Thetownend.com

Starting XI at Yeovil: Vigouroux, Barry, Thompson (C), Sendles-White, Brophy, Smith, Kasim, Iandolo, Ormonde-Ottewill, Goddard, Obika

Subs: Henry, Evans, Spalding, Stewart, Hylton, Young, Twine

What, no Rodgers?!   :)

That's what two years of fatigue will do to ya...

Twine?

4-2-3-1? Goddard, Iandolo and Brophy behind Jon?

Is this on t'wireless?

Scott. Youth who was on the bench vs. Shrewsbury on the final day.

His or ours?  :hmmm:

Both.

The worrying thing is we are already 3 players down on an already small squad which is a worry. Thomas, Branco and.... Rodgers.
Hopefully this adds a bit more urgency to player recruitment.

We had to make do with him after failing to land Billy Knott from the Bantams.

Damn it, Reg!  Now we'll get a string of twine puns on this thread.  :suicide:

Realy cant believe power hasnt signed anyone absolutely  ridiculous.

My mate signed for Yeovil yesterday. Alex Lawless. Hope he rifles one in against us in a crushing 3-0 defeat so our impending doom is realised by LP & he panic spends millions he hasn't got on ensuring League 1 safety for another season  :toocool: :toocool:

*recently*

It's OK as long as the delay is in making sure we get the required players. 

What would be ridiculous is delaying and then ending up getting another job lot of Balmys Traores Ojammas and Roberts off some agent.

I'd take Fab all day long if I had the chance.

I don't think he's got a club, so probably open to offers....what would you do with him?

Aside from being whooshed I'd play him in the number 10 role constantly which is where he should have been played from the off last season, not out wide where he was nowhere near as effective. Very good player imo but would require two disciplined midfielders behind him as he wasn't one to track back. A luxury player is what I suppose he would be termed as by the modern press.

Isn't that Goddard's position now?

Think that's the intention. Thought he was more of a wide man for Woking but I may well be wrong.

I know we're poor at taking corners but (apparently) Beaker has just taken one.  :no:

1-0 Yeovil (from a short corner).

1-1 Obika.

Inspired by Kane at the Euros?

BOO with the assist, seems to be having a good pre-season attacking wise.

The big bonus is that Kasim appears to have his playing head on in these friendlies.

Hope he bins the Iraq international next weekend

34' Kasim and Thompson get caught in possession trying to play out from the back but Khan isn't able to punish them

The Wrath of Khan, eh?

 ;D

Khant

Not on the radio is it?

Don't think so.  There's a 'matchday live' thread on the Adver site though.

Plan B doesn't seem to be any more effective:

57' Kasim with the corner but it hits the first man, who is standing on the edge of the box, square in the face   ;D

Town make four five substitutions, including the keeper, and immediately concede a second goal.

2-1

khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan

Nathan Thompson limps off injured.

Its ok we have adequate replacements

Fuck about..  The youths are going to get a shit load of experience this season..

FT 2-1

Attendance: 888 !

Power outtttttttt :suicide:

A couple of weeks ago I said if we need to wait a while longer for signings then so be it, but it's extremely concerning now a week before the season having such a weak squad.

Hoping we're waiting till Monday so we didn't need to pay new players wages for July, but that seems a long shot.

CG could be a hostile place next week if we don't bring bodies in and fail to get a result.

Bollocks been out walking, thhought I'd get back at 3:00 for an afternoon's entertainmant, and missed the fun  :)

Glovers look to have learnt their lessons from last season.....we don't.

I don't think there was much "fun", just the usual all round incompetence, aided by the (repeat) negative impact of making mass substitutions and immediately conceding a goal.

Of course, it could all be part of a 'cunning plan' to lull Coventry into a false sense of security, but then again......

I bet we make a couple of signings this week, thrash Coventry and everyone is talking about play offs

the injury is more concerning , hope it's a precautionary substitution.

the first month I'll write off, then we will get some loans in and see. it may be the way we do things, even have to do things, but it's incredibly frustrating.

