Thetownend.com

Personally I am enjoying life under Iffy. The players are playing with more pride and passion. The players are fitter, results aren't brilliant but at least we look like we could score and we were losing lots of games by a goal or so. Under Iffy we have had more clean sheets.

I like Iffy's squad selection. Under AK I would be prepared to bet on my life that Stroud wouldn't have played on saturday if AK had chosen the team. The players are playing in positions that they are used to ie Barnsley - Pook on the left wing.

What I like most though is Iffy is willing to take the blame when needed. King just used to single out a player and land all the blame on them, most of the time he used Jerel as a scapegoat.

IN conclusion I feel that Iffy is the right man to keep us up. I wouldn't mind at all if they said Iffy had the job permanently.

P 7 W 1 D 3 L 3

Better than Ak  this season and this is after taking on a team that has a lot of youngsters in and a team that was so low on confidence having lost 7 in a row.

PS Cureton scoring will good for him and he has played 3 full matches and he will have gained match sharpness or on the otherhand we may be able to get him off our wage bill.

He is doing well, agree with that

so many positives from saturday but one game does not make a season, lets keep the momento going and stuff boston and city then things might start looking up.

Sorry but it's P 6 W 0 D 3 L 3 in the league which is a lot worse than our start under King and we've played games like Franchise where you would expect to get something and ideally a win, to lose by two goals was shocking.

It's not true to say King constantly blamed Ifil, it was just that he found his mistakes frustrating because he had the strength and pace to be a quality defender which is fair enough.

Iffy has done little to convince me so far and unless there is a marked improvement I can't see us staying up whereas I have no doubt we would have if King hadn't been sacked.

Attendances have also decreased so far as me and Reg expected but far from the 7,000 a week average that many were predicting.

I hope that we can continue to put in performances like saturday and not Franchise style shambles and then things might start to look up but to say they are looking up at the moment is simply not true, if we continue our current form we'll end up with less than 30 points.

i agree with mostly all of that bwb, but one thing you can take from iffys management so far is that the players have kind of bucked up abit. Under king it seemed like they had given up, and i think something new was needed.

i didn't agree with king going, but things end and they did i guess need a change sometime, and when your bottom...you need to do something.

bwb,

as far as i've gathered, you don't WATCH swindon

what we had this season with king was the worst i've ever ever seen swindon

i would have to disagree with that dave....but i will say, it was the most dissapointing performances due to the fact you expect them to do alot better against the teams that are meant to be near the bottom!

Well you're wrong Dave, I do watch Swindon, in fact I am certain I have been to more Swindon games than you and if this year was the worst you've seen Swindon play then you've not watched us enough because I can tell you we were a shitload worse back in 1999/2000 and if you dispute that I reckon you've either forgotten or you weren't there.

The nottingham forest game this season we put in a good performance against a team who now lie just outside the playoffs and actually won, something we've not yet done in the league under Iffy. Whilst that remains the case it's laughable to claim there's been a big improvement.

If come the end of the season we easily avoid relegation then you can claim that there's been an improvement since the start of the year and we will see what happens next but currently it's not the case.

The irony in this, is that if Iffy/Woan proves to be a successful combo, then its because King got them in.....

 :soapy tit wank: its just a never ending circle!

 Zenmeister Johno.....I need to go away and think about this.

you think hard then, its a toughie. sure you'll get it eventually!

to the subject, is woan involved that much in the first team?

It’s still honeymoon period time for Iffy but there’s no questioning that a lot of fans see him as future spouse material rather than the obligatory stag night fumble.

Two contrasting styles one galvanized by pessimism the other with optimism.

Iffy seems to have got them working - to some extent, I can forgive players at this level not being very good (we too often forget there's a reason why these guys are in 3rd division football), but I can't forgive them not putting in the absolute maximum. Which is, I suppose, why I find Roberts so frustrating. He's got the ability, just the idle shite won't put the effort in.

i notice all of the doubters on this thread were absent from huddersfield, speaks volumes.

I noticed that myself Mex.

Things are improving under Iffy, and I'm not sure if it is the honeymoon period or not. To be fair, if it was the honeymoon period, it would have been from the moment Iffy took over. However, we had some terrible results when Iffy took over, so my theory is Iffy is turning a corner. If we carry on performing as we did against Hudds, I have absolutely no doubt we will stay up

I've just realised as someone who hasn't been to a game for ages (mainly due to being skint, then working, then being at uni and not being able to justify the £35 of train and ticket + extra drink money)... anyway, not having seen the town play for ages, I've realised that my view of the team is pretty much exclusively based on peoples comments on here. Or early season when I've been listening to wiltshire sound.

