence that preceded it. He has spoken previously about feeling "immensely proud" of the role, and there is a sense that the players have responded to whoever, or whatever, the change in management has brought with it.
Exactly what clicked to produce consecutive wins is not spelled out in granular detail from the available interview, but Hounsell's tone suggests a collective rather than tactical explanation. A squad that looked disjointed under Duff appears to have found some basic solidarity, which, in League One, tends to go a considerable distance.
Wigan up next
The upcoming fixture against Wigan Athletic sharpens the attention. Wigan arrive at this point in the season having had their own inconsistencies: a heavy 4-0 defeat prompted some searching questions, though manager Shaun Maloney has since steadied things. Scott Hogan was added on a short-term deal to bolster the forward line, and the Latics drew with Sheffield Wednesday in what their players described as "a great team performance". Neither side, in other words, comes into this in a state of crisis, which should make for a genuine contest.
Hounsell appears to be treating the fixture as a measuring stick rather than a trap. After back-to-back wins, travelling supporters and the club's board alike will want to see whether the recent upturn has substance. A positive result against a Wigan side that has genuine quality in the squad would do considerably more for the argument that Wycombe have genuinely turned a corner than the same result against lower-placed opposition.
The bigger question
Hovering over all of this, as it always does when a head coach is described as "interim", is the question of what happens next. Hounsell has given no indication that he is treating the job as temporary in terms of effort or commitment, and the results have backed that up. Whether the club's board opts to make the appointment permanent, bring in a named candidate from outside, or continue as they are for a longer period is something Adams Park will be watching with interest.
What Hounsell has done, quietly and without a great deal of fanfare, is stop the bleeding. Wycombe were staring at a very uncomfortable early-season situation when Duff departed. Two wins later, the picture looks rather different. Positive spirits, as he put it, are sometimes all that separates a club that drifts towards the bottom of League One from one that starts climbing it.
The test against Wigan will tell the supporters rather more than two wins against other opponents could. Hounsell, for his part, seems to be approaching it in exactly the right frame of mind.
Frequently asked
- Who is Wycombe Wanderers' interim manager?
- Tom Hounsell was appointed interim head coach after Mathew Duff was sacked following a winless five-game start to the season.
- How many wins have Wycombe had under Hounsell?
- Wycombe have won back-to-back League One matches under Hounsell, according to the interim head coach's own assessment ahead of the Wigan fixture.
- When do Wycombe play Wigan Athletic?
- Hounsell confirmed in his BBC Three Counties Radio interview that the Wigan Athletic fixture is Wycombe's next League One match, though an exact date was not specified in the available information.