Thetownend.com

Just spoke to my Bradford colleague who saw Franchise get beat 4-0 last night. He said they played it around well and had plenty of shots which Bradford were able to block. He said the Bradford goals (at least the first 2) were breakaways. They did a lot of running so hopefully they'll be tired on Saturday.
Still think it'll be tough for us.

Town 2-2 Franchise  att: 8,733 (433 away)

We'll score early at least once and then fuck it up. What happens from there is anyones guess and based on subs.

We haven't beaten this lot at home since 2012  :eek:

Was wondering if that was the game we disgracefully let them wear red here while we wore our third kit, but that was a 1-1 draw in 2009.

MKD there for the taking this time I think. Our side is now better than the one that lost 3-2 in October in my opinion and I think we'll win a close game 2-1.

2 : 0, clean sheet!

Looking forward to games now. Think we’ll eke out a narrow win.

4-1

Swindon 3-1 Manufactured Knock-Off Dildos

Wanky Winkleman in tears.

Town will take a 2 - 0 lead by about 60mins. Gunning will make his raft of changes that he has been ordered to make to keep ''investors'' happy.

Town will then squander the two goal advantage to end up losing 2 - 3, via a combination of unfortunate errors, poor decision making/indecisiveness and the aforementioned bad subs

Yes I'm negative my right hand date let me down tonight  :soapy tit wank: :pint:

Me too

We wore black didn’t we. It was a special LC anniversary kit but was black and teal.

From memory: we wanted to wear white for the LC anniversary (as we wore white at Wembley) so as (un)luck would have it. The game closest to the date just so happened to be against a team who plays in white.

So we had to ask their permission to wear white at home and they refused.

Then to add to the cunt factor they didn’t even wear their white kit - they wore red whilst we wore black

Scandalous

And they wonder why people hate them!🙂

If they had come up through the leagues they wouldn’t have been disliked😁

I didn't know that and had always wondered whose bright idea it was to have all black as a 40th anniversary LC kit when we'd worn all white in '69...like you say...just when you thought they couldn't be any more unlikeable...

Tricky one this but safe to say there will be goals!

Dons need a win to avoid two consecutive away defeats within four days and to keep in touch with Crewe and Wrexham for the third promotion spot.

Swindon 3 Plastics 2 att: 8,392 (430 away)

Before the Bradford game I thought we would lose because we didn’t look like we could score goals & didn’t look like we could keep a clean sheet and we did both.

At least now we look like we can score goals, albeit not sure we can be confident of keeping a clean sheet.

Midfield will be important, and it’s where we look light.

So based on that I’m going for a score draw

I think we lose this one 2-1 with the curse of the former player kicking us in the nuts.

did we ever hear why khan is out?

Because he’s on 9 bookings and Devoy can’t play Saturday. Didn't want to take the chance on having both missing.

Khan fine and dandy. Cain coming off was tactical. Johnson has a bit of a niggle and will be used a LB and/or CB when fit.

ah, I guess that makes some sense

Franchise fans reckon they'll bring 500 to 600, poor really.

Those with a plastic allergy please take care.

Hope make a better fist if this than we did their empty echo chamber. I doubt we’ll go 0-3 down but I think another draw is more likely or a narrow win as an outside bet.

Looks like the home fan attendance is gonna be less than the Salford game. That's disappointing.

550 to 600 is their average away following at Swindon sometimes as low as 300 back in 2014, even when they were going for the promotion in 2015 and were above us in the tabel they only brought 800 odd.

Poorly supported team TBH for only a 70 mile trip.

Be surprised if that’s the case

Salford was our 3rd highest home fan attendance in the last 8 home games.

Attendance at the CG for home fans only.
8,807 Crewe
8,429 Crawley
8,176 Sutton
8,490 Walsall
8,787 Grimsby
8,913 Newport
8,243 Gillingham
7,705 Stockport
7,637 Mansfield
7,330 Barrow
10,836 Wrexham
8,590 FGR
7,235 Col U
7,417 Bradford
8,192 Salford

(FA cup 5,094 Aldershot)

8,195 average home fans per game if you ignore the Wrexham outlier, 8,398 inc Wrexham

As we have said before, these figures are for tickets sold, not those actually in attendance.

Does that matter? If a ticket has been sold it’s been sold.

assume last year was a few hundred higher.

so is it on the slide due to mediocrity then, or just normalising from post COVID highs.

edit, actually, ignoring home and away split this site suggests we are only a couple of hundred down on last season total attendance?!

https://www.worldfootball.net/attendance/eng-league-two-2023-2024/1/

It matters if you are calling it an ATTENDance figure (a factual documentation of the number of people in attendance). It would also be nice to know how many people are actually interested enough to turn up and watch the team play on a particular day.
Just a personal gripe of mine, I admit!
(I love stats so would even be keen to know the number of fans with tickets that didn't make it along!)

We'll have a better side this time for definite

I was thinking that it was going to be very similar, if not slightly weaker, but forgot that Kemp (couldn't) & Young (didn't) start the game last time.