I still havn't decided what point I'm gonna make so I might just go on a drunken rant......

Iffy might be the man to keep us up. I think he's definately eager for the job and hopefully his enfusiasm(really bad spelling, pretty pissed) will rub off on the players.

Reeves has been unlucky, If he hadn't have fucked up his leg then I'm pretty sure he would have got the job. I personally would have preffered reeves in charge, I think he'd be better at stopping us letting in sloppy goals. I know i havn't seen us play for a while but from what I remember our defence always looks more organised when reeves is playing.

Woan is an intersting one. To be honest when he sighned as a coach last year I wouldn't have minded him signing as a player aswell. He might have fuck all fitness amd getting old. But he's the best player I've seen in a Swindon shirt since Mark Walters and quite frankly he could come off the bench and I doubt he's lost his ability to stand in the middle of the park and play decent balls. Not to mention his brilliance at corners and free kicks. Dunno what he'd be like as a manager though. I'd expect him to want to play a style of game beyond our players ability.

King. King, King, King. King. I think he's been harshly done by swindon fans. I infact blame our poor start of the season on swindon fans. Kings tactical knowledge has never been great, I wouldn't argue that he's the greatest tactition ever but I could understand a few things he got stick for. Like pushing heywood and van der linden upfront (both had played as strikers at youth level).
 The whole 5-3-2  - should have worked  -   it's a shame our players weren't clever enough for it, if duke can play left back he can fucking play left wing back. I see Gurney as a natural right wing back. It's a shame we never had the defence and midfield clever enough to implement the cover.

I hope you realise that this has been written ridiculously hammered.

--ben

We were going stake under King and it was time for a change!, its as simple as that.

For me, King had to go after twice losing 7 games on the trot, an abysmal record which I would wager the majority of boards in the football league would not stand for.  King did help us achieve some good seasons - the playoff season and latter half of the one before this (02/03) was great and I thoroughly enjoyed turning up at the County Ground almost expecting to win.

Iffy has seemingly changed the mood of the players and, although an impression pitchside is perhaps a little short-sighted, there is seemingly a much greater camaraderie than under King.  The Franchise result bemoaned earlier was shortly after Iffy took over, and we must remember this:
a).  Isn't his team
b).  He is still learning too
c).  The morale was rock bottom - even when we went a goal up the fans/players almost expected to concede

It's a touch early to judge Iffy, but he has seemingly made us very difficult to beat.  To turn a team around from 8 consecutive defeats to 4 games unbeaten including the cup is an incredible feat, especially when you consider twice in this period we have gone to teams near the top of the league at Brentford and Hartlepool respectively.

Personally I was impressed with  the last half hour against the scunts.  I gather if I had made the trip up to Udders I would have spent most of the journey home masturbating furiously!!

Can't wait for Saturday.

The one thing i will say about Iffy is he seems a dab hand at man management, something i think King lacked.

The main thing I see about Iffy is that he is very articulate.  King had a tendency to ramble because his mouth worked quicker than his brain.  It did bring about some funny comments but imagine trying to figure out his instructions as a player.  The biggest difference this brings for me is a clarity in the players minds over what they are supposed to be doing.  The 4-5-1 was maligned by people saying it was defensive, possibly because players didn't truly understand the attacking capabilities.  Under Iffy, that same-ish formation seems very attacking.  Patches I saw in all 3 of the last home games showed me that things are improving.  Franchise away was too soon for any impression to have been made and was possibly the worst performance because we had new ideas but players still stuck in old routines.

That never happened though....

I'm the resident pessimist and I can honestly say, after watching EVERY single game. We look a much better team with Iffy in charge.

We look fitter & sharper
The players look more committed
We are playing better football
The deadwood (Collins, Heath, Thorpe, Cureton) are no where near the 1st 11

Performances have picked up. Iffy is the man for the job and we are doing better than we did under King. It is only a matter of time before we stuff someone 4-0.

You're the resident pessimist but you were also one of King's biggest critics, Iffy is still in his honeymoon period so it is silly to get carried away when we haven't even won a game yet.

I don't want Iffy out as there is no point, we could do a lot worse but it is stupid to over hype him at this stage.

If that happens, i'll buy you a Starbucks.

Bristol City  :D live ok Sky Bouazza, Stroud, Bouazza & Fallon

Ben, we are playing better under Iffy....no one will disagree.

I'd love it if that happens! 8)

2001/2002
Commencing Saturday 24th September
Cardiff City (H) 0-1
Brentford (A) 1-3
Stockport (H) 0-1
Port Vale (H) 1-2
Wycombe (A) 1-2 (AET LGCP1)
QPR (A) 0-2
Cheltenham (A) 0-2

7 league games+1 league cup game, defeated in every one.  

