Thetownend.com

Back to business in the League.  Gladders and El Abd both available for selection.  Let battle commence.

On a side note, where have Peterborough's fans gone?  They're averaging a little over 5,500 this season.  I'm sure they always used to attract around the same crowd as we did.  They're 2,000 shy of us so far this season.

Not so sure about that...I remember playing them more or less back to back in 62/63, when it was 23,000 at the CG and 14,000 at London Road....we did lose both mind.

According to this site (http://"Emfootball.co.uk") their average last season was 6,227 and currently stands at 5,634. That's a drop of nearly 600. We've dropped 456. Taking those stats with a few strong pinches of salt, it just looks like general apathy and perhaps "I'm not going til the manager's gone." Still, I'm sure it will increase with the mouthwatering brand of football Westley brings to the league. Bet they've still got that sodding drummer though.

Travelling will be difficult for me tomorrow due to the rugby so I'm going to go for a 2-1 victory if I don't make it and a 2-1 defeat if I do.  :baby:

I stand corrected.  You have to go back to 2008/09 for the last time their crowds (in the same division) were the same as ours.  More recently, they have been somewhat lower.

I remember Posh coming into the league, a bit like Oxford, so see them as non league arrivistes, but fair play, they've never been relegated out, like the the more local club.

I also like the fact, they share with us the distinction of being relegated for financial irregularities, but in their case only from Div 3 to 4 on the back of a 9th place finish.

My second game of the season, bringing 'her in doors' grandad. Last time I brought him, we beat City at home... With that in mind, back to winning ways. 3-1 Town. Ajose & Obika X 2.

Can only see more huffing and puffing, sloppy defending and a couple of goals against. Booing at half time and the fist Cooper out shout at full time.

Bollocks to it. I can't watch any more of this crap.

Fucking lightweight

Bollocks to staying at home. Mind you, its easier to say when you have a season ticket I suppose. But I've sat through worse, the Kingy 10 game spell, Malpas, the time where it seemed like we hadn't scored in about a million games "we'll score again, don't know where, don't know when"..

Anywho, a comfortable 3-1 defeat.

I'm talking myself into going to this...

For two fucking pins....

The ST is calling....

You know how the first win will happen: it will involve effortless superiority.  We'll bludgeon an unsuspecting victim without even breaking into a sweat.  The midfield engine will magically reappear and we'll spend at least 70 mins spraying the ball around like at the start of last season (with near total possession) leaving our opponents chasing shadows and, ultimately, on the end of a 4 goal hiding.  We will then all ask ourselves what just happened and why the #### have we just wasted the last 6 weeks doing something completely different.

Hope that happens today.

2-0. Obika and Ajose.

El-Abd making us look tighter than a nuns chuff in defence and Gladwin to offer us the creative spark we've been missing from midfield.

Maybe.

Teams don't have to break sweat to score against us, we'll still piss about at the back and forwards will still get no service.

2 - 0 defeat. The real shame is, I don't care anymore and laugh when I hear the result.

I just had to buy a ticket to avoid home chores today

(http://divorcedmoms.blob.core.windows.net/cm-dm-imgupload/635289901683474787tumblir%20wanker.gif)

Found that a bit odd as well.

Will you care more when we start winning again?

1-3 defeat.

Maddison is out and posh have a few injuries but I still think our confidence will be rock bottom and we'll fold after making a good start.

Well said

2-2

We all do.

Mind you, an extra couple of pints before the match will help ease the pain just in case

Hard fought 2-1 win to the Town. Gladwin with winner  :)

What's the view in the front part of the Arkells like? Grandad is early 80's so we don't want too many steps to go up..

More cries of rubbish in the Arkells always something to look forward to - never a dull moment in team selection with new / old boys returning - what`s the point of not keeping the faith - it`s what you do when supporting this club - or am I missing the point and I should start supporting teams who only ever win.....COYR FFS

2-1 and a smaller crowd than of late

I've sat in the Arkells for many years and sit approx 10 rows from the front and the view is brilliant. You don't want to sit on the first 2 or 3 rows as the dug outs and disabled seating area can restrict the view somewhat but anything from rows 4 or 5 provide a good view. Hope that helps

Over the course of 46 years I've done my time watching all sorts of shite.