One thing is for sure though, we will definitely have more options from the bench this time, and the CB pairing will be much better

England Ladies internationals are a favourite of mine..

Described as a 'sell out' but obviously include tickets given away to schools etc etc...

Bar 71 not open for away fans tomorrow due to unforeseen circumstances

Spot on. The bench VS Franchise was Ward, Genesini, Young, Obodo, Hart, Minturn, Alston…

Starting 11 will be miles better 'n' all I reckon.

I hope Kemp plays - according to Bradford fans he ambled about looking utterly disinterested.

I hope Kemp doesn't play. Because he's still the best player in the league.

Not at MK he isn’t.

Easy 3-1 for them. Kemp will no show but it won’t matter. Devoy with a late consolation.

Devoy won't be allowed to play so if he does score a late consolation it'll be a bigger problem :D

I no longer trust my premonitions.

I’ll go with, I dunno, McKirdy then. A late McKirdy consolation. Why not? 😁

A player is only as good as his teammates, at Swindon all our play was dictated to by him so looked good, at MK he also has Gilbey, Robson, Bate and Payne in midfield who all try to dictate the run of play.

They have played Kemp wide left, wide right, attacking midfield and as an out and out striker so far with very little success, they are trying to squeeze in a very square peg into a very round hole and so far have yet to find a role that he is suited to playing.

Hes an obvious talent but if his mind is not in the game as we know he does go awol in games, he has to be the hub of the play, at MK he is not that.

If he does play today then hopefully his head is not in the game against the team he really enjoyed playing for rather than the one he currently plays for and against teammates who he considers to be mates.

On Tuesdays showing I would play.

                     Bycroft
Dokes     McCarthy    FBT     Kokolo
             Khan          McEachran
                       McGurk
Elboozy                                 Glatzel
                     Austin

Reading thier forum they seem to be less than impressed with all their keeper options currently, if we hit the target as many times as we did vs Gills, Salford and Newport there is a great chance we will score a few goals, a big ask though.

McKirdy and RHM coming off the bench to create havoc against a slow ponderous defensive trio.

Personally think we'll miss Devoy but that's a good starting 11. Can't argue with it

I know its all about opinions mate but I havent seen much in Devoy so far TBH, no better than the options we currently have.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GGiXYGIWIAAy2Ql?format=jpg&name=4096x4096)

Looks like this line up.

                        Bycroft
Dokes     McCarthy    FBT     Kokolo
             Khan          McEachran
                     McGurk
RHM                                     Glatzel
                     Drinan

No idea how RHM gets another start. Needs to start proving his worth

Agreed. He would be a better option off the bench.

I think he's closer to full fitness than Elbouz and McKirdy basically. Agree I wouldn't pick him on form.

Prefer the balance of either Austin or Drinan in the middle and two quick lads either side to what we had last weekend.

The very knowledgeable Phil Smith on Co-Comms :cry:

Oh God no.

Rather Smiffy than Hockaday TBF.

RHM is just head down and run. He will end up in non league!

Looks a decent turnout from  Franchise.

Kemp as a false 9 it seems.

McEachran growing his hair and looks a like Brooklyn Genesini, which doesn't seem like a smart career move.

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK WAS THAT

fucking hell

cock up city

Awful mix up.

Shambles

Looked a foul on McCarthy tho.

That's a foul on McCarthy, but also a fuck up between Bycroft and McCarthy.

We didn't even appeal for the foul, just concentrated on blaming each other. Piss poor.

Do we practice defending at all?

This.

A new low?

We’re shit.

oh

Oh dear.

FFS 0-2

Whoops

That’s fucking pathetic  :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick: :no:

Sweet baby Jesus.

Bycroft is a poor keeper, he’s awful at commanding the box, consistently poor
Decision making, same with corners, never comes too claim the ball!

Well, just UGM left to fuck up from our back five.

First team with any quality on the ball we’ve played in the last 5 or 6 games and they rip us part with a lot of help from our ‘defence’. Shocking how many people want to keep so many players in this squad.

We are so shite!!

Even in STFCs darkest days we haven't been this bad or low in the league..

ALL HAIL CLEM MORFUNI THE SWINDON MESSIAH!!

what a fucking joke...!!

Nothing is ever likely to beat the Joe Fryer OG for me. But "worst STFC defensive fuck ups" is a strong, strong field.

How many did Mansfield score last week? MK might beat it!

Nine.

As Alan Hansen once said, "you don't win games with freebies". Or something like that. For reference, we're yet to win a game since the transfer window.

But they were stuffed 4-0 at Bradford during the week🤣

Clem remains and we go out of the football league- may not be this year but def in next couple of seasons

Our fanbase who still support him do not deserve a football league club

There was a thread the other day where most people wanted to keep the majority of these defenders. Scary.

And the midfielders  :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

Glad I didn’t participate  :D

None of the defense should stay!!

Oh dear Dokes.

I did think "just wide" was a very generous appraisal from Hawes there!

Too many happy clappers who accept this shit show of a club

Stop buying ST and tickets starve him out

How anyone can rate a group of defenders who have conceded on average 2 per game this season is beyond me

Give it a fucking break! Watch the game!

