Thetownend.com

I like him.

Give him the job FFS!

p.s I am not Mark Cooper

So do I.

But let's not be too hasty. Everything is going well at the moment.

p.s. Neither am I.

Have to agree,financially it makes sense.

Doing a good job in troubled times.
Give him a chance i say and i reckon there would be amazement if he wasn't given a chance now.

Incidently i have a letter from hid dad Terry from his management days at Brum :D
Good player was his old man.

The problem is that if we do give him the job the second we lose a few games people will be criticising Jed saying we just went for the cheap option. 

From the sounds of it we are playing well, first time some of these players will have played three games in a week, give it a couple of months and see where we are.

I think most fans will accept a mid table finish this season as long as we are entertained along the way.

The football I've seen in the first games this season is top notch, if a little frustrating at times.

Does it for me

Seconded.

He's got the team playing a better quality of football than any manager since Hoddle from what i've seen so far. He's done nothing wrong so far really. Sure he will get the job and if we're top half and playing how we did in the first half yesterday then i'll be happy.

No matter who is in charge we are going to lose a couple of games in a row some time.

I cant see how another manager can do much about our youngsters playing 3 games a week

I am Mark Cooper and please don't give me the job...i think a chap with better credentials in lower divisions would be better.

Not sure about the best as a lot of our fans seem to forget that we played some fantastic football under "the scouser that shall be named" when we stormed this division in 95. In one game vs Hull Tigers(!) we kept the ball in our possession for over 6 minutes without letting them have a go.

But yes we do appear to be playing with flair and passing which is good to see.

I would love the Chief to be playing in this side as the lone striker.

[conspiracy] Ah, but is it really HIM making our players play like that?[/conspiracy]

He's our manager already. Just give him the Damn job so we can paint his name on the door officially.

I'm not Mark Cooper. But I am his mum.

(I'm not his mum)

Would you honestly be happy with anyone appointed by this board?

I'm not sure if your posts have been tongue in cheek but I can't recall you having anything remotely positive to say for months

The board have put themselves in a bit of a difficult situation now.  If we do well under him and then he's replaced, it could go downhill and people won't be happy then.

If they weren't going to give him the job, they should have had somebody in for the start of the season or by now at least.

It's a difficult call to make without understanding the precise nature of Power's role.  If Power really is acting as Director of Football and making the signings then, yes, probably offer a permanent role to Cooper (because the two of them do seem to be able to work together) - but:

(a) make it clear that he's Head Coach, not Manager; and
(b) make it a 9 or 10 month contract initially.

If it's working out at Christmas, we could then think about extending the contract in to 2015 or 2016.  Cooper himself does deserve some job security, which is why I think we need to move soon, but I would still be wary of offering a lengthy contract at the moment.  Not sure he has done enough yet to warrant one.

I'm his mum....

Still not sure myself. Is he capable of delivering a promotion winning campaign? Surely the board would have appointed him in the first place if he was that credible a candidate.

I will support him of course, but would give him a few more matches before offering anything more long term. The way some of our fans were wanking themselves into a frenzy after beating Torquay was ridiculous.

I think Ardiles has it about right above really.

whats your favourite cheese!?

Nob

You see, i'm a little disapointed here. I wrongly as it turned expected someone else to pick up on this aka spartacus style and say, no I'm his mum etc etc. But no, you let me down.

 I've posted elsewhere, that I think appointing Cooper would be mistake...if as appears he's picking up the job on the basis of being around, cheap and a yes man.

 The Board should lay out a set of criteria for the job, and seek the best man...one would assume fairly high up this list would be the coaching credentials of being able to display excellence for a sustained period at a decent level with young players, an abilty to be able to structure youth development throughout the club, and an ability to work with and inspire the present chosen staff.

So for example, what on Cooper's CV suggests, he meets these and other criteria, does he for example have the requisite UEFA badges?

Perhaps, maybe, they might appoint him because so far he's done a pretty good job?

3 games, three 1 0. Too soon to judge. Like the style of football though but what's the rush.

I'm just wondering why the assumption is that if he's appointed it will be because he's cheap etc.

Is it so far fetched to think the board might have other attributes in mind.... such as the ability to actually do the job?

If it's too soon to tell if he's the man for the job, then it is too soon to suggest he will not be getting the job on merit (if he does get the job). Give the man some credit, he's deserved it up until now.

I think it's probably sensible to have a permanent manager as soon as possible. However, if you're going to base the decision purely on League form then it's an unbelievably awkward time as nobody knows whether this is a genuinely great/good/mediocre/poor/dire side yet.

Either way, Cooper has been looking after the squad for a month now and they appear to be responding to his work so long may that continue.

Two very narrow wins against relegation fodder and a fourth division side, both at home, hardly proof that Cooper has done a good job.

We seem to have stumbled across a decent group of players. I don't see Cooper as being up to the task in terms of coaching, getting the best out of youngsters, making the right tactical decisions in more difficult games (see Septembers fixtures).. If he gets the job, in my mind it's clearly because he's cheap and around.

I hope the board are continuing to look for somebody better.

Not being able to comprehensively 'see off' allegedly inferior opposition is hardly a new issue at Swindon though.

Whoever the Board had in mind clearly isn't happening so somebody has to do this job. It's semi-interesting that Cooper hasn't really actively declared an interest in the job - Does he actually want it or would he prefer to simply act as a No.2?

I might have missed the 'GIVE ME THE GIG, PLEASE' interview.

A one nil defeat to a newly relegated team who have hammered the last 2 teams they've played and we were unlucky not to get a draw and two wins at home so I don't know where the two wins against relegation fodder you talk about come from.


'Stumbled' you mean as if by luck I presume? So when we find a shit player is that because we've 'stumbled' on a bad player or Cooper has chosen badly? And using the evidence so far he seems up to the task of getting the best out of them despite injuries changing the team over the past 2 games.


How much will he be earning compared to his peers then in order to say he's cheap? Would you rather an expensive Di Canio-eske manager who ripped the financial soul out of the club buying mediocre players on high wages.


Suggestions? I don't see a whole heap of managers queuing up to take the job and I would suggest that any 'name' manager would have had equal or worse results so far compared to Cooper.

I see little evidence so far not to give him the job other than he's not a 'name'.

Fuck me

On BBC Wiltshire on Saturday he said he wanted the job.

Purely luck and no judgement then?

I've not seen them play, but Azza is not the only one to have said this.

I didn't say that, don't associate me with such lunacy.

It is very pleasant to watch (at times) though.

We've had 3 games at 3rd division level and he's being compared to Hoddle.

Are you quite sure?

Was your post a request Dave or exasperation?

No he's not, Riddick said "since Hoddle".

So by definition, it's a comparison.

I know you're not the brightest pal but try a bit harder.

No, it isn't

It's a comparison to managers after Hoddle, not Hoddle himself.

Oh dear - since does not mean including. I know you're not the sharpest tool, but you are still a tool.

Its not the best football since Hoddle its the best football since Wlsons first full season. we played some excellent stuff then.

I loved that Wilson season, I used to come home with a grin on my face after seeing some of that. The grin turned to grimace 12 months later mind.