I need a break from it before I jack it in altogether

Great, thanks mate.

Don't know why, but I'm feeling confident today.

How will you decide when to return to the fold?

Head says 0-3, but I'll go for a ludicrous 0-0 until Jermaine 'I only score against the Posh' Hylton bags an injury-time winner.

I will always enjoy going regardless of how shit we are doing, it's the one thing that we have to get away from everyday shit at home.

I would still rather stand on the town end on a freezing cold saturday afternoon getting dicked 4-0 than be trudging through fucking ikea looking at a new table.

I reckon there's goals in this today, plenty of them, 2 poor defences, 4-3 town!

This

We're going to hammer them. 5-1.

Not feeling well so can't face 6 hours in the car to watch Paul Hart like dull football.

60% possession and one shot on target & we will lose by at least 2.
Cooper will claim we played well and deserved to win regardless

The town need us. Dwindling crowds will hurt the team more than any defeat. Whilst the support is there we have a chance of turning it around.

For me the game is only a part of it. It's the time when I get to spend some quality time with my dad who is not getting any younger. He used to watch me every week as a youngster. Now I've stopped playing myself this is what we do.

I'm not getting my hopes up for this game. I will continue to support the town whatever the result as crowds in is ultimately what will give us a good team to watch, which is what I want.

Just need a game or 2 break from it.

I've been adamant for the last few days I was going to give today a miss after the recent rubbish that's been served up.  However, now Saturday's here, I've changed my mind.  I'd only end up putting the radio on, so might as well be there.  At the moment my son is not going because he'd rather stay at home and do his homework.  Things must be bad!

I just hope things start to get a bit better today otherwise I think the crowd will really lose patience.

Im in a similar situation. Living in London the weekends are the only opportunity to spend time with my dad and win, lose or draw I enjoy it.

As for the game, hopefully the 2 new players galvanise the side. If we can get a scrappy 3 points on the board math we'll go on a run.

I had meant to quote littlred's post but my phone didn't play ball. Oh well.

... three days later.

Like Chelsea and Liverpool fans? That's going well.  ;D

Anything other than a loss, would be a welcome surprise. We look the ideal opponent for a Westley side....physically weak and small in midfield...easily bullied.  No good on defendng crosses into the box, or stopping them happening. Hopefully Al-Abd can help, but a recurring theme this season is players not quite looking match sharp for a variety of reasons.

How much does each home game cost you?

I'm at my parents today but can't really afford a ticket anyway. Can't see a win today.

Would love to see Balmy start today. He adds a bit of flair to a midfield that has been largely bereft of creativity since the untimely exit of Byrne.

Strong feeling that we're going to win today. Going 3-1

Vigouroux
Bangorou (no-one else can play RB?) Branco El-Abd BOO
Traore Rodgers
Ajose Gladwin Brophy
Obika

 COYR

For the first time in many years I cannot get really motivated about this game but as a ST holder I will be there trusting and hoping that we can put our recent form behind us. Having said that I am still quite confident that come Christmas the squad will have settled, and we will be there or thereabouts come April.

Guess Brophy could play right back?

Chin up.  We're all still smarting a little from the midweek game, and the recent run has been awful.

All it will take is a few wins.  :)

have to say I'm more motivated to go to this than I was yesterday.  oddly feel more up for it now the chips are down.

I'll give it 10 minutes :)

Two new signings and there is an air of optimism from people. It's good to hear, but remember they won't be match fit.

I'd be happy with a draw.

05/06 was one of my most enjoyable seasons for that reason.

I would love the crowd to be the 12th man today. Would mean a lot to the clubs and players I'm sure. Let's lift em today. Town end , start your vocal exercises.

Actually all it will take is a team appearing to try to win

One of Peterborough's twin towns in Forli in Italy. So I am going 4-3 to town.

Surely Ajose ought to be up for it today. Play him up front with Obika. Brophy and Gladwin to give us some width and just pray that 2 no nonsense centre halves can somehow shore up the defence. Hoping Vigs is on form and we can get through first 10 minutes without conceding usual soft goal. 2 1 Town Hylton as sub to grab the winner and double his career goal tally 6483 in attendance

No Obika!

