Thetownend.com

OK, so no one seems to have started one somewhat bizarrely so here we go.

Crewe is a railway town.
So is Swindon.

Prediction.
2-0 to us - Thomas, Ajose

Well that was easy...

Great research OST !   :)

I'm making the trip by train today - which only seems fitting really.

2-1 to the Town, with Ajose and Robert netting.

We should win on paper... but,  we don't often win at Crewe. 1-1

Crewe 1-4 Town

Ajose, Thomas (2), Robert.

Taking my 9 year old nephew on my own today, he lives in Manchester and thinks he's a Chelsea/Real Madrid/Ronaldo fan.

Indoctrination is a long and arduous journey but we'll get there in the end.

He'll be the one shouting things like, "Meg him!" and "He just got skilled out".

Cooper's sounding like he'd be happy with a draw but with all respect to Crewe we should be beating them if we harbour any hope of a top 6 finish.

I'm going 2-0, Thomas, Ajose

Despite the positivity, today will prove to be a false dawn and we'll lose 1-0 without a shot on goal.








then we'll go on an unbeaten run for the rest of the year :)

This game screams a draw.  1-1

We should win this one, but it will be a scruffy display of good players trying to stand out/gel together.

Will we able to fill bench today with no stewart x2, kasim, thompson, boo,obika,hylton williams,ojamaa?
1-1 Robert. And hopefully no more injuries particularly to defenders. Presuming that barry and brophy will have to play today if boo,nathan t still ill and injured? Ajose can hardly be match fit so prrsuming he may start on bench?

I reckon it'll take a few matches for the new squad to gel together a bit, but Alex are hardly a team who set the world on fire every year, all due respect. Slightly more difficult than it should be 2-1 win for us.

Shame we'll be playing on grass...

Looking forward to seeing how we line up, perhaps a 4 man midfield diamond with Robert at the tip and Thomas and Ajose up top?  Just don't really see a great deal of natural width in the players we have available today.  Could revert to wingbacks I suppose with Thomas and Ajose still as a two up front.

I thought BOO and Obika both had a strong chance of returning today.

Hope I'm wrong but see this as a banana skin today. 1-0 loss.

we will lose this one

Crewe is twinned with Bischofsheim in Germany. Not to be confused with Bischofshoven in Austria where STFC played friendlies in consecutive years in the noughties.

Swindon has a proper railway twin town in Chattanooga.

Town win 3-0 today.

Swindon is surely a more famous railway town than Crewe anyway?

 Coping without something like 8 potential first teamers, would be difficult for any side, so anything today has to be a bit of a bonus.

I really don't care. I embarrassed by Swindon's railway history anyway. Time to move on.

Why on Earth would that embarrass you?

Of all the things to be embarrassed off I'm not sure that's one?

I'm expecting a win today, we have a good enough side even with the llayers unavailable

Being used as a workshop to get people from Bristol to London. Only making a form of transport getting people from one place to another to do important things. A bit like a glorified taxi rank. Celebrate our current achievements like the service industries and music & art.

Which are, erm, well, um.

He's a troll folderol....

Anyone know how many tickets pre sold? Not many town fans here so far by the looks of it!

This deserves its own thread. This & next weekend see the Open Sudios event all over Swindon. I encourage you to visit. The Modern Art gallery in Theatre Square is something to behold. European HQs of Nationwide, Intel etc are impressive.
Your self depricated attitude is the problem. There is a self fulfilling prophecy in Swindon town centre. It was really lively in the noughties but people slaggeditoff & we got what we have now.

The attitude is the first thing to change. Starting with YOU!

Back to today's game...

So nothing worth seeing then. Oh, and a total and utter disregard for the town's progression by successive councils makes Swindon is what it is today. If you can't be self depricating and mocking about what is, lets be honest, a 1970's shithole town centre with a few sticky plasters on it and a crap raod infrastructure then you'll be a very grumpy person.

Lets hope the game is better.

Is Crewe's status as a railway town not more linked to its role as an important railway junction?  It serves a similar purpose up that way as Reading does down here.  A huge number of lines converge there.

Is Dario Gradi still involved with Crewe in any way?

Btw it pisses me off when people say Crewe AlexandER.

DOF isn't he?

Odd. I wonder if in a hundred years' time people will be celebrating the town's contribution to the service industries, campaigning for our nickname to be changed to "The Insurers" and for a claims form to be added to the club crest.

they only operate in this country...

1-1 draw branco header

2-0 Crewe.

