Thetownend.com

As I'm the only one up at this stupid hour and havent been on that often,I thought i'd start this.

Fancy a 1-1 draw at 90 mins, then its anyones game, don't really wanna get the penalty lottery

thought we played well against Scumford and Shitty, we play better against the bigger teams so we'll be well up for it!

You've put this in the wrong section, you are never to do one again.  :no:

ah well, it was early and that.
anyway some of what we've been playing recently may qualify as other football stuff!

That has some truth.

Anyhow, I'm going for a 3-1 loss.

1-5  :cry:

Whatever the result I'm hoping it doesn't go to full time so I can go home.

However think we'll sneak a 1-0 win.

Tis a head versus heart scenario.

Head says 0-3
Heart says 1-0

If we play like we did at city we can sneak a win, however, if we play like we did in the second half at Shrewsbury we'll need a fucking calculator and whoever is in goal will need a Kate Cady special back rub as a result of picking the ball out of the net so often.

90 mins draw it is. Lose 0-1 in extra time.

STFC v Southampton preview

http://thewashbag.com/2011/08/30/match-preview-swindon-v-southampton/

1-3 defeat

Maybe the ref will blow the whistle on 60 minutes for you, hopefully we'll be winning at the time.

4-2 town clarke hatrick and ferry

We can't defend so I'm going for either 2 or 3-0 Soton

Southampton will play a weakened team, we have a chance. I'll say 2-1, but who to....

Us.

Hoping Southampton rest lots of players and bring their youth team.

I need cheering up so am predicting 1-0 to Swindon without the need for Extra Time.

My boys have never seen us lose to Southampton, and I think the players should make an extra special effort to keep it that way!

I have a horrible feeling we're going to get hammered.

 This game starkly represents the vicissitudes of football fortunes....we've beaten these 4 out of 5 in the previous 2 seasons, but now find a chasm between the 2 teams.

 We need to make this work to our advantage....nothing to lose, so the players should be able to express themselves.   The worry will be if it's another Shrewsbury second half, which will indicate something seriously wrong. 

1-3. None of our strikers scoring yet again.

0-4 and more doom and gloom.

I'm attending with 2 Saints-supporting mates so we'll no doubt get a fisting and I'll have to listen to the cunts for days

Wouldn't be surprised if we won today. We will go as strong as possible and sainst will rotate.

3 - 1 as long as they rest david connolly we will win the game, someone has to be optimistic about it....
hope to see mehdi kerrouche if fit get 2 and connell.

Agree with you.Adkins has said he is going to play fringe players.Bring it on.2-1 to us.

Knowing Swindon Town, we'll put in a performance, possibly win and not do it when it matters on Saturday.

We'll beat an unfamiliar, rotated Southampton side 3-1.

@langers

Are you going? Did you need a lift

4 0 Town and everything rosy again. We'll be up and down for a while yet I suspect.

Can see us going out 2-1 tonight AET but before penalties, just.

I took my best customer to Shrewsbury as he lives locally. "I have seen Shrewsbury four times and they lost all four" he said at half time. I'd have battered him but he spends a lot of money with me and was after all a neutral observer....

Touch wood I'm not superstitious!

Sorry mate, I think there is 6 of us going, but appreciate the offer.

Stay out of the pub then!

Given we have no incentive of a glamour tie in the next round (and nor do Southampton), we'll probably win. I fucking hope so anyway.

i bought my ticket over the phone yesterday, and they said all i have to do is put my season ticket in machine at the turnstyle when i get there. Such witchcraft can't be right can it?

Yeah that's right, just use your card, done it for the reading game, no problem.

Haha I got mine this morning and all Jockanory did was take the 6/8 digit number from the ST card and put it into the computer and that was it.

Adkins to use fringe players so i'm going for a sneaky 2-1 win but think we'll come from behind to win it.  Madness, I know... 

As a non-ST holder, I can't wait for the day when the turnstile computers crash 20 mins before kick-off.

Think we're in for a caning.

You'll be just as screwed as the rest of us.

Mind you last game I couldn't get the bloody card to work anyway.  No problems for the crewe game though. Most odd.

They use that system at Exeter Chiefs (egg-chasers) and 9 times out of 10 it doesn't work and they have to visually check each card.  Ticket holders usually breeze right through although there ground was designed for it whereas our's isn't so would be mayhem.

soton already sold 600 tickets for tonight, http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10280~2435990,00.html

hopefully they bring a strong following so we can get fans on all four sides of the ground - always a better atmosphere when there's a decent away following! With all the misery of the last 4 league games, all i ask for is a rip roaring cup tie! the sort we never see at the county ground recently! penalties tonight i reckon....

Bit apathetic about this competition to be honest, but wouldn't be surprised if we win tonight.  Even if you get a plum tie, it's still the league cup.

2-0 Swindon - Connell and Magera

People on here to shower Swindon in cum, only for us to come crashing back down to earth at 2pm Saturday when Adam Le Fondre agrees to play for Rotherham for one last time and spanks in a 60yard banana shot.

I know someone with a bar code tattooed on the back of her neck, I just take her with me and I get it. In Tesco it comes up as a 1kg of plums.

Can't see anything but a defeat tonight, probably only by an odd goal again.  However I'll take that if it means 3 points on Saturday.

after a truely super day out in Shrewsbury on Saturday............I actually think we'll win this one. Hoping for a 2-1 in normal time, giving valuable pub time post match.

I think I've tried everything from predicting the score right (I'm generally optimistic) to predicting it wrong to get us a result, only one thing left to try so I predict nothing !  :zipped: Come on Town !

Hoping we can forget the pressure of our league position and relax enough to play some decent football tonight and at least take it to penalties.

We'll lose. As long as we play well and continue to play more as a team, I'll be happy.

The Southampton fans are notoriously arrogant when playing "smaller" teams like us, some of the posts about predictions here prove that even more.

http://boards.footymad.net/forum.php?tno=479&fid=224&sty=2&act=1&mid=2116493814

Swindon suffering 5 goal defeats seems the order of the day, some even predicting 6 goal defeats for us and one even thinking they will win by 7 goals!

I know we are on a pretty poor run but I think thats a bit over optimistic.

I fucking hope we can stuff this lot of fucknuts.

We're about due...not having lost at home to them for 48 years. 

Having witnessed some extreme swings in performances this season so far I will not be knobbed off with a loss tonight as long as we show we can play the type of football I saw against: Reading 1st half, Crewe 2nd Half, Oxford all game, City all Game and Shrewsbury 2nd half.

Anyone know Swindon Town Dave? Or likely to see him tonight? If so Tell him his old school chum has a Bristol City programe for him, TIA.

Regards

Fatbasher

Winnable, but unlikely to be pretty. A half-up-for-it Southampton team and a town team playing with a bit more discipline will cancel each other out. Clarke to scuff in a winner in 70-something minutes. The highlights reel will be about 30 seconds.

Deflated after witnessing the Shrews' game, but I predict we'll pull a sneeky 2-1 win tonight against a heavily depleted Saint's side. Listening to Graham Turner on Radio Shropshire on Saturday, and the experienced lower league mananger said our 1st half showing was the best he'd ever seen from a second division side. Room for optimism? The 2nd half capitulation baffled me but seemed strangely inevitable  ::)

Oh fuck!I wish I'd known that before predicting a 2-1 win for us against a Saints side with enough fringe players to disrupt their fluent start to the season!Hope they are going to underestimate us then, I still think 2-1 to us.

As Reg says the CG has not been a happy hunting ground for the Saints in my lifetime but it does depend on whether the team that they field will be up for it against a Town team that SHOULD be up for the battle after Saturday.

Many changes often mean a defeat for the so called "bigger clubs" in the League Cup as shown last week by a lot of teams from higher divisions playing fringe players against "up for it" lower league teams.

Watford, Barnsley, Coventry, Derby, Hull, Ipswich, Portsmouth, West Ham, Norwich, Shitty, QPR & Swansea all going out to lower league opposition after not fielding their strongest teams available to them so far in the 1st 2 rounds.

We have had a few great games against the Saints in the past at home, Most notable for me was the League Cup game in 1986 when they had Englands No.1 Peter Shilton in goal against us and we battered them from start to finish in a 0-0 draw with Shilton playing one of the best keeping performances I have ever seen at the CG.

Just off to the County Hotel...for a few jars and then on to watch us win 3-1 :D

UP THE TOWN.

Possibly the most one sided 0-0 in history....Kammy missed a pen as well. They were 3-0 up from the first leg, so we had little choice but to go for it...think we hit wood about 3 times as well.

I remember us hitting the post and crossbar a few times bt i had totaly forgot about Kammy missing a penalty, I forgot he actually took them for us, did Shilts save it or was it off target? memory fails me on that but I agree that the game was so one sided, on any other day and without Shilton in goal it could easily have been 4 or 5-0.

