TAYLOR LEAVES WYCOMBE BY “MUTUAL CONSENT”
Friday 10 October
Wycombe Wanderers, struggling at the bottom of League One, have parted company with their manager Peter Taylor (pictured left) by 'mutual consent', the club announced this morning.
Peter who was also a former Gills boss and ex-Spurs and England star had been Wycombe manager for 16 months and guided them to promotion last season.
However, he has had a disastrous start to this season in League One. The club is second from bottom with only one win in 11.
Wycombe are due at Priestfield tomorrow for an important game for both sides.
As late as yesterday Peter Taylor had defended Wycombe’s tactics in recent games. Critics had accused him of negative tactics but Taylor replied by saying: “It is ridiculous to describe his team as defensive”. He went on to say: “I don’t agree with anybody who says we’ve got negative tactics. We have played 4-4-2 in the last three matches. We started 4-4-2 at Swindon and against Tranmere. We only had one defensive player in the front six. “I think the results have got into people’s heads. Say we are not good enough if you think that, but don’t say we are negative. I do not accept it”.
This was his last comment as Wycombe manager and he obviously realised that it was time to go and let someone else take over in what Wycombe officials see as a “looming relegation battle”. For the record Peter Taylor has had five promotions with the clubs he has managed.
A statement from the Wycombe club owner, Steve Hayes, on their website said today: "Peter is an honourable man and he knew that it was time to move on. He came to me and said he was very disappointed with the way the season has begun and understood things had to change.
"He leaves with our thanks and best wishes for the future and I want to put on record our gratitude for the excellent job he did for us last season in getting us promoted."
Wycombe hope to replace Taylor as quickly as possible and Hayes added: "Wycombe have a reputation for appointing good managers and I'm sure we'll get plenty of high-calibre applicants. Peter's successor will inherit an excellent squad of players and with 35 games still to play, we're confident that our league position will improve."
Peter Taylor's assistant Junior Lewis who was also a former Gills player, will be leaving the club with Peter. Richard Dobson, Wycombe’s head of youth development, will take temporary charge of tomorrow’s game at Priestfield.
Peter Taylor met with Steve Hayes on Friday morning at Adams Park, where he bid farewell to staff at the Wycombe Wanderers' ground.