2-1 Swindon

Vigouroux; Barry, Branco (C), Turnbull, Ormonde-Ottewill; Brophy, Rodgers, Traore; Ajose, Thomas, Robert

Subs: Belford, Iandolo, Smith, Randall, Balmy, Marshall

Jeez

3 full backs ??

Strong first 11 esp up front.
Not a lot on the bench bar extreme youth, oh and only 6

Bearing in mind that Ajose is slightly unfit, not a bad starting line-up.

Is Branco really captain?

Maybe Robert centre mid and Brophy wide left?

Was at Newport

To be fair, Branco's done pretty well so far this season.

Longest serving player in that side....the only one that Ajose played with in his previous incarnation.

He's managed to keep a relatively cool head so far this season in fairness.

Jinxed it now then

" if you come to crewe ,we will bovver you,and if you bring your bruvver he will get it too, crewe alexander foot ball club" the famed 70s crew song sang on the bank by all 10 travelling crewe supporters. 1-3 and start of our unbeaten run to xmas

Branco has been our best defender this season imo.

bloody hell Ajose, why haven't you scored 6. what a waste of wages.

;)

sounds like a scrappy stop start game this far.

In other news...

lee power ‏@leepowerstfc  · 5m5 minutes ago 
Just put in a bid for the Gresty Road Chip Shop. I'm hopeful. #stfc

Poor start by town the stats don't look good so far, trust Cooper to sort it at half time

Sounds like the stand in full backs are the problem

Nick a goal second half and get the hell out of dodge!

COYR

Are we not meant to be averaging 8 goals/game with our new sexy strike force?  Is that not how football works?

Is Smith allowed to play against us next week

No, not allowed to play against your parent club if on loan

417 town in 4400 if heard him correctly.

Struggling this half

sounding ominous, then we counter attack and shoot (over). sounds like the pattern so far

Ajose misses open goal. quite far out mind

how far out is quite far

40 yards, apparently.

bollocks. Ajose robbed and Crewe score

yeeeeeeeeress

smith 1-1

we score!

Blimey.

tommy smith! these liverpool lads are doing well!

Isn't Smith one of ours?

Is he the incredibly ginger youth player?

I think you have been whooshed

Well, this is what I couldn't quite work out. Is it a reference to the Liverpool players being poor? Or out youth superior?

name play. I think 'that' Tommy smith is 70

Right, ok. Definitely whooshed. Makes sense now.

I think Liverpool has a player from the 70s 80s called Tommy Smith and we have a few on our books from them. If that's incorrect then i too have been royally wooshed

You are correct, not whooshed

This is him...
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00693/sport-graphics-2008_693038a.jpg)

Judging by that picture it may have been earlier than the 70s

weeeeees Thomas 2-1 town

WESLEY MOTHERFUCKING THOMAS!

YES.

Hold on Town

Do do do do Wesley Thomas do do do do Wesley Thomas

1962-78.

On another note - GET THE FUCK IN WES  :pint:

Sorry, can't be bothered to trawl through - who did Smith come on for?

BOO

4 Mins added...

AJOOOOOOOOOOOSE!

Get in

He scores when he wants.... He scores when he waaaants!

GTFI :pint: :beers:

BOOM. Instant return.

Three points...

Power's smugness must be off the charts right now.

Knew i should have put dollar on this match i bloody said we'd win and both Wes and Ajose would score

Well done Swindon.

My 5 year old was at a football themed party this afternoon.  When asked to name which 'world class' player he was going to be for the afternoon, he pointed to his Swindon goalie top and answered simply 'Wesley'.  (Still a firm favourite even though no longer at the club.)  The lads taking the session looked a little bemused (we're not in Swindon) and we had to explain...to smiles all round.

I've now managed to get through to him that there's another Wesley on the scene and that he got our second goal.  He now has two favourites, both called Wesley.

Bring on the next few matches when all our players are back....

Bring on the pox.  :pint:

Cracking result

Even better as had town to win 3-1 at 17s

 :beers:

what a great win. well done town. nice to see two debut goals

Good work boys, that's a cracking result.

Great result, especially when you consider the absentees.

Excellent result.  Three goals away from home.  Can't ask for more especially from a youngster and two debutants.

Get in town !!!  :pint:

And at Crewe not our best stomping ground over the years fantastic result.  :pint: :pint: :pint: :pint: :pint: :pint: :pint: :flaccid: :flaccid:

3 surely

I was a wee bit concerned when Crewe took the lead because they are really not very good, even against our weaker XI. Nothing but positives at Full-Time though.

