Thetownend.com

Does anyone have any idea about Kasim's mystery injury that's kept him out of the game since the transfer window slammed shut?   :hmmm:

Nope and neither do I know about Vigoroux's dead leg or John Obika's minor hamstring injury. Or why Fabien Robert wasn't in the match day squad yesterday.

Where is the best place to get injury updates from Swindon these days?

Definately the Facebook STFC fans group as long as you think that man never landed on the moon or that Kennedy was shot by the FBI etc etc.

That group is cringe-worthy.

Vigs has had an operation owing to a bleed in a muscle, beaks should be ok for next Saturday!  All according to ASD!

But no indication as to the nature of Kasim's injury?

We were told eight weeks when he originally did it, but no updates since!

Think it's an injury inside his head....

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/09/sports/after-bombing-iraqi-player-hopes-soccer-holds-the-power-to-heal.html?smid=tw-nytsports&smtyp=cur&_r=0

Interesting - might make some think twice before slagging him off constantly too (not because of of this, or anything he's been through, or what he does outside of football, but just because it's easy to forget sometimes that he, like all the other players we love to slag off and invent mystery narratives about, are people).

Interesting read, I do wonder why this has received zero reporting over here, unless the club don't want to publicise that he is over there for security reasons. Would explain some of his recent absences.

Seems odd that the New York Times can uncover and report stories about our players but the local media seem incapable of doing likewise?

Maybe the NYT isn't worried about receiving a match reporting ban. And it seems unlikely that Kasim cares about being suspended for talking to the press.

That's certainly an eye opener...

Hopefully, when his head is straight, he may repay the club with the performances of old... and to sign another contract... Speaking, of course, strictly as a selfish football fan.

Have the Adver etc been banned from reporting on the matches now then, didn't think the Football League would allow the club to do that?

Nah, I was being facetious. Just no player interviews given outside club calls. Apart from to the New York Times apparently.

TBH I was being a bit snarky, interesting that Williams is also quoted - being entirely mercenary this is one example where the club could have got good publicity?

Apart from this you mean:
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/14305953._Iraq_trip_will_help_Kasim___says_Williams/?ref=mr&lp=13

And also "over here", albeit national rather than local (and being The Sun, rather missing the main point):
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/7015170/Yaser-Kasim-fled-streets-of-Baghad-and-Saddam-Husseins-tyranny-now-hes-at-Swindon.html

That Advertiser story is dated 27th Feb 2016 so way before the subject of the NYT piece, however are the NYT now sourcing stories from the UK local press - I await with baited breath their take on the woman trapped in house by mattress cliffhanger!

Equally the Sun story is from late March so again before the events depicted in the NYT happened.

Edit - actually the NYT and Sun pieces are by the same journalist - I wonder whether Yasers agent has a friendly journalist working to keep his clients name in the media at the moment?

I suspect both the NYT and Sun pieces are from a regional stringer who's piece has since been syndicated, hence the somewhat eclectic global coverage

But the piece in the Sun dates from before the bomb attack so is a completely different story, whilst both of the stories you have quoted relate to Yaser going back to Iraq both are before the event that was even the subject of the NYT piece? My point remains why are these stories being picked up the press in the US of A but the local rag doesn't seem able to pick them up likewise.

Sorry I didn't explain that very well. I meant I suspect both pieces are by the same stringer who is regionally based and writes up sports stories that are then syndicated and offered nationally and internationally. Why the story got picked up in the US is, I suspect, because it's a pretty topical human interest story and offers a new angle on the ISIS story. Why the Adver didn't pick it up, well because I suspect no-one on the Adver sports desk even knew that an Iraqi football festival had been targeted by ISIS to make the connection "Hey, I wonder if that affected Yaser at all?" as that would have been categorised as a news rather than sport story.

Plus it wasn't given out in the daily/weekly case log for from the Swindon Magistrates Courts.

crocked again..???
http://m.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/14723844.Kasim_suffers_recurrence_of_injury_on_international_duty/

not exactly definitive information..

Hopefully Iraq send him home. Would be handy for Saturday's match.

Feeling positive Town fans? Don't worry your next kick in the bollocks is only days away.

Suppose we played well on Saturday without him but he just enables so much more control of the game.

Hopefully just a precaution and he'll be OK for Saturday

He'll be fucked with jet lag even if the injury isn't a problem   :(

Generally takes him a couple of weeks, irrespective of any injuries, before he's back to normal after the Iraq internationals. 

You're right, we're only ever a few hours from bad luck or a fuck up, it's always been like that, bar sort of 87-90 before the motherlode of all fuck ups got us. Can't see that ever changing :)

As I pointed out Yas played about 50% of games last season....the seemingly increasing number of breaks, plus recovery from travel/injuries etc mean it must be legitimate to ask whether for a lower league club with a small squad it's worth it?

Didn't he start on the bench for their last game? I wouldn't be surprised if he's just throwing another tantrum.

They're meant to be playing tomorrow. Could just be pretending he's injured so he gets sent back to us...

Wasn't in squad for Iraq game today

Lets just hope his injury suddenly gets better for Saturday ;)

I've a sneaking suspicion that he will make a somewhat miraculous recovery by then.

The more i think of it, i think he had a strop again. Why would they hold a meeting about his future if he is injured.

http://socceriraq.net/2016/09/07/iraq-fa-hold-meeting-regarding-the-future-of-yaser-kasim-within-the-national-team/

Couple of unhappy tweets to him from fans

@YaserKasim and why aren't you playing don't tell us injury that's a wad of shit

@YaserKasim no comment? No apology ? No promises to win some match for #Iraq ? I hope you enjoyed all the holidays that the team paid for.

Reading the posts on the fb page from Iraqi fans they are a bit mental! he is quite a hero over there and they get very emotional with most of the things he does, good or bad.

He seems to not enjoy playing for Iraq so retire, even temporarily, and get your game and form back on track with us, as he seems to be doing this season so far.....play for that move he seems to want, get a good fee from a good move and everyone will be happy.

What a drama queen he is.

But he's our drama queen, send him back.

Only problem is, he's normally shit for weeks when he does come back. So hope that's not the case this time.

Yaser Kasim is fascinating. We've had four different seasons of being told by Iraqi based football fans that he's on the brink of a Premier League move only for nothing to materialise, at all. I wonder how close he's had to a move because you don't get Prem interest without The Championship lingering in the background.

Either way, I'll be interested to see where he goes next. A brilliant footballer.

He can't seem to make his mind up whether he's average or exceptional, a bad influence or a role model, dodgy or straight, too good for this level or just treading water.

In short, he is perfect for Swindon Town.

If he was consistent, he wouldn't be here, that's for sure.

I think lots of people forget that he was injured for most of last season though. I'd like to see him knock the Iraq stuff on the head and just get on with life here.

This photograph will always make me chuckle, I sent it round the office when we signed him as he was a little chunky for a league player http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/10555003.SWINDON_TOWN__Trialist_Kasim_will_get_another_chance_to_impress/

Never mind just the chunky Yaser pic with hindsight what an interesting article.....

Requests to interview Harry Agombar after his 15 minute cameo in a friendly were turned down.....Ha ha I wonder why that was then
Caddis nearly joining Blackpool - he avoided a minefield there then. That would have made him long for early morning sessions back with Paolo.