Thetownend.com

Back in the day when winning was a habit we started these at 00:00:01. Let's get back to winning ways and follow the protocol. 3 hours time difference doesn't help me but maybe one of you night owls can get it right next time. And the title has to be correct. Do it right and we'll be alright!

3-1 defeat, and Crewe to win

2-0 Wigan

Wigan Athletic F.C.

Another improve performance please. A point would be good as well.

Oops! Hope that doesn't bugger it up. I've edited the title, you lot will have to change the replies if it can be done.

3-1 defeat

'Halloween Horror Show' headlines. Latics 4 - 1 Town.

Wigan to batter us. 6-0

We'll win this...

I'm with Herthab...I think we will get a result..

1-1

It Angers me that some of you are so negative. Staying in north west so only 20 mile trip to match today. 2-0 win to Town.
* Wigan's twin town in Angers in France.

I'm a bit gutted I can't go today. Less than half an hour from me, a new ground, and we seem to be turning things around. But instead I'm working in Winchester.

I'll gladly spend the 5 hour drive back up north feeling like I've missed out, if it means we've got 3 points on the board.

Recovery comes to a halt with a 3-0 defeat...nightmare

A criminal 1-0 win for us courtesy of a ridiculous goal from Gladwin

Happily getting ready for a last night out in a very hot Bali so will be getting updates through the marvels of modern technology. Obviously I have no idea what the team might be so will plump for a draw.

1-2 Gladwin double.

Hows our injury crisis going?  Who's out now?

Battling 1-1 draw with Nicky Ajose continuing his hot streak of form (everything is relative...).

Robert sent home sick on Thursday, Louis T. in contention!

Laurent Robert's brother has a temperature.

Obika, Hylton and Louis should be back.

Except it's not his brother.

Be interesting to see how many we take, think we will struggle to get 400 unfortunately

So who does have a temperature?

Thread starter's prerogative ... 0-2, Branco and Ajose.

I've got a really weird feeling that we're going to win today. You can get us at 6/1. 2-1 win

Its been nearly 2 months since we won a game. Fucking hell thats depressing.

We probably have to win a couple of the next 4 to give ourselves a realistic chance of beating the drop....and with several players notably Thomas and the Liverpool boys some way off, it's not looking good.

God knows what will happen today. Heart says 1-1 draw, head says 2-0 defeat.

A good performance is key, any points a bonus.

It's still October FFS!. You just can't help yourself, can you?

(Sorry about buggering up the rest of your post though, that was an accident).

Not team has ever stayed up after being in the bottom 4 in November. FACT.

I'm feeling optimistic! Wigan going into the game thinking the three points are already theirs and we produce our best performance of the season. Town win 3-1 ;D

A point would be great but can see us nicking it 2-1, Turnbull and Gladwin

Tomorrow is November, one week off for the cup....don't know about the international break, but say we're OK, 4 games after today is into December, leaving us 26 games to go. If we can't pick up those couple of wins and have to settle for maybe a couple of draws and defeats, we've got Walsall and a 6 pointer at Fleetwood. We'll be left with something like 15 points...requiring a further 37 to get to 52.....last season when we flirted with the autos and achieved our highest position this century...we got 38 from the same period.

This is why I say it is important we get those couple of wins....

Ha ha, I knew you'd say that, as though it makes your point all the more convincing.

As you were Reg, I feel as though you're just trolling us at times.

Travelling in hope rather than expectation that we may manage a shot or two on target today; not one in three games i've seen us play this season....anyway that's all in the past, 1-1 is my prediction.

Who is us?  Do you feel like you're the guardian of some collective TEF consciousness?  I post how I see things in a match day thread....that's all

I've nabbed a bit of 6/1 a win, in a accy with Crewe 6/1, Oldham 2/1

If it goes our way today I'm having a bit of 200/1 to finish in the top 3

Us is the TEF, Reg. Sometimes I feel as though you are trolling members of TEF. I think that's fairly straightforward.

No such thing as us then. The TEF is straightforward, there's a topic, you give your opinion and members can interpret it how they choose.

