This weekend will see Wycombe Wanderers take on Bournemouth at Adams Park – a fixture that could see the Chairboys relegated to League One.
In what has been a historical year for Gareth Ainsworth’s men, Wanderers take on the former Premier League outfit knowing that anything less than a win (as well other results going their way), will see them playing in England’s third tier next season.
It will be the first time since November 2011 that the Cherries will be playing at Adams Park, with Wanderers’ Matt Bloomfield and Bournemouth’s Steve Cook being the sole survivors from that fixture nearly 10 years ago, which ended in 1-0 win for the visitors.
READ MORE: Wycombe to take part in social media boycott to battle online racism and hate
In that season, Bournemouth finished midtable whilst Wanderers were relegated to League Two.
In their last meeting back in December, the Dorset-side defeated Wycombe 1-0 with Junior Stanislas scoring the winner, in a game that saw Alex Pattison receive a red card and the goal scorer having a fight with his Bournemouth teammate, Sam Surridge.
Looking forward to this weekend’s match, we spoke to one of the club’s journalists, Neil Perrett, about what he thinks could happen in Bucks.
How happy have you been with Bournemouth’s season so far?
NP: "It’s been a roller-coaster! The league table doesn’t lie. Norwich and Watford have been the two best teams in the division and hopefully, we can do ourselves justice in the play-offs.
"Automatic promotion was the aim at the start of the season and going up through the play-offs is now the target."
As Bournemouth have secured a play-off place, will we see a so-called ‘weakened’ team this Saturday?
NP: "To be perfectly honest, I don’t think there is a so-called ‘weakened’ team.
"The squad is strong in every department.
"Team selection will be determined by injuries but I can see the head coach fielding his strongest team.
What happened the last time these two sides met
Bournemouth's Sam Surridge and Junior Stanislas were involved in a strange shoving match after Surridge took a shot in injury-time against Wycombe Wanderers. pic.twitter.com/pS9TkqNSYe
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 16, 2020
"There are no midweek games for a couple of weeks and he will want to keep his players ticking over."
READ MORE: Aylesbury United to boycott social media due to racial abuse
What do Wycombe need to be wary of when Bournemouth visit Bucks?
NP: "The attacking threat of the Cherries.
"Goals have been coming from everywhere recently and it’s difficult to single out one player to stop.
"In Arnaut Danjuma, Dominic Solanke, and Phil Billing, the Cherries have one of the most in-form scoring triumvirates in the Championship.
"Junior Stanislas and David Brooks, who have missed recent games due to illness and injury, respectively, are back to full fitness and are also a major threat."
How can Wycombe exploit the Cherries?
NP: "It’s going to be tough for them but Wycombe have proved they are not going down without a fight.
"Nullifying the attacking players is a start but is easier said than done.
"Trying to catch them on the break could be an option but they are also very strong defensively."
As Wycombe need to win and hope results go their way to avoid relegation, can you see this being a hard match for Bournemouth?
NP: "Every game in this division is hard.
"In general, Bournemouth have fared well against most of the top teams but have conceded points to some of the teams in the bottom half.
"You could say Wycombe will have nothing to lose and will go for it. But football is never that simple."
READ MORE: Wycombe confirm the signing of former Brentford defender following successful trial
How happy have you been with Jonathan Woodgate?
NP: "Since being handed the role – firstly on an interim basis and then permanently – he has done a fantastic job.
"He started with a four-match unbeaten run which included beating Premier League Burnley in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
"Between mid-March and mid-April, he presided over a run of seven successive league wins, only the third time in the club’s history that this had been achieved."
The match will kick-off at 3pm.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here