Winless Wycombe appoint interim head coach after sacking Michael Duff

Wycombe, who are winless in their opening 5 league games, are to appoint interim head coach after sacking Michael Duff.

It was on the 18th of September 2025 when Duff was appointed as the head coach of the Chairboys, who were 19th in League One at the time of Mike Dodds’ departure.

Duff guided them to 11th place, ending the 2025/26 season on 63 points.

Not the start to the 2026/27 season he or Wycombe wanted, with a decision to part ways made on the 7th of September 2026, with the players being told the morning after.

🧨 BREAKING: Michael Duff has been sacked as Wycombe Wanderers boss.

The club sit 23rd in League One after 5 games with Wycombe yet to win in the league this season.

Decision made last night, the players have been told this morning. pic.twitter.com/q3eYAvcA4L

— Mark McAdam (@markmcadamtv) September 8, 2026

Wycombe Wanderers have parted company with Head Coach Michael Duff and First-Team Coach Alex Morris.

The club has made the decision in light of a disappointing run of results since the spring and believes the time is right to take a new direction.

Everyone at the club would… pic.twitter.com/M5pKSu3Mps

— Wycombe Wanderers (@wwfcofficial) September 8, 2026

A club statement read: “Wycombe Wanderers have parted company with Head Coach Michael Duff and First-Team Coach Alex Morris.

“The club has made the decision in light of a disappointing run of results since the spring and believes the time is right to take a new direction.

“Everyone at the club would like to thank Michael and Alex for their hard work and contributions to Wycombe Wanderers and wish them every success for the future.

“The appointment of an interim Head Coach will follow later today.”

It comes a day after it was confirmed in a statement by the FA:

“Michael Duff has been charged for misconduct following Wycombe Wanderers’ EFL League One match against Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday September 1.

“It’s alleged that the manager used abusive and/or insulting words towards a match official at full-time, leading to his dismissal.”

Wycombe fume at refereeing decisions in defeat to Sheffield Wednesday with Duff sent off

At the weekend, his side played out a 3-3 draw with Milton Keynes Dons, both sides winless, Doncaster the only other team to have not won in League One after five games played. Wycombe are 23rd in the table, with 3 points from 5 games played.

Duff said after the MK Dons game: “8 minutes of madness kills us. Total control in the first half. Message at half time was to pass the ball, keep passing the ball, pass the ball more, come out and start booting the ball for some reason. Three terrible goals, people making random mistakes which is difficult to warrant.

“The good bit is the reaction was good again, but it’s too easy to play when you’re losing the game. You know, we got ourselves two nil up in front half time and it was all right. Showed them three clips of us passing the ball, hurting them, getting in behind and then, you know, we just started whacking it, which played into their favour, which then they start picking up the bits and they gain territory.

“The first goal is a worldie, but then it’s having the composure in the group to go, right, it’s a good goal. The build up to it horrendous. We’re in total control, but sometimes you got to give the opposition credit and it’s a good goal.

“But the reaction to go bang bang straight away and then we go 3-2 down, start passing the ball again to show that they they come off script. That’s what happens, the fight, the belief, they ran hard, they gave us everything.

“It’s just frustrating because it’s not our case of they’re down in tools and they’re not trying. It’s just a case of a lot of things going against us at the minute. But the individual errors today were really really poor, and you can’t score three goals at home and draw. It’s just impossible.”

Interviewer: “I guess the million million dollar question is then, can you put your finger on why that happens when, as you say, we’re in control. You give the instructions at half time and then see it unfold, you know, against your will and against your instructions in that 15-minute period.”

Michael: “Individual error. It’s it’s difficult to the structure of the team is good. The first goal comes from our throwing in the corner and structure the team’s perfect. um and just an individual error which happens. It’s not want single people out.

“But when you have three and 8 minutes, it just shows that the it got blurred. The clarity they panicked, which is probably a little bit of where we’re at at the minute in terms of there wasn’t a lot of confidence and it was, even when we scored the first, we had a five, six minute period where they got on top straight away because it’s coming from a good place because they want to win, they want to do well, but it’s a false economy. But by doing that, you end up coming off the things that we’re actually good at that end up getting us three goals there.”

More of what he had to say in the interview below…

Here’s how fans reacted with winless Wycombe to appoint an interim head coach after sacking Michael Duff…

@george_caplan5: What the fuck are we doing, one of the few good things about the club at the moment. Joke of a decision. More blood on the hands off the higher ups.

@LB_WYC: What an absolutely horrific decision

@EvanRedworth: Wow not happy with that I thought he could’ve had more time to improve.

@ChrisCooper_22: We’ve lost our identity and have become like every other club. One manager in 12 years and now 3 in 3 years. You’ve given Duff a transfer window, now a new manager has to come in and work with a crop of players who aren’t his. Shocking work from the club, what have we become

@nigelmayor: This does not feel right, let’s not become Watford as it won’t get us anywhere. Recruitment is the biggest issue and he was not in charge of that. We have purchased so many players and then let them go as they were just not good enough or we loan them out as they don’t fit

@TaWwfc: i thought it was fucking coming man, we started playing some nice stuff. be careful what you wish for here i think

@jack_denn1s006: That’s harsh that – can’t get my head round this at all

@Ben_stenner15: Everyone will have their opinions on this which is fine. but im not sure. I was worried about this happening when blooms left. we cannot afford to become a sacking club. You’ve given duff the players he wants and now not even 10 games in hes gone and now we do it all again

@RussWWFC: Pathetic, shameful club. Destroyed the best team we ever had. Appointed the woefully under qualified Dodds. Appointed a manager with good experience and sacked him too early. Not to mention the millions wasted on failed transfers. LOOK TO THE TOP FOR WHY THIS CLUB IS FAILING

@WycombeDJ: Oh fucking hell! Tbh it sounds like he lost the dressing room. Players didn’t look like they wanted to do what he was saying, and he frequently spoke about them not following his instructions. I really liked Duff. Feel in another world he could have absolutely got us up.