Thetownend.com

Not sure how we'll line up for this one, be good to see the Derby lads and Keshi play a part.

3 - 1

7150 Att

0-2 Barnet

 I liked this game..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNSPxBovD8M

 Dear old Ricky Shakes, meant to cross but scored. Royce Brownlie, a thing of beauty, let's hope for similar later today.

Fair play to Flitcroft for assembling a hell of a good squad for this level in next to no time and of course to Power for making it possible. It will obviously take a bit of time to really gel into a cohesive unit but if we finish outside the top 3 with the players we now have, something will have gone seriously wrong. Really need a win today to get some momentum going.

2-0 Woolery, Anderson

That Royce Brownlie goal was an absolute peach.

I vividly remember celebrating in my student house living room as news of Brownlie's goal came through the Ceefax vidiprinter service......

Even then we couldn't defend properly!

1-1

I'm a little embarrassed to say I'd never heard of almost all of our new signings. ah well, the proof will be in the promotion pudding.

we'll thrash then 2-1

Great feeling about today. It's my boys' first game of the season so,  resounding 4-0 to the Town.

Just win, playing well would be a bonus

Shakes is only 32, and 5'10... I got it into my head that he was a small tricky winger....

What's with the marquee in the CG car park near club shop ? Fan zone maybe  :hmmm:

Hoping for a better all round performance than last week, be an interesting line up that's for sure with the newbies. In the Arkells today courtesy of Imagine Cruising.
 :pint:

3:1 win today for me

I'd guess half marathon tomorrow.

2-0 (Woolerey,Hussey)

My first game of the season, looking forward to it.
2-0 Ajose and Gladwin

I had Japanese curry today, which is basically curried stew. This means 3 points are in the bag.

Katsu? Fun fact the Japanese first received curry powder from the British, so you could say it was inspired by us.

Nice day today, a good day to get three points.

SWINDON TOWN v Barnet: Vigouroux; Purkiss, Lancashire (C), Robertson, Hussey; Taylor, Linganzi, Elsnik, McDermott; Norris, Anderson

Substitutes: Charles-Cook, Conroy, Dunne, Brophy, Gordon, Mullin, Woolery

Unbelievable cock up at the back.

Fucking shambles.

Fuck it 4-1 I meant to say!!!!

For fuck sake

I think what you REALLY meant to say was 4-2?

Utter utter wank.  5 goals conceded in 100 minutes of football at home.  

Perhaps 4-2 then.
How the fuck is this happening?

I'm so glad he dropped Conroy for Robertson :doh:

 :zzz:Conroy and woolery and dunne should of all started.

Sounds like we picked up from where we left off last weekend.

guess missing first three home games isn't proving the disappointment I thought it might.....

Well that's the honeymoon over.

Taylor sounds like a massive bag of wank! Why even is Dunne on the bench for?

Over before the consummation

This score line is a fucking disgrace.

Far too many changes.  We're a shambles.  It's obvious they haven't played together before. Could easily be 4-0 if they hadn't cocked up two breakaways.

Jesus Christ, this is fucking dire. We don't do anything. Lumbering through 45 minutes of ineffectual shite.

Doesn't look like we've got any sort of plan or method of play at all.

Dog Shit

The Town end now getting restless, giving Flitcroft & Vigs stick

Let's hope flitcrofts half time gee up is more effective than luke's

Sort of committed myself to this last week, but Taylor's days as a player are near done.

Vigs for me is totally to blame for the first goal - he either comes and clears or he fucking shouts at the defender to take control.  His lack of control in the box is worrying me at this level.

Penalty - no issues with giving it, but you then have to give every foul of a similar nature - not so sure the ref will retain his balls on that front.

McDermott has a great footballing brain but is obviously playing with my body.

Overall it's not far off the same as last weeks 2nd half performance, the issue we have at the moment is that we have a few players in the team today who want to play a bit more, but the rest of the team simply can't play that way.  The back four are get rid and get it long types, meaning any midfield creativity is going to be bypassed.  We'd work better as a team with Dunne back in and then playing the fastest four players we have upfront.  At least you can pressure and run in behind at times then.

I have a feeling we will be rubbish at home and ok away from home this season.  4 1/2 league games and I think mid table.

First game I've attended this season and it's as bad as the worst games last season. None of the new players have impressed me and look no better than the ones from last season. A lot of people moaning about the ref but we are absolutely fucking dire. Says it all when the away team already 2-0 uplook far more up for it and win all the 50-50 balls. Going by last weeks result and this display alone I think we could be in real strife come end of season.

