CHANCES FOR 2003/4?
(Tuesday 10th June 2003)
Lawrie Sanchez While bookies rank Wycombe as long shots to win promotion from Division Two in in 2003/4, Lawrie Sanchez believes it will be more of a level playing field next season particularly with big spending Wigan and Cardiff promoted to Division One. Speaking at the Fans Forum in April, the Wycombe boss said "There will be a general rationalisation of resources across the Second Division. Teams can no longer afford to pay out more than the money coming in." Sanchez was pleased to say goodbye to Wigan and Cardiff with both clubs allegedly paying at least three times Wanderers wage bill. Wanderers will be budgeting to break even in 2003/4 after a complete overhaul of the Club's finances by Executive Director Rod Tomlin. The Club made an accounting loss of around £450,000 last season following some crippling early season expenses but this was pulled around in the second-half of the season. Tomlin commented "We are moving on and seem to have got our act together. We’ve got a strong business, we’ve got a strong balance sheet. Things are moving, in a very, very difficult climate, in the right direction, I believe."
According to Willian Hill, joint favourites to lift the title next season are relegated Sheffield Wednesday and Brighton who have been installed at 6/1. Meanwhile, Sanchez is tipping Bristol City (quoted at 9/1) to be amongst the contenders next season but predicted that Oldham (also at 9/1), having missed out in the play-offs, would probably go bust having reported losses of £50,000 per week.
QPR, who were defeated in the Play-Off Final by Cardiff, are also fancied by the bookies at 7/1 for the title but Sanchez believes they played above themselves last season. Writing in the Division Two Play-Off Final programme, Sanchez commented "We beat them 4-1 early in the season but they showed when they won 2-1 at Loftus Road in the Boxing Day return that a team can overachieve if there are players prepared to pull their socks off".
If you believe the bookies, Wanderers will have to massively overachieve next season if they are to get anywhere near the top of the table. William Hill quote Wanderers at 40/1 with only Chesterfield, at 66/1, at longer odds to win the Division Two Championship. Meanwhile, the club's official betting partner bet365.com have quoted Wycombe at 16/1 to gain a promotion spot. Chesterfield are once again the rank outsiders for promotion at 20/1.
Wycombe's outside chances of reaching the play-offs took another blow following the Football League AGM on 5th June when plans to extend the play-off places down the eighth place were shelved following concerns from the FA and The Premier League. Before this Sanchez had commented "If the play offs come down to eighth it will give all those teams who are where we are the thought that they can extend the season longer and make it more interesting." The Wycombe boss, who will be relying on a very youthful squad next season, said he hoped the team would have been chasing that eighth place after he hinted that he would "be bit more radical in what we do team wise".
Odds at time of publication for promotion from Nationwide Division Two 2003/04 according to bet365.com
Sheffield Wednesday 7/4, Bristol City, QPR 2/1, Brighton 9/4, Tranmere, Oldham 11/4, Luton 5/1, Grimsby, Rushden 11/2, Blackpool 6/1, Barnsley, Plymouth 7/1, Swindon, Wrexham 8/1, Bournemouth, Brentford, Peterborough, Port Vale, Stockport 12/1, Colchester, Hartlepool, Notts County, Wycombe 16/1, Chesterfield 20/1
Click the link below to check the latest odds via wycombebet.co.uk
Click here to bet online at wycombebet.co.uk

Click here for all the latest from chairboys.co.uk

Chairboys on the Net - click here to reload from the top
Latest News
Injury Update
Matchday News
Archive Index

Related Links
Chairboys on the Net
1st July 2002
Odds 2002/3
Chairboys on the Net
28th June 2001
Odds 2001/2

Visit The Gas Room FANS
FORUM
Leave your own stories and comments via
www.gasroom.co.uk



© Chairboys on the Net 2003 - www.chairboys.co.uk - all rights reserved.
Chairboys on the Net All there is to say and know about Wycombe Wanderers on the Internet
HOME||||INDEX||||ROUGH GUIDE||||NEWS||||REPORTS||||FIXTURES&RESULTS||||INTERACT