Could do with any distraction from the league, so come on Swindon. In the hat.

The last two seasons we've played they at home, and the Saints were lucky on both occasions to get nil, as Kelvin Davis kept them in both.

I can see us sneaking it.

1-1 draw with us winning on pens.

Wray live on SSN

Say anything interesting?

I'm waiting for the one where he says Paolo's starting up top.

No rumours of players leaving then? I take it any outs will be on loan?

Swindon Town: Phil Smith; Paul Caddis (Capt), Alberto Comazzi, Aden Flint, Callum Kennedy; Matt Ritchie, Simon Ferry, Jonathan Smith, Lander Gabilondo; Alan Connell, Leon Clarke

Substitutes: Mattia Lanzano (GK), Joe Devera, Etienne Esajas, Alan McCormack, Raffaele De Vita, Lukas Magera, Mehdi Kerrouche

Glad to see Comazzi in for Devera. Same for Smith retaining his place, much to the surprise of a lot of you I'm sure, I just can't put any faith in Lanzano who I'm yet to see. Also would have liked to see McCormack starting, but otherwise okay, ands a very strong bench!

Don't think he was the regular pen taker...he missed the target, saw the whites of Shilton's eyes and scuffed it past the post.

Southampton: Bartosz Bialkowski; Frazer Richardson, Jonathan Forte, Dan Seabourne, Dan Harding; Jack Cork, Guly Do Prado, Aaron Martin, Morgan Schneiderlin; Adam Lallana (Capt), Lee Holmes

Substitutes: Kelvin Davis (GK), Jose Fonte, Dean Hammond, Rickie Lambert, Ben Reeves, Harley Dean, Sam Hoskins

Strong side.

Shilton was a big old unit, I do remember Kammy missing a penalty in a friendly against Roda back in the 70s and missed by a country mile.

COME ON SWINDON - :beers:

Ah a care free fixture.

Onwards...!

Sheff Weds pulling silly stunts with a 1st minute sub to avoid a fine in the JPT.

What?

Pretty slow start, not much atmosphere either by the sound of it.

You have to field a % of your previous line-up for JPT fixtures.

Lovely stuff.

Have to have 6 players who started the last league game in the JPT. Sheff Weds subbed the 'keeper in the 1st minute, presumably to rest him and get around the rule.

This I feel is our strongest line up...good!

They'll still get fined, I reckon.  FL hate that sort of thing.  Clever if it works though.

He's now making his two final subs, 15 minutes in!

That game is being televised isn't it? I do like it when clubs do things like this... It's the JPT so nobody will kick-off.

FFS 1 down.

Shit on it!

BOLLOCKS

Yep. I'm watching on Sky.

16 mins....Game over?

Pfft Carling Cup innit.

Concentrate on the Johnstone's Paint  8)

Megson's a miserable git, but nice thinking on his part if he has no interest in the trophy.  Bit shit for the other subs who've gone to the game and now know they're not going on.

1-0 down already FFS.  Wife on nights and no sitter, so not there, but not too bothered to be honest.  Don't mind going out of this cup, but a decent performance ahead of Saturday is definitely needed.

Is anyone else's commentary choppy?

What's with all the 'FFS'? We are playing a Championship side in great form. This cannot be a surprise.

Yep, its doing my fookin head in

Di Canio making a substition already... Kerrouche in...

0-2 FUCK!


How many minutes until Kerrouche gets injured again?

Muppets!

Phil Smith must go!

...again!! Another Smiffy fuck up,  :badmood:

OH DEAR-3-2 SWINDON(NO FUCKING CHANCE)

I like Phil Smith, but he's really doing himself no favours at the moment. I would have liked to see Lanzano tonight.

Definately game over now.

A goal before half time is a must now.

I wonder what Jeremy Wray is thinking...

Especially as this is only the League Cup and we've got nothing to lose tonight.

Time to give Smith a rest in goal methinks.

was connell injured or is PDC starting to crack under the pressure

Is Connell injured or is PDC just being a dick?

 :zzz:just seen the second goal on sky smith definatley should of saved it another fuck up.

Just seen the goal on SSN.

Please can everyone defending Phil Smith now just accept that he needs to be rested.

It must be tiring to fuck it up every week

Dick I think.

...or making a tactical decision?

Have some perspective - we went mental when Danny Wilson didn't make changes when it was needed.

Right so after giving the team on Saturday a bollocking for being 1-0 up at half time now a crazily early substitution is anyone else beginning (and I stress beginning, its still early in the season) to think that Di Canio doesn't have a fucking clue what he is doing?

I'll be more than happy to be proved wrong when Kerrouche nets a hat trick and we win 3-2.

make a change at half time. Connell's moral will be fucked now. Im starting to worry about these over reactions

Let's not go mental but we're two nil down and with FAR important matches coming up.

These are the type of moves that are heroic if they come off, but rarely do and just piss everyone off. How long until people start asking JW why he let a grossly inexperienced manager cut his teeth with our club?

Is this now a worse start than last year?

I'm missing my first home game in 5 years tonight, as I had to pick the wife up from the airport. Good game to miss by the sounds of it!

Me too Irish, this is the first time I may have to concede that PdC may not be the footballing brain I hoped he was.

29 minutes into a cup competition which isn't that important and removing a player that hadn't really done anything wrong (going by the commentary). That strikes me as something more likely to simply destroy confidence in a striker.  Only time will tell.

half an hour in though.

If I was Connell I'd be onto my agent already....

Phil smith what a nob jockey....................what will it take to get this loser relegated to the beezer homes sunday pub league.......utter tosh mistakes in last 3 games and still holding down a place. time for :beers:

Im starting to think we have fucked up big time appointing di canio as manager . :suicide:

I know its only a cup game in a cup competition we had very little chance of winning but our confidence must be at a very low ebb sadly. This could be another long season.

Caddis cleared off the line...another fuck up from Smiff. Get the other one on at half time!!

I dont think its helped that we have alot of foreigners who dont understand div 2 or english game.

Didn't Paolo say that Lanzano was our number 1? Why on earth is our number 1 on the bench? Surely this is an ideal time to see what he can do?

I feel very negative tonight, sorry all!

Di Canio only tends to start about 2 players per games that had no British football experience prior to this season. It's a bit of a lazy excuse.

What's going on in the head of Mehdi Kerrouche?!  :suicide:

Why?

sounds like a bad first half. Im worried what will happen if we fall apart in the second. PDC must inspire them not just bollox them like little kids

what moaning a the ref, get a grip

 That dam dark cloud is looming again. :pint:

I am starting to get cold feet about watching saturday's game against Rotherham at the pub here in Norway!

Thank God Le Fondre has left Millers!

Phil Smith is shit! get him out, very simple!

Paolo Di Canio is starting to look like John Beck...

I'm starting to get the teeniest weeniest miniscule inkling that maybe, just maybe that is the case. His dislike of Connell is bordering on the psychotic and is almost funny.

I'm just waiting for one of the anti-Di Canio mob to pop up and say "I told you so".

The restraint.

Well anyone who decided not to attend tonight made the right decision.  We are absolutely shite and could easily end up losing 6-0.  Done by a header yet again for the first goal, being done every time down the left - Kennedy shite, Gabildoni or whatever he's called shite.  Connell removed after half an hour when he was the better of the 2 strikers.  Most of the team don't look like they want to be here, there's no confidence and no fight.  Di Canio is strangely quiet on the touchline apart from ripping into Clarke after he got in a complete mess in front of goal. It's a mess and not enjoyable to watch in fact as poor as last season.

'Hi Ho Silver Lining...Everywhere you go!'

How much longer do we give PDC?

Di Canio sitting in the dugout, that's a first.

:eek:

At least another couple of months. I'd say end of November is more than enough time.

No more excuses then - as time goes by though....the more and more I'm thinking what the fuck.

I've had it with Phil Smith. He's been here 5 years and he hasn't improved whatsoever. He ALWAYS makes mistakes, normally 4 or 5 howlers a season. Yes on his day he can be brilliant but that day doesn't come around often enough. Give Lanzano or Scott a go on sat Paolo.

Surely they went off due to PDC's political beliefs as opposed to football concerns? If they ditched the club because they felt he wasn't the right man footballing wise then they are not real Swindon Town fans and WHY THE HELL did they stick around for Malpas and Hart!?!

If ANYONE went into this thinking success was set in stone then I really do despair of the rose-tinted lives such fans live!

The thing with Connell is everyone says he is a nice, honest, no ego, heirs or graces guy. Such are my brief experiences of him in a professional capacity anyway. I don't believe he is giving less than 100 percent. And he wouldn't have a fit about it either. Very easy to therefore sacrifice him

Any positives?