The thing that concerns me the most is the fact that teams don't have to work hard to score against us, just like last season.

It was the one thing I was expecting to improve with Flitcroft as manager.

This, also some look like they've put butter all over themselves. Retention is appalling.  :pint: :pint: Come on Town. Hope Flitcroft put a very large rocket up them.

Unfair on Elsnik as first pro start. Talk about deep end. Gotta learn quick though lad!

Down to 10 men now. McDermott straight red.

At least Flitcroft as acknowledged that Taylor is playing poorly and hasn't brought him out for the second half.  I would imagine he's one of the highest earners, complete waste of a pay check.  The Lancashire sub is an odd one.  Personally would have taken off Robertson.

Mcdetmott sent off.  It just gets better.

 :badmood:

What a twat honestly.

What a fucking bell end he is

I can't even be bothered to carry on watching it on iFollow.

Flitcroft doesn't seem to have a scooby

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170902/7f45957e23ff68cfc349adbf8af82ada.jpg)

I just walked down this street. Ironically, it absolutely stank of piss.

Don't like to say it, but I don't think Flitcroft will last long here

Same here. Not gonna waste any more of my Saturday night, there's gaming to be had.

Fuck me! Two consecutive 0-3 at home to supposedly shit opposition. The future does not look bright at all!

3

Flitcroft out

Wish we'd kept Branco.

Lancashire subbed because his wife has gone into labour... You'd think not starting him might have been a better choice.

4. Absolute fucking disgrace the last 2 home games have been

Fucking dog wank!
My boys are fucking fed up and don't want to watch anymore and I can't blame them. I'm not watching anymore of this today.

it's only 4, we can snatch this

Embarassing.  I've just walked out. 7 goals shipped at home in 2 games in League 2.  What the actual fuck.

Reg was venting at the 3-0 last week.

Power has got to be mulling this over. Well get mullered at Luton next week, too.

The chairman made the mistake of sticking with the manager last year.
Think he will not muck about this season.

What happens when strangers play. Give it another month.

I thought we were playing Barnet, how come Barcelona have turned up.

And I thought 0-2 was a fucking disgrace...

Couldn't give a shit if Flitcroft is sacked tonight. Not happening, I know, but we need some leadership from somewhere.

Attendance under 6k

Only 5500 home fans. Be less than that for the next one.

First time EVER left CG before final whistle.  Says it all.

Have we scored and levelled the red card tally?

Was out of mobile signal all game, just got in to see this....fucking embarrassing.

Wow. When you think this lot can't possibly surprise you any more. My gob is well and truly smacked.

Boils down to decent recruitment from midfield and up front and fucking useless defensive recruitment. Journeyman is too kind.

This.

The most depressing bit is that any minute now, Reg will make his first prediction of relegation to Non League.  And he may even end up right.  Again.

Agreed, but decent defensive units don't ship like that even as strangers.

it can be turned around though.

Someone, somewhere, needs to arrest the decline of our club.  This is beyond a joke.

From the commentary, it seems that Flitcroft is playing a bunch of poor-average players out of their natural positions. What could possible go wrong?

Bury fans said he has a habit of doing this.

Similarish experience in L2 under PDC early on.

Either way, grim.

Rubbish

So losing 11 in a row at Bury didn't change his mind on that managerial nugget

fucking garbage, no shape, all over the place, Anderson was and should be in a different league

Only two go down... That *might* be enough to save us.

Shite. Total utter shite. Anyone that can even a attempt to find any positives about today's 'performance' is a deluded cunt.

Well that was pretty garbage. You could see we were trying to play it on the ground. Yet half were also sticking to the managers game plan of get it long. It made us look clueless. We had no shape. Fair play to Barnet, they did have shape and they passed with purpose. Thought Elsnik did ok. He's definitely technical and can find a player just some around him couldn't click to this. I think it may click in the next few games. Woolery seems to just keep the ball until he loses it. Norris was frustrated and couldn't knock him for effort. Mullin similarly tried when he came on. We looked frightened to shoot, did we have more than 3 true clear cut shots? Fuck me Barnet probably think it should have been about 8-2.

it could have been 1.8

you know what I mean. 2-8 then. :pint: :pint:

:)

The defence aren't being played out of position. Neither are those in front of them. Not trying to make excuses for DF, but players out of position isn't to blame for such poor defending. There's something else making us so woefully crap in that regard. They were poor even with 2 DMCs in front of them.

Purkiss: four times put the ball straight into touch. Ok defensively but no pace. Offers little going forward. Old so unlikely to improve ability-wise.