Great stuff.

Tom Smith made his debut against Preston last season.

Wow - how satisfactory was that - came back from a goal down with a makeshift side, a goal for the young lad and a goal a piece for our debutant strikers.

GTFI... :toocool: :pint: :clap: :wotjump:

Depends if you count the second coming of Ajose as a debut..

Oh yeah, and that!

Sounds like Barry did well and will be useful, rather than just another Agombar as has been claimed. Great result with 8 missing. 6th at this stage is more than satisfactory, now time to kick on with all the boys coming back.

Should also not under value how poor a start some if the 'big' boys have had. 

 When I saw Smith on GSS, I thought must be some mistake, we've sold him.

I think a lot of credit has to go to Cooper, could have got very negative about injuries/ call ups etc, but has got on with it and been repaid. Sweet.

Happy to be wrong about him. He was terrible in pre-season - sounded quite steady today.

Sam hasn't rated anyone particularly well bar branco, so sounds like we ground it out. A good sign.

Branco unbeaten as Captain - as am I as match day thread starter  ;)

Well a little humble pie to be eaten by me. Great start for our new recruits.  :I'm a complete mofleakin Deak

For the God squad amogst us, more like a second coming.

Just see the goals on SSN . Cracking, all 3 of them.

  Already this season we've used 22 players in league games, got to be some sort of record.

I have to agree 100% with you. Great stuff Coops

Quality of finishing was the difference between the sides today. Although not necessarily clinical each of Thomas and Ajose took their goals well today. Very good finishes.

My first look at the side this season but thought it was an excellent result given our list of players missing. Impressed with Vigouroux, Branco, Turnbull, Traore (despite being sloppy on the ball), Robert and the two strikers, although clearly short of match fitness. Brophy looked out of his depth 1st half but improved 2nd, meanwhile Barry was the opposite in each half.

Cooper deserves credit for changing shape a little second half, seemed to change it to 4-3-1-2 and let Ajose/Thomas play up top with Robert in behind. It opened the game up but made us a little more threatening with two options to hit up top.

Very satisfying.

Unfortunately Barry looked well out of his depth with the ball at his feet, made a couple of terrible passes early doors and needed a lot of help from Rodgers. Looked good in the tackle though.

Was an odd game, could have been a couple behind at half time were it not for some decent keeping and poor finishing, the first half was pretty pedestrian and frustrating at times. Up until the Ajose open goal incident where he put it wide after their keeper and defender took each other out about 40 yards out they had much the better chances and it looked like it wouldn't be our day.

And so it seemed when Ajose conspired to run the ball from inside their half to pretty much our own 18 yard box before giving the ball away before a cracking finish from their guy.

But fair play to all involved, we hit straight back with a similar rifle of a shot from young Smith and we looked like a different side after that. It took us until about the 75th minute before we actually started using the width of the pitch and trying to set Ajose off down the flanks. The Thomas goal was a lovely little move and a great finish from an almost horizontal position and the goal in the end from Ajose was a thing of beauty.

Thier fans will feel a little hard done to and the scoreline flattered us in the end but that doesn't matter now.

Special mentions to Traore who mopped everything up in midfield, Branco who gave a proper assured captains performance at the back and Robert who looks like a class act at this level. Also Brophy on the left had a lovely touch and should have been utilised more.

Looking forward to Barnsley next week!

Good grief! We have a Plan C, as well.

We were pretty poor with the ball for the first 70 odd minutes and crewwe deserved their lead, ruthless last 15 with thomas/ajose scoeing, we probably should have scored a 4th right at the death as well.

Brophy started slow but improved 2nd half, barrys problem was he looked quite slow which caused issues down our right. Branco and turnbull were excellent.

Traore, rodgers were decent in defence, not much going forward but robert  was excellent with the balk once again! Smith looked decent when he came on as well.

Ajose/thomas were pretty quiet but took their goals very well!

Some of Our fans are still morons, brophy was getting a bit of stick in forst half with some shouting how shit he was. One bloke also shouting how shit ajose was and what a waste of time he was, think everyone enjoyed it when ajose duly scored late in the game
 
Poor performance but 3 goals and a great win, look forward to barnsley when we should have more players to choose from/introduce from the bench

Just got back home having witnessed a daylight robbery, really, but very happy to come away with the points.  They out-played us on the pitch and out-sang us off it for most of the game.  As others have said, we could have gone in at half time two or three goals down but for some excellent stops by Vigs.  It was no surprise when they went ahead but we rallied quickly and strongly, and had the best of it from then on.  All 4 goals were well taken.  It's a funny old game as someone once said.