  :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick: :doh:

That was a penalty.

Seen those given. Would have been harsh but shot's on target and blocked by the arm.

That was a one to them as well

Forum police on the lookout!!

That was probably a pen at the other end so there you go.

Yep the ref evened it up.

McCarthy isn't winning mom this week

We're trying to play a fairly similar game to them and they're just quite a lot better at it than us. I can see how a physical side would knock them off their game but that isn't us.

Every time they get possession in our half they look like opening us up. Defence and midfield when not in possession may as well not exist.

Yes unusually poor so far.

Franchise are the side that we’ve tried and failed to create. Good, expansive football and saleable assets to sell on and reinvest

Just woken up have I missed anything?

And able to get their fringe players out on loan at a good level...

You'd better go back to sleep!!

You mean sell on and trouser.

Perhaps we do have "a chance" of signing him now he's shit as well. (McCarthy)

Another £27 to my holiday fund. And maybe I will get a little snooze in till I go out later.

Bycroft is a nervous wreck now.

Seems to have a bit of a knock as well, whether that's just a bruised ego we'll see.

Close by McGurk there.

McEachran in defence is a rotating door.

I think all the squad should use the rotating door :D

We're growing into the game, but we still look just lacking in quality. Khan passes into touch from six yards away.

Thing is we’re almost certainly going to concede again so it’s back to Flynn stuff of needing 3 to get anything from the game.

Glatzel scores but flagged offside. RHM nicked the goal on the line so hopefully he knew it was off!

Khan yellow, that's a suspension. Got the ball but completely unnecessarily heavy tackle in midfield.

Totally lost interest in this game.

Will watch but not bothering on commenting on it.

HT 0-2

Shit.

Well, that started badly and got quickly worse. It's 'improved' after the second goal, but mostly because MK are happy to hold us at arm's length and conserve energy. We look desperately poor from 1-11, and the pitch isn't helping (although the only way it might help is if a sink hole appears and sucks the whole side into it).

Or alternatively, PV's summary.

can we get back in this? yes
do mk look like they might score every time they go forward?. also yes.

our attack is built on sand

There is no way Gunning should be our manager. 'Mad Gav' my arse

Well,it has to be McKirdy and Austin on,surely now?

Austin properly warning up.

don't think McKirdy has 45 in him yet

Not sure what to do to improve it.

No one up front has done much, but it’s mostly because we have been poor in midfield. Glatzel seems the only one to have got into space, but seems to have no touch.

But would Cain for Khan, McEachran or McGurk improve it?

Not saying he has to play the whole 45,we can always replace him later. Just need the impetus I reckon

Everything about this club is just utterly depressing at the moment - worst i can remember it.  An underperforming inadaquate and inexperienced squad, an inexperienced and out of depth management team, a pitch that looks worse than the Sunday pitches i used to play on and an ownership that is hanging around by keeping half of the fanbase on strings.  Being taken for mugs..

Fuck this club..

Khan, Drinan and RHM off at HT. All three have been poor/offered nothing. MK look so dangerous every time they come forward. Defensively we have left a lot to be desired, although I’m struggling to think of too many games this season where we’ve been competent at the back. Difficult to consistently win games knowing that the chances of keeping a clean sheet are fairly low

MKD look quite poor TBF, we look fast in attack but poor in end product, defence looks poor today, poorer than normal, Bycroft must take a lot of responsibility for both goals alongside the defence.

Of course we could come back and win, it wouldnt take a lot to change the game in our favour, but our heads are down and maybe a goal will change the game.

As it stands, its just a bit poor to say the least.

I think yes, especially as Khan is a red in waiting

khan suspended for Stockport isn't he?

Bad Gav

In the grand scheme of things, it really does not matter..

that's fair, but he's not warming up other then the normal kick around so don't get your hopes up.

---

mk movement up front is killing us, and they have the players behind to find them in space

Well, if ever a half of football should have been recorded and used as future evidence in the case against the club to show how badly everyone had fucked everything up, that was it.

Visually, just look at their bench, and then ours.  They can't even fit in theirs, whereas we'd need blankets to keep our team warm there are so few of them.  How we can hope to develop players, systems, shape etc. when we have one Coach, a GK Coach and an analyst is beyond me.

What Gunning does put out is an attempt to make the football simple.  i can kind of buy that, at this level, it's what Flitcroft did with a team of much worse players (in terms of ability on the ball).  However, just sticking four decent players up top, leaving them there and then putting some wisps in behind them is not going to work.  Today, Franchise players have passed around us so easily at times it should be embarrassing for our players.  Watch that back and you will loads of times where I player has planted their feet and watched the player pass the ball, watched the travel of the ball and then turned to realise the first player is now five yards behind them.

The squad make-up is terrible - there is nobody you can put in the midfield and do the job Dunne and Linganzi did under Flitcroft, which was to shield without the ball and just add bodies in a box to box fashion with the ball.  We have a bunch of flicks and runs types of midfielders.  Nobody wants to take control with the ball (so we can sustain with a pivot type player) and nobody has a Scooby what to do when defending other than be a number.

edit: I forgot the farm pasture land we are playing as further evidence of the general malaise, shitness, incompetence and outcomes from not investing.