Had that been Brad Barry today, he'd have been slaughtered

Fullbacks needed a really solid touch before putting in a wank ball APART from the goal (the header and keeper flapping made it an ok cross).

Ref guessed a lot, we kept 3 up top in spite of having no midfield and no one being close to Norris so his role as target man could be viable.

A thoroughly disappointing saturday afternoon!

Disgraceful is the only word to describe that performance!!  No heart, no passion and very little skill.  One minute we are trying to play with players well away from each other, then they are in a heap in the middle of the park.  Won't single anybody out - all as bad as one another.  Hardly won a second ball and in Campbell-Ryce Barnet had the best player on the pitch, always available to receive the ball, give and go with accurate passes and he played with more energy than most of our players - and he was just about the oldest player on the pitch after Taylor went off.

Well I enjoyed my first trip to SN1 this season. The hope and optimism, laced with the new playing additions, smell of rancid hotdogs, the ink of the freshly printed programmes, perfect playing surface, sunshine. I look forward to my first trip to SN1 about the same time next season. Power will have to eek out the £32 pounds carefully, I suspect his accountants will be very creative with it.

Putting aside the fact that we shouldn't be in this division in the first place, I don't think Power can be blamed here. He made what appeared to be a solid appointment, and supported him. Only Flitcroft is to blame here.

Still, early days and all that. We may just click before long. It took a while for that to happen under PDC and that season ended up OK.

This. I think next 5/6 league games are key.

What did Flitters have to say after the game?

Flitcroft made his second bad mistake today, by making too many changes and upsetting the balance of the team while perhaps pissing off players who were dropped, but should have been be hoping to make amends for last weeks debacle.  Last weeks big mistake was taking off the defensive midfield which allowed us to be overrun.
I have serious doubts about the manager's ability but I hope he can turn it round and settle a decent side down.

Don't quite understand what Flitcroft is on about when he says "We need to look at which players want to play at home..."  Fuck me Dave, you haven't got the luxury of an "away side" and a "home side" You've just got to keep drilling them and make them click. If not they go in January.

I agree with the first part. Power has given the manager much more than Williams got.

Re the PDC team, we had Fods, Ritchie, Caddis, Ferry, Flint (generally young and on the up) supplemented by more experienced pros like McCormack, Benson & McEveley who had played consistently at a higher level.

Our current squad has some young talent that will improve in Vigs, Woollery and possibly the new loanees but the rest seem like journeymen who are no better than this level.

Think the PDC team would thrash our current one.

Words which could have been applied to any number of performances last season. Not what you might call progress...I give up... :suicide:

Cant understand why Mullin didnt start.

Fuming about that performance.

Sadly Dunne, Lighanzi & Taylor are all too similar players and none are ball winners. Opposition cut through our midfield today like butter just as Crawley did last week.
Not gonna slate Taylor but if he plays he's only ever gonna shine in a 3 man midfield and one of those needs to be a ball winner.
Completely over run today and Flitcroft has to shoulder all the blame because lessons weren't learnt from last week and the same pattern of play 2nd half against Crawley was evident today.
Of course it didn't help our cause McDermott getting himself sent off absolutely senseless.

Tough times ahead for Flitcroft. The next few games will be a real test of his management skills and he really needs to turn things around to appease the fans both home and away

Maybe PDC wasn't quite the bell end that he's portrayed on here  after all ?

Get Tom Smith in the lineup. How is he going to do any worse that what's we've seen already? At least we know that he will give 110%.

Definitely not progressing, I did not see either away performance but people who went say we were like the curate's egg, good in places, crap for the rest of the game but rode our luck.

After watching England play last  night i thought it would be a while before i got so pissed off with watching headless chickens.I was wrong but this time it cost me £19.
Got an headache from  the fans in the town end arguing,poor day out.

Well that was a new level of shit.
These players need to gel quickly and agree it's Flitcrofts players and tactics so he shoulders the blame.
Didn't see the Crawley game but seem to have gone backwards since Exeter.
Oh well  :pint:

Had my worries when he signed Matt Taylor he is dross and finished - his legs have gone and the best thing they can do is ship him out straight away.

My first look at this new team.

Lancashire, Purkiss, Linganzi & Robertson all looked absolute dogshit.

There was no shape to the side, even at 2-0 down we weren't pressing them or pressuring them.
The first goal was laughably bad and will no doubt feature as a "highlight" on the football league show later, the 2nd didn't look like a penalty, it looked like a foul the other way at the time.

The red card, no question, was definitely a red card, I called it as soon as it happened, awful fucking tackle.

