Re: The early Swindon match thread ............
 

I can excuse Winnard as the lad was not well, But no excuse fer Toto.:(

Re: The early Swindon match thread ............
 

Me neither cashy.

Unfortunately he is simply not ready. Its painfully obvious and has been for weeks.

Im just hoping as Cooky hauled him off at half time, now he realises this.

Re: The early Swindon match thread ............
 

Actually 5 out of 8 at home in March Cashy - back on a winning run by then .......:D

Re: The early Swindon match thread ............
 

No excuses really cashy,although Deans normally consistamt,but our mistakes seemed to be punished of late,again yesterday they had 3 on target and score 2
I remember one game last season we had 17 and never scored .

Re: The early Swindon match thread ............
 

Nobody else seems to be offering an opinion so here goes. I thought we did well. Swindon are the best League 2 team I have seen this season. They are extremely well organised, with two quick and tricky wingers.

I don't think it's fair to blame Toto for the first goal. The Swindon player simply outfoxed/outjumped our defenders. I was surprised to see Toto playing. I know that some are saying he is casual. I think he is simply unfit. He still has a lot to learn about timing and reading a game, but I think that will come sooner rather than later. Yes, poor Deano was at fault for the second goal - but I thought there was more than a suspicion of offside in the build up. I have not seen a replay. The officials were poor - yet again.

Peter Murphy was better at centre back in the second half. There, his poor distribution is not as much of an issue. Sorry but for me he just is not up to standard as full back or midfielder. Liddle was ok in the first half at full back - I thought he and Kevin Mc were a good pairing on the left. But he is far too small for a centre back.

The new goalie seems ok. He made a couple of cracking saves near the end. No better or worse than Bavs on the evidence of yesterday. Danny C and Kevin Mc did well against tricky wingers - but they were unable to get too far forward. In fact no complaints about any of the others. Once Charlie came on, we were able to gain more control in midfield and cut out much of the threat from the Swindon wingers who had been well-served by their midfield in the first half. That made for a better second half. The players tried hard as individuals but I really do think that the management team should think very seriously about what they are trying to do.

The big negative for me is tactics. I just cannot see the plan - if there is one. And to be honest, I don't think the players can. Jamie Devitt is dangerous - but what is his role? He did a lot of valuable work as a defensive midfielder yesterday, but that will not create goals.

I think that Cook is trying to change things too quickly. He should have looked at the players we have and worked out a system to suit them at least for the time being, and get the best out of them this way.

Anyway, that's my two penn'orth.

Re: The early Swindon match thread ............
 

I think accusing Cook of changing things too quickly is a little unfair.

We lost big players in Procter, Long, Hessey and Craney, leaving us without a balanced back four and with massive gaps in our midfield. All this while losing confidence through playing poorly towards the end of the unbeaten run and picking up few points after it. Things had to change quickly.

Cook is trying to do his best with a makeshift team; bringing in players to help plug the gaps and altering tactics in order to make more chances to score.

Yesterday we played 4-4-2 in order to take the game to Swindon which on the face of it, may have been a mistake against such a strong team. However the goals we conceded were defensive errors on our part (lack of adequate marking for the first, howler for the second) and had we been a little more savvy individually, we may have got something out of the game. By all accounts we were much better in the second half and had Podge's header gone in (99 out of 100 times, it would have!) we may have nicked a point.

Because of the depletion we've suffered mid-season, it may be a case of taking 2 steps back in order to move 3 steps forward. I haven't given up on hopes off a play-off place come May, but I'd be more than happy to settle for mid table and see what Paul does when he has a full summer to make his own side and instill his own ideas.

Re: The early Swindon match thread ............
 

Thanks RR!!

Re: The early Swindon match thread ............
 

Think that sums it up very well, Look at Morecambe if yeh can.:D They started well, Had a terrible run, are now getting back on track, This happens wi loads of teams, Can't understand those who are crapping it.:confused::confused:

Re: The early Swindon match thread ............
 

Avoiding relegation is always my pre-season target. Until we can improve the infrastructure and everything else around the club, that will always be the aim, for me anyway.

Yet again we have proved the critics wrong this season by punching above our weight.

Losing Long & Hessey has had a massive effect on our side, simple. Without a steady back 5, particularly your center backs your always going to struggle.

Dunclownin hasnt helped matters along with Toto being not up to it. As cooky said, "we need to stop conceding before we score".

Hopefully after yesterday he can see where the problems lie.

Re: The early Swindon match thread ............
 

Proccy's loss cannot be underestimated. He certainly had his critics on this forum but the work he did was vital. Yes, the loss of Long and Hessey is considerable but it has allowed Deano to move to his favoured position. As for Craney,....

I don't understand this at all. "Towards the end of the unbeaten run" we won 2 - 0 at Burton and beat Macclesfield 4 - 0 at home. Was that "losing confidence"?

Why did things have to change? The end of the unbeaten run could have been put down to a blip. It's more than that now.

Well if that's what he is doing, the evidence seems to me to suggest a lack of success. How long is it without a goal?

So you weren't there. Yes, we were much better in the second half - but we made precious few chances to score. The nearest was route 1 when Smith lost out in a 1-on-1 with their keeper.

Thanks - I wondered what the formation was.

Had Swindon's two shots that hit the bar in the first half and glaring miss in front of an open goal in the second half also gone in, we would have been sunk without trace.

I actually agree with most of that - apart from hoping for a play-off place. Sorry, but I just cannot see that now. I would be more than happy with a mid-table place - this season and every season.

Re: The early Swindon match thread ............
 

Re: The early Swindon match thread ............
 

How very mature.

Re: The early Swindon match thread ............
 

As i commented earlier,ALL season we have had NO prolific goalscorer, no-ones fault, but they left end of story, we still had a decent season, so to start crapping it cos of a run without goals whilst it aint nice, is pathetic in my book,:rolleyes: If yeh can't grasp that fact tough.

Re: The early Swindon match thread ............
 

I was there yesterday (and it was a weird atmosphere without the real Ultras) and I can see where RR is coming from but we have got to keep the faith. There has been a lot of upheaval recently and we will come through. The pain was visible on Cook's face yesterday. He knows we are better than our current form when we are fully fit and he has brought some good loan players in to strengthen us. I never like to hear criticism of our lads but I must question the continued faith in Toto. If he is carrying an injury [he returned to Everton this week for hernia treatment] then let's not play him rather than make him look poor. I didn't know that Dean was ill but he certainly didn't look himself and I really felt for him. BUT, let's not be down. We won't get relegated and we can still make the playoffs. Let's get behind them against Port Vale and for all the games left this season. On Stanley, on! And that applies to the supporters as well as the team.

Re: The early Swindon match thread ............
 

Start crapping what? I'm not crapping the season. I'm expressing concern about the lack of goals in over 400 minutes of football. Cashy, I don't mind you considering such a run without goals to be not nice. For me, it's more of a worry. What is the fact I can't grasp?

I suspect that things probably will be ok in the end but I do think that the manager has tried to change too much too quickly. Martin O'Neill changed virtually nothing when he arrived at Sunderland - but he has been able to get the best out of individual players by making them believe in their own ability and what they are doing. On the other hand, Steve Kean changed tactics at Ewood Park to make the football more attractive. It makes you think. Or it should do.

We all keep the faith, we all support the team. Maybe it's just that some of us are more worried than others.