Ultimately, it's a metaphor for our club - a Club/Business built on a house of cards will eventually fall down or be blown away.

Poverty performance by a poverty club.

Sums it up perfectly. Clem is taking us for mugs problem is a large portion of the fanbase are buying it

If Clem said the sun was green they would believe him

Decaying in front of our eyes.

Considered posting about this earlier. A stark reminder of the corners being cut.

Austin for McGurk. Would say McGurk was one of our better players but it's hardly an endorsement.

Austin on for McGurk. Mad Gav just chucks on more attackers when we need to score.

4-2-4 then

:D

At least we've gone all in on the plan - four central strikers.  No need to try and fix the problem areas, just stick four Linekers up front!

what a depressing affair so far . things look pretty dire .  next season is a real worry.

Surprised at that. Would've thought straight swap for Drinan and McKirdy for RHM. Ah well

I thought McGurk was brushed off the ball too easily. I would have taken him off too. It would have been nice to bring a strong midfielder on though.

6s & 7s that half with really McGurk only showing flashes of quality and movement.

So Gunning takes him off. Surely you take off Drinnan for Austin if doing it at HT.

I think Town will score but it'll probably end up 1 - 3 or 1 - 4

Time for a few pints of Beamish  :pint: :pint: :pint: :pint:

We don’t have one what happens when you have non football people running the club

McKirdy for RHM

If that had gone in I think I’d have walked out. The defending and keeping was Sunday league at best.

Harry given 35 mins+ to change the game for the useless (today) RHM.

BTW thats not a dig at RHM, they are almost all as bad today.

UGM doing his best impression of Hutton spamming crosses

On the bright side, the pitch should recover quickly with this much manure on it.

Sometimes too much shit can cause more damage🤣

Playing worst this half than the first if that was possible. They are starting to create a lot.

Need to bring Cain on to bring some balance and so that Bouzy can come on and we can get him to cross to Austin

I hate being negative, unlike a few on here, but this is utter dirge.

Laziest team I’ve ever seen… then again can I blame them when they try they’re shit

Khan very lucky not to get the second yellow there for an obvious tactical foul. Get him off FFS.

Think I need to give this habit up...
Just so depressing 😞

You should be asleep :eek:

One more challenge and he’s gone.

Going to need Cain to replace him now

We can’t even get on the ball now, this second half so far is one of the worst of the season.

We are quite lucky that MK are almost as shit and wasteful as we are, but a little less shit in attack and a fair bit less shit in defence.

There are no outstanding teams in this league to be honest

Absolutely mate.

Luckily there are two at the bottom who are outstandingly bad.

McKirdy yellow for dissent for no good reason. The boy is back!

True

This is where gav gunning was right this league is shit… Ild actually say league 2 quality now is one of the worst it’s ever been. So so poor and we’re even worse

Which makes things even more frustrating

Fuck knows what we work on during the week, some of these look like they have never been on a football pitch before today..

No mention of the former Swindon players🤔

McKirdy boots the ball away and somehow doesn't get a second yellow. He's a liability. Great talent but nothing between the ears. Stricter ref and we're down to 9 having hardly made a tackle.

Attendance about the average yet again, just a bit higher at 8,789. The majority deserve much better than this.

This is as bad as it’s been all season

Hopefully there will be again next season or we'll find ourselves finally getting out of league two

Drinian misses an open goal. Now subbed.

Some very poor reffing today, blatant foul on Drinan there just outside the box.

They could have had two pens and us two red cards, ref definitely hasn't been good but it's definitely not been to our detriment!

Cain on but not for Khan. Sigh.

I'd say we were clueless but we're not that good.

There’s no tactics on display anywhere with us. The subs are just random and no plan behind them. Total mess.

Yes he has been about equally shit for both sides.

Just the way Clem likes it.

18th with Doncaster and Salford both winning today. Pathetic club.

Second worst goals conceded in league 2

Despite this I just cannot see a world where gunning doesn’t get the job! Clem loves it on the cheap!

Stockport losing 4-0. I would say a good sign but MK lost 4-0 last game and they couldn't look more comfortable if they opened a cigar case.

When I refresh and there's new page, I'm hoping we've got one back. Sadly, more likely that Harry's been sent off.

2-1

Come on, let's absolutely shithouse a point!

Yay we did a goal.

Depends on added time

Four minutes

Shit. We need 10!🙂

Where the fuck this has come from I don't know but MK look absolutely on the ropes all of a sudden

So much time for Jack Bycroft attempting a Rory Fallon. If that had gone in I think I may actually have exploded.

FT 1-2

Meh.

Someone bundle McKirdy away from the ref for fuck's sake. Just one brain cell, it's all I ask.

What the fuck was going on with Kokolo and their RB for the last 2 mins of the game - looked like WWF

I think this is the first team that we have had when i can honestly say that I wouldn't be upset about any of them going..  management the same, bar Mildy and ownership, well obviously..