Even then, 2-0 down, 10 men, show some balls and try and get something, but no.

Mullins looked good when he came on and Norris is the only one who can come out of the game with any credit as he was the only one who seemed to give a fuck.

Flitcroft needs to sort this out and quick.

Successive 0-3 and 0-4 defeats at home are inexcusable. I don't care if the players haven't had time work as a unit (they clearly have had time) or if we started average under Di Canio or Wise - we are fucking embarrassingly and hopelessly incompetent

Still a bit too early to set the alarm bells ringing.... the backdrop to the end of last season was that Power seemed to realise that carrying on as was would threaten our FL status.  Some even thinking in cat stroking mode he might be seeking this.

However getting in somone who knows the Div and a raft of journeymen suggested otherwise. Now it was never going to be an easy task to recruit an entire new squad and steer the good ship STFC away from the rocks and so it is proving.  With only 2 down, you do get a bit of wriggle room... certainly no room for complacency, on current home form this outfit looks very capable of a season of struggle. But it can change. 

4-1 SY, Luke has now doubled his STFC home league goals total  :)

Oh well, that makes it all better

Most of our defense hardly played last year, let's hope they fucking gel quickly.  We've come out of the blocks flying the last two games, gone a goal down and just looked totally inept thereafter.

Crawley second half was a shocker, this was worse. First 5 we looked decent, after that total fucking shambles. Again the midfield was non existent. As well as scoring 4, Barnet hit the bar, had a decent shout for another penalty turned down and their player missed the 1-1. All this and they didn't give a flying fuck for the last 20 where they coasted. Mullins was lucky when he pushed their bloke.
The cross from Hussey to Norris though was a peach.
All the shit we gave Williams is still there - tactical ineptness, players not giving a fuck, shit defence, shit midfield, shit forwards, piss poor discipline, large no of loan players.
Sometimes I despair being Town. This is one of those days.

What a goal :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

https://twitter.com/scot_munroe/status/904038324557504512

One win off automatic promotion.

I don't thnk anyone said PDC was a bellend..  A fruit loop maybe, but there was no doubt he was an effective manager, albeit a ludicrously expensive one..  He was and always will be a short term manager though, he will get the desired response initially, and then slowly but surely piss everyone off and alienate certain sections of the team, and club.

Yep.  More comedy defending.  Are Vigs and Robertson using the Keystone Kops training manual?

(http://mattsko.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/buster-keaton-cops-gif.gif?w=560)

Vigs played like a man that wanted to be here

WTF has this got to do with Di Canio anyway?

He was a bellend though.

people clinging to the hope his indifferent start and subsequent league title can be replicated here.

This is as much of a worry as the team. Anecdotal evidence from the summer was that many previous regular attendees had given up, and not bought season tickets. It seems to be the case.

Fucking appalling. If the keeper doesn't call, you get rid. Five year olds know that.

Had a feeling that something like that would happen today.
Fine margins as always, don't gift them an early goal and it could be a different result entirely.
Quite liked the way Barnet played, ahem, everyone, bar Morecambe maybe, seems to have played better quality football than us so far.
We have limitations.
Setup looks ok for away games, maybe a change of plan needed for playing at home.
Anderson should do well once he settles in.
Difficult to see where Taylor is going to fit in.
Goddard, when fit, must play.
Sitting quite high up in the DRS at least means that the ball is at eye level for a lot of the time so less chance of neck strain than if sat at pitch level.

The old timer sat in front of me left at half time today.

They were. They were on the pitch in a professional football match

McDermott had plenty of passion - look where that got us. Most over-abused word in English football

Largely agree with what everyone else has said, apart from those that thought Norris did OK, thought he was as bad as the rest, no-one comes out of that well. That was quite shockingly shit, could have been 6 or 7 if Barnet had more composure in front of (empty) goal.

I think the assumption was that we'd need to trade a bit of football, for at least being more difficult to beat... hasn't happened so far at the CG. Certainly we have just witnessed the 2 most supine defeats ever in Div 4 at the CG. In fact today was so bad it was funny...can we really be that bad  :headhurts:

We have witnessed two total fucking annihilations in the bottom division by two teams fancied for the drop into non league.

And two teams who have played more football than us. League 2 doesn't seem quite the scrap it once was. In fact, the team full of big hefty lads seem to keep getting beat.

This was the first game of the season for me. I walked out at 3-0 with 10 men.

Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. I don't blame Flitcroft for a lot of what happened however. The players made it a mountain to climb.

3 player mistakes, terrible mistakes.