Didn't they say on the radio that he's injured last minute?

Just going to match, a win 3-2 but as long as they try,  OK.

Louis Thompson playing right back.

He's fucking lost it i tell you

Whats the line up?

Its not that there is much choice. who would you put there?

You could have BOO or Brophy there, but they're left-backs. It's really not as though he has the options available to him.

Blimey that looks weak. 2-1 Town!

Agreed with n thompson and barry out, there really isnt anyone else. Possibly Brophy but I'm assuming he's playing higher up the pitch as a winger. At least with louis we know he will get up and down the pitch giving 100%

I fear we will get outmuscled & outfought.  I really fear that it could be a thumping 0-4

aaah well, not like I know any posh fans that'll take the piss...

This will be worse than losing to the scum in that respect

The bloke in front of me is booing every time the announcer mentions Ben Gladwin.

Injured more than he's fit.

Player isn't working. Again!

You reds!

Ooooooh

Here we go again FFS

1-0 down ffs

soft goal. better than the last two home games, early on they didn't know what to do with gladwin , but he's not in game in same way  now.

annoying thing Is posh have been pish. not worked for the goal

Teams never have to work for goals against us

El Abd was telling everyone to push out.  Had they listened, the Peterborough player was offside.

The two best players on the pitch for Swindon so far have been Gladwin and El Abd.  Says it all.

Nope, just have to wait for us to cock up & take advantage.

In fairness though it was the same last season, the difference then was we looked like we could score more than the opposition.

posh in total control now. so easy

Even until about half an hour. Posh had 2 warning long shots, one hitting the post. Then sloppy play by us and Posh score and then they keep the ball for the next 5 minutes.

We look clueless. Gladwin shone in the first half and a Branco nutmeg the highlight of another under par first half.

Started brightly. Posh ( as every other team we play ) pressing our back line so ball being lumped forward and their back line are beasts. We not pressing so letting them play out. Gaps all over the place whilst defending. Gladwin making a difference tho and not afraid to shoot at least. Cooper needs to give them a kicking half time

Without intensity this model/formation/philosophy is fucking boring and utter shit to watch. Vigeroux would have been booked every goal kick if we were winning. Strolling round like he doesn't give a fuck but tbh in his mind he concedes less by doing it. Peterborough always play with a giant CB and today he is up against Hylton...., brophy is not the player I thought we might see in press on- looks lost and keeps falling over. I am amazed the crowd haven't got there backs up, either they realise it's not the first team playing and suck it up or are just bored to death.

I'm booing at home

Not sure what Rogers is doing defensively, he appears  to mark in Zones, never close enough to his man and always passes the runner on.

Looked a bit more threatening going forward for the first half hour, mostly thanks to gladwin. Shite goal to concede though. Rodgers had about 3 opportunities to put a tackle in but didn't. Don't mind so much if he concedes the foul, at least it will take something brilliant to be beaten, rather than just letting them walk through us.

2 mins in and shape is more hopeful. Louis thompson back in the middle, brophy left back, Ajose playing more central.

Ah well. 6 from 7. How many managers survive that?

That just takes the fucking biscuit.

comical. just comical.

Can we get a manager on loan

hylton reminds me of maid kaid Mohammed. there. I've said it.

Maid Kaid?

yeah, he's doing a few domestic chores for me

Is Cooper getting much stick?

What pisses me off is when people say "dont worry,its early in the season,we can turn it around".
Turn it around my ringpiece.

We are now an utter shambles now.  Second goal was a farce, but mistakes like that happen when a team is demotivated and lacking in confidence.

Not even sure what formation we're playing now.

Too many players not good enough.  Ajose has been a massive disappointment since coming back.  Hylton doesn't seem to have progressed at all. Midfield utter shite.  Honestly can't see anything other than a relegation fight ahead.

I could never understand the hype about Ajose.

I await the 'he's being played out of position' remarks.

preach of a header. thanks posh

David Preach?

oh and no Audrey, no stick for cooper yet

Balances out vigerouxs cock up. Hopefully we can kick on and have a real go for the last 15

Ajose=lazy

They don't look great defensively, we just haven't pressured them enough.  The keeper looks quite dodgy.

I'm surprised how patient the crowd has been given the run we're on and the support has been good.