Yes, but I'm sure they're relishing rubbing our noses in it.

do we have any strikers on the pitch.............its always ritchie with the chance and the strikers looking to pass it.....these strikers need to become greedy selfish barstewards and start shooting

Leon Clarke has never been any good.

Connell has had one good season and we wont even give him longer than 45 minutes anyway.

The other strikers are anyones guess.

I look forward to the posts explaining how fascism is directly linked to poor football management.

Well Reg has been calling this season a potential disaster for a while now.  I also said it would be either great or awful, and that midtable wasn't likely.  I fear I may be proven correct.

Does anyone elses STFC player commentary keep cutting out every few seconds? This is the second time i've used it and im not impressed at all! But not sure if its my internet connection or not

The funny thing is that PDC has given everybody 2-year contracts!

In fairness, most knew what could happen but heaven forbid they chose to get behind the side (I include Reg, you and everyone else that express fears and stuck around).

It's still early doors but it doesn't look good.

It's been like that for the last eight years!

It won't be a question of how long we give him. He'll be gone long before that ever becomes a serious issue. Like after tonight for example.

We might still come back and win this.

Right or wrong, tonight will be potentially brushed off as a loss against far superior opposition.

It has actually been really good this season (for me any way). I haven't even bothered with it tonight though. It is unbelieveably annoying when it keeps doing that though. :crash:

you know things are bad when the twitter updates are celebrating winning a corner......... :doh:

It does sound as if it has got a lot better since half time.

hail phil smith he has made a save which didn't involve parrying it towards the centre of the goal a yard or two out............... :suicide:

I always think that Phil on the radio commentary seems fairly astute. I was for giving him at least the manager's job at the end of the season.

The Connell thing is crazy unless he is injured!

He keeps starting De Vita so clearly rates him, then he drops him to start a guy who didnt make the squad the game before, then subs him after 3 mins for another player entirely different player, all the while having the player he thinks has the best pedigree sat on the bench! He seems to make some crazy decisions.

Early on still in his managerial career. I think 10 league games and we make a decision

I would start Mcormack and easyjet on sat. Mccormack has a good workrate and easy will run at people. Also bin Phil ''non league'' Smith please!! and where is Cibocchi?? Does he go to the same doctor as Milan Misun, Kennedy just aint good enough.

On a (slightly) more positive note things look a little more organised with Flint and Comazzi at the back, albeit we are 2-0 down

Bit too early to be getting all doom and gloom about us, but the only thing that worries me is the squad size and Di Canio planning on bringing more loans in. And his man management doesn't seem to be that good either

Connell is so not injured  ::)

McCormack and Ferry seem like the perfect centre midfield partnership, Mac winning the ball and laying it off to Si

Ferry and Mccormack would be the most experienced midfield we could play as well, though i do think J. Smith has something about him. I guess in an ideal world he would be a back up player who is given time to develop while more experienced players play. Only thing with Ferry and McC is the lack of size in the middle

Subbing Ferry for McC?!

Don't we want to change the game? extra midfield player or forward?

Why on earth would we want to do that?  :hmmm:

So our number 1 signing and international forward remains on the bench as an unused sub when we need 2 goals at least to have a chance of winning. Hmmmm?

Maybe we should adopt the infamous 2-3-5 formation as made famous by Football Manager?!

must be taking lessons from mr :suicide:hart

It only works if people stay in their assinged roles.

Mehdi Kerooooooooooooosh!

Team looks better now, with the exception of Kennedy and Smith, this Boateng guy arrived or what? As for who starts up front at the weekend is anyones guess. I would go with the two big guys seeing a Connell looks like he's played his way out of the squad

Get in!! Keroooooooooooosh!!!

Yes! That makes for an interesting last 10. Fair play to all of them for the turnround.

None of you noticed we scored? 1-2 Kerrouche free kick

Cue the comeback

God this thread is depressing.

I really don't think PDC has lost the team or anything. If he had, why would they have come out in this second half and have a go?

This season is still very young. We know we have some quality players who are very capable of doing better than we are at the moment in the league. Wait until we get a win or two under our belts, and the rest will come.

put flint up front!! the guy is a unit!

Too busy on Di Canio speculation...  I cannot fathom why we are so impatient.  It's as though di Canio inherited Man Utd's squad.  People are banding around bizarre and arbitrary figures for when di Canio should be judged, but its ludicrous to even wildy speculate at this stage.

New squad, give the team time to gel and all that.  I think everyone is still hungover from last season and the knee-jerks are a little frightening.  It's a well known fact if you change the manager every ten games the team will become the greatest in Europe...

Can we take it to extra time?

Wheah Dougie just scored an own goal.... 

No, straight to pens if its a draw I think.

Douglas just scored an own goal for Brentford.

Unlucky Clarkey

It's extra time in League Cup isn't it?  Only Johnstone just straight to pens.

Keeper just made a wonder-save from Clarke.

Bloody Hell !

Clark denied by worldy
Save from Ritchie
Save from Flint

doh! You are correct. This isn't the Leyland Daf is it!

No, it's the other irrelevant one...

Its odd to think Pre Season there was such a huge buzz around the place around the place and we were so optimistic, and now a majority have gone all doom and gloom 5 league games in. Still have 41 games left to play, with many positive being shown on the pitch

Come on you reds !!

Sounds like a better second half. From acorns and all that!

I can see a pattern developing with this season............losing by the odd goal and the odd goal being conceeded by phil smith feck ups......

Oh feck! 1-3 Lambert

fat good bastard!

Sounded like a much improved second half, let's try and take the positives and move on.

fat cunt

Good shout, Town!

Bring on Millers and the Sky Sports cameras!

Looked like Flint slipped on SSN.

He's fucking shit.  Never rated him.

Why don't we play Devera?  Much better player...

At least it sounds like they made a game of it in the second half.

Far Far superior opposition, no need to feel downhearted about this defeat. Bring on Saturday and keep up our good recent record on sky !  :pint:

yeah a slip from flint

second half seems better, but i guess soton had taken their foot off the gas then they brought on fat lambert when they got a little nervous

:fishing:

Paolo having a set too with Clarke at the end for some reason.

Played better second half but Saints looked quick and sharp.

Di canios fuckin lost it.

Talk about destroying connels confidence.

If we dont get a result saturday, please go

Totally outclassed simple as that.

Fallout in the tunnel

Madness

Not sounding good Clarke refusing to leave pitch and has has a spat with Di Canio by the sound of things

BBC Radio Swindon are saying things aren't good. Clarke still out on the pitch and refusing to come in.  Wray is trying to talk to Clarke to find out what's going on.

Certainly doesn't sound good.

WTF is going on ?

Connel must be feeling bleeding low right now, the striker who has impressed the most, and only gets a few minutes each time.

Insanity rules by the sound if it. Very worrying.

For fucks sake. You couldn't write a script that would do justice to our club. Worst soap opera since Eldorado. :no:

Is this actually happening?!

Oh dear oh dear

More cracks appearing from PDC management style i guess

Magera and Kerrouche to start sat then!

Definitely not good for the club. This will definitely spell end of Clarke or Di Canio i think  :(

How do you know it's pdc's fault? Might be Clarke giving it the 'big I am'.

What a bizarre situation.

This will be all over the press and media tomorrow for the wrong reasons not good  ::)

Coming up on SSN.  They have filmed some of it.  This is fucking depressing.

Just shown a clip on SSN, both grabbing and shouting at each other in the tunnel

Much improved in second half, so appears we are a 45 min side.  Feel extremely sorry for Connell, no idea why he was subbed so early if he wasn't injured.  He looked far livelier than Clarke.  Di Canio had a go at Clarke on the touchline after he messed up in the first half.  Bad management skills.  I genuinely fear for this team with Di Canio in charge.  We could have a mass exodus on our hands come November. This is not good at all.

Timlin and Clark so far then.

How long until the rest of the squad turn against him?

PDC is manager, regardless of the argument it's his job to manage the players and he should be able to manage the situation to placate Clarke and prevent or limit the incident. Not leave it to Wray!

If one of my staff had a strop at work it would be my job to sort it, not walk away and leave my boss to do it. Cant help but think what Wray is thinking at the moment!

May be nothing i guess, difficult to tell not being there, but it does not look good on the face of it!

We got well beat by a good side tonight. Did well to even be in with a shout in the last 10 minutes.

Their passing and touch meant we were knackered by the time we even got the ball.

Onto the big game saturday, which I think is make or break for Di Canio.

From bad to fucking worse, but in Di Canio I still trust  :(

It would appear the players are locked in the changing rooms at the moment.

Fan fucking tastic

(not in response to you Sam, just in general)

Matt Ritchie sounds scared! Nervous voice

What's happened in the dressing room?

Whats going on?!!!!!!!!!!!  Is he being interviewed?

i think the word your looking for is dejected

I was thinking that. Like he's almost in tears.