Vigs was the indecisive one for the 1st, cb was clearing waiting and holding him off. Flip side would be the moment he saw Vigs not racing out he should have cleared it himself.

2nd Goal, a bit of me thinks soft but as soon as the ref saw the shirt pull that was it, there was no denying he had hold of the players shirt but it looked scrappy like they were both out of doing it and I don't think that pull resulted in the player going down.

At this point we were always going to be in trouble but with a good start to the 2nd half and the likes of Taylor being subbed why not have a go and see what they can do.

Then the 3rd mistake, a stupid 2 footed lounge. Its game over for certain at this point.

It concerns me the amount of possession that is lost with the long ball, literally smashing it with no chance of creating. Doesn't strike me as having a squad with any quality standout players. The standard between the two leagues based on this one viewing appears huge.  

I liked Mullin, seems direct and whats needed on the wing. I am a huge fan on conroy and not sure why he was sub.

As sam parkin repeatedly said he will judge after 10 games and so will i. I still think we will get promoted, today the players were shite, but without those 3 huge mistakes we could still have played shite and grew into the match and who knows

We're either really shit or the players aren't used to playing in Flitcroft's system, nor with one another. We miss Goddard massively too.

I think most shocking for me was the decision making from experienced players with 100's of league appearances between them. Taylor, Purkiss, Robertson, Hussey literally just booting the ball anywhere with no intention of keeping it. Okay when you're holding on to a lead or under the cosh away from home. Not okay when you've got time to make a better decision and retain the ball. I liked what Elsnik was trying to do. Wasn't a great performance but at least tried to pass the ball and get us moving. We need to find a way to get him on the ball as much as possible. Maybe Linganzi and Dunne sitting in with him just ahead of them and behind a striker with two wide men supporting.  Flitcroft doesn't have a great deal of time to find a formula judging by the mood in the ground today. Toxic, and a carry over from last season which isn't his fault but unfortunately is an extra burden he'll have to deal with.

First game since Exeter for me and the contrast in mood is scary but not unsurprising. This fan base is desperate for something positive to cheer about and I don't think anyone saw the last couple of weeks coming.

Still, early days and football being football most will be expecting a beating next week but who knows.

totally agree, apart from promotion, on the last 3 games no chance

Late thought, a thing that pissed me off today was how many people clapped the 4th. Granted, good turn and finish but he should have been tackled by about 8 players in the build up. Was more crap defending than good play

Architects of our own downfall.

Like last week, we looked the better side until the oppo scored. This time we gifted them a two-goal lead.

I'd expect a team of mostly experienced pros to be able to respond to going behind at home but that's two games on the trot where we've looked incapable of wrestling back the initiative and been so bad as to make Div 4 strugglers look world beaters.

We should have taken the lead in both the past two games. If we had, I think we could have seen two victories. However, we haven't and frailties have already been exposed. Flitcroft has now got to show he's got what it takes to stop it happening again (worryingly, his demise at Bury suggests he may struggle).

Still, even after a couple of humiliations, we've not lost more than we've won in the league. Early doors etc etc ...   

Swindon Town F.C. 1 v Barnet F.C. 4 | Magic Roundabout | (02/09/17) Matchday Vlog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V9KmkRbiEU

I didn't say it did, it's other posters that are comparing it to our last stint in Div 4.  I was just responding to the statement of a lot of people on here calling him a bellend.  Red Frog aside, I haven't seen much of that.

I liked that. Nothing wrong in respecting the opposition, Coulthirst, is one of those ex Spurs lads who must have come on our radar. But he ended up at Posh and their fans thought him useless... nevertheless he produced a moment of quality in a sea of dross.

 First man to score a Div 4 hat-trick at the CG since Nigel Walker for Chester..

I know, it wasn't your post I was responding to Bernie, rather the original one that brought him up. I should have quoted the original poster.

My one mental 'red flag' which I had put against DF when appointed was that 11 game losing run Bury went on which, let's face it was pretty exceptional by any standards. I wanted someone to ask him why he thought it had happened / was there anything he could or should have done differently / what had he learned from it and what would he do differently this time to ensure a 2 or 3 game losing run didn't become 5/6/7 games? However, since his appointment and up to last weekend everything he'd said and done couldn't really be faulted IMO. I therefore put that nagging doubt and unanswered questions to the back of my mind.