7025, more than i was expecting

Useless fuckers

6 defeats in 7, 1 point above bottom 4 having played a game more than 2 of them.

Today sounded like an improved performance in an attacking sense (mainly due to gladwin) and el abd sounded like he played alright. We need obika/thomas back asap as we cant have a front 2 of ajose/hylton.

well I got the one shot on target right, and had Bostwick not scored for us we would have lost by 2.
But we were nowhere near the 60% possession mark.

All in needs now is for Cooper to say we played well ;)

Improved, but still not good enough. Literally all of our chances were created by Gladwin and he was the one who looked most likely to score. If he hadn't been on the pitch it would have been utter shit again.

Coopers opening  line on the post match interview
"i thought we did quite well today"  ???

Cooper doesn't think we deserved to lose and always thought we were going to score.  Oh do fuck off.  We scored through an own goal and never tested their keeper really.

If I was to take any positives from that game then I#d say it was Gladwyn and El Abd.  The others didn't look like they gave 2 fucks tbh.

I must have been watching a different game to Cooper

Only my second game this season. We had a decent spell in the first half but only came alive after going 2-0 down. Shape looked much better in second half with Louis in midfield.

It was noticeable to me how small and slight we are as a team. Luckily we didn't concede many corners or set pieces near our goal.

As others have said, Gladwin stood out and El-Abd was calm and solid. Thought Branco played well too and Brophy looked a good threat in second half from left back. Is he usually shit because our players don't seem to trust him and he was often in acres yet ignored. I thought BOO looked lacking in any confidence and was ineffective, especially at left back.

Ajose has quality but looked woeful today and that's a major concern. Offered nothing including any apparent effort.

Feel sorry for Cooper. We really are an U23 team and some players just don't have the physicality to compete against men. Confidence is clearly lacking, which effects decision making. We will continue to struggle unless we get some of the injured players back and firing or we secure a lucky win.

(Today's post was brought to you courtesy of McCoy's free tickets)

 A better performance, but woefully short of quality especially in the final third.  Calamitous defending for both goals conceded , in fact the second one was criminal!  Hylton was a waste of space and oxygen with Ajose little better, although to be fair to both of those they need a big man up front to hold the ball up and bring them into play - just belting the ball up to them with the massive defence in front of them was always a bad move!  Did like the look of Brophy, Gladwin ran the game for the first 35 minutes but I guess he got mom for most shots over the bar and all of them from distance - greedy.  He did sting the keepers hands in the first half but that was about the only thing on target we had all game apart from the og!

Positives: First 30 were OK, Gladwin good early on, EL-Abd steady throughout. Last 15 we remembered how to battle

Negatives:   Gladwin reverted to 'shoot on sight, do too much'. Conceded another two goals, one absolutely comical. 15 minutes after their goal was as flaccid as you'll ever see.

not much we can do about things really given lack of players.

Obika injured from a bad tackle from Bangoura in training.

And out for a few weeks according to twitter. Marvellous.

Did he really say that. Really?

Cooper has to take some blame for these injuries some are wholly avoidable.

Some down to training/fitness

 I don't think it is yet inevitable that we'll go down, but something will need to change because atm we're not close to being competitive in games. 

 Hopefully that change might be getting players back fit, but there's a bit of a pattern here, which suggests it might not be just "bad luck"

 Div 4 is a bit of a southern league, and with FGR 5 points clear in the Conference could make for an interesting derby.

It's Oct 10th, Reg.  When has it ever been inevitable that anyone was going down on Oct 10th?

It was a cracking header. Maybe Coops missed the colour of the shirt the guy was wearing..

Probably all been said but I think "promising start ruined by typically comical defending" sums it up.
Thought the fans were quite good - I mean relatively speaking. Does go to show when you give fans something to cheer about they will (ish). Noticed in particular a few "we want Cooper out"s being out sung after the 1st goal, respect.

Ajose still isn't a winger, and that ball Rodgers couldn't be arsed to run for late in the 2nd half was the sort of thing that'll get any fan riled up, no matter how optimistic they are we can turn the game around.
Time for several alcoholic beverages I think. Never mind a glass half full or empty, just fill mine to the top :pint:

Just incredible how many injuries/players unavailable we have.
First 30 minutes we looked pretty good although lacking in final third.