Second half of 03/04 we were superb. Our start under Wise was immaculate.

And then he left. The hoddle era was the best football I've seen us play, but I've seen some pretty special games since.

Go on then you miserable cunt

Put a name in the frame

As he's already employed by the club if he's appointed we won't have to find any extra money and in turn save whatever KMac was on.
Even if he is the right man for the job, in theory it is still a cheap option


I know we all hate him now but lets not pretend Di Canio didn't have us playing teams off the park with very good football.

I know we all hate him now but lets not pretend Di Canio didn't have us playing teams off the park with very good football.
[/quote]Sunderland fans saying today PDC is calling the new team " His Barcelona " Must be a favourite saying of his !

I never thought the football we played under Di Canio was particularly attractive. Very efficient in terms of playing to our strengths and certainly effective but it wasn't that pretty.

Saying that I used to like Sturrock's style so perhaps I'm not the best judge...

I would like to wade in on the "style" subject.

It may be early doors, too soon to judge etc.  But...

I agree that the style of football is quite simply the most pleasing on the eye since McMahon's 95/96 team.  That was helped by the budget so you probably do go back to Hoddle.

Others have mentioned times where we played well, played effective football.  I'd agree we can't compare to that yet, but those teams did not play the style of football being seen at the moment.  Wise - great tactics, not great "football" in the style we are seeing now.
Wilson - great team, winning lots, not this style of football
Di Canio - similar to Wise in a way, we played pressure football.

I'm not knocking any of the stuff we put out during those above, but it was nowhere near what we are trying right now.

That is an entirely different conversation to one about which way works best.

The last time I saw a team switch style so dramatically was Macari to Ardiles.  We have had plenty of Managers since whom you could not tell what their "style of play" was.

My question around Cooper is whether or not he is responsible for what we are serving up right now?  If he is, I think it needs applauding for now - too early to say whether it will work out.  It takes a hell of a lot od courage to keep going at it, especially at this level.  We've seen plenty of decent footballers panic and default to the easy option under pressure of getting it forward.

In an ideal world, you need to be able to mix it up, a plan A and a plan B....of recentish vintage, probably the best side we had for this was Kingy's Mooney side....a midfield of Igoe, Hewlett (he did a job that season) Migs and Howard, was none too shabby, and with Mooney and Parkin up top could go a bit more direct if required. Parkin's goal at Leeds was a thing of huge sexiness...one of my all time favourites.

Totally agree Reg, Saturday plan A worked for a long time, but when Stevenage switched to their plan B we did seem lost for long periods of the game.  Possibly that is where we need a bit more experience in the centre of midfield to change games back in our favour.

We clearly changed second half from the 433 to a 41212 with Reis behind Storey and Williams. Reis then was replaced by Harley in that role later on.

I think if you play that way you need someone like Pritchard or Mason behind the forwards, and one forward who can hold up the ball and play with his back to goal a bit, so the personnel limited us a little with our plan B, but with a couple of signings it could work.

Read through the posts and some quality viewpoints.

I just think that after two narrow wins its too early to big cooper up as the next Ardiles or Hoddle.

Im not anti Cooper...after all he could of KMacced and fucked off but he's stayed and making a fist of it....i just want someone with a good record at this level....

We began to struggle slightly when their striker (Lopez?) started to mark Kasim, our control of possession was surrendered and they managed to get back in the game. Clearly the style that we're going for relies massively on dominating the opposition in terms of possession, so there probably does need to be contingency if we start to surrender the ball too easily in the later parts of games... Perhaps that problem won't arise though when/if we sign a "proper" no.9 who can hold the ball up and relieve the pressure on our midfield.

no betting showing on oddschecker again

As I think Shaw Rosso said in another thread Cooper has done nothing wrong. There have been no rants in the press, no threats about leaving, no ultimatums, no hissy fits, no walk outs. On top of that he has us playing good football with a misfit of a team.

The proof will come when we are playing on a quagmire of a pitch in the cold and wet against a team of cloggers.

I think Ardilles has it right, the guy deserves a bit of security.

Cooper has had time in pre-seaon and now 3 matches to stamp the way of playing (whether it is 'his way or not) we are going to see this season and from reports, there are flashes of a very good football team being built, in fact if we can bring in 2 decent strikers that can hold up the ball I think we might have a team capable of challenging towards the top half of the table.

I am not sure exactly how long he needs to be given in a 'trial' basis but for continuity sakes, I think it would be a good idea to give him the gig, who is assisting him at the moment out of interest?

If it aint broke don't fix it. We've conceded one goal in three games, and that was by a striker who cost £1.5M in a team who have scored 9 since. Even Stevenage have racked up 5 goals before they came to us.

We're a striker away from being quite an outfit. I think our outdoing this season will be our lack of depth... but I like Cooper. Sensible bloke, always acknowledges the fans, has the team playing decent football and the players clearly respect him. It may all go wrong, but bringing in a new manager is just as risky.

I like him enough that I knocked £20 on him to get the job after the last game. Might come back to bite me in the ar$e but still...

For a manager on a budget, we could do worse. He comes across well to the fans, and the team seems to show glimmers of what might be in the future, so he's got to be worth a 1 year contract + option to extend at this point in the season?

Remember that Paul Hart bloke? He liked building football teams and had a reasonable record... so I could imagine we could do a lot worse than Cooper! ;-)

That's cos he's a cunt

Not everyone hates him.

He had us playing some brilliant footy while winning matches also.

Been a real good start under Mark Cooper but have to agree with DMR on this one.....best since Hoddle :no: :no:

Think the Italian(promised i wouldn't mention his name again) would call it tippy tappy....i like tippy tappy if we are winning matches. :D

We've only had 3 games for fucks sake, and now he's the new Hoddle? Last month most of you had your pitchforks aimed at the bloke.

What will next months emotion be I wonder?

Who actually said he was the new Hoddle, though?  I think someone might have said we have been playing football that reminded them of Hoddle's team - albeit for just a handful of games - but not the 'new Hoddle'.  There's no need to polarise like that.


I very much agree with this.  It's very early days but, at the very least, Mark has done enough to earn the chance to prove himself, surely?

it's down to relief.

Pre-season almost everyone had us down as relegation favourites, getting stuffed every game.

Now, albeit after only 3 games, we've seen possibilities.

Not just the possibility of avoiding relegation but surviving easily enough and even having a chance of better than that

In short, these 3 games have given us, the fans, hope where there was none.

Not everyone.Some of us thought some of these players may be quite decent

If we reproduced results so far we would finish with 69 points.....and win the League Cup.  Would settle for that.

Way, way too early to judge Cooperman by results or even performances.  I'd like to know how he was planning for the rest of the season with August and September behind him. 

However, if there was going to be an outstanding candidate who was prepared to come here, I just think we may have found him by now.

Cooperman may have as good an understanding as anyone as to what the club is trying to achieve and how on the player side and what the club is looking for in a Head Coach/Manager thingummy, having worked closely with KMac.  If this is a bit of a lottery then I would certainly wish Cooper success.

seems a guy deserving of another chance in the FL and I'd love to see him succeed.  Cooper

Or at least willing to see what they are made off before writing them off!