I only read the TEF now to see what the match day opinion is.

Fuck me after reading all of this bullshit I know why I don't post on here much any more.

Jeez, give the manager and the team a break. It's only four league matches in. Tonight was against a top of the Championship side.

Clarke can fuck off as well.

Bye.

It's obvious pdc has a strict regime. This can work with some players but some it won't. I reckon Clarke is one who likes to rebel.

Southampton were excellent. We were chasing shadows all night.
I don't think we played very well.
Good free kick by Karouche.
Was Connell injured.
--------------------------------
Clark and Di Canio are twats.
We are a fucking joke, laughing stocks.

Di Canio looked to be causing it, not Clarke. Clarke will go though. Manager>player.

Charlie Austin now tweeting about it...zzzzzz

PDC looked to have his arm around him, then tried to drag him by the shirt down the tunnel. Then you cant see much down the tunnel, but it dont look good!

That's what it sounded like to me too.

Southampton absolutely outclassed us for 80 minutes. They looked very impressive and were up for it. We, however, were absolute dogshit for most of the game. Phil Smith fucks up yet again. Kennedy and Caddis were chasing shadows. Comazzi doesn't actually exist. Flint again was our defence. the midfield were completey overrun and the forwards had no service. Kerrouche is a complete fuckwit and should have walked on the stroke of half time - great free kick mind but was absolutely out of his depth. What is it with Connell and subbing him off. Esaias was shocking - trying for personal glory. And what the fuck was the last sub about - McCormack for Ferry. We're 2-0 down at home. When we had a corner we kept 3 back against their one. One of these was J Smith - get in the fucking box lad and get stuck in.
Althuogh Soton are a good Championship club i felt pretty dejected after this game as apart rfrom 10 minutes there was fuck all fight or belief in our team.  

for fuck sake, things seem to be falling apart. God knows what is going to happen on sat

Match was poor, but Southampton will be the best side we play this season.

What happened afterwards was an absolute disgrace, Clarke clearly reacted badly but to have a go at your own player on the pitch after the game is absolutely fucking amateur. If Andy King was doing these things and not Paolo Di Canio, there'd be uproar.

Between that an subbing Connell after half an hour when he'd barely had a touch he's successfully ruined the confidence of both our starting strikers. Kerrouche and Mygera Saturday I suspect...

It's only August and I hope with all my heart we come good, but this is an absolute trainwreck so far.

Seeing as its plastered over the internet, here you go for those who haven't seen it

http://yfrog.com/jn2ogz

outclassed first half. better second half. no shame in losing to that southampton side. Swindon fans general retardness amazes me

I thought that was a good sub, and his extra bite made a difference.

Also thought Kennedy was OK, but agree with most of the rest.

Commazi is desperately slow.

Fucking joke.Can't do that.

clarke wont play again, looked all PDC, were a fucking joke, so pissed off now. Fucking disgrace

Stayed at the end as it takes ages to get out from my seat...Clarke was sent out onto the pitch after the game, Esajas came out with him but went back, then they sent Cady (!) out to talk to him and then finally Wray. The fucking Chairman on the pitch at the end sorting out a row between manager and a player he signed TWO WEEKS ago.

Fucking Dream Team wouldn't have tried that storyline.

Not happy with Clarke, or PDC for that matter, but Clarke shouldn't have reacted like that.

We knew it would be a soap opera, but not this dramatic. Very very disappointed with Di canios man management skills tonight, two big mistakes. No idea what the outcome of this would be. Hope both can resolve their differences .

Thank you. Can't believe that.

Was going to take the manager's side before seeing it - Insomuch as manager > player. However, as a manager you cannot get involved with that sort of behaviour. Had thought that DiCanio's position was untouchable, as he has brought a lot of £'s through the doors. However, *that* was unacceptable! Really interested in what Wray has to say.

looking at that video i feel sorry for clarke, di canio looks evil :-[

At the time of his appointment wasn't sure about Paolo's appt. Since his 1st press conferance I have been hooked and loved him, none more so than last Wednesday night.

However, what the fuck has connell done wrong. Completly unproffessional to sub him after 30 mins and didn't even give him a 2nd glance when he came off. Kerouche was a twat in the 1st half but improved considerably in the 2nd and seems to have something about him.

Clarke? One of the support staff walked off with him at the end. They were pushing and shoving with their shoulders. Clarke also put his head into Donatelli's (?) face. All before Paolo even became involved.

Agree with the sentiments that Paolo or Clarke must go. Can we terminate Clarke's contract? I suspect that it will all blow over, however, we look like we are a laughing stock.

Very disapointing because we improved considerably in the 2nd half. Make no mistake Soton were excellent and we gave them a game in the 2nd half.

The mind boggles. This is madness. Somebody let us know what Wray says?

We're becoming a laughing stock.

No shame in losing to Saints, but all this should stay in dressing room.

Who cares who started it or who's fault it is, this should never happen on the pitch let alone right in front of a TV camera. It's caused untold embarrassment for our club.

I hope apologies are forthcoming from Clark and di Canio.

Agree Sam

Correct Samdy.

Complete embarrassment, I've heard chairman Wray to talk to BBC Wilts any minute?  Any truth in that?

They've been saying that for the last 15 minutes

wray not made comment yet, will be interesting for sure

According to SSN, Jeremy Wray will be making an official statement in the next 10 mins.  What an absolute farce.

bet he has no idea what to say

SSN saying that Wray to make a comment in the next few minutes - PdC will not be making any comment.

First half we were shocking. Credit to Southampton, they kept the ball well, but we gave away soft goals (midfield went missing for both, and I hate to say it but Smith should also have done better for the second)... then we seemed to give up. Oh, and Kerrouche was lucky to still be on the pitch at HT.

Second half we came out all guns blazing and gave it a good go. Southampton were still the better side but we created a few chances. Lovely free kick from Kerrouche - identical to one he hit in the warm up. Then it was unlucky that Clarke's effort was saved, just one of those things and on another day that was 2-2.

I was gutted at half time, much more pleased by the end as we gave it a go after the break.

No idea what happened after the game apart from the video, so won't comment. If this leads to unrest in the dressing room it's a joke. If they put it behind them and move on then it's hardly the end of the world.

I wouldn't be suprised if Di Canio is gone before the weekend to be honest. He is proving all the doubters right, there's being passionate and there's being a complete fucking headcase.

Wray on.

Clarke also had one put onto his head from a sweet Kennedy cross. Missed. Wray on now.

Just saw it, Di canio was being a complete twat, could see him man handling Clarke down the tunnel, feel very disappointed wih him for it, last we will see of Clarke for sure

Starting now

Updates please, no radio t'hand.

That was madness. What the fuck!
Could've perhaps have left Connell on til HT. But Kerrouche did enough to justify it. Positive 2nd half. Saints were different class.

Not really saying much, playing down PDC involvement, saying it was between Clarke and the fittness coach and Di Canio was trying to diffuse it.

Wray:

- There was an incident and wrong to say too much now before both sides heard.
- Argument started between fitness coach and Clarke.
- PDC trying to get Clarke into tunnel behind closed doors - miss-understanding ensued.
- Not too much to say until both sides heard.

- Wray checked Clarke while he was back on pitch and he was angry. Was trying to check whether Clarke was going into the dressing room. Decided best he left via another exit.

- Wrong to say too much now.
- Disagreement with fitness coach prior to Di Canio after the game
- Thinks Di Canio was acting as peacemaker (!)
- Will be listening to both sides of the story tomorrow
- He went out on the pitch to speak to Clarke to try and get him in
- Sounds a bit (and this is my speculation, he's not said anything to this effect) like he's trying to hang Donatelli out to dry to protect Di Canio

Think Di Canio is a complete headcase- looks like from the video he was doing the manhandling

Yeah, not sure this peacemaker idea really adds up with the video.

Di Canio will survive this. Clarke won't.

I hope Wray has seen the coverage before the interview.  Could prove embarassing

I agree but Jeremy Wray has bought himself a few hours to get a proper story out there.

no the video seems to disagree with his views!

Wray is doing his best to play it down

Warys' interview went something like this...

Di Canio initially tried to clam things down after the argument between Clarke and the fitness coach. Wanted them to get down the tunnel and sort it out away from the public eye. Clarke wouldn't go and it blew up down the tunnel.

Wray says Clarke is at fault for not coming down the tunnel. Members of the management team were angry with him but should have dealt with it in another way. Paolo was quite right to try and get him down the tunnel, and is right to be frustrated that this wasn't sorted out down the tunnel. What happened after that needs to be investigated and discussed.

It's unfair to pick on Di Canio, and to suggest this was caused by him.

Random thoughts from tonight:

Most one-sided 45 mins I can remember for a long while.  Soton passed the ball with ease, they moved off the ball and we were chasing shadows. When we had possession we were static and ended up giving the ball away too easily.
Second half was better but we still didn't really threaten and Soton were simply cruising in first gear.