Agent provocateur springs to mind. You choose who ... if the cap fits.

Any decent match day pubs? Just past Warrington and so far the only recommendation is vodka revs......which is no doubt awful.

Anyway. Wigan fans seem (understandably) very confident, one could say to the point of complacency. Let's hope their players feel the same way.

They probably felt confident last time they played us.

What are you on about? It's just like the good old days!

Oh wait.

I'll be happy with a good performance for now, plenty of time to add the results.

same kind of performance as last week please. The rest, as far as results are concerned, I can forgive.

Might be on to a freebie in the home end which would allow me to justify Rochdale next week. Never sat in the wrong end and not sure of drinking for a few hours pre game will pan out well.   I expect us to get thoroughly beat but II need to see some desire.  2-1loss with a late consolation

Yep, fully aware of that!

We won't keep a clean sheet, so will need to score one (probably two) to get a result.

At least in the Coventry game we looked like we could score, so if we continue in that way there is hope.

Hope we can nick something, but fear that our tendency to concede will bugger that.

Swindon Town FC ‏@Official_STFC 13s13 seconds ago

Town starting XI: Vigouroux, Barry, Branco, El-Abd, Turnbull, Kasim (C), Rodgers, Gladwin, Ojamaa, Brophy, Ajose #STFC
Subs: Belford, Ormonde-Ottewill, Thompson L, Balmy, Robert, Hylton, Obika

Strong bench, good to see the injured players starting to come back

Why do we persist with Rodgers? Apart from the occasional decent free kick he is even worse than Ryan Harley

Good question

Injuries, mainly.

edit: Personally think he deserved his place early on, but recent performances have been...well...a bit shit.

Wigan Athletic v SWINDON TOWN: Vigouroux, Barry, Branco, El-Abd, Turnbull, Kasim (C), Rodgers, Gladwin, Ojamaa, Brophy, Ajose.

Substitutes: Belford, Ormonde-Ottewill, Thompson L, Balmy, Robert, Hylton, Obika.

 

Strange why the likes of Randall and Marshall don't even get a sniff this season

And we persist in giving the captaincy to the man on the pitch who looks the least bothered (and that's saying something lately)  :hmmm:

I can only think that maybe Power/Williams feel giving him the captaincy might make him step up a bit?  Seems harsh on Branco who clearly does give a shit though.

Traore not even on the bench yet Rodgers makes the starting 11 again?

Would have liked to see Robert and Obika start, but assume they're not 100% fit.

best not to rush them back and risk secondary injuries, I speak from my many years of being a top level semi-professional couch potato

 :) Your top level semi professional couch potato view is correct though!

City losing hehe.

2-0 down now

Fuck me, we should be winning this

3-0 now he he

Try 4!!!

4-0 'arf 'arf

Oh to see the look on Coterill's face :D

difficult to see how, no shots on target yet

They were cheated somehow!

 :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

Hit the post, Rodgers misses sitter.

Apparently there was a fire drill at Ashton Gate as soon as the 4th went in...For the home fans !!

 
:Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

What rubbish they all know they have been robbed....just like every week.

529 in the away end. Not bad considering recent form.

Were there any interviews before the game? Have we learned anything?

That's decent. Our away followers are clearly a bit less Brindy than the home ones.

That is good...

Wigan comms just said we are very solid at the back. Now that is definitely something I did not expect to hear.

Andy Williams manages to remember where the goal is for Donny..

Josh Cooke scores for Gloucester

Crewe beating Sheff Utd

Perhaps there has been some coaching going on with the defence at last!

TBF we were solid for 70 mins last week...

oh ffs

Are we bottom then

No way.

FFS!

Always going to happen. Comfortable for ages.

Fucking cunts.

Ouch.

I'm still happy though, it seems we have improved quite a bit which is far more important than a point.

FFS 95 plus...

Don't believe it.  6th minute of fucking injury time.  Gutted.

That sounded completely unwarranted... turned a bit of a corner nevertheless?

