Alan Parry's Previews: Portsmouth vs Wycombe Wanderers

It has been a disappointing end to the season with just four wins from their last fourteen games since Matt Bloomfield replaced Gareth Ainsworth as manager in February.

Despite losing half of those games, Wanderers were still in contention for a playoff place only a fortnight ago, but successive home defeats against Lincoln City and Cheltenham Town put paid to any hopes of a top-six finish.

🇪🇸 More than 100 legends from the @LaMediaInglesa community will be in the #Chairboys end at Fratton Park on Sunday.

Bring all your noise, colour and energy to finish the season in style with a party atmosphere. pic.twitter.com/YEyFlXb7w2

— Wycombe Wanderers (@wwfcofficial) May 3, 2023

The Cheltenham setback led to the usual outpourings of negativity on social media with predictions of a relegation battle next season and calls for Bloomfield to be sacked.

READ MORE: 'I underestimated the depth' - Wycombe owner Rob Couhig on Wanderers' signings

That Bloomfield’s position should even be up for discussion is ridiculous. He was always going to find it difficult to follow a legend like Ainsworth, the club’s longest-serving and most successful manager in the EFL era.

He has only been on the job for three months and has had to deal with the absence of key players whilst also trying to implement a different style of play.

The time to judge Bloomfield is the end of next season, not the end of this one.

Despite the uncalled-for gloom and doom, Wanderers will finish eighth in League One if they beat Portsmouth on Sunday, and that would be a worthy achievement.

Of the current top six clubs, all bar Plymouth Argyle have played in the Premier League and all six are vastly superior to Wycombe in terms of history, wealth, and support.

🤝 A #Chairboys XI has drawn 1-1 with @EngUniSport in a practice match at Adams Park this afternoon.

Arnold Matshazi scored for the hosts, with Jack Wakely, Luca Woodhouse, Jasper Pattenden, Jack Young, Adam Leathers, Antoine Makoli and a number of trialists also in the side. https://t.co/1TssoCI1qi

— Wycombe Wanderers (@wwfcofficial) May 3, 2023

READ MORE: 'Get excited for next year' - Rob Couhig on Wycombe's plans for next season

That also applies to Portsmouth.

Despite average crowds of 18,000, it is 11 years since they last played in the Championship, something Wycombe achieved just two years ago.

The clubs met at Adams Park in December 2022, televised live on Sky Sports.

It finished 2-0 to the Chairboys with Anis Mehmeti and Garath McCleary on the scoresheet.

Wanderers have never won a league game at Fratton Park, so what an opportunity to end the season on a high and give their fans renewed hope that next season will end better than this one.