2005/2006
Commencing Monday 29th August
Tranmere (A) 0-1
Walsall (A) 0-1
Southend (H) 1-2
Bournemouth (A) 1-2
Bradford City (H) 2-3
- IFFY TOOK OVER
Doncaster (A) 0-1
Franchise (A) 1-3
Port Vale (H) 1-2

Apologies, I forgot the fact Iffy took over following Bradford, but regardless we had lost 5 games on the bounce, and had won just 2 league games by the end of September.  We did not look like turning it around, and against Bradford City we always looked like conceding.  Southend was embarrassing, and the 2001/2002 was just plan gutting.

Walrus, count again that's 6 league games, it was 2002/2003 anyway.

We also had that 5 game winning run and 9 wins and two draws in 11 games

if you havent got the dressing room king, you havent got the job.
simple really. Iffy has got them playing again. It seems to me the players want to do it for iffy which is what is important.

Plus, rather importantly Iffy has the fans behind him.

Iffy has had more support from the fans since he took over than King ever did, even when we were flying high.

Yes but DV has been to EVERY game this season and if there is anyone on here that can accurately judge the changes between kings and iffys management performance wise then it is him.

I was not too keen when king left and I Admitt that I doubted Iffy a bit.But I'm very pleased with whats happened with Iffy in charge and Now I think back I see that a new face was in order.We are starting to look alot more organised and confident and I trust Iffy with decisions more than king!I think iffy can and will save us.

Well I know other people who've been to every Swindon game this year and they don't agree with dv85's views and to be honest I trust their judgement a lot more than I trust dv's.

Odd, that these 'people' you know have gone to every game happen to agree with you and yet not one single poster has agreed with you in this thread, where as over 6 people in this thread have agreed that we've improved.

My judgement is spot on mate, everyone else in this thread bar you agrees. By all accounts you dont even watch us anymore anyway.

You think Vassell is better than Crouch, your judgement is far from spot on.

You think Crouch is better than Vassell, your judgement is far from spot on.

How many goals has each got then? This year?

How about in their career, Vassell has 39, Crouch has 50. Remember also Crouch creates a lot more.

It doesn't work that way around.

Oh dear this is turning rather juvenile.  I don't agree with some thing that Vd says, I must admit, but it seems that your sticking to your guns is making you seem a little stubborn Ben.  

There is no arguement that the players are performing at the same (poor) standard as wehen King was manager this season.   Iffy has done well, the team seem better organised and more committed.  Are you saying that this isn't the case?

How many of Crouch's goals were in the old 2nd division/1st division/championship??

No, I'm just saying that it is far too early to talk about any improvement.

But the early signs are good, fair enough...

but we already have improved?

You can only score at the level you're at and Crouch has shown he can score in the premiership with no problems, he's also a year younger than Vassell and has played less games. I think the comparison is perfectly fair.

Im not debating whether or not its a far comparison. I was just curiois to how of Peter Crouch's goals were in the 1st division....at a guess id say about 18 of them.

Not in terms of points no.

All you say is like Jan that there are good signs, particularly in the last game. We have to hope that type of performance actually continues and is converted into points.

About half I think. Anyway Vassell is an ok player but not good enough for England unless he improves a lot I think.

Crouch just needs to get back to last years form, which he was doing at the start of the year until his confidence was damaged by a few idiots.

I'd say the same of Emile Heskey.....

I'm sorry but the mood on the forum since King has left has improved tenfold.  If nothing else is coming out of Iffy's appointment, then the mood has vastly improved, and people have changed their opinion from imminent relegation to more positive thoughts.

I really meant honeymoon period in terms of relationship with the fans rather than results.

Had it been results then it would have been like tying the knot with Anderson and waking up with that fat ginger with a Dracula’s tea bag stuck to your knob.

It does feel like we are slowly turning a corner but it does feel like there is a way to go.  The side is lacking something but were getting closer to seeing at least some of the side play to the potential they are capable of.

You can’t ask for much more than effort and hard work.

It's interesting when you read posts like this though from Sonic Youth, after Scunthorpe which was our last home game.



Not much evidence of an improvement in performance, quite the opposite, so the improvement has only been in a run of one games, which may yet prove to be just us raising our game against a good side, as happens all the time.
(Hull last year, beating Wigan when they won the league, Forest this year etc. etc.)

If we can put in several consecutive good performances and actually get some points, then we can start to talk about progress.

Brentford, Scunthorpe, Huddersfield - all draws, resulting in a total of three points.

It's a start.

Agreed, it is a start but that's as far as it goes at the moment. I'm hoping we can build on it.