Gladwin was good, as was Brophy. El Abd tried hard and once he gets match fit will make a difference.

Their 2nd goal was the worst fucking goal i've ever seen us concede, even worse than Notts County a few years ago when Hart was in charge.

That's the first time that I can remember that I didn't raise a smile when our goal went in, that's how low I felt at the time.

Hylton, Rodgers, Branco & Ajose were all dogshit today.

I don't think sacking Cooper is the answer. The amount of unavailable players we have currently is just shit luck. By the end of November we'll have an idea of where we are position and players wise and make a decision then.

By the time he's match fit he will probably be back in bristol@

I've seen a few Town sides which smelt of relegation at this stage of a season....73/74, 93/94, 99/00, 05/06 and duly obliged.  As I say we're not quite there yet.

Whatever way you look at it any club in the world would struggle with having 10 players unavailable.

What's frustrating is getting things that we can control so badly wrong. I don't agree with inviting such vast amounts of pressure on ourselves when we've got a patchwork 11 on the pitch. First goal was a ridiculous passage of play where nobody took control of a number of loose balls. Defending your own penalty box is not the time for little toe pokes and trying to find a man in red. Just get it out. El-Abd had the right idea - cleared his lines when necessary and only tried to keep possession when there was a clear option. Man of the match along with Brophy for me. Second goal is just ridiculous. Started the half well and gave ourselves a much tougher task than it needed to be.

Ajose was dreadful and went into hiding, Hylton struggled, the rest were average apart from Brophy and El-Abd.

We will get better, probably around Christmas, keep the faith!!

In 2005/06 we started away at Barnsley - with Michael Pook on the left wing. I called our relegation 11 minutes into that season.

Do you know tonight's lottery numbers?

Got to stay in this league, with City coming down and Rovers going well - and dare I say it the scum in with a bit of a chance would be a few tasty derby games!

One team playing with renewed confidence under a new manager, the other all over the place with the two latest loanees being the pick of the players. On current form our position is looking decidedly precarious and whether a change of manager would make a big difference I am not certain as the players currently missing would in all probability change the formation and results for the better I would hope.

I was hoping that Hylton would take the step up as Gladwin did last season but still looks well down on Divvy 1 requirements, Ajose not the player I remember, BOO struggling, Rodgers flatters to decieve, Brophy could be one for the future and the remainder on show today that are "ours", are still learning and need more time which will start running out all too soon.

 :hmmm:

I thought Brophy and Traore were decent. As were El-Abd and Gladwin. There was a passage of play in the second half where we looked like we may score, but typically it was over played and fizzled out. Shame we have so many players out right now. Disappointed, but not suicidal.. I don't go every week though.

Second half at least we showed a bit of fight and urgency. I wasn't looking when posh scored so will have to watch the highlights to see just how bad it was. We then picked up the tempo and started using Brophy who was in acres on the left and showed some drive and desire to get us moving forward. Sadly his balls into the box weren't bit first time and chances would be lost as nobody wanted to hit the fucking thing, apart from Gladwin, who kept hitting the town end roof.

Hylton and Ajose were about as dangerous as Noel Edmonds in a page three's next top model competition and Ojamaa wasn't much better when he came on.

I thought Gladwin showed guile but did too much at times but was a class above anyone else. Branco and El abd did quite well and at least weren't afraid to head the ball when it came near them. Brophy was a threat on the left wing but isn't a left back, two poor efforts when faced with the winger who got to the byline easily.

The final 11 had Brophy, Randall and Iandolo on the field which shows the injury problems we are facing. Millwall away and then Oldham and Coventry at home won't be easy. We could very easily be in the bottom 3 soon.

Blackpool, last year. Luton, that year the Football League stiffed them by deducting 30 points. I take your point, however,I said to Mrs Donkey today after we lost that relegation is on the cards. Hope I'm wrong of course.

So I have a season ticket so just have to pay the train fare which is either about £40 to Swindon return or £25 to didcot return where my dad picks me up and drops me off. Add on lunch and a couple of pints at about £15 or so and the £5 or so tube journeys from Queenstown Road to Paddington and it's about £50-60, which is priceless for the current entertainment I'm enduring.

