'Nothing changes for us' says Waddock ahead of O's decider

Apr 30 2010 By Greg Burns

GARY Waddock feels his Wycombe Wanderers side are used to the 'winner takes all' pressure knowing if they lost at Leyton Orient on Saturday they will be relegated.

Blues were dead and buried in League One after back-to-back Easter defeats left them nine points from safety with just six games to play.

But staring down the relegation barrel allowed the players to take pitch with the shackles off and knowing that only wins would do in their final matches.

That mentality has seen them unbeaten since with wins over Hartlepool, Tranmere and MK Dons and last weekend's draw with Swindon.

They still remain five points adrift and travel to east London knowing a defeat to Russell Slade's strugglers would see them drop back into League Two after just one season.

“Nothing changes for us,” Waddock told the Advertiser. “We have had to win our last four games and we have to go into this game with the same attitude. If we play as we have in recent weeks then it will give us a great chance.

“We need to win and then see what other results come in and see where that leaves us.

“The players have been working really hard in training and they have a confidence and self-belief that they can go and do the job on Saturday.”

“From day one we hoped we could get it to go down to the last game of the season and that is the aim. The only way we can do that is with a win at Orient.”

Orient sit just three points above the drop zone themselves and can virtually secure safety with a home win over Wycombe.

The club also went through a big change at Easter when manager Geraint Williams was sacked and former Brighton and Yeovil boss Slade coming in with the target of keeping the O's in League One.

One defeat in his four games in charge have steadied the ship but Waddock is hoping some edginess within the home side and terraces can be exploited by a confident Wanderers outfit.

He said: “He (Slade) has done very well since coming in. When you change manager you hope for an immediate reaction and Leyton Orient have got that.

“But they are not out of it yet. We need to take any advantage we can get on Saturday and if there are some home nerves from the fans and the players then we need to be ready to use that.”

If Wycombe are to win they will have to shackle O's top goalscorer and former Wycombe fans favourite Scott McGleish, 36, who has scored 11 goals this term.

The Londoner scored 34 goals in 75 appearances between 2007-09 before falling out of favour with then Blues boss Peter Taylor and shipped out of the club.

Waddock said: “He (McGleish) is a good player and he will be very keen to do well against Wycombe again. We need to keep an eye on him but he is no different that the other quality strikers we have come up against in recent weeks.”

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