Nobody has said best since Hoddle, as in Manager.  I've mentioned that it is the most attractive effort at total football since that time.  It is way to early to say whether it will be a success or not.

I'll admit I am surprised and relieved we seem competitive 'out the box' so to speak. Long may it continue.

Cooper hasn't done a lot wrong, its early days of course.

My reason for being guarded on giving him the job right away other than it being a bit soon is that a) we don't know who else is available b) we don't know what our business model (player recruitment policy) will be once costs are where they.

If the answer to a) is the usual suspects, or b) is same as this year where the manager (allegedly) has little say in matters then go ahead and appoint him.

If someone 'special' is available that isn't available too often, or if we return to the more traditional model of the manager bringing in players then I think we should think about it a bit more. A more established/successful manager can (arguably) attract players during times of trouble that Cooper may not.

But a  someone kind of said, you could employ Alex Ferguson and not be guaranteed success.

No No No

I've never been against giving him the job, having seen what we are trying to do I'm now keen for him to get the job.

Aside from the actual football style, which I think we can make work, we need to let any targets know who will be in charge for them to have confidence that the move is right for them.  The majority of our previous signings have either been told to come here by spurs or were in need of a club so couldn't afford to be too picky.  I think we've been lucky with the quality we have signed in these regards but the next signing, the much coveted lone striker willing to play in league one and give 100%, is going to be considering other options.

You may argue that whoever gets the 'job' won't be a manager, merely a head coach, but he'll be the man in charge day to day.

As for the style, I'm inclined to liken us to Brighton when they won the division, serious possession football. A few fans were against it at first but soon caught on when they realised it was working.  I'm not saying we're as good as they were but you get my point I'm sure.  We're bound to get this style with whoever else is in change as they'll be told this is how it is but I'll take my chances on Cooper as he's shown enough for me to trust him to do the job.

As an aside, I love the look of Mason, if he can stay fit then I think whoever the new striker is could profit greatly from his range of passing, what with Louongo charging forward and, hopefully, Pritchard getting up to speed I think we can score goals once we're settled down with a new striker.  We look ok at the back, Ward is the most important player in the squad for me so it's vital he doesn't get injured, we'd be rudderless down shit creek without him.

I'm a great believer in players/managers just being the right fit for a specific club at a specific time.

They may well have been useless somewhere else or go on to be useless somewhere else.

I just feel Cooper is the right man at this specific time.

I agree completely with the above.

Where as I completely agree. But let's not fall out about it.

So you agree with my idea that Cooper will get the job, because he's around, cheap and a yes man.

I'd put it as, Cooper believes in the style that the board want this club to become known for, he has the trust, belief and support of the players and maybe this is his chance to prove some of the doubters (especially those from Posh) wrong.

Do we know Cooper "believes" in possession football?  Wasn't one of the criticisms of his time at Posh that he was a direct football man?  Did Kettering knock it around Barca style, in the Conference?  I don't know.

I was going to ask that.  (And then didn't.)  To what extent is the passing football of the last few games down to Mark Cooper, and to what extent down to the players we have signed (mainly from Spurs)?

We could always take a risk on someone who’s the total opposite – a “no man”.
One of those high profile types with a shit load of baggage and a sizeable annual salary.
One willing to speak out against his employers because they won’t lend the club another £2m for him to piss away on shit players, which he’ll only alienate within 5 minutes before paying up their contract.
One who would throw his toys out of the pram and quit the club in a hissy fit if things didn’t go his way.
One who will attempt to sue the club despite the precarious financial position he played a part in leaving it in.

I’m personally of the view that if Cooper is doing a better job than MacDonald then it’s win-win. 3 games isn’t enough to tell but we should have a good idea by the end of the month.

It appears to be a top down decision from Power/McCrory...now I've no particular problem with that, insofar as it sets a target and then leaves the manager/coach to deliver...I've no particular problem with Power being responsible for recruitment as long as it is in proper consultation with the coach, who must have some power of veto as well as being able to forward names of targets.

My main problem with Cooper, is I don't see any evidence of the necessary experience of the coaching of young players to the level of excellence I'd expect in a set up like that being established.

Didn't we bring in a couple of new coaches recently?

Could there be more to follow to support Mr Cooper and put Reg's fears to bed?

If he has no faith in it then it's pretty impressive he's pulling it off so well... so far anyway.

Think so, but it's been a bit quiet on this, wasn't one from Brighton? I would imagine, these have been a Board appointment rather than a Cooper appointment...also part of the Spurs link I believe is that they will provide some coaching. So if Cooper is able to operate within this collegiate structure then fair enough, if it works.

You work with what you've got. If you're provided with the types of players that he has been left in charge of here, then it's probably only going to encourage you to play a certain style - whether he's been told to by the dark overlords or not.
I believe in this style of football and it certainly isn't because I've been told to. As a modern day manager, how can you not believe in it?

This is true. No disrespect to Kettering, but I can't imagine Cooper had a set of players who had the ability to keep the ball and work posession. Possibly this was his downfall at Peterborough, trying to play hoofball in the Championship, don't really know.

He doesn't really have a choice but to play a passing game with our team of midgets but so far it sounds like it might be working.

My slight worry is that it sounded like Stevenage made 1 simple change, to put a striker man marking Kasim which brought them back into the game in the second half. I wonder if Cooper has the tactical nous to get round things like this. If the way to nullify our threat is to take Kasim out of the game then I hope he might have some ideas of how to get around this.

He also seems to be drifting towards being a one-trick pony. 2nd half on Saturday Stevenage worked us out (and they're not one of the better teams in the division by a long way) and we seemed to have no plan b. I think its admirable to try and play passing football in L1, but a good manager will know when to mix it up and that the game needs something different. Not sure Cooper is capable of that from what I've seen so far.

Mark Cooper at the moment splits the view of us all, could we a good appointment or a disaster
Seems we are doing ok with playing nice football but teams will change their style to bypass this for the whole game then do we have the capability to counter not sure
What are the criteria that people want for a manager, we have good managers Hoddle, PDC to name a couple but it has always been when they leave not if they leave. Therefore we have been 1 step forward and 2 back on occasions due to bringing in a named ex player who will put bums on seats for the first few games  or journey manager’s(Wilson)
As we have no money surely we need to look at a steady Eddie, stability in the league possible push for play offs every other year and a decent run in the cup to bring in some revenue Progress kids through the team sell on with a profit
Does Mark Cooper fit that bill I am not sure, 3 games is too early to call, my lingering question has been why have Jed and Co not filled the role either internally or externally. Is Kevin Mac still technically the manager?
One other point has any of the current playing staff voiced the view “give Mark Cooper the job”

Spot on.

The Spurs coaching link was strongly denied by Jed on the phone in.

I find it hard to form an opinion on managers, I thought Wilson would be god for us, and PDC would be a disaster.

We had success with Wise, Sturrock, PDC, but the football was more efficient the good, in fact Sturrock was a lot more direct.