Fuck me. It'd be about the same for me aside from the tube and I couldn't justify that every fortnight even with a season ticket.

Not much to add, but why doesn't Rodgers ever seem to tackle and get a foot in?  Is he incapable, or under instruction to hold off and let opponents do what they want?

Which ones, precisely?

Really? Did he get a shot on target? I assumed he was caught up in Rugby World Cup fever as he seemed to be trying for a conversion every time - he hit that orange banner over the top of the Town End at least four times in the second half. Not slating him as he clearly needs to get his eye in and at least he was trying to get shots off, but he never looked like scoring to me.

Perhaps not worded correctly.  I should have said got himself into the best positions to score rather than looked most likely.


Yes, I even double checked with my dad who was in the car with me that I'd heard correctly.

Fair enough. At least he looked like he was trying to. So, on reflection possibly your original "looked most likely to score" may well be right, albeit in a not terribly competitive field. Given the players on the pitch, it could have been a whole lot worse. Some of the newer/younger lads gave a good account of themselves. Some of the supposedly more senior players need to have a bit of a look at themselves.

I'm not sure Rogers would find himself no matter how hard he looked

That was fantastic entertainment but I would prefer to watch football.
Good job Belfield didn't let that second goal in, he wouldn't of heard the last of it. Reminded me of the comedy goal keeper we had at Burton a few years back.
The fact that Gladys looked so good is testament to our current policy of picking up kids to do a mans job.

He had 3 cracking shots blocked as well but yes, most of them were way off target but at least he was having a go.

What a muppet this man is. Out of his depth. Even Power told him how shit we were on Tuesday but according to him we played weĺl. Time to get rid. We have been shit since March

As some of you know...I was fucking fuming with that shower of shit on Tuesday night.

Yesterday I just shrugged my shoulders at the end.

An improvement but same old story.

I liked the City lad, who seemed to be vocal in getting the backs organised.

Gladwin showed some application without any end product and Brophy caught the eye with some good runs down the left.

Without Obika we looked short up front, Hylton looked conference and Ajose looked like Rodgers...a position thief.

The first posh goal was coming for ten minutes, the second was one of the worst I have ever seen conceded at the Town.

We had a purple patch of pacy pocession for a few minutes after the OG but that was about it.

We're shit and I'm sick of it...

He did have the shot that the keeper fumbled in the first half but was just too greedy and shooting constantly from 25 yards and way, way over the bar is not good enough.  yet he looked like he was running the game completely for the first half until they scored - a near post goal that should really not have happened!

If that was the case (which I doubt) surely it's Williams' head that should be on the block?

I rarely do the midweek games and don't really go out Saturday night's anymore so don't think it's too much of a cost.

I don't have the financial burden of children either so I'm happy with the financial outlay.

I think the way we are at the moment was summed up towards the end of the first half when ajose and Louis Thomson had a mini argument/discussion. It was patently obvious that neither player knew what they were supposed to be doing/marking so I doubt the rest of the team do.

Exactly. Some people seem to forget that having children is a lifestyle choice. Get your priorities right!

Or a biological restriction.

There are many ways to have children including fucking, artificial insemination, surrogacy or, as every father does, adoption of a child borne by a female.

This season is going a bit like we did in 2002/3 under Kingy. Good start with a hat trick on 1st day of the season, a demoralising local derby defeat with a silly sending off. We lost 7 on the bounce and the turning point was a draw with Colchester I think.

We were in a bigger mess financially and Kingy had nothing to work with. Remember Coppell walking away saying we were doomed. Yet we dragged ourselves out of it, went on a decent run and were not far off A play off spot.

Of course 2010/11 is the more worrying comparison but I think everyone is so scarred or spooked by that season that we won't allow ourselves to sleep walk into a relegation battle believing we are too good to go down.

Did you over hear what they were arguing about then?

It could equally have been Ajose moaning about the ball not being played forward quick enough when he made runs, which he frequently made in the first 20 mins. Thompson also seem to know exactly what he was doing at full back it's just he has to deal with Rogers being shite as well

I know Ajose got really angry with Brophy at one point. The one player that Ajose looked like he was enjoying playing with was Gladwin cause he actually tried to send him through on multiple occasions.