Kennedy was a liability in defence, too often not marking, too slow and hardly made a tackle - he has a good cross but not good enough for the main job of a defender.  Gabbilondo was covering him most of the time so wasn't a threat going forward.
P Smith looked very short on confidence and flapped a number of times in addition to the error for the 2nd goal - surely time to rest him now.

Connell ran around a bit but didn't look to have a lot of spirit about him, but he wasn't alone there and a very odd decision to sub him so early.
Kerrouche looks totally out of it.  His positional sense is nearly as poor as Dossevi's and his control not great. Surely he's not good enough for League 2.  Well taken free kick but not sure it was a foul in the first place.

I thought J Smith had a solid game and McCormack impressed again when he came on.
Ritchie seems to be the only attacking player who showed any real spark for us.

Wray interview:

- Getting all facts tomorrow
- Clarke and fitness coach argument
- DiCanio tried to make it private
- Better sorted out behind closed doors
- Not apportioning blame yet. It would be unfair
- Clarke shocked and angry when Wray talked to him on pitch
- DiCanios team were angry with Clarke
- Original spark was that Clarke had given his all and felt his legs were heavy because he'd done too much running
- Wray not commenting on what happened in the tunnel
- DiCanio frustrated its been played out in public.
- Wray says it won't affect DiCanio's position

Unfortunate, but it will blow over. Both will make an apology tomorrow and Clarke & Kerrouche will play on Saturday. Not sure Connell will play for us again mind, and he really seems to have something about him!

If you look at the video the manager has his arm around the player. As if trying to get him down the tunnel. Clarke has obviously lashed out. I personally think Clarke thinks he's better than he actually is.

right, so we were alsolute dogshit by being outplayed by an "up for it" side 2 divisions higher than us?  What the fuck do you expect exactly?

I saw plenty of fight, effort and belief in our team (evidently a bit too much of the fight judging by events afterwards) I think you just need to accept that Southampton are a much better team than we are currently. I thought they were very impressive.

My view was he put 100% effort but was a complete headless chicken with a 10 second delay to spot a pass.  A sending off waiting to happen.

Oh and Arriba, on that display your point about our midfield from earlier is very true :) But Southampton were several levels above us. It was a training game for them.

I think Bristol City are in for a long season comparing the two sides.

Watching a video of tonight game will make him realise otherwise.

PDC gave everything to give Clarke a contract, worked his bollocks off and this is how he repays him? FACT - He would not have a club if it were not for PDC, any chance of signing this Cody lad before tomorrow night as Clarke will not play again unless PDC leaves.

The rumour mill has started about PDC being on his way..... does my head in! 

The only fight I saw was after we scored - before that heads were down. Southampton were a very good side but I felt we made it easy for them.

Every cloud has a silver lining

The second half was OK. We were outplayed but had a go in fits and starts.

If the first half was like the second half I think that most people would have held there hands up and said fair enough. But we made it too easy. They basically took the piss out of us and we couldn't get near them. Is that really the difference between division 4 and division 2. If it is then its a depressingly massive gap.

A committed second half display and almost caused an upset. Shame about the first half. Phil Smith needs to be dropped as soon as possible, bizarre subbing Connell but Karrouche was indeed on fire by the end

PDC is a liability. There is rumour and counter rumour of him falling out with players and not giving them a day off since since they have come back from pre-season. I know he is his own man but from all the various managers he has played under you would expect him to take things from each. It appears man management is not his strong point. You can not rule as a dictator, as the players won't respond. The early season enthusiasm has gone for me and now PDC has to turn around fast or risk alienating his players and fans. I'm now dreading Saturday as we could be taught a lesson by a team on form at the top of the league.

I think i saw a different second half to most.

In the first half the gap between the back four and the midfield was far too big, and southampton exploited that. In the second half we closed that gap, and began to play better.

To say their was a lack of fight in the first half strikes me as being the first accusation of a football fan who can't take it their team was outplayed by a better side. We were flying into tackles more than recklessly, no problems about passion.

Not a dig at you btw

Yeah, the texts after the game bemoaning a lack of passion were awful. We were lacking in talent, not passion. Smith and Kerrouche could have been sent off about five times between them.

Reminded me of the punch up that Macari & Foley had one night at Fratton Park.

The only difference was that there was no TV footage of that.

They kissed and made up, and I'm sure these two will too.

Have to say that watching the footage on SSN it did look like Di Canio was trying to get Clarke down the tunnel & that Clarke reacted badly (presumably because emotions were running a bit high).

In hindsight it would have been better for them to leave Clarke alone until they got back to the changing rooms.

our players didnt stop chasing, they just struggled to get the ball off Southampton at times. I'm not sure what else they were supposed to do because everytime they pushed right up southampton were too clever and found space behind our midfield

I've got to hold my hand up and say before i saw the footage i was blaming Di Canio but after watching the footage, Clarke comes across worse, the problem is there was apparently an altercation between Clarke and the fitness coach before this so I can't blame Clarke without knowing the full story.
However Di Canio was trying to defuse the situation, that's clear, Even the pulling was not malicious, it was more of a "come on lad don't be silly, lets get in and work it out" unfortunately Clarke lost it.
Something is not right and here's maybe the problem...
Usually within a management team there's someone every player can go to with a problem, I'm not sure Di canio's team has that about them and maybe the players only have themselves to talk things out with or failing that.. The chairman.

It's fair to say that "IF" enough players (remember brian clough at leeds) have a problem they'll make it known and Di Canio will have to go.



I don't think we've come to that yet but the media is loving this and it might just make things harder for people to do their job at the club.

edit.... I didn't go tonight but I've seen enough of the side to know things will come good but as i said before I doubt it will be consistant enough for what most supporters expect

Just got back from the game, wasnt going to go but ended up going - what a mistake.


26 Smith - Fucking shocking goalie, cant handle a ball for love nor money.  You could see the defence had no confidence in him what so ever.


03 Kennedy - Fucking useless.  Could not mark his man for shit and was always the wrong side of the attacker.


04 Flint - Did ok in spells.  League 1-2 is his level though.  Has fuck all pace and struglled when any player that ran against him.  


06 Comazzi - Makes Frampton look good.  Positioning very poor and again he is very slow.  Dont think he is the answer to our defensive problems.


07 Caddis - Did ok in spells, but when he had the ball, no one really supported him.  Feel sorry for him as i reckon he would be a decent player in a decent team


08 Ferry - Huffed and puffed but didnt really do much.  Dont really blame him though as Smith in midfield was utter wank


10 Ritchie - Pretty much same as Caddis


21 Gabilondo - Made lots of good runs but no real support from team mates


24 Smith - Absolute garbage,


09 Clarke - Another clueless donkey.  Had a golden chance in the first half to shoot and probably score.  Instead he farts around and did fuck all.  Would prefer to have big Vince over Clarke

17 Connell - Didnt really do much in the game.  Shame he got subbed so early.  Would like to see him and Kerrouche upfront.


Kerrouche - Easily my man of the match.  He chased down everthing, went in for tackles and never gave up.  Scored a nice goal too. Him and possibly Flint are the only players who can come out of the game with any credit.


Saints played well to be fair and were a different class to Swindon.  My main disapointment was the apparent lack of effort from most of the players.  Simple things like tracking the player your marking, and even getting close to the player you are marking were non existant today.  

Clarke n Donatelli were bumping shoulder to shoulder across the pitch.

Sorry to have to say it guys, but we are in deep shit.We can't defend for toffee, we can't score goals, our manager is clueless, and we are in for a relegation battle.WTF was the Connell substitution about?, both our full backs are defensively dire, Commazi? no chance, Smith in midfield is Conference standard at best, why was Macca on the bench?Di Cannio plays his right winger on the left, and his left winger on the right, result?, they constantly have to cut inside giving the defenders time to get set to deal with the crosses.Were they playing on their proper wings they could skin the full backs, turn the central defenders so they are uncomfortable, then get crosses in earlier to give our forwards a bit of a chance, not that it would matter much Clarke is shit can't score a free header from 6, or 7 yards, or put away a tap in from 2 yards.Kerrouche- great free kick, otherwise touch of a donkey, clueless in general.Smith in goal? no thanks my old man could probably have saved the second goal, and he's 81.Sorry to be so negative, but that was men against boys out there tonight, Saints knew exactly how to exploit our full backs, and did so.They kept it simple, good shape, and organisation,played the ball simply the way they were facing, and used the width well.League 2 managers will soon employ the same tactics against us, it's going to be a very long season.