Poor Brophy had a torrid time in the first half but got a bit better in the second.  Barry was slightly better in the first half but tailed off in the second.  BOO picked up another injury and was subbed at the break.  Tom Smith did OK and took his goal well.  The two newbies up front looked useful and offer good outlets (with something on the end) and should get even better when they've played a bit more together.

Travelled back in the company of a Syrian chap who had been to the Liverpool Passport Office to get his immigration papers sorted and was en route to Cardiff, where he's staying with his brother.  Very interesting to hear his views on Assad, ISIS and Iran!  Made for an interesting trip.
 

I wonder if Michael Smith will be allowed to play?

Nope...

What were his thoughts on the merits or otherwise of banners at football?

Not the best of performances but a win is a win. Thought Branco and Turnbull were superb today especially the latter who provided a lot of crucial challenges/blocks.
First half we passed it far too slowly and it was the predictable lethargic possession football that has got us nowhere in the past. The strikers didn't have any service but looked sharp whenever they did manage to get the ball. Brophy (and BOO) got torn apart down our left and it looked a matter of time as to when they'd pick out a good cross.
Second half involved an open goal miss from Ajose - a chance similar to the one Williams put away at Bournemouth one season. They then scored after Ajose losing it but Tommy Smith scored a peach pretty much straight after. Their goal kicked us into action and seemed to result in quicker more progressive passing. They kept putting in crosses with no reward and we always looked likely of catching them on the break with the pace we now have upfront. Robert (who was very good) provided a through ball for Thomas to emphatically dispatch into the far corner to put us 2-1 up. Win was topped off by Ajose who smashed it into the top corner following a run from the much improved second half performance of Brophy.
We weren't fantastic by any means and a draw may have been fair but this shows clinical edge that has been lacking giving me a lot of optimism for this season ahead.

It didn't come up.

All three goals were superb.

Just seen Tom Smith's, fuck me he didn't half hit that well.

The second goal was a very very good goal. We don't score goals like that, we just don't have strikers like that :clap:

Where did you see the goals?

I've only seen that one so far, on here: https://twitter.com/footballon5

Sexy, sexy ball by Bob for the 2nd.

I'm excited after seeing the goals. Still so many to come back into the squad as well. Have a feeling we could be onto something good.

Amazing how the mood can change so quickly. Long may it continue.

Lose the next game and we're relegation fodder.

This might seem a strange comparison, however watching Strictly tonight (I know...) it was surprising to see how many relatively well-known 'media' personalities were as nervous as fuck appearing on the first show tonight.

So, in an admittedly lesser environment by far, imagine how nervous/excited players like Brophy/Barry/Smith must have felt having finally made the Big Show? Let alone Wes/ Ajose having to justify their (relatively) big money signings. They'll all be better for the experience and deserve all the luck going.

I wasn't there, but to come out of this with a 3-1 win with maybe 8 absentees, plus a couple who've moved on, is a great result. Excited for the season, me.

You're right Wilf it is strange comparison....what is this Strictly of which you speak?  OK, I know really, but only for quiz purposes rather than watching....but isn't it an example of how the BBC repeatedly fails, that CJ, was banned because he wanted to dance with a bloke.

Oh come on reg, be fair on us, my liver can't keep up with this.

We seemed a lot more willing to play a ball over the top into space yesterday which was good to see us mixing it up, should give our midfield a bit more room to work in if opposition defences are worrying about thomas/ajose etc running in behind

That's good to hear. Massive failing in our tactics previously not doing that imo

Sky highlights http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/9980397/crewe-1-3-swindon

So he says

How the fuck did we win that 3-1?

Strikers.

to be fair, how many teams have defend from the edge of the 18 yard box? Almost all did at the CG.

All the goals were great strikes.

Cutting edge looks back....now we need to keep it tight...rightish at the back.

Excellent result..well done who went up.

Is Wes Thomas only until January with a view to a permanent move? Or just a loan until January full stop?

Loan at the moment, see how he does

Ddn't go. Good comeback. Good to see young Tom Smith open his account. Impressed with the little I have seen of him. Glad Ajose and Thomas scored. Seeing the Ajose open goal miss from 40 yards. Really, really should have put that one in.