Swindon Town v Barnsley Official Matchday Thread

[leftside]

I was disappointed when I first heard Nathan was in to form a back three. However, it seemed to work quite well for the first 25 mins - BOO and Barry always available high up the pitch and there seemed little need for them to get back to defend. Once Barnsley decided to step up a gear the wing-back problem resurfaced - big gaps at the back, centre backs getting pulled out wide, and wing-backs not getting forward enough to be a real threat. Basically, they end up doing little in no-man's-land. Attacking wise, the 442 of previous weeks worked much better, with the full-backs and wide midfield able to operate much closer to each other, resulting in getting further down the wings and getting effective crosses in.

Our throw-ins and corners are pathetic. Just throw the ball up the line (which we seemed to be doing under Ling), and get the ball in the box! Fucking offside from a short corner is beyond incompetence. Grrr!

Smith looked like he could be a good addition to the squad!

None of our players looked as though they were good enough to go on to somewhere better this transfer window.

[inept and tiresome]

A point would have been a fair result and had the referee (who was shite) given a foul for a push in the lead up to the goal, we'd have had one. As mentioned, don't agree with Williams changing the formation to accommodate Thompson.

Very frustrating at times, passes underhit or overhit and half hearted challenges being made.  Throw ins seem to be a particular problem. 90% of ours end up with the opposition gaining possession and we don't seem able to mark properly when the opposition have one.

Slightly concerned that Williams said in his interview that he's happy with the players we've got and we have a strong squad. If that's the case, wht are we sitting in the bottom third of a poor league?  Also said if we lose a couple of players before the transfer window shuts, we've got fringe players and youth players who can come in.  Really?!  Are these some of the players who were nowhere near good enough when we were decimated with injuries?  Wil be very disappointed if nobody comes in, especially if players go.

Very much all of the above except you can't deny Barnsley were worthy winners. The longer the game went on the more likely they were to score.

[Bogus Dave]

Disagree with that. They were better at the start of the second half and then both sides seemed to be meandering toward a point. can only remember vigs making one save all game

[Bob's Orange]

Ah yes a few people have now mentioned it and it remains my bug bear how our players don't seem to want to make themselves available from throw-ins, they all just stand around like lummoxes giving the thrower little options, Barnsley were much better, being aware and taking quick throw ins to players making themselves available to retain possession.

And it looks like we do next to no work on set pieces, our corners are consistently dreadful. Barnsley should have scored at the end of the first Half from a short corner we made an absolute mess of and then in the second half we tried a short corner 'routine'. First one we were lucky to get another corner and from the resulting corner we played it short via a one-two and got flagged for offside. Schoolboy stuff really.

[ronnie21]

Anybody see how Kasim reacted when his corner hit he first defender stood a few yards away and went for a throw-in?  Somebody from the lower section of the DRS went to throw it back and it ended up closer to the TE than the pitch, Kasim gave him/her the eyes and a very nasty stare.  If he had got it into the box the first time it wouldn't have happened!

[REDBUCK]

Ooooh, he gave them a nasty stare.

[Pax Romana]

Anybody see how Kasim reacted when his corner hit he first defender stood a few yards away and went for a throw-in?  Somebody from the lower section of the DRS went to throw it back and it ended up closer to the TE than the pitch, Kasim gave him/her the eyes and a very nasty stare.  If he had got it into the box the first time it wouldn't have happened!

Yeah I saw it.  Can understand why whoever it was did it (Kasim is an arrogant twat and the corner was really pathetic) but like all variants of getting on the players backs it's still dumb, we want to win and they're the only people who can do it so why demoralise or piss them off?

Game summed up well by some earlier posts, we were shit, they deserved to win, but how the ref missed that fucking push in the build-up to the goal is beyond me; he was perfectly positioned.

[ronnie21]

It was a bit like Rodgers a few games ago who came over to give somebody the eyes when they gave him some verbals - if a visiting player had done it he would have been booed every time he touched the ball!!  Just think it is a slight lack of discipline on the player's behalf - talking of discipline what was the flare-up involving Balmy all about?  Thought he could have walked for his reaction.

[adje]

So no one coming down to kent next week?

[Bob's Orange]

How many times did Vigs kick the thing out of play as well? Must have been a half a dozen times! I know it was windy but the Barnsley keeper didn't do it once. These basic mistake are so infuriating as a supporter.

[Reg Smeeton]

So no one coming down to kent next week?

We've now got 3 away games in a row, 2 at sides with the best home records in terms of defeats and the other against a relegation rival.  We could do with picking up at least 2 or 3 points, and hoping the other sides below continue to struggle.

[brocklesby red]

talking of discipline what was the flare-up involving Balmy all about?  Thought he could have walked for his reaction.

Barnsley had a throw in, Balmy chucked it to their guy who took exception to what he thought was a hard throw(pussy) and pushed Balmy with both hands,a few words were exchanged and a half hearted melee ensued. If anything the Barnsley player should have gone

[horlock07]

Ah yes a few people have now mentioned it and it remains my bug bear how our players don't seem to want to make themselves available from throw-ins, they all just stand around like lummoxes giving the thrower little options

Possibility as they are young players with limited confidence who know they will get booed if they make a mistake?

[horlock07]

How many times did Vigs kick the thing out of play as well? Must have been a half a dozen times! I know it was windy but the Barnsley keeper didn't do it once. These basic mistake are so infuriating as a supporter.

Which may explain why Williams is keen to keep the short stuff if Vigorous is jyst going to ping it out of play if he goes long.

[Bob's Orange]

Which may explain why Williams is keen to keep the short stuff if Vigorous is jyst going to ping it out of play if he goes long.

A fair point. Working on long kicks in training may be useful (if not practiced already)

Possibility as they are young players with limited confidence who know they will get booed if they make a mistake?

Again fair enough and so it's the managers job to instil that confidence. Early days so let's hope it improves.