Wycombe Wanderers took a step closer to achieving promotion to the Championship last night, as Mike Dodds steered his new club to their first win since he took over.
The former Sunderland coach was hunted for the top job at Wycombe in the wake of Matt Broomfield’s departure for the Luton job last month.
Mike Dodds took charge of the League One side at the start of February with Wycombe sitting in second place in the table and looking good for promotion.
Fans and staff were gutted to see Dodds go, but accepted it was the right move for his career. And now, at the third time of asking, his new team have finally won a game to get their promotion charge back on track.
Mike Dodds delighted with Wycombe win as promotion beckons
Wycombe fans were excited by Dodds’ arrival, and it seems they are now getting a taste of what he is capable of after a convincing 2-0 win over Bristol Rovers last night.
Speaking after the game, Dodds said: “We spoke at half-time about having a little bit more of a threat and being more direct, and we did that and the game was put to bed. We were in control for the whole game regardless of the scoreline.”
On the big decisions he is making at Wycombe when it comes to team selection, Dodds added: “I have got the best job and the worst job as I am going to have to look at some players in the eye and say they’re not playing. I had to do that with Sonny Bradley, who has been terrific in the last two games.
“But, I felt in this game, the pairing of Joe Low and Caleb Taylor was probably the right choice. Thankfully, I have been vindicated for it. That’s my role and sometimes I get it right, sometimes I get it wrong and if I do, I will have to eat some humble pie.”
Dodds’ Wycombe side are now five points clear of third-placed Wrexham with 15 games to go and look destined to gain promotion this season.
How much will Sunderland miss Mike Dodds?
In the wake of Dodd’s departure, Regis Le Bris outlined his plan to replace the coach with the more experienced players in the squad, looking at leaders like Luke O’Nien in particular.
Unfortunately, the Black Cats haven’t quite acclimatised to life after Dodds, and though it’s hard to truly know what things are like behind the scenes, it’s clear there is work to be done to find that cohesion.
The Sunderland coaching staff lost a key member when Dodds left, and it may well be that we have to wait until the summer for the club to properly regroup and recuperate.