0 shots on target again. you don't win fuck all by not scoring, and then we let one in at the death again, fucking hopeless.

I think there are positives to be taken in spite of the gutting result.

Sounds like we were much improved and more determined.

A goal in the 6th minute (of 5) of injury time.
Possibly a foul on the keeper not given, when normally you'd get a free kick for looking at the keeper funny.

When things aren't going your way I guess that's what happens.

Again the positive is the team have battled hard for a result

I cant believe people are happy we lost. I'm more pissed off about this than the previous 10

That's got to be some sort of cruel joke.

I'm not happy.  It's all very well saying we played better and battled, but we've still come away with nothing.  The lack of chances again is a big concern.  We're only not bottom because of goal difference.

not happy.

things have been so bad that better performances are all we can cling on to. we need points  to point out the bloody obvious

Sounds incredibly harsh and is an absolute sickener but it seems we've continued with another decent performaces.

Keep up the performances and the results will come.

goodness me I hope Williams does not get the managers job...Iffy all over again

agree with the sentiment, but the luxury of time is running out. sorry if that sounds reg.. he has a point

It's NOVEMBER for crying out loud. There's plenty of time left.

We're not the only club down there. They've got to get points as well.

Not until tomorrow for those in the UK  :)

good news, it's still October here. but now you've mentioned it, pinch and a punch

Exatly. We don't have to be great to lift away from the bottom. Just average should do it, on account that when you're at the bottom the others around you tend to be shit.

I'm hoping for better than average though, of course.

Handful of points separate bottom 6 or so, if we keep improving as we have done the last 2 weeks we should be able to take points from those around us.

I ain't gonna stress just yet.

Nothing will change if the manager is who we think it is. October or whatever, once you have a losing/negative mentality nothing changes until the next milestone, which is inevitably relegation.

Negative mentality?

On the way back, with a performance like that we will not go down. There was fight, great tackles and some decent forward play. Very unlucky to lose.

With okiba, louis and robert back into the game today things are looking up, yes we lost 1-0 and are bottom of the league (i think) but the last 2 performances have been so much better against 2 sides challenging up near the top. Stick behind them, we will get out of this.

Fantastic support today as well.  COYR

no shots for about the 5th game of 6

Power said he know who he wants as manager and is sorting it out. He's trying to bring in Embleton, but not as manager. He also said he hopes there will be an announcement about the new manager on Tuesday.

Finally, he's talking to Les Ferdinand on his way home about extending Gladwin.

Well it's crashed Thisis so that's something  :D imagine the rage that's just being left to fester!

I'll re-read this to cheer myself up later, It's gonna be a long climb out of this pit of hell i'm in

It will be very difficult...to give some sort of context, we're 3 points better off than the Iffy season at the same stage.

That season we then finished with 9 wins 11 draws and 10 defeats. Reasonable form, but the damage had been done by a run similar to what we're now on. Similar form would get us to 51, possibly enough.

Did we hit the post with a pass then?

Hitting the post is considered off target....the bit in between is the target.

Anyway, berniman needs to do the kit sponsors draw

The post says we didn't have a shot.

A shot is when the ball is kicked toward the goal.

Anyone know how the wildcats got on?

Albert fingered some popcorn

ok you've talked some realism into me. you are right, there is time.

I was basing things on the fact we are lucky to be on 13 points, but we've brought a fair few in since then.

I took it as shots on target...Sutton is obviously not happy, and the BBC site confirms 0 shots on target.

Yeah shots on target, as he knows. And yes I have got the hump, but off to get some beer to sort that out!

Being at the opposite end meant I didn't see why Vigoroux dropped the ball but the 5 mins added should only have been 3 (max 6 subs) but 30s would have been added for time wasting booking. No trainers came on so I guess the rest would have been for perceived time wasting and Gladwin take by his time to get up in injury time. Gutted because we deserved something and when the "5" went up I thought we might nick it.

Ross Embeton there today...

Nailed on I reckon...

Cheap and uninspiring....fits the bill.

Power's already said he's there about a different position.

said it before and will say it again. a 'proper' (established) manager is pointless in this current setup.

