Aldershot Vs Swindon Town Official Matchday Thread.

[dporter]

The highlight of last night was hijacking their Shots chant (same as Spurs yids chant). The funniest thing was that the drummer kept going, even though you could only hear Shits reverberating around the ground.

That and when the drummer stopped after we chanted that they couldn't sing without the drummer   

[Peter Venkman]

Everybody has had their say, I will just say disappointing in so many respects, from the players on the piss to PDC washing his dirty linen in public, not forgetting a crap performance.  Can somebody enlighten me on something, what has happened to Bostock and Ritchie?  I heard an interview with Ritchie over two weeks ago when he said he was just a couple of days away from a return.  Murray has been so disappointing that I simply do not understand the Connell situation.  We limited our options by sending Billy B. on loan and his replacement apparently out of the equation altogether.

Ritchie is still injured, he hasn't healed as quickly as expected.

As for Bostock....the same thing happened with Cox......not heard anything of them recently at all, I guess PdC doesn't rate them highly or they are also injured.

[Ardiles]

Can't be fun?  Those Aldershot fans looked like they were having more 'fun' than any home fans i've seen this season.  Absolutely fantastic away end / terrace, what I’d do to watch my team under that roof every week.  If only all grounds were like it.  Or we could all get a plastic identikit.

That drum did my head in right from the off - and I hope we never have anyone try bringing one to the County Ground.  But as the game wore on (perhaps because I was able to start zoning the drum out), you had to give credit to those fans for the noise they made and the support they offered their team.  Admittedly, I've not been to many games this year - but it's been a while since I've heard a home crowd like that.

Each to their own. Whilst terracing is great, the ground is a dump.

Certainly the first time I've ever seen a ground with trees inside the stands.

In his interview on BBC radio Paolo made it clear that he didn't see the professionalism in the youth team player that enabled him to bring them in for the Aldershot game. I am paraphrasing but he made noises about changes to address it for next year, which didn't sound good for Zippy.

I've had a theory recently that, when Torquay go up, they could well come back in for Bodin Jnr in order to strengthen their front line for League 1.  Really sad to hear things not working out for Zippy who, frankly, will always be a hero.  If he does go - and I know this is just rumour/speculation - I suppose Billy might be less inclined to stay as well if other offers came in.

[Batch]

Should make it clear that was just my reading of what Paolo was saying regarding youth team. He could have meant something all together different.

[fittons_coaching_badge]

Couldnt really blame Bodin for going.  He did pretty well when he has come in post his Torquay spell.  The sight of Ronan Murray up front would make me dispair if I was him!

Is he out of contract at the end of the year?  If so I am guessing he could go for nothing?  Or would his age mean we would get something through tribunal?

[Berniman]

PDC's interview last night smacked of a man that has had a long hard season, needs a break from being vilified (from opposing fans), needs to spend time away from the limelight with his family so that he can properly mourn and some time away from the players that he obviously feels totally responsible for.

Win promotion and the title and then let him fuck off to Italy for 6 weeks to get his head right.  Then he can come back, shake hands, brush all of this years shit away and start afresh.  Some new players, new league and another promotion!

It's been one hell of a first year in management for him, you could write a book about this season alone.

Just keep it together for 3 more weeks Paolo, then go off and have some well deserved rest.

[JanTheMan]

That drum did my head in right from the off - and I hope we never have anyone try bringing one to the County Ground.  But as the game wore on (perhaps because I was able to start zoning the drum out), you had to give credit to those fans for the noise they made and the support they offered their team.  Admittedly, I've not been to many games this year - but it's been a while since I've heard a home crowd like that.

Certainly the first time I've ever seen a ground with trees inside the stands.

IMO it just adds to the character.  Each to their own indeed, but it truly amazes me people want to watch football in the Colchester's/Chesterfields/Shrewsburys of the world having been stood on that terrace last night.

Agreed about the drum, but as you say, they offered home support that most teams can only dream of which must help the team over a season.  Tin roofs should be compulsory

[Flashheart]

PDC's interview last night smacked of a man that has had a long hard season, needs a break from being vilified (from opposing fans), needs to spend time away from the limelight with his family so that he can properly mourn and some time away from the players that he obviously feels totally responsible for.

