Tom Hounsell Focuses on Wins Amidst Wycombe's Rise

Tom Hounsell is refusing to look beyond the next game. The table says he should.

Wycombe Wanderers’ interim head coach has stitched together three wins from three since stepping in after Michael Duff’s sacking earlier this month, yet he batted away any talk of taking the job permanently.

The 30-year-old’s first night in the hot seat brought a wild 3-2 victory at Leyton Orient. That result jolted a side who had been drifting near the foot of League One. Wycombe then brushed aside Chelsea Under-21s in the EFL Trophy and followed it up with a league win over Wigan on Saturday, a week that has completely changed the mood around Adams Park.

When Hounsell took over, Wycombe were second-bottom. Now they sit 14th, the climb as rapid as it is unexpected for a rookie still learning his trade on the touchline.

Yet he will not be drawn into the bigger conversation.

“I've said it before. My thoughts are never on myself, it's about the group of players,” he told BBC Three Counties Radio, doubling down on the message that this is not about his own prospects.

“I'm employed by this football club, ultimately, to help us get wins. That's my commitment and it's a commitment from the whole staff.

“I'm pleased with the work we're doing, pleased with the momentum we're taking, pleased with the week that we've had but I haven't thought more about it than that.”

It is a grounded stance from a coach whose managerial CV is still thin. Before Wycombe, Hounsell’s only previous spell in charge was a 12-match stint as interim boss at Burton Albion in 2024, before Gary Bowyer came in. Another short audition. Another chance he insists he is not treating as a job interview.

What he cannot hide is his admiration for the club he currently leads.

“Whoever is manager of this football club is in an incredibly blessed position. It's an incredibly privileged role to have,” he said.

“Whatever happens with the manager's post, that individual will be extremely lucky to work with this group of players and the structure and processes that exist behind the scenes.”

For now, the wins keep coming, the table keeps shifting, and the young caretaker keeps his head down. The question is how long Wycombe can ignore the momentum building right in front of them.