I'd love a Sturrock type, but what's the point when he can't dictate style of play, personnel or anything else

Power said Embleton had been offered a coaching role.

With Power so pro- Williams very likely then that he will be the new manager.

Coach for when williams gets made up.

Might as well appoint him now then

As I pointed out elsewhere, average might get us out of trouble, if we pick up some points from the next 4....failure to do that and we need PO form.

As for other sides shitness...I'd guess that there's usually a couple who are around the bottom 6 at this stage of the season, who go, and a couple who haul themselves out. There's usually someone, who looks mid table, but then slides.

not Impossible it'll be us that hauls on out of it

I'd imagine it's just a matter of drawing up contracts etc....looks like Audrey nailed it.

Of course it's not, but something must change pdq, as if you look at some of our results against seeming fellow strugglers, like losing to Barnsley, Blackpool and Oldham, it doesn't look too clever.

Neither was having 8/9 injured (barnsley apart) which caused this shit run. Its 2 weeks until our next league game and we should be in a much better position with regards to available players. Today and Coventry were a step in the right direction.

We'll be ok

Injuries don't help, that's for sure.  But they happen in football...we had a weakened team for the Crewe game, but a kid Tom Smith turned the game on its head, by scoring a cracker....we need more of that sort of thing, from the newbies.

How is today and Coventry "a step in the right direction"?
I thought we got beat today.

Hi Albert  :bye:

I'm not biting.

We did indeed, however the performances were vastly improved from the previous games where we looked shit defensively, no attacking threat and shit tackling/desire. It's not been like that the last 2 games, hence step in the right direction.

I've been to every league game apart from Blackpool, believe me today was a massive step in the right direction.  Very unlucky to lose that in the end.  I suspect we'll see two up front next week now that we actually have two forwards fit, could be back to wing-backs, could be a diamond midfield with a flat back four but either way we should be more threatening.

If all you quantify the right direction being is results you'd have been pleased after Donny where we were rank. 

Anyone can see that from the first four games in October to the last two games performances have improved. Results will come as we get players back and a new manger is employed with new ideas and a new impetus.

We cannot survive in this league without 4/5 key players who have been out recently for various reasons and we are now getting these back with more to come closer to Christmas.

Without clean sheets however we will struggle, we were 30 seconds away today to a top team from the first clean sheet since August.

My memorabilia consists of a  Gwent constabulary tit head badge,a scar on my left thigh caused by an over zealous police dog and a couple of others that i dare not mention.
So there.

Gutted to lose like that but most uplifting performance I've seen all season. End of October, given league position we're in a relegation fight. To get to 50 points, we need 37 out of 90 available. That's basically lower / mid table form. We played today like a team who's better than that, if we continue to improve, we've got a fighting chance.

Would just like to say how fitting it was and how much it delight it gave me that your goalkeeper was the one to give us the 3 points by dropping the ball after the embarrassing time wasting from the 1st to 90th by him (still can't believe it took the ref 90 minutes to have the balls to get his card out)! You were good enough on the ball not to be doing that sh
8t and probably could have created more chances to actually pinch the game if those embarrassing tactics weren't implemented.

Other than that i think you'll be fine and good travelling support today!  :bye:

How fitting it is that you haven't given your team any credit in your great match analysis :bye:

You're allowed to say shit on here. We're adults. Well. Technically anyway.

It's been one of the most used words of late

The time wasting is annoying when you are on a good run and playing someone who would be happy with a draw. Happened loads to us last year, happens all over the country and you have to be good enough to deal with it.

The guy from Wigan probably just forgot what its like.

Probably expected the hooter to blow.

To be fair we have  played 2 of thr best teams in the league in these games as well.

It was all very strange up there, they had a drummer (of course they did...), from kick off he led them through a playlist of chants all the way up to the 5th minute when they just stopped and there was barely a peep out of them for the following 85 aside from the hostile booing of Vigs'.

Albert would have loved the hockey like atmosphere.