If Cooper is given the job, then its only fair he is given the support of the fan base, it's not so much of an unknown quantity as the managers named above, as he is doing the job right now. even PDC struggled for a plan B and C.

Some good points here....ideally I'd like someone like Inglethorpe, but reality is we can't afford someone of his calibre, unless for some personal reason he'd take a sizeable pay cut.

If they are not going to get in a Tisdale/Hoddle level of manager then they should give it to Cooper until Xmas or for the season.  Maybe use some of the budget freed up by Kmac's departure to bring in an experienced head next to him like Wovers did with Trollope.

Thanks Reg
Who is Inglethorpe ?

Cooper had a plan B v Peterborough and it worked exceptionally well.

He also made two substitutions at half time that won us the game v Torquay.

FWIW I thought the subs he made v Stevenage were good, but a little too late. In the end you can hardly complain about our 'lack of a plan B' because we got 3 points. Plan A worked.

Did a stint at Exeter, pre Tisdale, then worked in the Spurs youth set up before getting the job of Liverpool reserve manager under Rodgers...3 years younger than Cooper, but very different experiences...Cooper has mostly managed non league basket cases....which I'm sure is a valuable learning curve, whereas Inglethorpe, would seem to have the coaching pedigree, especially as Rodgers wants to play a certain style, so will have picked Inglethorpe for that reason.

Liverpool reserve boss, would prob be on at least twice what we'll pay, so no real chance.

And, what people are forgetting, is that 2 of our more technical players who will no doubt be 'first on the team sheet'ers in Mason and Pritchard were not playing.

So give Cooper some credit.

When we get our CF sorted, let's see what we can do then

Yep - the bench was weaker because those two are injured, thats fair enough, but the only come back so far seems to be about players & subs. There's more to being a manager than making subs. His formation was wrong versus Stevenage and he isn't getting the best out of Storey as he clearly struggled with that wide position.

I'm ignoring Torquay by the way as they are a lower half L2 side so that's not an indication of how good we're going to be this season.

There are some positives for Cooper too, I get that. The style of football has been enjoyable to watch. I'm just maybe cautious (like others) in that I wouldn't give him the job on the back of one home win versus Stevenage. Perhaps giving it to him till Christmas is the answer. The "Malpas lesson" alone should prove that.

Tee hee.

OK then, well I'm 'not counting' Peterborough as they are clearly too good for this league. So a 100% record isn't too bad :) I don't think the result is anything to be snuffed at given the shocks that did occur in the first round. That could easily have been us... instead the team were not complacent and did the job required of them. You can't not count that, Cooper deserves credit for that.

He changed the formation at Peterborough and used Storey to good advantage, increasing our domination. Storey should probably not play out wide, no, but you must be able to see the logic in putting a youngster with ligthtening quick pace out wide? I'd also suggest that his formation v Stevenage was spot on. Especially first half. Would changing to a 4-4-2 second half have helped? They were pressing our midfield hard and we don't have the outlets up top at the moment. 4-4-2 would have seen us barraged towards the end, which fortunately we were not. So I'm afraid I can't agree with you there.

It's a sensible option to give him until christmas, but I don't see the point in shaking up a team and a system that is, so far at least, very decent.

I wondered who'd be the first to pick that up! Well done Si, never let me down!

I love the self-confidence of people on here who feel able to tell the manager that he got the formation wrong!  I saw a team playing superb football for a lot of the first half, during which the opposition barely got a look i, and which caused their local newspaper to declare that Swindon would be pushing for promotion again.  Well in that case I hope Cooper continues to et it so wrong.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24188270

Article on the beeb.

He's really doing an outstanding job. Seems to be something we don't talk about much. That's all.

And Lee Power is backing him, perhaps not the wide boy several made him out to be!!

Power had a lot of bad press from his previous football ventures but from what I've seen and heard (which is all I can comment on) I really like him.

And Cooper for that matter. People seem to be really, really reluctant to give him any credit.

I'm still gob smacked at how well we/they are doing.

not a patch on Bath RFC of course

The progression from last season is outstanding. Both the team and from cooper. You only have to view the previous comments to see that, that "one trick pony" has made us into a team that is extremely hard to beat, we struggled away last season against numerous teams and even at home, his substitutions and selections are really working.

And yet the public don't support.
The football is fantastic......well done Mark Cooper.

He's worked wonders with only one real signing and Obika joined late.

I will never take to him after last seasons after match sessions but I have to eat my shit where this season is concerned...

I know our town is full of them but no need to keep going round them in conversation. its too much money for most! we have the 7th highest average attendance in the league. they are depressing low for us at the moment but could be a lot worse. imagaine if we were struggling?


what happened here?!

I think he's referring to his one word grumpy post match interviews.

I haven't been to the CG for two years now. Not because of cooper, but due to finances and kids I can't afford to. Sat is family day. As the kids grow up I'm sure I'll be back, but at the moment I'm an armchair supporter.

Does this make me less of a supporter? I think not. Times have changed. Are the x thousand in the same boat? Who knows.

Of course not.

It's the 1000 odd from last season who no longer attend.

Sure, some may be finding it hard financially, but not all of them.

I honestly dont understand it - the play is more entertaining and at the moment look more likely to finish in the top 6 than last season.

The cost is roughly the same - apart from a £2 increase for some games - so what is stopping them?

Me and my boy have been season ticket holders for the last 3 seasons but he went up a price bracket, not a massive increase but enough to make a struggle financially. Factor in fuel costs from Worcester ( yes I know loads travel further) and it makes it hard.

I think the close season uncertainty with the board etc has had a huge say on the drop in attendance and the fall in ST. Without that, i think we would be around the same as last year. Problem is, those who didnt renew are unlikely to want to pay 25quid a game on average so will pick and choose this year

I think cooper is doing an exceptional job with what he has to work with, I think that we have kept 90% of a good squad that now knows each other really helps, Kasim seems to come leaps & bounds from last season. Mass seems to be struggling a bit at the moment & I can see him being dropped for Reeves on Tuesday. I spoke to Obika after the game & he admitted he is a much better person since he was last here. His words were I have grown up alot since then.

He is doing a great job, sadly after the PDC era, the board struggles etc it was always going to be a bit of a lull. Hopefully a good season will help resolve this.

likewise, I've been a couple of times in the past year or so, took my eldest (4) to his first game last season, but it's just too expensive to go at the moment. A season ticket isn't an option as I work late shifts so would miss the midweek games as well.

Problem is as Sippo has said times and priorities change. kids definitely make you think more about your disposable income, I wonder if the problem is the same one as the pubs though. Whilst our generation was happy to go up the pub week in week out, it seems this generation of 18-24 years don't share that passion.

Is it the same with Football, costs quite a bit, are they being priced out, instead preferring to watch football on the box?

Also the actual match day experience at the CG isn't great, let's be honest, as others have said (elsewhere) we used to get to the ground at around 2ish going back (and that was for the evening kick offs ;-)) watched the warm up, the atmosphere would be building and building, you don't get that anymore.

I think once my lad gets to 4/5 I'll be back watching town but at the minute I prefer to keep an eye on town and spend time and money with i bambini.