Now, given the apparent level of shear ineptitude of the last two performances, that nagging doubt is at the forefront of my mind and ringing very loud alarm bells. I suppose my questions will be partly answered in the next few games as we will see for ourselves what he learned from the experience. Let's hope he learned something or it will get very ugly indeed.

the first goal is laughably bad.
the third goal for me is far worse.

the first was a freak, massive shitness, but freak (one hopes).

the third we were pulled all over the shop, looked slow and a massive defensive hole formed in the the centre. that's very worrying

I can't bring myself to even watch the lowlights of that.

Think we have to give it 10 games and make an honest assessment then.

After a relatively promising start for the first 3 games the last 2 have been worse than anything I've seen at the CG for a long time

Let's hope it turns around quickly- considering this season Flitcroft has been backed with a good budget if it doesn't he is in big trouble

Same here JJ  :no:

Agree. Very early days. If doesn't pick up then we're in trouble. Home crowds sort far 7k+, 6k+, 5k+. Given it would appear we've spent the budget plan A really needs to work.

Yep. Let's see where we are after another 5 - 7 games.

There is a team in there somewhere. It's up to Flitcroft to find it.
Too much like a collection of individuals yesterday.

The matchday programme has improved though.

It is usual, for the early gates to be a bit higher, when people have a look, if it's crap they fall away. I'd imagine a fair few who went yesterday won't be bothering for Stevenage, who are flying, whereas we could be in the drop zone.

We've sat in the same seats for 8 seasons.  Over the last few seasons, various people have drifted away.  This season there are loads who didn't renew.  The current dross on display won't entice any of them back.

let's see where we are crowd wise now summer holidays are over..

Not sure how a team full of so much experience can crumble going a goal behind. Up until that  point you'd think there was only going to be one winner.

Sent from my SM-G930F

Gift the opposition 2 goals early doors and it is bound to make life difficult.  We had a spell under early Luke, when we did similar but got out of jail with Ajose's goals.  This side doesn't look to have goals in it, so keeping it tight is paramount.

Woeful.

The first a calamity....the keeper is always in charge in these situations.

Second looked a pen from in the TE IMO.

Tough job made impossible by the red card.

Same as last week miss an early chance, fall behind and we are in trouble.

Early doors....the only silver lining.

In the very first minute our opening two "passes" were long balls forward easily cleared by their defence. My immediate thoughts were here we go again and so it proved, no finesse, little evidence of any real skill and very little football played.

I may be lambasted on here but I much preferred the way that Williams tried to instil his way of playing the game than the pile of steaming dross I witnessed yesterday.

 

Agree with so much that has been said but the worrying part for me was the complete lack of any structure, especially in that first half - and so little brain was applied to the problem.

It wasn't working and no one seemed to care to fix it – not the manager, not the experienced players. Barnet's Campbell-Ryce was dominating Taylor, both on and off the ball. No rotation, no thought, just letting him get shut down time and again by another senior player – and a far more effective one.

The nadir was the moment when Taylor waddled in to receive a throw in from the North Stand side but his body was completely parallel to the line. So he had no way to go anywhere else, except forward - straight into touch again. But, his experience really told, and he managed to hoof it, swinging across his body, straight down the line, over the heads of everyone for a goal kick.

Difficult to compare dysfunctional tippy tappy with dysfunctional hoofball.

To square the circle Flitcroft has to instil some control shown by his defenders - Conroy should be a cert starter. Let's not forget both Robertson and Purkiss weren't wanted by Wimbledon and Vale, so shouldn't be surprised they are very limited players.

I think Tom Smith offers more than either Linganzi or Dunne. The rest of the team appear to be more than good enough for L2 - minus Taylor.

Time for Flitcroft to show he can actually manage and/or coach.

So you have decreed that Taylor is not good enough based upon the fact that he supports Oxford, which he doesn't.  ::)

Where did I mention anything about the piss stains?

My view is based on 2 halves of absolute shite.

I imagine it's more to do with Taylor having less legs/mobility than Lilian Nalis than who he supports..

no, I think he means he is not very good anymore, which he isn't

I watched the highlights. McDermott's two footed 'tackle' was dreadful, as was his knowing nod as he got sent off. Hopefully he's dropped for Goddard.

I've not seen him play yet. I'd seen some damning reports on Taylor, but worse mobility than Nalis... oh.. oh deary me.

Taylor has managed to milk a top level footballing career out of his set piece ability and a historic dirth of left footed talent in the country, in my opinion.  He's done well for himself and the fact he is playing at L2 level this late in that career is testament to someone who has a desire to play the game, which is often lacking in the multi million pound era.