Wow

There was one through ball by Gladwin that would have set Ajose through on goal but he played it too wide of him. He was fuming!

Been impressed with Brophy. He looked good at Oxford until the positional changes after the sending off.

In 2002/03 we didn't sell the player who got the hat trick!!
Sometimes that's the difference, just one player....who will smash you 20 goals. Can't see one here at the moment.

Without wanting to make some form of Alan Hansen type comment but Hylton is unlikely to make any impact at league one level.   

Certainly not as the loan striker batting a man mountain.

Isn't he on a permanent deal?

as I said Hylton looks like a kaid mohammed

not with you

loan striker, lone striker.

Aggghhh. I'm off for new glasses

Not a bad comparison, but the essential difference is Kingy could out a battling Div 3 sort of side....Gurney being the epitome, not for him flick fanny football. I remember with fondness turning over a Wigan side, who only lost 4 all season and were on their way to the Prem with Whelan's money.  Late in that game when under pressure Steve Robinson ran what must have been 70 yards, in order to make a tackle late on to keep the lead.

Atm, without Nathan, we just don't have players with that sort of commitment.

You are well fucking odd if that really is your view.

Big difference in 02/03 - we'd signed Super Sam and we were always gonna be alright with a goal scorer of that calibre in the side.

Having a goalscorer is never a bad thing, but doesn't guarantee you can't struggle in 08/09 we were close to relegation despite Coxy scoring 29 goals, the most by a Town striker post war.

Our problem that year, a shite defence, not sorted until Gordon Greer's arrival on loan late on.

You can have a goal scorer and struggle but I'll be amazed if many sides have gone down with a striker whose hit them 20+ in the league...

Wolves?

Just looking at our own squad no one capable of that haul in this squad. Williams had a good haul last year but he really was hit and miss and completely went off the boil in the end.

A Simon Cox or Charlie Austin would be just the tonic at the moment nethermind all the problems in defence etc.

Walsall home. Greer's debut, and the wonder goal. Jan/Feb iirc. I know it was cold!

Everything has happened in football ffs. If you're that determined you can probably find precedents for games that have been won by stray badgers, but it's not relevant is it. Clubs have gone up with tiny budgets and they've been relegated with them, they've succeeded with depleted squads and they've suffered with them. Nobody would watch football if it was a predictable science.

Just enjoy it and keep your fingers crossed. Some people seem so desperate to say I told you so I think they'd enjoy us getting relegated more than us actually achieving something.

I actually enjoyed the match, despite the defensive lapses. We got it forward far quicker than in previous home games, and if only the immense Gladwin had had decent forwards on form with him to finish it off probably a different result. It amazed me how Gladwin glided past so many challenges.  Hope he gets his shooting boots on soon.

Definitley agree regarding Gladwin. A match fit Gladwin would have won that game on his own on Saturday. It's amazing how he buys himself a yard of space everytime with a languid stepover or an obvious drag back. You can see it coming everytime high in the stands but he beat his man with ease on many occasions. Just lacking the sharpness that would probably have turned that initial bit of magic into something that resulted in either an assist or a goal.

Gladwin looks like he's having a kick about in a six a side game a lot of the time. Brilliant to watch, just a shame about the end product, which can of course be worked on.

think he got frustrated and tried to do it all himself in the second half. didn't think he was that effective thereafter.

first 30 minutes he ran the show.

Gladwin, is something of a throwback footballer, probably to the days of Jim Baxter.  Baxter, was an entertainer, who could on a given day destroy an opposition with ease....he didn't much like running, as he was mostly pissed up. Baxter threw it all away on booze, birds and gambling.

George Graham, carried the Sweatie flag from Baxter....known as Stroller because of his languid elegance, George was more of an aesthete as a player, but he liked a bung as a boss.

Glenn Hoddle was out of the same mould....they're tall midfield players, not blessed with great pace, so make up for it with vision, some trickery and an abilty to shoot and spray passes.

Of recent English vintage, Tom Huddlestone fits the bill.....often managers don't know what to do with them, as they don't seem all action and fitting into a team template.

Often they're better suited to foreign football, the likes of Juan Sebastian Veron and Juan Roman Riquelme, are feted on the continent and S America.