As I'm in that Age bracket (just) Jan, I thought I'd put in my two cents.

I work a lot of Saturdays, and the ones I do get off are often my only full day off in the week - I love my team and I enjoy the football, but if I went every single Saturday I'd never get a proper 'day off' - living in North Dorset means it's not a short trip, and as such I am what some may call 'fair weather', picking and choosing my matches.

I went to my second game of the season yesterday, and I'll typically try and make it up for at least 5/6 over the course of the year plus a few away games (hopefully more) but with fuel, a ticket, and the essential programme and a pint before the match you start looking at money I can't afford to spend every single week.

Sitting in the DRS as I mostly do, I have noticed a distinct drop in volume over the past few years of people willing to sing out. They're more than willing to clap, but singers have reduced in number. Losing the south side has I think damaged the atmosphere a little bit. If you look around you, there are a lot of older faces too. I know there are some being replaced, but I do think you're right, and there's an issue with a lack of people in the age bracket you've stipulated. And they're generally more likely to get a little pissed and sing out.

As for pubs it's bar culture that's damaging them for that age bracket - people don't stay in one place all night, or even have four or five before moving elsewhere, they'll come in, drink a pint, then bugger off.  It's different to how it was back in the day.

While i agree with most of that the fact is if dicanio was here gates would be higher and that is unfair.The club have to do alot more at the moment

Pubs shutting at half 2 or whatever it was helped that.
Now you can stay in the pub till KO, right side of TE only fills up just after KO these days.
Plus that feathered fucknut and his haka is enough reason not to get in the ground till last minute .

On the season ticket issue - I can't always make every game but only miss a few. 

But it works out that you can miss around 5 games (in the townend - it works out even more for Don Rogers) but any games I miss I always try and give to a mate for a tenner, so its a win-win if you know other fans.

I try and avoid getting into the ground earlier due to the terrible "music" choices which appear to be aimed at 12 year olds.

speechless...had a gander on the Sheffield United forum as people keep quoting it. Saw a thread on shef wed attendances and see that adult tickets for category c are £10 around the ground! Highest is £30 for a cat A.

Yeah, the £2 difference either way for different categories at the CG really renders the idea pointless.

If they are going down this road the Cat C games should be cheap as chips

Didn't we try this idea of category pricing back in the Hunt days and it totally failed.

Interview with Coops in the Football League paper. Talking about his days at Telford and when Kev Mac brought him in.

Yep.

Shirley, Coops has to be in line to win Manager of the Month for September

Please no...we all know what that portends.  Much better, to be like on yesterday's FLS, goals shown  with the also rans and no mention from Manish or Claridge.

Cotterill is doing a marvellous job....

I agree, Reg. Keeping under the radar is working well for us at the moment.

Dongs have the Man Utd win on their backs, Shitty are unbeaten and the rest, us included, don't warrant a mention.

Fantastic!

Look back at last season's MotM for Div 3....and of the 9 months, 7 went to managers who failed to go up, Jackett and Warburton got 1 apiece, and Lardarse Evans, who did go up was nowhere near. Now it must be hard for Evans to avoid detection by a radar, but it did them no harm.

We were like the 7th / 8th game on.. despite the fact we're 3rd in the table! I'm with you though, the longer no one notices us the better.

Claridge is a cock, we could win it by 25 points and would still not mention us

Or criticise our reliance on loans as he did last year when we hit good form.

I find it odd, and not a little infuriating that they'll slag us off for that (which seems to me, to make sense both financially, and in the development of young players) yet universally praise the likes of Bournemouth, without ever mentioning the unsustainable amount cash they've spunked to get in that position.

Seems like Manish is programmed to say 'what a great job Eddie Howe's done since he went back there' every time Bournemouth win, seems Steve Claridge and Karl Robinson have joined his regular rimming list this season too.

URGH, TELL ME ABOUT IT

Fucking 'muff man...

This!!!

Claridge fucks me off....sit on the fence cunt...

I hope the wheels fly off Bmuff and they catch fire and explode... i will drive down and laugh at the cunts when it does....

Did we fuck him off or something when he played for Leicester?

I will happily join you and when they are walking round with the begging bowls agains Im happy to start the chants of you can stick your fucking bucket up your arse.

I also dont like Bournemouth.

The one that really got to me (and not just on the FLS, but everywhere) is the constant coverage of Fleetwoods 'remarkable' rise. They have been well and truly bankrolled from the Northern Leagues to League One and have spent more in the last 10 years then I imagine a lot of clubs in league two have.

I fucking hate Claridge with a passion. Hes an utter, utter cunt.

His hair is shit as well.

Cunt.

He talks utter rubbish too....claimed Sheff Utd were back in the running just because they won 2-1 on Sat...the FLS is the pits.

It really is a shit show, I dont even bother with it now. Just wait for the goals to come out on youtube

You mean the Sheffield utd that have lost one of their last six?

Who was that against ?

Whilst I completely agree that Steve Claridge is a wanker, some of you seem to be overestimating our televisual appeal outside of Wiltshire.

It has always been thus with TV.

You can be playing the best football in the world but if there is no 'name' to interest the pundits they will choose some nondescript shite who just happen to have someone attached that they think may just pull in a few more viewers.

You can say what you like about PdC but even at our level he was box office

Speaking of TV... do we actually have any televised games planned?..

Home to Arsenal 3rd Round FA Cup

Fantastic. Thanks :-)

It stems from his being interviewed for the managers job at Swindon and being rejected around the time that Evans was appointed manager, he came out in the press saying how small minded a club we were and going nowhere unless we appointed him, which we didn't.

Thank God.... I simply don't understand what the problem is though...there seems to be some kind of pecking order on the FLS, with the top six teams in the league being shown first, with some managerial interview or comment.  We started Sat in 4th and finished in 3rd, and we didn't feature until midway through 'the rest'.... we scored three goals, so it wasn't as if there was nothing to show...it can only have been a deliberate editorial decision.

Yet when we're in or around the play-offs at the end of the season, Claridge will start spouting some rhetoric about how excellent we've been all season, about our youth policy, our style of play etc. etc.

I quite enjoy reading comments from fans of other teams after they've received a schooling by "Swindon-fucking-Town". Long may it continue.

Whilst it's kind of pointless to moan about the FLS, piece of tripe that it is (Lets have 2 hours of programming on the Premier League and 2 hours on everything fucking else because that's fair), there has never really been any consistency to how they show teams, or discuss them.

I don't watch it anymore because I don't see the point, but I imagine when we smashed Sheffield 5-2 and utterly dominated the game against opposition who are looking to be going up this season, making them look like rank amateurs in the process, we probably got a comment somewhere along the lines of 'They're playing well.' before they moved onto the next item.

I think Claridge said 4 of ours were clearly offside and the penalty shouldn't have stood..

I didn't have the sound on but the Sky lower league highlights package focussed on our goals specifically. Not sure what Andy Hinchcliffe and the presenter had to say about them mind.

