A former Charlton Athletic man has emerged on the radar of a League One rival, who currently possess a vacant managerial role.
Wycombe Wanderers recently lost manager Matt Bloomfield to Championship side Luton Town and have been left to search for a new manager during the busiest time of the football season and a new name has emerged as a potential option.
According to journalist Mike Keegan, former Charlton Athletic manager Dean Holden is in the running to become Wycombe Wanderers’ new manager, following his departure from Steven Gerrard’s coaching setup in Saudi Arabia.
What experience does he have?
Dean Holden has undergone several EFL coaching/managerial roles during his career thus far and would bring experience into the Chairboys squad.
The 45-year-old began his managerial career with a caretaker role with Oldham Athletic before becoming assistant manager at Walsall and Bristol City.
It was at Ashton Gate when Holden got his first taste as a contracted manager, taking the role for the 2020/22 campaign before later moving onto Stoke City.
His most recent managerial role was with Charlton Athletic from December 2022 to the summer of 2023, averaging 1.38 points per game and has spent the last year with Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq as an assistant manager.
Would his style of play suit Wycombe?
Wycombe Wanderers currently find themselves amongst an ongoing title battle in League One, alongside giant spenders Birmingham City, though they have suffered a drop in form recently.
Under Matt Bloomfield, Wycombe used a 4-2-3-1 system which brought them plenty of success, though he also varied this by also using a 3-4-2-1, which allowed his two full-backs to act as wing-backs and provided crosses from wide positions.
Holden meanwhile, typically uses a 4-3-3 system which is more attacking but leaves his sides vulnerable at the back if possession is turned over.
With Wycombe averaging just 50.8% possession (11th best in the league), an attacking system would suit the squad because they are used to not having the ball as often as almost half of their opponents.
Is this a good move all round?
Wycombe have new owners and sit in the automatic promotion places in League One, which makes them an attractive option for a lot of managers.
Holden has Championship and League One managerial experience at his disposal but hasn’t won any trophies thus far which could be seen as a risk for Wycombe Wanderers.
The Matt Bloomfield replacement decision is one that could make or break Wycombe Wanderers’ promotion dreams and it’s crucial that the club take their time, assess all candidates and decide from there.