Orrrr.... this could all blow over and be one of those "remember when...?" type conversations at the end of the season. It is worrying right now, but I think the temptation to sensationalise and speculate without really knowing the facts will do nobody any good. Let's wait and see what comes out of the bluc tomorrow - I'm sure Wray will work hard to get to the bottom of this and take any necessary action, with the long-term well-being of the club in mind.

These...

Can't be arsed to over-analyse the performance but...

Absolutely no shame in losing tonight, and thought we done ok for the majority of the match, bar Smith throwing in their second. Before the whole Clarke/PDC thing, the only thing that really pissed me off was the complete negativity and general wakerish behaviour from most of our fans, who just appear to be fucking stupid, screaming for us to chase the ball and break their legs and then calling our players every name under the sun for not running around like a headless chicken... I just don't get it at all.

They were always going to dominate possession and when we pressed as a team, and kept our shape, forcing them to play long, we started to get some joy.

On the Clarke/PDC thing, by the looks of things PDC is just trying to get him off the pitch and away from the eyes, but it's backfired and what is in effect a lot of restraining is then all over SSN and the internet... I could be very wrong but convinced it'll all blow over.

Think a lot of the negativity from the fans come from the expectation that we could compete with Soton in the same way we have over the past two seasons, but they're a top-end Champ side who'll be there or there abouts, with a bloody good manager who plays good, and unique, football, while we're somewhere between an average and good L2 side that is completely untried and finding our feet. They were so much better than us, but you'd expect them to be.

I'm still positive, although performances need to become points soon...

Southampton were simply better than us., Thought all our players put in a good shift. Just a little bit of confidence needed and we will start to win games - but I thought that last season too. Tonights game was never as important as the league game on Saturday.

My one comment on PDC after tonight is that we seem to have quite a lot of fiery characters on the pitch, and PDC needs to calm down a bit rather than wind them up even more.

Exactly.

You;d think STFC fans would recognise a lack of passion, fitness and effort after last season.  Nothing like that tonight - we were far from perfect, but thankfully we wont be playing anyone as good as southampton were this season

I find it shameful how many people are criticising the performance, effort and passion of the players. Yes, Southampton were much better... they're 2nd in the Championship, get over it. We almost pulled it back to 2-2, which after 90 minutes would have been a fantastic scoreline against such strong opponents.

The performance wasn't perfect, but it was nowhere near as bad as some are making out.

To be honest I don't care if it was.

The way I saw the first half isn't so different to you. They were getting players goal side of our midfielders with ease on the attack. But we made it far too easy for them to do this. They were indeed a class or three above us. Its not that we lost, its that we were totally gubbed.

Totally agree, lots of fight and passion in the second half. Flint was superb, J Smith battled well and Kerrouche was chasing everything down. Very pleased with the second half performance.

What's Malpas up to these days...

I'm one of the shameful ones and I'm off to bed.

Saints will beat a lot more teams in the championship with more comfort than tonight. Yes they were a much better side than us but they didn't look so confident after we scored, I was worried before ko we were in for a thumping and still think the extra game tonight has done us more good than harm.

Jesus Christ, if we are all being honest here, 3-1 flattered Swindon.  5 or 6 nil was a true reflection on the game.  I didnt expect Swindon to win the game, i just expected the players to give it their all.  For me though only Kerrouche and maybe Flint did this.  I remember watching Swindon lose a couple of seasons ago to Bristol Rovers at home (think we lost 4-0).  I wasnt bothered we lost 4-0 as the players gave it their all on that day.  

I swear to many people on this forum have rose tinted spectacles when it comes to making comments about Swindon.

Likewise. Or maybe I am in bed and this is a bad dream.

Saints will beat a lot more teams in the championship with more comfort than tonight.  

Are you drunk ????   Did you watch the same game as me.  

this. I've heard some crowds described as knowledgeable.  Ours in the main is the exact opposite.  

When a team is passing the ball around their back 4 and midfield patiently you need to press as a team and make them lose patience and go long. Like you say, when we did this it worked and we had some joy.  

Many of our fans would rather have our central midfielders in headless chicken mode trying to tackle their centre backs then complain when we dont have a midfield.

First half was awful. They ran rings round us and showed us how to play football.
Second half was much better IMO although i think they did ease off and Clarke should have levelled it.
Dont think you can question the desire and passion as i thought they all put a shift in and were committed to the town.

On a personal note, happy that Keroooosh scored as it finally justifies him as my name :D

We deserved to lose by at least 2 goals, I don't question that... what frustrates me is the amount of people reacting as though we'd just lost Chippenham or something.

As for the performances, I thought Caddis gave his all but was outclassed, Ritchie gave his all but was marked out of the game, Clarke gave his all but was well marked out of it, Kennedy gave his all but couldn't deal with Holmes...

I was pissed off at half time because half the team had given up. They came out after the break with a more positive attitude and it almost got us a result we didn't deserve against a much stronger team.

from what i heard from someone in the tunnel.  clark came up to di canio saying if u think i'm going to run timmorow you can fuck off.  dicanio put his arm around him and he said get off me and started pushing him off, then some sort of argument with fit.ess coach and he ran down tunnel, then ran back out to the pitch.l

I just got in.

First half outclassed and chasing shadows. Southampton were good but we made it easy for them, weak midfield and Kennedy too easily losing his man for the cross that led to the first goal. Smith was at fault for the second goal.

Second half we came out and fought for it a bit more. Not much more to say other than we would have been extremely fortunate to take it to ET, 1-3 was a very fair result.

J Smith again looks a pace behind the game and offers nothing. Kennedy would be a better option on the wing as most of his attributes lie in his ability to strike a ball, positionally he is very lacking. Connell struggled to get in the game but to take him off so early was baffling and insulting to a professional trying his hardest. Kerrouche's contribution, aside from a wonderful free-kick, mostly involved running and running and running and running. Esajas looks useless and Clarke will likely never play for us again. Comazzi, Caddis, Richie all had decent games. Flint was very good.

There's a good team somewhere inside our massive squad, further additions tomorrow will only complicate matters.

Can't be arsed to comment on Clarke v Di Canio aside from the fact it makes us look like a bunch of Sunday league amateurs.

of the more critical points,

surely P Smith needs to be dropped now.

I dont mid J smith, i think he has potential but he can be ponderous on the ball.  

at times both of our full backs can be defensively weak. however both are good going forward. to be honest at our level its usually one or the other isnt it?  If caddis defended like jamie vincent for example he'd be playing at a much higher level.

I'd rather commazzi played than Devera

Don't see many teams in complete control time wasting for the fun of it. To many fans looking to slag the team off at  any opportunity.

I didn't go tonight but i really am worried about Di canios man management. Even before his spat with Clarke i would be asking what the hell he is doing with Connell?  I'm sure the poor fucker wishes he never signed for us as he has not been given a fair crack at all. How many other players regret signing i wonder?

Well Dicanio is 2nd most talked about thing on twitter.
I'm beginning to hate the human race more so this evening (I might go to New York and work for caesar)

This club is a fucking joke.

I'm at work on my phone - can the next poster please explain the Clarke thing for me.

All I got from the radio was he was out on the pitch and refusing to go down the tunnel and Wray was talking to him.

This plus the treatement of Timlin and Connell (I'm assuming he wasn't injured?) Is fucking stupid.

Excactly, they were time wasting at every opportunity.

the subbing of connell was bizarre as he was doing ok-ish and was certainly trying.

My post was more negative than it was meant to be. Clearly my drive home listening to Creedence Clearwater Revival did not have the desired effect...

I'll clarify: we were a bit crap first half, we were a bit good at times in the second half. A couple of changes in personnel, a settled first XI and a bit less hoof and hope when under duress and we'll come good I reckon.

Di Canio's entire career has been based upon spur of the moment decisions, gut reactions and naiveity. So far nothing he has done has shown me that he has matured.

Kaufman, is that true???!!! 2nd most discussed worldwide. Surely not?  :eek:

Comment of the night so far from @ghostgoal on twitter...

"I've been out and only just heard about Di Canio. It may not be deemed relevant but for what it's worth Leon Clarke is a truly epic bellend."

Made me laugh anyway...

In uk i think

More good news - Alex Revell is apparently signing for Rotherham.

What a shit day.

Don't think saints needed any help but their second goal came from a cross by a player who looked a good yard off side.

Don't worry, I laughed at the one that said Di Canio was being sacked and Joachim van Ribbentrop was being brought in to replace him.

Revell to Rotherham would be a fucking nightmare.

I was dead in line with it and it looked onside to me.

Timlin, Connell, Clarke - the signs are worrying.

You could be right sonic as I was supprised more people didn't react to no flag going up. Fair play to the Lino then as I and a few around me not quite in line all thought the player was off.

Poor first half. We were all over the place at times. Another stupid error by Smith. Much better 2nd and tbe commitment and desire was there. Why cant we play like that for 90 mins? Saints were a class above us it has to eb said. Shocked by the events after the game. It doesnt look good for thr club really and Sky couldnt have picked a better time to show us live on Saturday. I doubt our loan targets will sign for us after seeing the circus tonight.