Win promotion and the the title and then let him fuck off to Italy for 6 weeks to get his head right.  Then he can come back, shake hands, brush all of this years shit away and start afresh.  Some new players, new league and another promotion!

It's been one hell of a first year in management for him, you could write a book about this season alone.

Just keep it together for 3 more weeks Paolo, then go off and have some well deserved rest.

He did sound like a very (emotionally) tired man

[Posh Red]

I was surprised at the crowd numbers announced.
They reported 1260 odd Swindon fans, where I thought we had sold out over 1,500 tickets.
I guess there is always a case that some don't turn up, but would be surprised if it was as many as 250.

As for the game, you would have been hard pushed to find a single Town player that did themselves justice last night, they were all poor. But the players that have got us to this point don't turn shit overnight, so I'm guessing it was just an off day and fully expect them to get the points needed in the next couple of games.

As for the discipline, I too hope that PDC has made his point, and picks the strongest team available.

A Risser/Smith midfield doesn't work for me, they are both grafters but we lose a creative spark without Ferry.
We definitely miss Ritchie, and will be good to see the Ritchie/Caddis partnership restored.

[Gnasher]

I was surprised at the crowd numbers announced.
They reported 1260 odd Swindon fans, where I thought we had sold out over 1,500 tickets.
I guess there is always a case that some don't turn up, but would be surprised if it was as many as 250.

I can't believe that. To me it looked as though they'd oversold tickets as many fans couldn't find anywhere to stand.

[Bewster]

For what it's worth I liked the ground, yes it was a dump but it had character. And yes I know usual view of drums is tin pot but I think it really worked last night for the Aldershot fans.

PDC sounds physically and emotionally shattered - and who can blame him - its been a long and stressfull season with a steep learning curve, a few mistakes and the loss of both parents involving numerous trips back home.

[Dozno9]

He did sound like a very (emotionally) tired man

On the TV interview he just looked destroyed, even the scarf salute at the end of the game seemed tired.

He's had a hard season and an awful last month all round and the players would do themselves a huge favour if they just knuckled down for 2 weeks and get this club up and champions. At the moment it seems we are limping to the finish line.

[Arriba]

Should make it clear that was just my reading of what Paolo was saying regarding youth team. He could have meant something all together different.

In a nutshell Bodin wasn't brought in by di canio who likes to do things his way.

[london_red]

PDC's interview last night smacked of a man that has had a long hard season, needs a break from being vilified (from opposing fans), needs to spend time away from the limelight with his family so that he can properly mourn and some time away from the players that he obviously feels totally responsible for.

Win promotion and the title and then let him fuck off to Italy for 6 weeks to get his head right.  Then he can come back, shake hands, brush all of this years shit away and start afresh.  Some new players, new league and another promotion!

It's been one hell of a first year in management for him, you could write a book about this season alone.

Just keep it together for 3 more weeks Paolo, then go off and have some well deserved rest.

Well put, couldn't agree more.

[Abrahammer]

Each to their own indeed, but it truly amazes me people want to watch football in the Colchester's/Chesterfields/Shrewsburys of the world having been stood on that terrace last night.

Couldnt agree more, i'd quite happily travel to traditional grounds like the Rec every other week.

Anyway a few thoughts:

The minutes silence with all of us holding our scarf’s up must have looked brilliant from a distance away, I actually found it quite a spine tingling moment.

Rooney, seems to have gone right off the boil in the last few weeks.  Still capable of doing the odd good thing but his all round game and general attacking threat seems to be less effective recently.  In saying that Aldershot got there tactics spot on with our wingers, constantly double-marking them and it worked a treat from their perspective.

Murray, he probably was the scapegoat last night but he was fucking woeful.  Offered no threat what so ever and quite honestly looked out of depth at league 2 level.

All the drinking business is an overreaction.  So they went out 72 hours before a game, big deal thats enough of time for the body to recover.  I played some of my best Sunday league when hanging from the night before!  Don’t buy the “disrespectful’ to PDC” stuff either.  If one of my mates had a kid the day after my boss’ mum died (who probably I hadn’t ever met) it wouldn’t stop me going out.