Best moment for me was the exchange between Mckirdy and Payne, when McKirdy came on, big grins from both of them.  Did we miss Dawson Devoy that much?  Poor performance, at least we are scoring late rather than conceding.  Khan was poor along with several others.

Shocked that Gunning’s “all or nothing” style doesn’t work over a period of longer than 2 caretaker matches

Well, the midfield was good on Tuesday and not good today,so you could say yes we did miss Devoy

We've seen Mad Gav and Bad Gav, so dangerous to know Gav must be up next.

Gunning:
- Great performance. Unlucky to get nothing from the game
- Unlucky to concede two. Looked strong at the back for the rest of the game
- Midfield created chance after chance
- Need to be more clinical
- Anyone could see we were the better team
- Khan with a Premier league performance. Will have earned a big contract from that
- Good yellows from Khan and McKirdy. We needed that tradecraft and passion
- Future looking good. Not getting rub of the green for the quality of performances
- We are going to batter someone soon.

I believed this for a second till I got to Khan.  :D

Well that was shit, game over after 10 mins. The club stealing gobshites didn't even want a footy discussion after.  Shame.

Yeah but DV still has his tissues and lotion out for Gunning*







*Chill, it's a fucking joke

Hairdryer on high, except for McKirdy who apparently left after the whistle.

Its obviously not on Clems priority list😁

He wanted to watch the Chelsea Man City game!

Imagine if he does come out with something similar though  :eek:

Just listening to the Supermarine CEO on Wilshire Radio. He sounds as if he is giving the same spiel as our 'plumber's mate' but with a bit of class.

Still my preference over our last 5 managers tbh.

Needs some additions to his back room staff if he’s gonna be the gaffer long term.

Dongs settled for two, could have had more on the break in the second half.  Relieved it wasn't completely out of sight with half an hour to go.

I pictured him walking off, still in his kit, with a hoodie over the top, wearing a pair of trainers and carrying his boots in a Tescos bag.

We could probably put that argument forward for several managers under Clem. I don't think it's going to happen though. False promises and all that.

Sorry about the tissues comment  ;)

We should be angrier but seems there’s an air of acceptance

Not sure what happened to the original and not sure how JQ managed to comment on it but repost...

There's no point talking about the performance as it was before. MKDonalds did seem to depreciate through the game but they had a +2 handicap. That second half was not elite professional standard from all players and officials.

I want to talk about the rapidly deteriorating pitch. Under Marcus Cassidy and team we never managed to put the pitch in this kind of state. For all the hustling and illegal shite Lausanne Lee did, he never allowed the playing surface to get to the levels of a municipal park - which is also detrimental to municipal parks! Has Clem been paying the current people? Or has he been offering free sponsorship in lieu of not being able to afford to pay a proper contract?

I think if it's either, you get a diminished quality or a less motivated ground management. Most definitely if they haven't been paid.

I also can't believe that Marcus Cassidy was the only key or had some incredible talent in maintaining a rectangle of grass; well not talent excessively beyond that of people in the same professional industry. Which is why I ask if maybe the current crop {no pun} have not been getting paid? It's not the conditions because the aforementioned Cassidy and Co never had the pitch looking this poor - that probably has around 20 years to back up as well.

Pitch has gone from being awarded ''Best Playing surface in League One'' to ''Today we'll be playing on the Rec Soc AFTER the Rugby'' :crash:

People actually clapped the players off today 😂😂😂😂😂

Absolutely abysmal performance

The new Robin Friday!

I'm a bit embarrassed really, the usual banter with the away fans went out the window. I should be past this shit, but these cunts wind me up as they are a nothing club who have done fuck all in their 20 year history.  Even the twat who offered me out was being apologetic at the end. Pussy.

Problems:
New manager bedding in
New players bedding in
No pattern of play
Strange tactics
No midfield
Players coming out of contract
Need to start building for next season!

But they didn't want to?🙂

Hey,at least we're scoring late on instead of conceding🙂

Utter fucking fools. But winning fools

The real Gunning:
- Average performance
- Completely different to what we have shown in the last 4 games
- Two early mistakes lost us the game. Frustrating
- The first goal: There's nothing you can do. It is what it is. The keeper should come. The defender should clear
- The second was just a basic error in positional judgement.
- If you dont do the basics right you dont win the game
- Always will struggle when you go 2 down to a possession based team
- Performance wasnt great today
- Got ourselves marked. The outside forwards were supposed to create space for the midfielders.
- That's football. We didnt get it right today
- We changed it about. We are obviously trying to win. We through the goalkeeper up at the end.
- That wasn't what we were trying today today
- When we had Austin and Drinan then we started to pass it a bit
- McGurk was leggy. He's been a bit ill. Didnt realise how much the other night took out of him
- Before we would have conceded 4, 5, 6 or 7. We didn't which is the one positive Gunning takes from today
- We have to win game. Not great to play Stockport next week.
- We've played the in form teams. Its when we can learn most about us
- When its a poor performance you learn a lot about individuals and the team
- Should be able to make tactical rather than minutes based substitutions after Stockport
- Its been tough for those lads, holding their minutes back, but its where we are at
- The lads who have come in are the lads Gunning wanted to bring in. That's the good part. But there are still lads here that aren't part of the squad Gunning wants. But it is what it is.
- You have to judge Gunning on every game. Not just when everyone is fit
- You take over when you take over.
- Noone else back next week

