Swindon Town vs Walsall - Official Match Day Thread

[Chrystovski]

I know we were battered, but how did we defend last night?

Defensively we were poor, Branco was the better of the 3 but Turnbull was way off of the pace & El Abd gave the ball away countless times.

They seemed nervous and the midfield offered them little protection.

Vigs made some important saves but if Walsall had their shooting boots on 8 times out of 10 they win that game.

Obika was superb in the air, such a shame Ajose failed to read the flick on 9 times out of 10.

[THE FLASH]

I decided to relinquish the chance of more beer and a slap up dinner in the smoke and got the train back.

Glad I did.

The team sheet text came through and Rodgers being finally dropped lifted my spirits.

Mugged em....plain and simple.

I thought we did ok until the goal.

What is it with us? If we concede or indeed score, we go to rat shit.

Walsall were very very good and there was only going to be one winner after they equalised.

The leveller was a show of determination and strength, something that is missing from our game. For all the silly fouls we gave away, that was the oppo to take one for the team and we missed it.

Cracking goal from Louis and maybe the dreadful luck we have had so far this season is about to change.

Need to sign a ball winner midfielder as soon as possible...

Hope is still intact...

[THE FLASH]

I know we were battered, but how did we defend last night?

Desperate and last ditch at times.

Exposed by a weak midfield being breached countless times.

[Sippo]

If that french bloke is not even considered, is he as bad as the other options?

[@mwooly63]

Sky highlights

http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/10077901/swindon-2-1-walsall

[Simon Pieman]

Defensively we were shocking, all over the pitch and Vigs kept us in the game.

Obika and Ajose worked hard and did as decent job as they could. Barry seems to be getting better with each game which is more than can be said of BO-O who seems to be a shadow since he joined.

I recall Gladwin making three challenges last night and he even went in and crunched/fouled a player. At least he's getting more stuck in. The problem is we're relying on him to do everything. I'd like to see Gladwin and Robert in midfield at the same time at home. Now that teams refuse to sit back against us because we're shit, without anything going forward we just give the ball back.

[Reg Smeeton]

On some strange esoteric goal difference calculation?

But yes, it's kinda progress. I'm waiting for Reg to give us an update on a similar position in the 196x/196x season where we went on to win the league...

Sadly we didn't win a league in the 60's, nearest being 68/69, when we were pipped by Watford on goal average, goal difference would have had the same outcome.

GA was obtained by dividing goals scored by goals conceded....as standards of mental arithmetic plunged from the 50's and 60's, into the 70's, GA was abandoned in 76, for the simpler goal difference.

More importantly, we're 4 points better off now than 05/06....at this stage of the season in a relegation battle, you don't want to start getting detached from the rest, so we're  doing the needful of hanging on in there for now.

[Panda Paws]

id rather a good performance than a win tonight

What? You do realise we're in a relegation battle, and one that we don't look favourites to win....?

[Batch]

I recall Gladwin making three challenges last night and he even went in and crunched/fouled a player. At least he's getting more stuck in.

you're joking aren't you?

gladwin was hopeless last night, he made himself smaller every time he jumped for the ball.

You point out 3 tackles, I remember the "cruncher", I'll have to take your word on the other 2. But I can offer 20 that he simply didn't make and let his man past, or bottled.  The crown jewel was when he lost a ball 3 feet from him to a man 20 feet away.

He is what he is, normally you get good forward play from him on occasion. Last night you didn't, he was the worst player on the pitch for me and it was no surprise he got subbed off.

[Panda Paws]

If that french bloke is not even considered, is he as bad as the other options?

Bangoura? He should never be considered, or seen, again. Him and Balmy on the same pitch at Millwall was a true low point.

[BruceChatwin]

I thought yesterday was a good insight into why the philosophy isn't working this year: the majority of the players are not very good at passing. Crucially, there's no ball player in defence at the moment, in the absence of Stephens and Nathan T.

The fact that Branco is now the back-line's playmaker elect says everything.

Despite the generally poor performance, I was quite glad to see a more pragmatic style, against a team who were clearly better than us in every department except finishing. I think that's what's needed to stay out of the relegation zone.

Confidence still looks shot however. As soon as we got a goal, Walsall looked like a team who knew they were going to score, and Swindon like a team who knew they were going to concede.

[Simon Pieman]

you're joking aren't you?

gladwin was hopeless last night, he made himself smaller every time he jumped for the ball.

You point out 3 tackles, I remember the "cruncher", I'll have to take your word on the other 2. But I can offer 20 that he simply didn't make and let his man past, or bottled.  The crown jewel was when he lost a ball 3 feet from him to a man 20 feet away.

He is what he is, normally you get good forward play from him on occasion. Last night you didn't, he was the worst player on the pitch for me and it was no surprise he got subbed off.

The point I'm making is that he made 3 more tackles than normal, even though he didn't play well. It's a small positive because he NEVER tackles normally.

Gladwin's always been a luxury player as you point out. No use making him a scapegoat. Plus he did more than BO-O did all game.

[A Gent Orange]

I'd agree with the vast majority of what Bruce said there. The players we have can't operate in the same small spaces that Mass and Byrne could. They can't hold the ball to create underloads and so free a man on the flank to go around a line.

As for Branco - a player with terrible decision making in the position which decision making is everything.

[JoeMezz]

Was anyone else happy to hear that Branco is suspended this Saturday? 

[Batch]

scapegoat. .

that wasn't my intention, I'd start him because of goal threat. don't think you can play him and Robert together though.

well have to disagree on the rest because I thought that was comfortably his worst (home)  performance since returning and he was more ineffective than even boo!