Thetownend.com

Figured I should have a pre season friendly Matchday thread before the proper stuff kicks off (Some might say this matchday thread thing has got out of hand, but we won the league!)


Bit gutted I can't go tonight as i'm working then getting pissed in Bristol, especially as I can't make supermarine either!

Hopefully can get a fairly decent result...

4-0 I reckons.

If anyone else had started this thread then there would have been outrage, and rightfully so

Agree with the 4-0, 920 Town Fans making the short trip down to the coast

This on the radio?

Would be good to see Roberts or Navarro getting on the scoresheet tonight.

4-1 to Town

I'll go with 5-0

I've tweeted both BBC Wilts and the club to ask, no reply yet. Don't think so..

10-0 Swindon.  Hope it stops fucking raining.

6-0 - Weston in the rain lovely...greasiest fish and chips ever eaten. Is Bernard Manning on at the Playhouse? or is it Alvin Stardust look a like?

Its sunny here in South Somerset about 35 miles south of Weston, hopefully the weather is heading North from us.

As for the game.....

2 or 3-0 to Town hopefully, Weston arent a bad side but are playing a fair few trialists today so that will stand in our favour if we turn out a good team and not the youngsters.

I've always thought of Weston as a smaller, coastal version of Bristol.

5-0. Shame, I was in Weston on Sunday (timing was never my strongpoint)

I think BBC Wilts are only covering the Palace game.

Who are they playing?

(You know what I meant).

The Swindon vs. Palace game is the only Pre-Season matchday coverage that BBC Radio Wilts will be doing.

I'm not convinced that SSWS can do a job for us at this higher level...I'm thinking he might be the Alan Connell of the TEF.

Thoughts?

I knew exactly what you meant, but couldn't resist!!

I want to put it on the record that Swindon's form has nothing to do with who starts the matchday thread.

 :)

If a reasonable offer came in I think we'd have to seriously consider accepting it.

His commitment was definitely questionable toward the end of the season, perhaps he doesn't have the required ambition?

TOWN vs Weston: Foderingham; Caddis, Archibald-Henville, McCormack, McEveley; Ritchie, Ferry, Miller, Roberts; Williams, Collins

That to me is a line-up I'd love to see during the season. I suspect that bar perhaps swapping Miller for Navarro, and maybe Williams/Collins for Benson, that could be the line-up we see most.

Not far off the side I'd expect us to start the league games with. Archie/Flint/Devera may fight it out for the final CB spot.

I forgot about Navarro!

Yeah, I would have thought that once the season starts, Navarro will take one of the CM spots with Ferry and Miller scrapping it out for the other.

Yep, agree that that looks pretty close to a first choice XI. Impressive when Flint, Devera, Navarro, Rooney and Benson are all kept out!

and he was one of Paolos 'naughty nine' caught out on the piss before the match

Double save from Fods. We're getting battered  :)

1-0 Ritchie

Boo. Get rid of him!

£900,001....

2-0, Williams

2-0 Williams

3-0 Collins

"A long ball finds the Weston defence staring at each other and Collins laps it up, rounds Irish and slots home"

Hehehe

4-0 Ritchie again

Only a preseason game I know, but on this form I think we should give him another go.

If he goes - I go

I don't think there should be any place for sentiment...SSWS looked to struggle for pace towards the end of last season, I feel if he can get a new club it might be in everyone's interest.

If only it was this easy.

Due to the amount of racism in football these days, I feel I can't make my mind up until I know SSWS' ethnic back ground.

suggism ..... kick it out

He's a honkey

4-1

Now if he was as successful as football management's messiah John Barnes, who famously lead Celtic to the Champions League Final and Europa Cup final in the same season, only to be sacked by the racist Catholic Board a minute before kick off, I'd say keep him. But SSWS has not come close to this. In which case, he has to go.

John Barnes for match thread starter then?

Maybe he just needs a Paolo pre-season so he doesn't tail off again. I say give him til January and then look to offload to Southend if things aren't looking rosy.

Fucking hell. SSWS out!

nah, send him on loan to O*ford, then he can come back and run 50km at the end of the season

It's all disjointed now.

Cibbocchi off after just 17 minutes. Odd one.

Good shout FH.  Guaranteed success.

5-1

How do we break the news to ssws?

Tell him straight and blame Clarke Carlisle.

6-1

6-1 ft

If anyone is down there watching? I think they have a new ground, what's it like?

So anyone on here go to the game? How was it? Who stood out?

Watched second half online. Just usual friendly, can't really judge based on poor oposition

Where did you watch it

It was good, really enjoyable first half but got disjointed with so many subs late on, we finished with 11 different players...12 if you include Cibbo who went off after about 15 mins...not sure why he didn't look injured.

We played really wel 1st half kept the ball on the deck and played out of defence on the ground.

Henvill is a man mountain and can dribble and run with the ball, good in the tackle and good distribution...made only 1 slight mistake which cost us a corner otherwise was excellent.