Coventry wont be able to fill a bench currently, that's about the only saving grace. Could get nasty next Saturday though if Nathan and Branco are out with no replacements in and we do lose.

I've reached the point where humour is the only response....

There is no excuse for the state of the squad we currently have. Either we have been targeting players we can't get/afford and have lost out to other clubs, in which case why have we been wasting our time looking above our station? Or we can't find the players that fit our system. Pre season has largely been wasted again because we are missing what most of us consider is 4/5 players and thats with low expectations, pre power i would have said we need more than that! The first month as you say will be a waste. How can any club with aspirations of progression write off 1/9th of the season and expect to compete? Its really just pathetic from the club on every level.

Then you'll love our new training facility at Highworth:

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-btMKaMAqvDA/TclaZFYcz_I/AAAAAAAAAEE/-zHY2bfCmDQ/s1600/soccer_fail.jpg)

In Williams interview on tin-pot local radio he said Nathan's sub was precautionary after getting a stud in his Achilles. Rodgers has a dead leg and Branco does have a tear - albeit a small one that they will try to manage. I missed why Thomas is injured but he expects him and Rodgers to be fit for Cov.

Bet365 have us 5th favs to go down at 5/2. I'm going to go all Reg and might be having a few quid on that.

I'm normally pretty sanguine about our late dealings, but I'll admit that undercooking pre-season again is a concern, particularly since there were question-marks over our fitness levels last year. Are we still paying back Power? Has he used up his best contacts? Is his model running out of steam?

We'll need some good luck and good judgment to get out of the current cycle of declining ST sales, lower budgets, less transfer income. Maybe the new training ground will eventually provide that catalyst...

Supporting this club is not fun anymore is it?

did he get asked about transfers at all.

Yeovil look a very ordinary side but still deserved the win. Obika's goal was well taken after a fine move from Iandolo and Boo but other than that we didnt threaten much.

Goddard looks a good signing but we're heavily reliant on the spine of Thompson, Kasim, and Obika. If any one of those is out, we're in big trouble.

Half a dozen more signings needed IMO and most of them need to be first choice players not squad fillers.

Sadly not. We have stagnated since the departure of key players and the formula no longer works.

But it's where we are and we are a few key signings/lucky gambles away from being where we were a couple of years ago which is why I don't think the outright negativity is warranted.

its about time power knows how us fans feel about him and what hes doing to the club saving money and and keeping us in the black are one thing but not reinvesting back into the squad is another.this is why so many fans are staying away and are so unhappy with powers ambitions for the season.

Good to see Bart is back on form

 :
no it isnt feeling very larfargic and angry. :badmood:

Hodgetts asked. Williams uhm'd and ah'd. Says he talks daily with Power so no one knows what those talks are about. Power is a shrewd businessman and has found diamonds before. Certainly didn't say he was expecting anything soon.

Pretty much as you were. He's on a hiding to nothing being left so bereft of players.

Somewhat surprisingly, the club seems to have entered a team into a reserve/development league for the first time in several years. That would imply having enough players to actually field a team in that competition as well as the first team.

I'm taking that as a sign that a boatload of players will arrive this week.

As it stands though,  we're proper fucked.

no other manager would put up with power and what hes doing williams must be getting pissed off surley.

He's got a 5 year contract. Only problem for him is his reputation taking a hit - although him playing the 'Well, I did have Power as owner' card may cut some ice.

If things do go tits up I'd imagine it'd be Power who would get the heat

I do not want reckless spending that jeopardises the club.

Power's approach to make sure the club only spends what it can afford is fine. He treats this like a business, fair enough he is not a Swindon fan. I question what the fuck he is doing to generate income though as surely that is the only way out of this? Otherwise you keep cutting costs to match falling revenue every season. How are we getting more fans in? How are we making more match day revenue etc. The entire premise of a new ground is to add more non matchday revenue streams to aid income. He's said repeatedly he's not interested in that as he is a football man.