Diamond sounds good, especially with lack of wingers in our team (Ojaama :no: ). Play Robert in behind ajose and Obika and we'd be a massive threat I reckon. It worked at Crewe

I don't understand. If he hadn't wasted all that time, you wouldn't have had time to score.

50 points occasionally keeps you up, but often like last season takes you down.  52 is a better target, usually enough unless you're very unlucky, like us in 81/82.

As I pointed out yesterday, if we don't get much from the next 4 games, then we're looking at PO form for the rest of the season....a couple of wins from the next 4 are pivotal in our relegation battle.

Can't be bothered looking at the fixtures, what are our 4 next games Reg?

My hope Reg is that the other teams around us are genuinely rubbish and will continue to be so, we're not rubbish (granted we have been rubbish recently), we've been incredibly unfortunate.

Sides currently residing in the play-offs have won 4 more games than us, that's not a huge gap, not that I'm insinuating we could catch them.  Rochdale seem comfortable in mid-table with only 2 more wins than us. 

We were much stronger defensively yesterday, El-Abd starting to look like the player we needed to sign.  Even Barry is getting better so is starting to look like he can offer sufficient cover once Nathan is back.  This side of things will see us picking up points soon. 

Rochdale next weekend is a plus as it's not a league game so more game time for the lads that came off the bench yesterday to be ready in time to take on Scunthorpe before we climb out of the relegation places at Fleetwood.

Scunthrope, fleetwood, walsall, chesterfield

Scunny (h)
Fleetwood (a)
Walsall (h)
Chesterfield (a)

The Scunny game, is pretty much must win.

Ta.

Walsall always beat us at the CG don't they? I think we can get 7 points from those games.

In the current situation we find ourselvers they're all pretty much "must" win games.

Last couple of seasons they've scored 3 at the CG....you wouldn't expect much from that game. Scunny are having a decent season, but have lost 5 away games, they score a lot, and ship a lot....the sort of game where you can pick up a win, with a decent performance.

Fleetwood are struggling as well so a 6 pointer, Chesterfield don't seem as good as last season, when their open style suited us....they also seem better away than home, so a chance.

But we know you can't win every game.  The reason, I think Scunny is so important, is that to have a chance of staying up, we have to turn round the home form, which is historically bad.

Since the formation of Div 3 in 58, in all our seasons in it, having only won 1 home game from the first 8 is unprecedented shitness....and there's been some shit.

Yep, good point...  I'll get it sorted soon

In isolation, yes, i'm looking at the play-offs so i stick by my comment. Yes would not argue with your last sentence.

Was thinking the same, FA Cup next weekend a great opportunity for us to take another step in the right direction without three points at stake. Then I thought about what's happened to us in the 1st round in the last couple of seasons.....please god let's not have a repeat of that at this stage of the road to recovery. Anyway back to yesterday, can actually see how we might get back to winning ways in a week or two based on the performance. As others have said massive improvement, particularly on the shit that was served up at Millwall only a fortnight ago, never mind next win, back then I couldn't see how we'd have a shot on goal ever again. Thought our fans were great yesterday as well, never stopped getting behind the team.

Some positive reports from those who actually went.

FA Cup next week, league oppo, so I'm bothered enough to hope for a win but not enough to get upset if we don't.

I have melted down...especially after that shit at Oxford but Cov and yesterday's game gives me a bit of hope.

Defeat I can take.....it's the manner of defeat I cannot.

Agreed. Some of the recent home performances have been so lacklustre, it gets bad when even Oxford fans were showing some sympathy on Twitter afterwards.

Good to catch up,with you and Phil yesterday.
To say I was gutted after that positive performance would be an understatement.
With the players coming back and Rogers and Barry moving to squad players we are going to be ok.

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but 'twas a decent atmos yesterday. Town fans certainly made themselves heard. Not the worst new build and walking distance from an array of pubs in the town centre. Shame the wigan pier pub has closed down.

I've not been to Wigan, but I know the ground isn't too far out as I've seen it from the train on the way to Carlisle. Anyway feeling a little better than yesterday, for those concerned I was melting down...