Miller looked calm and a good foil for Ferry who broke forward at every chance.

Collins looked a bit lost early on but grew in confidence and rounded the keeper really well for his goal after a long ball forward, about the only long ball played all first half TBF.

Williams looked excellent, great pace and control and took his goal really well from Roberts cross.

Roberts...fantastic player, great pace and control and crossing, this guy is a real class player.

Navarro came on 2nd half and looked a bit lost, I would prefer Miller to him as he can play well alongside Ferry bringing out the best of Ferry.

Wes had little to do, couldn't do anything about the goal after a mix up at the back.

Flint looked off the pace when he came on, McCormack looked calm and assured alongside Henville, as he always does.

McEveley didn't look totally fit to me but did well enough even though he was beaten by the winger once or twice.

Caddis was excellent and did nowt wrong all game.

Ritchie took both goals well and his first goal was a great 20 yard shot, played really well.

Rooney looked off the pace and a little disinterested when he came on.

Benson was a bit off the pace and couldn't miss his goal from 2 yards out.

De Vita also took his goal well from 3 yards out after a rebound but didn't do a lot else.

Storey looked a bit of a handful up front and could have scored, is definately one for the future.

The ones I havent mentioned basically did the job but not excelling, Thomspon, Risser, Cibbo, Devera, Bedwell...for about 10 mins and Smith for the last 5 or 10 mins.

A nice turn out of almost entirely Swindon fans of several hundred in a nice compact little ground.

And Weston actualy arent a bad side at all, played good football but couldn't break us down in midfield.

   Online feed. No sound. Bet365 were betting in play on the game which usually means you can find a stream online if you search around

If you find one like that in the future, Stef. Pointing it out on here would be most welcome.

Agree with JJ- Roberts looked class. Troy at the back was very vocal and kept defence organised. A very good signing in prospect there. Williams looked very good too.

Just got back after coming home the wrong way. Thought Roberts looked great on the ball, excellent distribution too. Ritchie looked lively and i feel Williams and Collins could do some damage in league 1 this year.

Highlight of the night was a Bovril and a tea for £1.60, usually £3.60 in The Town End.

Not sure if Weston had any fans in the ground tonight, I think it was our lot cheering out of sympathy in the big stand when they scored.

Roll on Forest Green Rovers

Enjoyed that.  Typical friendly.  First half great second half everything fell apart from all the changes.  Ill only comment on our first half side where our left side looked really dangerous with roberts and mcevely and our central defence looked solid with Alan Mac and Troy arcibald - toomanysurnames.  Upfront looked lively and a handful.

We looked a big fit side as well I thought, but perhaps thats just because they were so close.  I always get confused, they're not small, they're just far away.

Great performance first half, but a very scrappy one in the second. Of the new signings Miller & Roberts were the most impressive. Miller was good at playing it simple & letting Ferry do his stuff further up the pitch, leading too some really neat one-two passing between Ferry & the two wingers. As said above, Roberts looked intelligent and classy on the ball. He dosen't have searing pace but his first touch looked a class above, allowing him to get away from the fullback most of the time. Williams & Collins both looked decent as well, took a while for Collins to get into the game but he took his goal well, as did Williams who was put on a plate by Roberts. They seemed reluctant to get too involved, probably for fear of injury.

Second half the team was obviously disrupted by subs but I was still a wee bit dissapointed by the performance. The centre of midfield looked slow, meaning Weston players ended up knocking the ball about pretty comfortably. Navarro clearly needs to play with a quicker player in the middle, which Risser obviously isnt, probably the reason for a lapse midfield display in the second half. Although, passing wise Risser & Navarro weren't much kop either. Probably down to the scrappy nature of the second half though, and the inability to win it back because of the lack of pace.

After tonight, I think the team that started would be my preffered starting XI. Miller & Ferry were balanced in the middle and provided plenty of ammunition for the flanks, of which are now more balanced, with the left & right sides being packed with similar amounts of quality. We looked assured at the back with Troy and McCormack and the fullbacks were steady as ever. That starting XI looked strong and ready to start the season, the second half team not so much. Roll on the next one anywho, football is back!

Well don't mind us. I bet not a single soul on here would have appreciated that information.  ::)

Exactly what I thought. (Well, with swearing and insults included).

Can we play Weston every week?

Can't really add much more to the comments above, although I was very disappointed in Rooney. I don't mean to be critical, its clear he has talent, but just seemed lazy, disinterested, a little petulant and afraid to take on the fullback for a Blue Sqaure South team. He will need to buck up sharpish to be considered ahead of Ritchie and Roberts.

Nice little stadium, and if you want fish and chips, you should have gone to Papa's on the Boulevard and abused the Spurs supporting owner....

So am I allowed to continue matchday thread duties?

Or has someone sourced John Barnes?

There were no cameras at Weston last night, how they managed to do an online feed is a broadcasting miracle

There was a camera at Weston last night. The bloke had a BBC bag with him but I think it was used for STFC World, he was in the seating area filming the game.