I dont understand how he has not learnt from previous seasons. He suggested he had and there were a couple of signings lined up as soon as the window opened. That became one and Goddard looks good in fairness. Other than that we have spent a lot of money on a GK and signed a trialist who impressed in Thomas. Surely they had more plans that that for this season? It just seems so badly organised and prepared and it does nothing either to energise the fan base or help the team move forward.

Remember as well the lack of emergency loans this season is essentially the withdrawal of the safety net that probably saved us from relegation last season! We can't afford to wait to the last day of the window, see a couple of loans collapse because there is nothing there to save us now.

I can't remember being less excited for a season for some time. As someone else has said its going to take the stars to align and us find 3/4 free gems and get lucky with 2/3 loans for us to ever get anywhere. We did that 2 years ago and screwed the final up. Each year later it seems less likely as Sherwood can't pimp out 3/4 good players to us (Luongo/Byrne/Hall). We don't know of 2/3 ex spurs players released that could do a job (Kasim/Obika). Those initial contacts seem to have run dry and we are fighting with every other club around now.

There is no answer, really. All I can say in any sort of defence is that a lot of clubs similar to us are in the same position - Coventry being one.

We have another bloke in as director of football though don't we? Not sure what the hell he does but he was supposed to be running shit as Power can't be in the country all the time.

The only criticism of Williams is does he apply enough pressure to Power about what is needed or is he too positive about the youngsters and that leave every one with the impression we can do without.

One thing annoys me power said on the bbc radio chat show with ian longdon he spoke to a town fan and he was asked about having a derby game again ,and the fan was worried about oxford and will we have a good enough team to match them as we havent beaten them in a while he promised we would have a decent squad for this season  well that was another lie wasnt it.

We haven't got a decent squad as of today. That may change, though.

Thompson - injury/suspension prone
Obika - Injury prone
Kasim - International call up/world class sulk prone.

Its a bit of a problem really if this is the spine. Which it is.

As an aide, no idea how he did today but I thought Kassim was very good v Swansea.

Not quite gotten your head around the concept of time then?

Strange how this pre season seems to have caused more angst than our actual horrendous sequence of results last season.

Maybe it's the expectations not being met that people find worse.

Your point about early signings is a very good one. I'm 99% positive in the last phone in I listened to that LP said two players were as good as signed. I'm guessing one was Goddard, the other must have fallen through. Wonder if the Sean Hoare deal still has legs??

Sound familiar, from Franchise fan

'Lost 4:1 at Stevenage.

Our fans will read too much into it, but we are ridiculously short on numbers right now (and had two more withdraw today). I'd be pretty sure they went out with a safety first attitude this close to the season.

The cavalry should arrive this next week or two....'

And this from Gills fan

'Match abandoned at Orient due to Martin's suspected broken leg, while losing 2-0. So that's 5 players injured while losing to both the league 2 sides we played and left with only 4 fit defenders. All in all a pretty successful preseason.'

no im inpatient  mate.

Pretty much an open goal there, but I'll swerve it!

Not sure about the pikeys, but Franchise have a very decent first 11 for this level and will be well up there.

As for STFC...plenty of our fans have cried out for sustainability for a long time and I thought the 'at least we have a club' brigade would welcome the current mediocrity - I am pleasantly surprised that this is not the case and concerns are quite rightly being raised.

I think the scum showing real intent to mount a challenge and the very real prospect of the pecking order being adjusted after so many years has been a wake up call to many.

Our defence has been further weakened with the loss of Turnbull and we haven't replaced our top scorer. Add in to the mix the inevitable departure of one of Kasim or Obika before the end of August and the odds quoted above look quite tasty.

I will be watching on with much interest to see what Power can pull out of the bag before the end of the month.  :hmmm:

Stop keeping us in suspense - can't you just tell us? Think of newmarket's heart will you.

:clap:

Tunbull was total shite last season.

 ;D

Yeah, but season before that he was our player of the year.

I reckon we'll get Turnbull and Stephens on 2 year deals plus 3 others this week.

If any of that was likely to happen, don't you think Chang would have told us...