Connell is shit arriba...fucking dire in my opinion,he couldn't wait to get off,has he even had a shot on goal,let alone looked like scoring...very bad signing on a par with Benjon.
Lots of effort but no chance against big units......Ritchie and Caddis were very poor and i have to applaud Flint,he looks a decent player to say the least.
Clarke missed three...one being a sitter and the others scorable.
If only the players would inherit some of the desire of the manager....oh well roll on Saturday :D

Kicked off in the players bar too and that's straight from someone who works there. Bar has been shut early and essjes was the worst culprit. 100% true

If we fine Clarke 2 weeks wages and sack him for gross misconduct he'll have played for us for free!

Cheers Huwwy, just wasted half a mouthful of Leffe on the computer screen.


Lets hope your sauce (sic) has exaggerated it.

Even Billy Bodin has had more chance to shine than Connell. How you can conclude he's shit from his sparce appearances i don't know?

I think I've had more time on the County Ground pitch than Connell.

What the girl who works in the bar just posted,
"Yea, I saw most of it, they were throwing chairs about and all!! They were banned from the bar tonight and I reckon di canio will be gone"

FFS, hope its BS bobby. But if you know her and its true then this is a dark day in STFC's history.

if Esajas' performance in the second half was anything to go by he would probably have spent most of the time trying to headbutt people backwards and standing around in the centre of the room instead of sticking to the sides.

By watching them all maybe....he was poor tonight...poor at City...he even made de Vita look good when he came on....as for his other appearances the fact i cant remember them tells me something i am afraid.

And there goes the second mouthful of Leffe. Thanlks.

You can add my rather pedestrian pint of water to Batch's Leffe.

Yeah, you were pissed up.

Ferry was awful tonight, anonymous throughout and offered nothing going forward, only seemed to pass sideways and backwards. Would have liked to seen Mcormack and Smith in there earlier on.

I would have subbed off Ritchie instead of Gabilondo, at least he was prepared to run at the Southampton defence.

Connell was struggling big time when battling with their defence which may have been the reason for his subsitution, should have waited for half time though as the timing was harsh.

Can't have any complaints with the result but the Clarke incident is very worrying. Really need three points on saturday.

Honestly think Connell coming off tonight was a tactical switch, nothing more. Kerrouche was far deeper, and dropped into midfield when we didn't have the ball to try and deal with their deep-lying CMs picking up easy ball from the back four, a position we all knew he was capable of playing when googling him after he signed.

Yep...but there eh ;)

Works hard a bit like me...but thats it.
As Chris STFC says struggling....  an understatement in my view.

Can someone please tell me what Jonathan Smith contributes in midfield? I'm far from being a good judge of footballers but he's off the pace, slow, cumbersome, doesn't win headers despite his size, couldn't see a simple pass if it there were arrows drawn on the pitch in front of him, he dives into tackles with the same punctuality as the number 12 bus and I'll stop there.

I suppose he does "put himself about a bit" and is full of "heart"

Twatter rumour mill that Paolo has gone. Got to love social networking. After listening to Wray he's going nowhere any time  soon.

After that and the Timlin thing and the thing regarding Clarke wanting to leave as they are training constantly and too hard it wouldn't surprise me if he goes!

Nothing  STFC related surprises me any more.

Not even a win ;D

Say what you like about Hart, but at least under him all 11 of the club chairs would have been stacked tightly in formation against the back wall out of harms way!

On another note, how abysmal were the saints fans tonight?

We aren't talking about the land of make believe.

Time for bed now. Longleat tomorrow Yipppe.

It's true, hardly a peep all night, but I'm not sure we're in a position to mock any aspect of any other club for any reason at all tonight!

He'd then claim three of the chairs were pushed against the front wall.

And only left one chair at the front at kicking out time.

Say what you like, we're the only UK club who can now claim to be multi discipline with our latest foray into the world of boxing

Very disappointed with the first half. Saints were very impressive and totally controlled the game, we were chasing but just couldnt get hold of the ball ! When we did actually get it, gave away possession far too often with poor passing/wrong choices.

I thought Kennedy gave Holmes far too much space on the wing - he had plenty of time to control the ball and set off on his run before Kennedy got close, and it was no surprise when this resulted in their first goal  >:(

I thought substituting Connell after only 30 mins was a terrible decision - although he hadn't achieved much, he certainly chased around, but both strikers were totally starved of the ball and received no service at all, as we couldn't get hold of the ball/retain it. When he came off PDC totally ignored him and he looked very forlorn sat back on the bench.He changed into his suit at halftime !  What the hell will that do for his confidence - PDC, as an ex striker himself, must know that forwards in particular thrive on confidence.

Second half was much better, ball retention was much improved and we created a few good chances. A draw would have been more than we deserved overall, but for a while we did look capable of pushing it to extra time.

Flint was immense, again, and deserved man of the match.
Smith (midfield) lunges in far too often and will see red if he carries on.
Smith in goal looked very shaky and lacks confidence.
Thought Caddis and Ritchie both looked decent and worked hard, but they didnt find much space as Saints obviouslt saw Ritchie as a threat and closed him down well.

All in all, not the end of the world, as wont often come up against opposition as good as Saints.
But PDCs volatility and man management (or lack of it) are far more worrying  :hmmm:
.

i have been a big supporter of pdc but you can't do that.Imagine if that was hart or wilson

The scoreline flattered us, Southampton should have had more, they had Mike Tyson up front he was fucking huge.

Di Canio has lost the dressing room I think, and having seen his spat with Clarke it's not good at all...don't think wray will get rid though, he's too far up paolos arse to even consider it.

Clarke is fucking crap anyway, must have taken a big pay cut for a reason

I thought Southampton were there for the taking. Our biggest mistake was the defence sitting far too deep. They were continually fucking about with the ball outside their area and you could see they were going to make mistakes. If the defence had pushed their line further forward it would have closed down the midfield and put them under more pressure.

Didn't think we played too badly overall and were beaten by a far better team on the night. Reckon we just need some more games for all the new players to gel and we'll have a good season, hopefully it will happen quickly enough for us to push for promotion.

My main concern is that we seem to have signed too many players of similar ability and are spoilt for choice in some positions. I'd have preferred us to have a few less players of higher quality instead as we have pissed away some of our salary cap on players we can't play and have no need for.

ok, hands up, who's been amending the wiki site? According to that clarke is to terminate his contract by mutual consent, think i'll wait to hear from the CG tomorrow.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Clarke (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Clarke)

He tries hard but is very limited. (Condensed)

Hart? Striker? What is this...  :hmmm:

Ok, so I start a matchday thread and another poor performance ensues but with added punchup and mini riot ( if stories are to be believed)
I think the next 24hrs will be interesting to say the least!

from the scales thread in relation to adje's opinion of Oliver Risser


Indeed.

Not saying you are wrong, but I know from personal experience the problem with pushing the defence forward is you get done for pace in the gap behind. But as you say, drop too deep and it invites the other team on. Its a difficult one to get right when the other team is bigger/faster/better than you. Doesn't help that the midfield was gash and offered no protection to the back 4 in the first half either.

PDC - MCCormack and Ferry please.

i agree but i feel leon Clarke will come out of this with being released. If we get rid of PDC this soon STFC will look even more of a laughing stock

Let's all go down to the Winchester and wait for this to blow over ...

FFS there's some over-reactions in this thread. Get a grip people. Seems to me Clarke acted like a billy big-bollocks, spoilt brat on the night. It'll blow over.

Really?? You think so? :hmmm:

Most sensible post so far. Large V.A.T please Dave, put it on the slate

Rumour has it, di Canio decapitated Clarke on the centre circle then put his head on a spike, which is now in the changing room to act as a deterrent to the other players.

"Itsa my way, or da highway!"

Correct, that and somethings going on is what I said to my mate as they were going off.

Kennedy was gash.

At times Lee Holmes had the right hand side of the pitch to himself.

Calmed down now.

Agree about Kennedy - I thought he did not look like a fullback last night,  more attacking midfield/winger - he couldn't handle holmes, and kept hoofing it it and we lost possession

We have to stop playing the italian opera music - embarrassing, one thing if we were ten points clear at the top...
Depressing thing is that was largely the same saints side we completely outplayed at the CG two seasons ago...

And why is it some ginger haired moron chooses to buy tickets for the family enclosure then shout swear words out all night? Is that not defeating the object? My ten year old thought he was a right cunt

Looked to me like Kennedy underestimated Holmes and was giving him far to much room out wide, he seemed reluctant to push out and be closer to him so maybe that was his instructions, can't see why though. It may turn out to be a good bit of experience for him as not many 2nd div wingers will be as tricky.