Claridge aside, I love the fact that BBC stump up for the rights. It wasn't so long ago that the football league was entirely absent from the beeb other than at local level. I hardly think there is a Swindon vendetta either... That's probably over estimating our profile in the mind of others. When Paynter and Austin were banging them in, the FLS was like groundhog day, praising them continuously.

& when Di Canio was in charge tbf.

Yeah, leave it alone.  Would rather watch FLS than MOTD.  I skip through the comments (as I do with MOTD) Only interested in watching the football.  I can make my own mind up on the matches, I don't need an ex-pro to tell me where things went wrong/right.

I have not watched MOTD for years now, just not really interested in the PL any more.

I do watch the FL show from Divvy 1 onwards though as I want to see how the opposition sides to us are shaping up. Got to say that Bristol City appear to be getting all sorts of luck from what I have seen - may it run out very shortly!

snap, I stopped watching MOTD a couple of years back. I would much rather watch football league highlights now.

I think the FLS is fine really. I don't know what people are moaning about. They quite often say good things about us. Sheffield United for example - "Well 5 goals against Sheffield United was as clear a statement of intent as you could wish to get...really young squad... something something something."

Amazingly enough, they have to try to give equal, unbiased coverage to all 72 teams so they can't really have 20 minutes of Swindon highlights followed by another 20 minutes of saying how good Swindon are. They're always bound to piss off some fucker from some Club somewhere who thinks the BBC 'hate their Club'.

People chose to remember the times when they don't give us a mention and forget all the times where they praise us.

Take the Swindon coloured glasses off chaps.

It does seem that they went from their usual rundown from the top of the league on Saturday.  They've just decided that they were going to focus on Barnsley rather than us and Barnsley are down the bottom in the shit.

Still a crap show.

I imagine it's because Barnsley have been in the higher leagues for a few years now. It's funny,  I always remember when we played Barnsley more regularly and they always seemed to be one of those clubs that would draw the lowest gate at the CG.

I don't understand the grief that the FLS gets, i watch it for highlights to see towns goals and to see our competition. Thats exactly what it does. I don't give a fuck if claridge has good or bad things to say. I quite like the weekly features around each club, gives an insight to many teams that as a town fan you would never really see. the luton edition was very good for example.

They have done us as the feature at least twice in the last few seasons, pretty fair Imo. As for claridge he has called us crap when we have been and its been deserved. Don't get all the negativity either as said above its a 72 team highlight show crammed into 90 mins.

That's the issue though. 72 clubs in 90 minutes, even if it's only 36 games, is a ridiculous format. It simply needs to be either longer or split up into 45 minute programmes for each league. If they can bang on for half an hour about a single premiership game then they can talk for 45 minutes on 12 (probably less because of games not always being on a Saturday) League games.

Football in this country is lop-sided in every way, and the TV coverage is part of that. I'm not saying that Swindon is unfairly treated, or that Claridge is a twat or anything, or that the audience will be the same size as MOTD, but you can't have something like MOTD for half a dozen games and then cram 72 clubs into the same time frame. It's just not on.

To add to this, League One doesn't seem to feature until at least 40 minutes in. So that's half the time for two leagues.

The simple fact is that The Premier League generates much more interest and viewing figures. For example; how many people really give a shit how Fleetwood got on, apart from Fleetwood fans?

Average viewing figures for MOTD - over 4 million.

Average viewing figures for TFLS - 1.1 million.

Of course football is lop sided, but it's not just in this country. Most people are more interested in the top tier, wherever you go. In fact I'd be surprised if the 2nd/3rd/4th tiers in Italy, Germany, Spain, etc, get any television programme dedicated solely to them.

How long has the FLS been going? Not long. Before then it was a couple of minutes on the regional news, if that.

Surely you remember Saturday soccer special?

The highlights used to be a two liner on teletext, and maybe a line in the Sunday paper, before all this devils brew internet and digital television malarkey.

Haha. Yeah, vaguely. But as soon as the Premiership was invented tv execs realised that the only way to generate high viewing figures for football on the box was to focus on the cream that is the top flight.

France has a ppv channel showing Ligue 2 games live every week. Attendances vary between 1k to 20k.

Pay per view isn't the National broadcaster showing a highlights programme on their main channel though, is it? Sky (I think) regularly have FL games on, but given the number of sports channels they have, they can afford to.

Is Late Kick Off still on or has that gone?

We used to have live coverage of 2nd Division games on the box every week back in the 90s, with Swindon being regulars.....especially during the Hoddle days. Mind you Swindon was considered a Midlands team in those days, being shown on Central TV. Handy for me at the time as I lived near Coventry....

I have no problem with the format really.  They focus more on the Championship, they choose a particular club to do a little article on, and that can seem quite random, which is fine.  But the fact is, there IS a format, and they do focus on the top five or six clubs in League 1, with slightly longer highlights and a brief extract of a manager's comments, and then simply show the goals from the rest.  If there is a format, stick to it....Swindon are in the top six, they are scoring goalos, are unbeaten in six, and are generally provoking quite a lot of comment.  Why then are they not in that first segment of League 1 coverage?  And Claridge is an opiniated mong, but then he is expected to have something to say even about clubs and players whom he has probably never heard of!!

The BBC are very keen to bin the FLS, which is why they stick it on so late, and don't show anything when there's an international break, despite the fact there'll still be some matches going on.

 A shame, because it's better than nothing...as for Claridge, I don't dislike the fella, OK sometimes he can be a bit annoying, but I respect him as a journeyman footballer, who plainly does like playing, and probably still turns out, for a pub team or something.

He spent most of his time in the lower leagues, and does have at least some sort of handle, on what the level is about....so for example Manish, was getting lubed up about Lansdown and the Shitheads, whereas Claridge pointed out, they were entitled to doing OK in Div 3 for the 40 odd mill that Lansdown has spunked on them.

How do you know this? Serious question, is this a widely known thing or something they've hinted at somewhere?

Someone probably wrote it on swindon-town-fc.co.uk

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/football-league-show-to-be-axed-by-bbc-98890

It was very much up in the air 3 years ago, but then a new contract was signed which may expire at season's end.

With the Tories likely turn the screw even harder on Mr and Mrs Joe Public, should they be re-elected or in a coalition with UKIP, then Auntie faces an uncertain future of licence fee freezes and cuts.

PS, the original link to a media trade outlet, was originally fine, giving a bit more detail, to the background, but then went to a subscription needed thing, once posted on here....so here's a replacement article from the Mirror

That doesn't start until January/February every year, they only get interested towards the end of the season.

Statements like this only fan the flames for those who accuse you of senility Reg.

I think the only reason that Swindon were not the 3rd or 4th game shown was that some one made a mistake in the editing department. Nothing more sinister than that and nothing to do with the nasty BBC not liking us ::)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2746282/Panicking-Tory-MPs-plot-deal-Ukip-demand-Farage-Deputy-PM.html

And now you're using The Daily Mail for evidence? Oh dear.

The Daily Mail tends to have its ear to the ground when it comes to matters Tory, after all they're desperate for them to win the next election.

It's going to be fun, to see how the upcoming bye-elections go...the swivel eyed ex Tory loons Carswell and Reckless, could conceivably get into Parliament for UKIP.