For us he is a waste of a wage I'm afraid.  No mobility, so relying solely on the left foot which in truth was never matched with a good footballing talent.  Already an odd choice given our style of play, he has shown enough in the 2 games to suggest he will be a bystander at best.  I think you have to have two like Dunne and Linganzi playing in there.  I know people will say they are limited in ability, but having any ability is a waste if we insist on playing the way we are trying to anyway.  You just need two stoppers who run about trying to break things up and then sit when we attack and hold position well.  They did that up until half time against Crawley when Flitcroft changed it to try and be more attack minded, and frankly the outcome is inevitable.

One issue raised by Bury fans was a sense that Flitcroft liked to look like he was all new fangled and in charge.  He has shown that in the last two games, first by making changes in the Crawley game to try and show his intent to win a game we were losing when in fact we were well in the game anyway, and then by changing the team set-up and utterly imbalancing the side by doing so.  If we are intent on playing it long and using the forwards to attack, just get back to having 6 stoppers.  Better to focus on how those top four work together and support the defence effectively.  Just sticking four actual strikers up there is not the answer.  The Derby lad looks useful, so you could have him and Goddard who will then both have some inkling to get back when needed.  Then pick two from the remainders, and as much as Norris has run around a lot, I am not sure he is much use as a battering ram, so then you look for something else and better to have pace I feel.  

Nalis came up in discussions yesterday... Was good once...but not anymore....Nalis fell on his sword in the end didn't he?

He actually stayed the whole season but barely featured. He did admit he wasn't performing though.

Like you said, you could see he was once very good, he was just a season and a bit past it.

Good points, Robert. My worry is that Dunne goes off his feet too easily and Linganzi has little idea of his cover shadow to make a great pairing.

Fortunately unable to go yesterday due to prior commitments, thank goodness,  people think that the gate yesterday was down,  lets remember there must have been quite a few there who only paid a tenner,  can't see thèm coming back paying £20+ per ticket after todays performance.         Dread to think how low the Stevenage gate will be if results don't improve over the next two away games.
Still plenty of time to turn it around,  think we have the squad to do it but positional problems need to be addressed ASAP.

Haven't seen anything in the two home games I've attended that Linganzi is anything other than a passenger in our  midfield, both games have gone on around him so far. Can't remember anything that suggested he is the stopper / protector of the defence that people suggest he is.

His tackle count is as low as anything last season.

So far from what I have seen, and these have been the home games only, Purkiss and Taylor look less mobile than me and I need ops on both of my dodgy knees.
Hussey hasn't looked as good as intial hype suggested. He and Purkiss look seriously suspect defending, and 99% of his deadball delivery has been disappointing
Agree with one poster regarding Norris. I really can't inderstand the general expectation that Norris would somehow be a boon in this division, and that he had an acceptable performance yesterday (even with scoring), only my opinion of course.
Worrying was Flitcrofts team selection with the inclusion of Taylor and leaving out Mullin who has stood out as one of our positives.
Early days I know, but already worried.

It's not time to hit the panic button just yet, as Flitcroft has demonstrated on a couple of occasions he can make the side difficult to beat, especially when we take the lead.

However, looking at a couple of the posts here today and yesterday I've been reminded that he did have that shocking run at Bury with 11 consecutive defeats, which ultimately lead to their egotistical Chairman firing him.

A quick trawl through a couple of their Player TV videos made during that horrendous run brings up a few similarities to the last two home defeats here;

His team constantly knocking on the door without scoring - usually first 20 mins or so
An inability to defend
'Large holes' inexplicably opening up 'in the middle and at the back'
Him being exasperated, frustrated and at a loss to explain it, other than to point out the quality of the opposition strikers, and, most importantly, an inability to make effective enough changes to halt the slide, which makes me wonder if the 'billy big bollocks' tag is true, in that he try's to make up ground (losses) after defeats by going all out, rather than fixing the problems, stemming the bad results and then building upon that.

It's a worry, especially as our crowds are plummeting. It's also worrying that he made the comment about finding out 'which players want to play at home'  ... wtf?

I'd certainly be playing Tom Smith as of now, I'd prey that Goddard gets over his injury sometime soon and I'd get Brophy into the gym on a bulk-up plan as he's the only natural ball player who can run at the opposition with the ball at his feet. If he wasn't so easily knocked off the ball, I have no doubt he'd be playing at a higher level.

Also, Woolery needs to man up and start contributing a lot more too. Noriss may not be the best, but he puts a shift in and never gives up.

And whilst I'm concerned about Flitcroft's judgement in bringing Taylor in (or was that a Power signing - we were linked with him as a possible player/manager during the back end of last season) based upon on his first two outings for us he should do the decent thing.