Think it's actually Ron Vibbentrop of Minehead Town...

Revell  :(   couple of years back, not considered quite good enough for us....now we'd bite an agent's arm off for someone of his standard.

Let's hope the deal doesn't happen, because we know the likely outcome.

Half the time he only came back out to mark Holmes when the fans were telling him to. He also seemed to remain oblivious to the fact that Holmes is left footed and would want to cut back inside. I quite like Kennedy, and hope he gets some help with his positional game from the coaches.

We were outplayed by a very good team, first half we couldn't get near them.

We improved in the second half, showed a bit more intent going forward. I still think there could be a good team somewhere in the squad, just might take time to find it. Individual players did worry me last night, P Smith just looks a liability, I get nervous everytime the ball goes in the box, got to give Lanzano a start. I thought Kenedey had a good start to the season but now i'm not as confident with him as regular left back, he is extremley weak defensivley. J Smith offers absolutley nothing in midfield, apart from installing a fear of an iminenent red card, we have much better options.

Was out the ground before the Clarke-PDC spat but it's a shambles, makes us look an absolute joke. And what fantastic timing aswell with the sky cameras here on saturday, i'm sure they will make the most of it. I also think, from what I have seen of him so far, that Clarke has offered nothing at all. I can remember him winning 1 header last night.

Yeah it was sort of funny/ painful watching him reacting to the shouts from the Arkells, " he's behind you " !

As you know I stay on the pitch a lot longer than your everyday supporter and to be honest it pisses me off that people come on here spouting off that they have seen or heard things that they clearly haven't or claim a friend saw or heard something and told them. If this was anyone but PDC the only person coming in for criticism would be Clarke and even then I think it would be wrong to crucify him for the incident.

Clarke was clearly upset for missing the opportunity that would have put us 2-2.  Now you can call it petulance or childish but clearly his legs had gone and felt it was hard training regime that was to blame.  Pic's view was that it was an excessively hard game and this was the reason for his tiredness - this was the 'disagreement'. To be honest I think it was a combination of the two. It would have been interesting to have seen how we coped with another 30 minutes of extra time had he scored.

PDC comes out to console Clarke and puts his arm around him but he is clearly upset and doesn't want any of it.  PDC tries to get him back to the changing room and it all kicks off in the tunnel - I've only seen what was on Sky so won't speculate on events down there. Clarke ends up coming back out.  Lots of discussions with various individuals including JWrey. Clarke gets changed down by the Stratton Bank and goes home.

Personally I I would be surprised if Clarke or PDC are gone today - ironically Clarke gave Di Canio 'the manager' the Di Canio 'the player' treatment and this is something PDC will have to learn to deal with if he wants his players to show heart.

This isn't a racist, fascist or bigoted view, and I am sure their are many italian supporters out there who may contradict this but having managed and worked with Italians I got a taste of their culture.  Their passion is at a level far exceeds our general apathetic version of it.  Additionally they are not afraid of entering personal space - I was shocked when I went to shake the hand of one my direct reports who I hadn't seen for a while and got the biggest bear hug I'd ever experienced.  Clarke didn't like Di Canio putting his hand on the back of his neck, but this is was merely a congratulatory/supportive action from PDC that was rejected and this appeared to upset PDC.

It is often this kind of incident that pulls a teams closer together but it will take PDC to clear the air with Clarke, sit down with the team and, if training sessions are deemed at fault, develop a plan that maintains/improves levels but doesn't leave us empty on match day.

Good stuff  :thumb:

What did you make of the game last night Reg? (forgetting about the histrionics at the end)

Totally agree 100%

Jeez, a thumbs up from Reg?!

Let's have a party!

I can't believe effective recovery from intensified training is our problem. I had rather hoped we would have the sort of doping programme in place by now that would leave the rest of Division Four trailing in our wake ;)

What a load of wet sterotypical nonsense. I suppose the Clarke booted it off in his tricked up motor pounding out some Tupac whilst PDC whipped up a couple of pizzas?

They're both a fucking disgrace, passion or no passion and should both be on the end of neutering from Wray & co. The pair of twats have made us look a laughing stock (again) and I have no sympathy for either.

We chased shadows for the first half and did well to keep it to 2-0.

Second half we got back into it when saints got cocky and slacked off.

Great free kick and gave us some hpe but it wasn't to be.

Third came after we all pushed up.

Losing to saints doesn't bother me, obviously superior and we aren't ging to win this cup...so ho hum a nice draw would of been good and we did beat city.

I was more concerned about the amount of wanky passes going astray and giving the ball away cheap!

Also we need nine touches before we knw what to do with the ball....shite.

Anyway, rotherham is the ' biggin'.

Didn't see the spat....but...its nly news cos its de canio, if martin ling did it the national media wouldn't give a fuck.....let's hope its sorted as it makes us look like idiots.

Special mention to the swindon hoolie kids who banged a car of saints fans driving out of the merlin...mum dad and two kids inside....nice one...knobs!!

 :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

Completely agree.  It's one of those situations where if the club is doing well, no one notices and its swept under the carpet.

When you've lost four games in a row it's 9/11 x 1000 and everyone has their two cents.  I couldn't give two shits if the team all hates each other as long as they perform.  We'll get there, we just need patience.

Cracking post.

And there, in a nutshell, are a couple of paragraphs that summarisesthe stereotypical view of the Swindon supporter... Nice work ;)

Well said

Good post MacPhlea. However, I still think all of this should have happened inside. Even if PDC was annoyed at Clarke's reluctance to have his arm round the shoulder, he should have waited to the dressing room to start pulling his shirt. I imagine much worse goes on every day, but behind closed doors.

The only complaint is that this went on in public and in front of the cameras.

I hope Clarke stays and, as you say, brings the side closer together. Judging from Gary Rose's tweet, it sounds unlikely.

I remember a reserve game a few years back (Charlie Austin played in it) and I ended up sat next and talking to Alex Revells agent.

One of the things he said was as a club Swindon werent ambitions enough and would be going no where. He also said Brighton were willing to spend and it might take them a couple of years and a few different managers but they were going places.

I posted that on the TEF and everyone thought the agent was talking bollocks.

Quite.

Agreed,  but sometimes shit happens and I don't for one moment believe that Di Canio expected Clarke to continue the spat with him -  Clarke should have taken the request from PDC to go down the tunnel as an order - no argument - if he had then we wouldn't be having this discussion... unless one of the players tweeted from the changing rooms ;)

Does help when you've got a lifelong fan of the club who finds himself with a few hundred million, willing to spend large chunks of it getting his club promoted though eh.

And in fairness this board have shown themselves willing to spend quite large sums, they've just spent it pretty fucking badly in the last couple of years.

Is Kennedy still out there?

If that boy ever learns defensive positional sense he going to be a really useful player.

At the moment his attacking skills are much more advanced than his defensive ones.

If you have a spare few mill to help improve the squad i'm sure the board can increase their ambitions DV.

We should try him at LM sometime. He's too suspect at LB.

Said this last night

He's certainly got a hell of a good delivery. Both Ritchie's goals have come from Kennedy's crosses I think.

Think both Kennedy and Caddis are much better at going forward than in defence, trouble is at the moment we are being pegged back by teams for big parts of games so it stands out even more. Caddis worries me with his tackles in our box, should saints of had a pen 2nd half last night involving him, it looked a penalty from where I was. He looks exciting when running at defenders and Kennedy puts in some great crosses so there are plenty of plus sides to their game.

For me we play to deep which means Caddis/Ritchie are having to run from non threatening positions.
When the players get forward we look dangerous but at present the attacking players in our team like Caddis/Ritchie and Esayes are always to far away from the oppsition's goal to much of the time,especially at home.

the only but I disagree with mcphLea is that pdc is somehow bring treated poorly because of his reputation.

no manager should air their dirty laundry in public

unless you mean extra attention by the media rather than the fans.

I'm pretty sure that's exactly what he meant

Aaaah right. In which case the seagulls will always follow the trawler...

"weren't ambitious enough" = "wouldn't pay Revell's agent"

I think there are a handful of clubs (at all levels) that have a high turnover of players and managers (Newcastle as the poster boys for this sort of club) because they are constantly being told by agents to be "more ambitious". This is the only sort of club that makes an agent rich.

Those days are gone for Newcastle, they won't be spending big on players or wages anymore.

Dunno, good numbers. They also gave a fantastic reception to all their players warming up, which the players seemed to genuinely apprieciate. I was near them, at one point we got a corner, as Lambert came out to warm up, and their cheer for him warming up was a lot louder than our fans for the corner. Which was fucking embaressing.

I only heard them do that stupid yellow chant and a couple of others.

 Saints players last night reminded me of Leeds, above there station. Argued every decision and strutted about until we got our goal, they didnt look so confident and bet they hated having to waste time.