Drinan:
- When you lose its always disappointing. But have to take positives from defeat
- Group can be positive that in the last 2 games, when we have gone behind, we have rebounded. We have character
- If we had got the ball wide more so that they could cross to Drinan and Austin
- Was injured before arriving. Starting to get fit again now
- To get back to the form he showed a couple of seasons ago, Drinan need to stay positive mentally
- Drinan said he is here for 18 months.
- The gap to the playoffs is quite small. Next season we will tackle it.

Some of that Gunning interview is just bizarre. Not losing by more is a positive? Playing in form teams, MK lost 4-0 on Tuesday.

Did he get that one straight out the ''Gav Gunning Book of 1001 Practical Jokes''  :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

Town ain't winning 3 without reply and 10 or 11 teams above not picking anything up.

Just back.

Disjointed, second best all game. Created nothing. Franchise had our measure all game, thought they looked very good tbh. Too many players had nothing games - Drinan, McGurk, Khan, McCreachan. Eye opener as far as the midfield argument goes. They had small, technical players but dominated. Didn’t need a destroyer type.

Boozy livened things up a bit towards the end.

What an utter bollocks performance that was, even if you take out the nightmare start.

There was no obvious pattern of play, I've not got a fucking clue what we were trying to do.

They were sharper, had more movement and were simply better than us, especially first half. FBT and McCarthy kept losing their men and we were bloody close to conceding on numerous occasions. Bycroftf was poor but didn't need the (literally) one or two knob ends in the town end shouting that at him. Kokolo - pish, ugm, pish but good forest gump running. Mifdfield pish, McEachran put in effort but not quality, khan was largely poor, McGurk no Kemp yet.. Drininan -shit, Gratzel - anonymous, RHM - uber shit.

We are miles off it, Gunning seems to equate 'lots of attackers = good' and the whole on field situation is as bad as I can remember it. We are rudderless..

Fucking hell.

This fitness excuse is a joke, all the players have been training all season weather or not if they are playing.
Drinan should be back up to Austin, he's a central forward lump, not a left/right attacking forward running down the channels.
Midfield personnel rotates more than a revolving door. Cain I thought was decent against the Gills was then subbed off at half time and then we went to shit. There is no consistency in the line up and the random subs in the last five games, I really don't think the boss knows what his strongest team is.

Sad Gav when he's relegated to being loan manager again

They looked more drilled. First to everything was the difference.  Football is so simple sometimes  :suicide:

I don’t know why we started with a midfield of 2 against a possession based team - we were never going to have any control. It was like ping pong.

Same reason Gunning thinks Khan is one of the best CDM’s in the league. I don’t think he even believes there is such a thing as a midfield to be honest as he has very little interest in playing one.

You mean when he gets ''demoted'' to a jolly in NSW as Head Coach of Australian Talent Academy {ergo - the equivalent of a Community Sports Coach for U9s}.

Actually I think that version is ''Livin' it up Lad Gav''

The reality is Cain was our best available midfielder today and he was in the bench.

The dongs did one simple thing that we’ve been incapable of, all season.

Defend.

To me that one is down to Gav, the wrong selection, the wrong formation & the wrong tactics.

It took him 80 mins to realise we were light in midfield.

Khan & McEachran both poor, but not helped by being totally overrun.

If we want to think about promotion next season we need someone who can identify what’s wrong much more quickly.

A few things, I think it is ''relative'' fitness to other teams etc. A couple of factors. We've had a pretty small squad of average to ok proper first teamers. Maybe 14 or 15 of them for most of the season. Without addressing certain areas. These playing areas {with experience} still have not been addressed despite it even being visually obvious to Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Helen Keller, Andrea Bocelli and Louis fucking Braille!

But that small initial squad was always going to run out of steam or become stretched/fatigued/incur injuries. So the problem there lays with the board's incompetence. I think pretty much any manager would have struggled/been restricted etc.

We've then signed players either with not a lot of league experience or players coming back from injury. Yes, they may all be ''fit'' but not necessarily match fit. But even if they were match fit, I think the relative fitness to other teams will be the main driving factor.

Again, it's still an infrastructure deficiency though. There simply isn't enough depth, and not just in the first team but the whole club. Minimalist strategy only really works in interior design - not in the running of professional sports teams.

I agree with the rest of what you say, but I won't lay the fitness blame too much on the players and erm...''management team''. That's been engineered by an {ironically} out of depth board/owner{s}

That was garbage.
More interesting for the last 5 minutes but that has to be their easiest three points of the season.
Nobody came out of that with much credit. Sad to see a crowd show little concern for the dire situation we find ourselves in.
Even my Orange hat decided it had better things to do today, and who could blame it? I wish Ken Beamish was in charge.....
As always, I enjoy the comments on here and appreciate that some of you are as fed up as me.
Nothing happy or positive to contribute to the debate again sadly. Have a good evening all. You Reds!!

