Form
Wycombe Wanderers finished fifth in League One last season, eight points off of the automatic places, but securing a place in the playoffs. They failed to make it to the playoff final, losing to eventual winners Charlton Athletic over two legs, where one goal in the second leg was enough to settle the two ties.
This season marks their fifth straight year in League One, having been relegated from the Championship in 2021 after finishing 22nd in the league.
The Chairboys have had a poor start to the
season, drawing one and losing three of their four games so far. They did however taste victory in their League Cup first-round game against Leyton Orient, progressing to the next round after a 0-1 away win. Wycombe come into this weekend’s game off the back of a 0-1 home loss against Exeter City, after an own goal from captain Jack Grimmer.
The two sides played out a 1-1 draw the last time Reading visited Adams Park, with Reading then claiming a 1-0 home win in April, after a Harvey Knibbs penalty.
The boss
Mike Dodds: Dodds was appointed Wycombe head coach in February this year, following Matt Bloomfield’s departure to Luton Town.
Although he did not have a career as a player, Dodds’ coaching journey started at the age of 18, when he took on a job in the Coventry City youth setup. He also spent time as a youth coach at Birmingham City before becoming their academy manager.
Dodds went on to join Sunderland in 2021, initially as head of individual player development, but he had three separate spells as interim manager, as well as a holding an assistant manager role in Regis Le Bris’ coaching team.
The 39-year-old is a strong developer of players, both in a youth team and senior setup. Dodds has had a tough start to management, having seen Wycombe drop from second place in the league when he took over to fifth, before losing in the playoff semi-final. He has won eight of his 25 games in charge so far, giving him a win percentage of 32%.
Squad
It’s been an incredibly busy summer for Wycombe with 12 new signings coming through the door at Adams Park.
Two new goalkeepers joined. Mikki van Sas signed from Dutch side Feyenoord for an undisclosed fee, while Stuart Moore also came in on a free transfer.
Defensive reinforcements arrived with the signing of Dan Casey on a free transfer from Motherwell, as well as Taylor Allen and Connor Taylor joining from Walsall and Bristol Rovers respectively for undisclosed fees.
Four midfielders also came in, with Caolan Boyd-Munce joining on a free, Ewan Henderson and Jamie Mullins signing for undisclosed fees from Beerschot and Brighton & Hove Albion, and George Abbott signing on a season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur.
Attacking options were also boosted with the signings of James Tilley on a free and Junior Quitirna and Bradley Fink, who joined from Crawley Town and FC Basel for undisclosed fees.
Predicted lineup
van Sas, Grimmer, Taylor, Hagelskjaer, Allen, Abbott, Leahy, Quitirna, Mullins, Lowry, Udoh
Key player
10. Luke Leahy: Midfielder Leahy signed for Wycombe in July 2023, agreeing a three-year deal with the club following the expiry of his contract at Shrewsbury Town.
Leahy started his career at Rugby Town and then signed for Falkirk in 2012. He made 160 appearances for the club before joining Walsall in 2017, where he spent two seasons, notching up another 105 appearances before moving to Bristol Rovers. Leahy joined Shrewsbury in 2021 where he scored 21 goals for the club over two seasons.
The 32-year-old has proved a popular figure at Adams Park and has recently notched up another century of appearances, scoring 19 goals for the Chairboys. Leahy has played in midfield and defence over the course of his career, but is predominantly a centre midfielder these days.
He is a good passer of the ball and is a strong set-piece taker.
One to watch
51. Alex Lowry: Midfielder Lowry joined Wycombe in January from Scottish Premier side Rangers.
Lowry is a product of the Gers’ youth system, having joined the club when he was 10 years old. He made his professional debut for Rangers in 2022 and went on to make 14 first-team appearances, scoring two goals.
He also spent time on loan at Hearts, where he spent the first half of the 2023/24 season. The 22-year-old has represented Scotland at under-16, under-19 and under-21 level and has nine youth caps to his name.
Since signing for Wycombe, Lowry has made 15 appearances for the club, but is yet to score his first goal. Lowry is a midfielder who can play out wide or in the number 10 role and is a strong dribbler.