I'll be amazed if UKIP get more than 5 seats.

Carswell is a shoo-in. Reckless is the one that there will actually be a fight, if UKIP retain that seat then the Tories are going to have some serious heebie jeebies. Still think they'll win the election though, Labour have a lead but I suspect that will evaporate the moment that the Tories stick Ed Milliband's face on billboards.

Talking of which, too early for a general election thread? Could be the most interesting one in a while.

Yes, I'd say way too early....worth keeping an eye on what's happening in these bye-elections though.

Isn't it done by and large in order of where the home side lies in the table? That seems to be the pattern I've noticed, unless it's a "big club" or a live game.

I thought it was done in descending order of league position

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2782302/FOOTBALL-LEAGUE-COLUMN-Cooper-s-kids-right-Swindon-challenging-promotion-Championship.html

Uh oh....getting more recognition....

To be expected, surely.

They always love an angle but at least managed to steer away from the 'you win nothing with kids' line

Wait till someone tells them Kasim is an immigrant.

Carswell got in then...but UKIP also got close in Heywood.  A protest vote, or something more significant for the months ahead?

Carswell's extremely popular locally, he would be elected regardless of who he represented... A general election will probably give us a better idea of the significance. It will be interesting though to see how long Carswell lasts before being 'ushered' out of the party.

Phew, seems that the goons who decide these things agree  ;)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2836975/Mark-Cooper-ends-Bristol-City-s-

Good luck Terry - a great attacking full back for England and Leeds and a decent man by all accounts - even as a manager of Bristol City in its darkest days - and now sadly very ill.

 

And great respect/sympathy for Copper junior,  it can't have been easy these last few weeks.

Doing a fab job with little money- which is th mark of a good manager unlike Cotterill

He's won  manager of the month

WE'RE DOOMED!



Well done, Coops.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooo.

 :suicide:

Putting the myth of the MOM curse aside...

A richly deserved award for Mark Cooper. Am I imagining it or is he not getting as much love as he should be from STFC fans?

I just get the feeling that some people can't get the idea out of their heads that he was appointed because he happened to be 1) in the right place at the right time, was 2) the cheap/easy option and 3) the only reason we are any good is because of Lee Power and his contacts.

1 and 2 may be true but 3 certainly isn't and Cooper should be getting a hell of a lot more credit. This is a good start.

I thought it was an atrocious appointment. I was atrociously wrong. Back to back Manager of the Month awards please Mark.

I was very much (note the emphasis on very much) against Cooper's appointment. I've mentioned it before but when you consider that his previous appointments post-Peterborough were essentially babysitting doomed football clubs then it was absolutely understandable why so many were not keen at the time. Plus those who prefer big names who had barely heard of him etc

Cooper has done a great job thus far but managers at this level are judged by, for want of a better word, real achievements. For all the great results and lovely football, we need this side to get us up... and I really hope they do, obv.

I don't think any sane Town fan could have envisaged the position we are now in at the time of Cooper's appointment.

It signalled the end of PdC's era (Kmac notwithstanding) of excess and we were all faced with a slashed budget, young players nobody had ever heard of and the inevitable decline of the club into the nether regions of the pyramid.

The fact that the exact polar opposite happened is nothing short of miraculous.

Whether by pure good luck or by design it heralded the 'perfect storm'. The right manager, the right Chairman and, of course, the right mix of players all coming together at the right time.

As regards Cooper in isolation - a man cannot do better than making the very best of an opportunity that comes his way.

Wonder if KMac has any regrets now

Job by default...

Post interview style (arrogant and flippant) fucked me off last season and that match at Blades will haunt me for a long time.

This season has been a complete turnaround and I am choking on humble pie as Town sit pretty.

Let's see if we can keep it going...

As a collective, the fans have been wrong about most things: Cooper, the loan links/policy, paying money for Nathan Byrne, not getting rid of Andy Williams, Michael Smith being shit and not worth the money, Power vs Jed (leading to the most cringe worthy brown nosing I have ever seen on social media), gearing up for a relegation battle this season, the lack of playing budget.
I don’t think the fans were wrong about Kevin Macdonald, it was just a shame a lot of people’s minds were made up too quickly.

A couple of defeats and some of you will be calling for his head again.

He'll be the victim of his own success, certainly with supporters.

I think Cooper will fall for the Manager of the month curse....we will not win this Saturday :D

I have to agree with all the comments above, I was not in favour of Cooperman as manager right through last season, his interviews annoyed me a lot, blaming the fans for getting on (underperforming) players backs and not blaming himself at all for poor tactical choices.

But this season he has improved his media skills (yes not a major thing but its good to have someone who can talk to the media in charge) and we have come on leaps and bounds as a team under his managership.

I am glad to be proved wrong and long may that continue.

Well done Mark you deserved the award and even if we do fall off (heaven forbid) from the title chase then he must be in with a shout for "Manager of the season" award.

I don't think his media interaction has changed at all frankly, and I have always liked the way he deals with the press. He's not arrogant, he's measured. Weighs his words carefully before saying anything. If it doesn't need more than a single word answer he won't give it.

Congrats Coops, now lets push on and win the fucking league.

WE ARE COOPER'S RED AND WHITE ARMY

Cooper shouldn't have got the job.

I'm glad he did. I don't care who is pulling the recruitment strings, its currently working. He and his coaching staff have been near faultless given the restrictions placed on them.

(http://www.football-league.co.uk/cms_images/news/mark-cooper-8x6549-2124174_478x359.jpg)

Congrats to Coops! I wasn't big behind his appointment but he's turned me around and I fully back his appointment. Hopefully the MOM curse doesn't strike and we kick on to get promotion!!!

I only say "Cooper out" when we win.

Because that's what you call your penis?

He'll wince if cooper ever gets the chop

Who the hell names their penis?

Samdy apparently.

Apparently he calls it chinook because its a massive chopper.

Well done Super Coops !!

My point really was not that people were against the appointment (mine was 'meh... you might as well give him a go, at least he knows the players, if we're bottom after 6 games he'll be out the door')...but that those people don't seem to be able to move on from the fact that he was 'the cheap option' and in 'the right place at the right time'. The fact  is that he has done an absolutely superb job.

OK, people on here have given him credit but the general 'vibe' I get (and I stress this is not directed at anyone specifically) is that people think we would be doing this well whoever was in charge and that our recent relative success is all down to Power. Maybe that's not the case but that's just what I'm picking up.

Costanza, you said he hadn't achieved anything. I disagree.  I think that getting us to 8th last season and 2nd so far this season playing football which at times is a joy to watch, with players who are a totally unknown quantity at this level, is most definitely an achievement. Hopefully it will all translate to a more tangible achievement in the form of promotion.

At the start of this season, or maybe it was during the pre-season, some people were still saying they would love to have Sherwood here. Why? What's he done? Why did they think he would be better than Cooper? Maybe they've changed their opinion now... :hmmm:

Only recently, when Rosler got the Spanish Archer at Wigan some one said they would love to have him here. Again, why? How much better could we possibly do under him than with Cooper?? (I like Rosler btw but come on...)