His legs have clearly abandoned him. That's not his fault, it's merely part of the human ageing process and I admire him hugely for stepping down the leagues to continue playing the game - that's proper passion that's sadly missing in the game nowadays, but the guy simply cant run.

Am I the only one who actually feels sorry for him?

Some good points there, although I can't say I share your trust in Brophy, and I think calling out Woolery so early is harsh.

Should have been 1 up before we gifted them a goal. Ref gifted them a second. McDermott ensured they'd get the 3 points... What more can you do? I don't think some people realise that in trying to claw a game back (particularly with 10 men) you will always leave space. Barnet weren't a bad team but still, losing 4-1 to them (even with 10 men) just isn't acceptable. Would it have been different if we'd capitalised early? Maybe.

Flitcroft has some work to do. Linganzi needs to be dropped. I don't think there's too much need to push the panic button yet but I don't think we've seen our best XI yet. I thought Anderson and McDermott (pre daft challenge) were pretty lively and Norris worked his arse off (deserved his goal). Not sure the 3 in midfield is working as our back 4 are exposed (and very slow). Having said that I thought Purkiss had a pretty decent game. Hussey was cross shy, why?! As soon as he whipped it in we scored.

Still 11 months since I've seen us win a game. Maybe I should stay away more often.

I thought Saturday was fucking hilarious.

No, he was.

I think bell end is a bit strong wording but he did have some issues with his own mental wellbeing at times, almost like some form of Hypomania.

Fuck knows how PDC's character is relevant.

Nor me but going off at tangents is all part of TEF threads lately it appears.

People hark back wistfully to the last season in Div 4, when we could concede 8 goals in a season at the CG not the first 3 games.

Think the reality of our present situation is starting to fully sink in, and it's a bit of a shock to some. Very much a case of fight or flight, and looking at the gate on Sat it's the latter.

Possibly why he appealed to much of our fan base....

What do you mean?

(http://akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/201506/rs_500x213-150106140223-tumblr_lvuyue9fdH1r4etbjo1_500.gif)

It is still early days but going by what I've seen so far there's nothing to convince me that we will make a serious challenge this season.
On paper we have some good players but are too similar.
Dunne, Linghanzi and Taylor all look like there trying to do the same job which ends up looking like a complete mess in midfield and the opposition cutting through it like butter.  I don't know if they realise that before you can pass a ball you have to win it first. Midfield for me is our weakest point which gives us no support to the defence and bugger all creativity to the forward players.
Admittedly Norris isn't our best player but with fuck all service then he's gonna look crap.   

Norris IS our top scorer

Possibly why he appealed to much of our fan base....

Probably what was more appealing was the passion Di Canio generated, the fact that we won games and the fact that there seemed to be a hope of progressing upwards rather than our current downward spiral. Similar to Macari - a leader for us to get behind and get excited by.

Still looks fucking awful though

Nope - its only because we won.

After the 4 game losing streak there were a lot calling for his head.

he "won" because he organised his team and motivated it to stay organised at all times

.... and he overspent the budget too. Not saying he wasn't a good manager, but we had resources other teams in that league could only dream of that season.

He was one of the best motivators thats for sure, the players respected him for what he achieved as a player but he also gave them bollockings when they did poorly but because they respected him, they almost always responded well to it.

The players were fitter too as he never gave them any days off, they were in for training every day even Sundays and Christmas.

His overspending cannot be ignored though, his budget was about double what ours is this season and he kept going over that and landing us with the transfer um bongos which eventually led to Black saying no more which again led to him leaving in such a hurried manner.

Its all history now though and pretty much totally irrelevant to our current situation.

In my opinion you can't blame PDC for spending what he was given.

As well meaning as Wray was, the disconnect between him and Black on budget ultimately brought the house down.

I think he spent way more than what he was given!

True he could only spend what Wray sanctioned but PdC never seemed happy with the players he had, he always wanted more.

That season he played 38 players.

 It is a concern that we have been outplayed by 2 sides with newbie managers with a handful of FL games between them.  Eames on Sat is the youngest in the league at 32, an ex gymnast, in his second spell as boss, previously fitness coach.

 Probably a good job John Akinde seems to be out atm, he'd have had a field day.

 I think our lot struggled with the heat on Saturday, we may fare better as the weather and away pitches deteriorate..

Maybe when November rolls around we'll have a fitter squad than everyone else. Never know. Silly to judge this early

Last seaon we used 34. Don't think the number matters as much as what they do.

Danny Williams was a great servant of the club (and Rotherham for that matter)

Do you prefer broccoli or cauliflower?