I'm more concerned by this


Still don't give a fuck about friendlies.

Not sure how he got it though. Hes got something about him but a Vincent type alongside him would help.

oh, and I still think one up front is wank. hopefully it's a needs must scenario rather then the golden one reverting to it long term.

Probably should have put in some punctuation, but I didn't leave them at home, and they were happily covered up at all times. If I had exhibitionist tendencies I'd go on one of those nude dating shows...

We're playing 1 up as we only have 1 striker.

 :D

That's one good thing about the weather getting worse. A couple of days ago a man in shorts bent over and I saw things no innocent young lady should ever have to see.
 
I also agree that one up top is shit.. Especially when it's Beaks, who seems made to hold the ball up for someone else. But never the less, I take nothing from friendlies. My friend's an Exeter fan and they've won 7/7 - stuffed bRovers and Cardiff (and Troy got injured, weirdly!)

Will they win L2? I'd be very surprised.

I'll accept concerns about the thinness of our squad, but that would be the case regardless of whether we won every pre season game or lost them all.

I'm still excited for Saturday.

then what's the point of hylton?

Wasn't the point of Hylton to get him from Non-league where he showed lots of potential, train/coach him at Swindon and then profit and/or sell him if he came good? That's the Power model, and he obviously wasn't good enough last season. But perhaps he is now (as far as Williams/Power are concerned)

I'm certainly not going to judge him on friendlies.

yes, I get that. my point was he isn't a one up front striker  and was obviously denied opportunity last year by Ajose.

so why not play him and obika together for a bit, see how it goes. you can use youth team players to provide 'rest'.

I completely agree. Have they not played together at all up front in pre season?

didn't think so, may have missed it.

I don't give a fuck about friendlies or the results gained or lost.

I do give a fuck about the squad constructed for the league campaign ahead.

We are one week...seven days away from the big kick off and Stevie Wonder can see we are fucked.

Due to holidays etc my first game will be Gas at home...no ST this season so no worries ref pissibg money away but if we have three points on the board by that time I will be well happy.

Let's get some players in for fucks sake!!! 😭

Hylton isn't a striker is my point. Don't want to be too hard on the fella, but he needs a 500% improvement quickly unless he wants to take stuff to the van so the van driver can drive stuff.

I remember Hytlon being a player Cooper wanted as opposed to Power. His development hasn't kicked on at all and he is just not good enough to be in the team/squad. Young has looked better than him IMO.

One up front is not a problem if played correctly. Ie either 433 or 4231 where you have either 2 or 3 very attacking players behind him. However playing 5 at the back, where your two wing backs are more defenders than attackers, and only one up top is just not going to work. I don't believe this is how we want to play its just been because we have had to in pre season.

You are possibly doing it wrong then, always found it to be OK? ;)

Cov can't field a squad of 18. Oldham had 7 senior players a week ago. Port Vale have signed a dozen obscure foreigners.

We by no means extraordinary at the moment.

Luckily, it was you, and not someone innocent.

yes I haven't seen anything to suggest he's not a kaid mohammed, but I still think he should have been given a fair go in pre season.

presumably they've seen enough behind closed doors by now to give up on that.

From a recent Adver article:

"This is now The Robins’ fourth consecutive defeat in pre-season, with Reading, Woking and Swansea all defeating Williams’ men in the build up to Saturday’s League One curtain-raiser at the County Ground against Coventry City.

“There are a few young players there that had a good run in the team for a long period and maybe started to tire a little bit and found things a bit difficult against a very good side, a team that was obviously well drilled, a team that was a challenge physically for us,” Williams told BBC Wiltshire.

“I thought periods of the game were very pleasing, there were a few moments where we switched off a little bit and caused our own problems, but overall it was a good run out, it was a part of the pre-season programme so I’m happy overall.”[/b]

So there we have it. It's all good.    :pint:

West Ham offer 20 mil for Ayew, it was an absolute disgrace we allowed such utter dross to score against us...

See Swansea dismantled Wolves away yesterday, too.