If the club are putting Gunning forward now as an audition for next season, at least give him the chance to, or bring in an experienced no 2.

Any professional outfit needs more than a caretaker manager, GK coach and analyst for an extended period of time.

Rob T pointed out the contrast in the two benches today - theirs was stuffed with staff.

According to Wiki MK have a Sporting Director, Performance Director, Head Coach, Assistant, First Head Coach, Goalkeeping Coach, Strength and Conditioning Coach, Head of Rehabilitation, First Team Physiotherapist, Head Of Performance Analysis, Lead First-Team Performance Analyst, Head of Technical Scouting & a Data Scientist.

We have Gav, Mildy, Liam McCartan & Jamie Russell. And presumably a Physio.

On a related note, I couldn't help but laugh at our staff list on Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swindon_Town_F.C.

Weren't we also needing a new physio?

Steady we’re supposed to be getting the ground redeveloped you can’t have it all :D

Hate losing to a plastic side like dongs, as long as we stay up I'll be looking forward to dongs, rectum and tinpot Vale next season.

Chesterfield will be the new Wrexham next season😁

Another tiny club that think they are all that  :doh:

Dongs fans all gob in the ground, disappeared outside.

"Stole a club, and you're still league 2" chant made me chuckle  ;D

We're a real Mickey Mouse operation aren't we.

Though even Disney has higher standards these days .

Thank fuck for FGR and Sutton.

Long way to go yet  :cry:

Yes but the kid studying a Sports Physiotherapy BTEC at Swindon College had to turn the offer down.

What position was Glatzel playing today? Spent far too much time looking like a right back and wasn’t in the dangerous areas.

Gave dongs far too much credit today, they looked no better than Barrow. We just didn't turn up today. Those plastic fuckers are going nowhere.

Off topic, but why does The Merlin let most of their tables get reserved. Turn up and take your chance - it’s not the fucking Ritz.

I think he was trying to fill the gaps in our non existent midfield but not sure - can’t fault him for effort.

Trouble is we won’t have next season.

I'm fully aware next season we could be FGR or Sutton.

I haven't seen anything to suggest we are doing much too address it.

Moving on, who’s looking forward to a drubbing at Stockpot next week then?

Can’t wait😁 4-0 drubbing!

Is there an alternative reason behind Mad Gav’s mad subs? Has he/the club promised so many minutes/appearances to those newly signed players? It’s bizarre. 5 games in and its blindingly obvious mass subs do us no favours. The fitness reason seems a crock.

He’s fucking clueless is the reason.

Anyone that thinks otherwise is wrong.

Well, he can’t be THAT clueless when it’s bleeding obvious what happens. Stick to what you think is your best starting XI and make the odd change when/if the game dictates.

stranger things have happened

They’ve lost their last 2 games 4-0 and 3-1 .

All good things come to an end😁

And we have lost our last two. We’re away to the league leaders and as you’ve rightly pointed out have lost their last two. Who’s your money on to rectify those statistics? I think I know where mine is.

No we haven’t.

Having slept on it my conclusion today is.

Inert attack, inept midfield and powderpuff defence, as bad as anything we saw under Sheridan with some dodgy tactics and substitutions thrown in too.

Losing my lifelong love for the club and it will take a miracle to get it back now.

That's fair enough.

Not sure I'd quite go as far as bad as Sheridan yet in terms of performances. But at least his were in league 1. And it is leaving me feel as cold as those times.

It's like ann opposite Hart for me. Chuck on loads of attackers and hope it works. which it will sometimes but is madness most of the time.

My bad. I forgot the gloriously forgettable draw snatched from the jaws of victory away to the leagues goliaths. The point I’m making and you well know it is we won’t take a point at Stockpot regardless of their form.

We may get something from the Trannies, Harrogate I’m not hopeful and as for Mansfield looking that far ahead, forget it. All looking rather shit isn’t it.

That's me pretty much done for this season, might do 1 or 2 more but not every game like I have been.

Well, what a waste of a n orange hat.

I thought Wrexham was your last match of the season? At least that’s what you spent weeks telling us  ::)

For the first time in ages this result meant very little to me. Normally on a Sunday morning I look in the paper at our divisions results and the views on here, and reflect on the game that I have seen and am either happy or uptight about the performance with the odd in between assessment. Have to say that yesterday’s was all very nondescript, precious little going for it, all very meh and unfortunately cannot see much changing. I can only thank our lucky stars for that start to the season.

….its been his last game of the season every home game since December…

When I said I’d have enough I at least had the decency to stick to my word for over 10 years…

Yet you still post one here, why?

Well, it’s not for the insightful opinions on football or the witty banter, that’s for sure…

Ok, so why then?

Genuine question as you seem keen on players, positions, tactics and results but not actually going?

To be fair… you don’t need to go to know that, half the forum watch it on ifollow now.