I can't be arsed to look it up but I would like to see what Il Duce's record was for the same number of games that Cooper has been in charge for. I'm sure that Cooper's record compares very favourably. I don't expect him for one second to get the same level of hero worship that Di Canio did. Any praise that does go his way though, just seems to be given a bit reluctantly.

To sum up, people seem to be a bit 'meh' about Cooper when the fact is, we got very lucky indeed.

I maybe talking bollocks (I probably am)....that's just the feeling I get.  

Costanza - OK I've read it again and you didn't exactly say he'd not achieved anything but I can't be arsed to change it now 8)

I was against the appointment on the basis that it was a case of 'cheap man, right time'.  Clearly that was wrong as we appear to have achieved the opposite with the added bonus of a Chairman who more or less fits the bill for the time being.

Well done to Cooper and long may he continue... Unless we look like getting relegated of course...

Too right - I'll be chanting for his head with the rest of them if that happens ;)

We've not reached 52 points yet.....

See the MOM curse has struck again.

Brentford's manager Warburton who got the Championship award yesterday heralded his team's first defeat in a while at Huddersfield today.

Let's hope the week's break will break the hoodoo

Still disappointed Sheena Easton didn't get the job. Maybe one day eh?

where is Steve Lomas when you need him?

http://www.swindonlinksport.com/2015/03/11/wednesday-webchat-mark-cooper-special-1pm/

Interesting read for those that haven't done so. See we almost got Harry Kane last season.

Edam disgrace!

Disgusted, although brings it back a little with the cheese, ham, tomato and mustard toastie.

Interesting read and does seem to answer questions honestly.

What's wrong with Edam?  Decent versatile cheese, which has the advantage of being quite low fat.  I use it as an "everyday" sort of cheese.

It's tasteless

Sorry - cheddar is the only 'everyday cheese' that is acceptable!

Yeah, and none of that mild pap, either

Edam? I just, I, I, I just... EDAM?

That's fucking it. Cooper out.

Just seen the adver story for tomorrow after that q and a.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v303/blinkpip/byrne%20fifa_1.png) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/blinkpip/media/byrne%20fifa_1.png.html)

Who's Bynre?

I think even the adver would be able to spell Byrne.

Let's not get into 'Coopers'

Edam... Edam. we aren't going up now.

Edam is a decent all round cheese for open faced sandwiches with additional toppings

Edam, the only cheese made backwards.

"Edam is a decent all round cheese" "open faced sandwiches"

Good god man, get a fucking grip would ya?

Badoom, tsch!

Still, it's a better answer than Dairylea.

Open faced sandwiches? You've spent too long in Norway, you've gone all continental.

Edam - babybell are good, its an OK cheese, but how could it possibly be anyone's favourite?

Edam may be a bit of a tasteless affair but it's certainly a red army cheese. Back in the day Razor could have passed for a dressed up Edam with ease

This 'open faced sandwich' nonsense has irked me.

Is cheese on toast an 'open faced sandwich?. No, no it fucking isn't. It's Cheese on toast. Or Bruschetta? Is Bruschetta and 'open faced sandwich'?... No, no it fucking isn't. It's tomato on toast.

A sandwich is a sandwich and stuff on toast is stuff on toast. We're not accepting such heathen nordic nonsense.

We're all Europeans now...

...except the Norwegians.  And the Swiss etc.

Fucking heathens.

(http://static2.melk.no/sitefiles/site6/files/artimg/kan-ost-og-yoghurt-erstatte-melk13.jpg)

Bruschetta with cheese, or Cheese on toast/bread with tomato.

Still not a sandwich, infidel.

It's so close to being a sandwich but ends up a million miles from being one

2 slices with stuff inbetween, simple

A cheese and tomato sandwich:...

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v490/jamiethon/Tomato-Mayonnaise-Cheese-Sandwich_zpsfdnfmrxd.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jamiethon/media/Tomato-Mayonnaise-Cheese-Sandwich_zpsfdnfmrxd.jpg.html)

Note how the ingredients, mostly cheese and tomato, are SANDWICHED between two slices of bread.

A sandwich is a food item consisting of one or more types of food placed on or between slices of bread.

Fucking hell James, you know that I work in Norway and this bollocks drives me nuts at "lunchtime" - 11am in the bloody morning by the way, my boiled eggs have hardly settled by then - IT IS NOT A SANDWICH. I have major arguments with my Nordic colleagues, put another fucking slice on top of it mate. They don't even butter the bread. Wankers.

Oh my Odin

I have been away from the computer for a bit so not seen the debate raging on here.

Now I feel I must add my comments.

I dont really give a fuck.

And Wikipedia is wrong...

Proper, Dutch Edam is decent. Nowhere near as bland as some of the stuff you get in supermarkets over here.

Still think any answer other than Cheddar is wrong though.

And an open faced sandwich is no more a sandwich than half a banana is a fruit salad

Looks like a decent cheese and tom sarni,apart from  what looks like processed slices and lack of Tiger doorstop bread.

To clarify, an open faced sandwich is not a sandwich. It is known as brødskive(r).

And they're awesome.

Gouda

Definitely. Wikipedia also says:

"By the end of the 2012-13 season, redevelopment should start with the town end being the first stand to be rebuilt."

Sheena Easton invented the sandwich

I've just read through the web chat on Link Sport and it's reinforced my belief that Cooper is the best manager we've had in a long time. We got lucky there.

I think that Cooper has matured into the job after an uneasy start after being thrust into it a little.

I wonder what sort of a job he would do with a budget 3 or 4 or possibly 5 times the size like the 82ers have?

Lets face it, if a mental donkey like Cotterill can get it right then with that sort of budget Cooper would have had the league title sewn up by now mathematically. IMO.

Completely agree, however. There is the paradox of if he wasn't constrained by our budget he wouldn't have been forced to find unearthed gems like your Kasims, Galdwins etc or even possibly used the Tottenham link as much as we have. But I'd like to think Cooper would have taken this route anyway and used the extra money to get one or two experienced heads in on top.

Power openly admits he does all the recruitment and brings the player in so I think the credit for 'unearthing gems' goes to him same with the Spurs link as he was obviously mates with Sherwood.
Coopers done alright but I still think Luke Williams has been the key component and instrumental in our style of play, whenever you see player interviews it's always his name that gets mentioned.

Cooper's success also shows that young managers need to be given another chance even after one disaster (Posh in his case) as they can learn from these experiences and improve. The problem of course is fans rarely react well to such appointments, and lets face it if Cooper had come straight in after PdC we'd have been up in arms. Indeed Mike Newell may have even been more popular.

Some managers only show their best when working under constraints.

Give them money to spend and they aint got a clue on player recruitment.

or managging a big club, I'm sure a nice list can be made there, Russell Slade springs to mind does well at Orient, goes to Cardiff expected to do well and is not doing that well - Cardiff fans still dont understand why he got the job

Nor do I...

Neither does Slade

I bet when he got the job he thought "iiiiiiiiiiiiit's chrrriiiiiiiiiiistmaaaaaas"

:tumbleweed:

 :rain:

I chuckled.

Me too. Very good that