Freeloading bastards!

Yep, rolling out of bed and straight to my living room to turn the tv on is a lot more time efficient than getting to the CG. As is switching it off and leaving the room.

I’d have definitely gone to more over the last 2 to 3 seasons if time allowed me to but quite frankly I’m too old to survive on a sub 4 hour sleep for the sake of going to watch Swindon

I've accepted a just above the relegation zone finish, but with no real jeopardy of going down.

The plan was to just have a bit of a laugh until the end of the season and take each game as it comes.

So I should be with you

But I'm proper pissed off with yesterday. I have no confidence in Gunning and that was bloody worrying from him. I hope I'm wrong, I really do.

I think you should be more creative and spice up your entrance and exits. Next time maybe try a backwards roll as your method of departure  ;)

Come on guys.... it's also been my last time probably 5 or 6 times this season alone.

Everytime you think...once more and that's it.

Possibly Morfuni knows this is a failing with most English football supporters.

Just once more...!!!!

RNZ - Chuck us a Tui or two through the ether mate. You can get away with having a few session tins on a Monday lunchtime ey?

I think DV once likened us fans to Crack Addicts.  In reality, they at least get a high.

Havent read back.

After obvious signs of improvement we did a Swindon and self destructed.....

Fucking woeful.

Maybe the Keeper should come out for the Ball but the defender is in control, smash the ball away and then bollock him...DONT do what you did!!

The second goal summed up our season ref defending. Dreadful.

Thought we had enough time to get back in it but did feel we needed one back before half time.
Looked handball to me for a Pen and on the lowlights BUT he was close, this is L2,theres no VAR and it aint going to be given despite his arm being stretched out.

Scored eventually when i had given up but it was far far too late, shame as Franchise suffered a bit a panic.

A fucking awful day at the Office for most on that pitch.

I questioning what Drenan offers us now? BUT hes not a Scapegoat for Saturday.

Didn't see any of the game, and just watched some of the highlights. Did I hear it right that Kemp was getting booed when he had the ball?

I had to laugh when Kemp posted on twitter about the travelling fans and a load of our fans were getting uppity about it. 'what about us' etc. Needy flanges.

😂

Anyone know how long Gunning's contract is ?

I don't get the tactics, rotating the team every week as players cant play Sat & Sat for 60 or 70 mins so they have to be played for 60 mins then benched for the next game to be given 30 mins, odd signing all these players if you know they wont make a difference for at least a month.

Sadly after the performance and the 'attacking' 4-2-4 that Gav seems to enjoy I reckon the job is already his but just got to get through this season and then start the talk of a fresh starts, promotion push, things done wrong etc etc

In an ideal world Clem & co would be looking for a new manager now to come in with a view to which players he (or she !) wants for next season and a chance to start getting in place the backroom team he wants - but that would cost money so Clem will go with Gav as Head Coach and find him an assistant from somewhere (probably Austin) to help next season, and all the players will be provided for him next season so he can play 4-2-4 more often.

Gav has proved himself by going to Aussie and coaching the kids, and then finding loan spots for a few kids in local non league teams, and then he has been to Clem's house as well - what more experience does he need ?

It’s clear Gav doesn’t know his best team plus he’s trying to keep everyone happy by playing them.

Whether that is something that will settle down over the rest of the season or not remains to be seen.

For me, now is the time for Clem to start putting the proper work in for next season and start to bring people that are going to help to make it a success. RobT hit the nail on the head with his comments about the staff that Franchise have versus our sorry band of merry men. Surely if you run the place like a National League club you are going to end up being closer to the National League rather than League 1.

Employ an experienced Director of football, listen to what he needs, get what he needs, and get the wheels turning into getting that ready. Gunning does seem like a popular guy about the place so keep him on in the coaching side so he can continue to learn. A CEO that knows what he is doing would be lovely, but I'm not holding my breath on that happening.

The problem with the CEO is that it’s just in name only, Clem makes all the decisions.

You only have to look back at the shares fiasco, Aberdeen (who was supposedly CEO) didn’t know anything about it. Everything starts & ends with Clem so he’s not going to employ anyone who knows what needs to be done to run a football club

I honestly believe that if things were as black and white as this then Morfuni would have sold up a long time ago.

Fully appreciate that this drifts towards conspiracy theory chat but here we are.

Completely agree that Angus and Hall have been CEO in name only compared to other professional football clubs.

Absolutely this. In a nutshell i think he bit off more than he can chew and no matter what he does now it will be wrong, by that i mean if he trys to please the fans the ones behind the scenes will pull the plug and kick off and if he trys to keep them happy we end up with what we have now

Agree with that.

Whilst mitigating factors he has chosen to appease the scum that hang around in the shadows rather than do right by the club.

As always it’s the fans that will suffer most and that is ultimately on Morfuni, he could do something but be it he is scared or bound into deals it is ultimately of his own doing.

Can't disagree and will not disagree, only thing i suppose i would say is i do wonder what he thinks the consequences are by doing right by the fans and not by them.

Either way the best thing we can hope for is he sells up