Thetownend.com

Hoping for:-

a higher finish than last season.

a few more home wins.

a style of play that is a bit easier to watch.

Hopes:

Playoff finish, if not higher.

Fears:

Reg will be pessimistic with every result, even the wins.

That's not a fear, it's a reality with the miserable old fuckstick.

Hope top 3, expect top 7.

Fears. Nothing happens Ground, or training ground wise.

Hope we beat Mansfield home and away
Fear we will lose to Mansfield home and away
Top three. Nothing less.

Hope to attend a game this season
Fear I won't
Predict we'll lose to Cheltenham

You haven't got the hang of this  :)

I worry about depth. Defence is a concern that could be solved within days. Midfield is fine. I'm hoping we benefit from Elijah Adebayo having a breakout season.

My prediction is a similar experience to 2017-18 (but that could result in a Play-Off place)

We need to stay in the Football League until 2020-21 for our 100 consecutive years. God I hope they don't let me down on that front...

Hope: We grab a playoff spot. Can't in any way shape or form see an autos place.

Expect: slightly worse than last year (10th-12th), based on today's (Sunday) squad. Which can change.

Fear: a dodgy start, 4.5k gates. Brown stuffing it up given are a week away and only just getting the type of player I expected + looking at 37 year old target men after already signing a younger one on loan.

We'll have to do a poll after 9th, then again after 31st.

Hope - A promotion challenge that goes to the final few games.

Fears - Poor start that leads to unrest and an negative atmosphere at home games.

Prediction - Position 6-10

Possibly the wrong thread for such a concern, plus I understand girth i more important anyway?

I suspect we will have a similar season to this one, hope we are more consistent but fear the fans will turn after about 2 games at the first opportunity.

Hope - Automatics
Expect - Play offs
Predict - 9th
Fear - We don't get a striker that can bag 20 goals and get injuries in defence again causing a dip in form.
Extra hope - we trash Mansfield home and away who sack Flipflop by Christmas.
Extra extra hope - we have a good cup run to bring extra money and fans in.
Extra extra extra hope - we have a style of play that attracts new fans.

Hopes:

1. a promotion season (preferably via top 3). Isn't it everyone's?
2. improved home form (the last couple of seasons have been dismal, making trips to the CG a chore).
3. that the Town End re-discovers it's voice (see 2 above).

Fears:

1. another mediocre season of mostly failure to get it right on and off the pitch.
2. The Council ballsing-up the CG sale.

Predictions:

1. a 10th place finish.
2. Lee Power 'survives' the Trust's attempt to secure the future of the CG and the unsatisfactory status quo continues.

Is it really that important though, JJ?

Don't start Darlo... ;)

(http://parichay-india.in/wp-content/uploads/Add-Fuel-To-The-Fire.jpg)

(https://media2.giphy.com/media/l2JJIJn5AmCanPcMo/giphy.gif)

Hope to get entertained
Fear nothing
Predict promotion

Hope to be entertained more than previous seasons

Fear will be more of the same

Predict a top 10 finish, fingers crossed a top 7

An improvement on last season and might just sneak the playoffs.

I thought we would just about make the playoffs last season, and to be fair we weren’t that far off for most of it.

Have to say for this season I think the same is likely, a top 10 with a chance of the playoffs.

I guess a lot depends on how the new signings settle in, the one positive is that I think we have a better manager this time.

Hopes:

promotion - don't care how so long as we beat MK Stealers and Flitcroft and that my expectations are shown to be ridiculous and Reg-like

Fears: 

defensive football, midtable finish, shamed by Flitcroft and MK Stealers, falling attendances, drift and mild decline

Expectations: 

once again, not quite good enough for the playoffs and, yes, another year of drift leaving us where we are today but with another wasted year.

Hopes:  playoffs

Expectations:  PB will continue last year's style of attacking play with better players

Fears:  Going too defensive and tippy-tappy again

When Saturday Comes prediction for this season.

Notts County
Lincoln
Franchise

Northampton
Swindon
Mansfield
Oldham

Exeter
Newport
Colchester
Carlisle
Bury
Tranmere
Cambridge
Crawley
Crewe
Grimsby
Stevenage
Port Vale
Forest Green
Macclesfield
Cheltenham

Yeovil
Morecambe

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The local yeovil paper down here ran a survey of teams in L2 Yeovil fans hate, and I can corroborate their findings as most Yeovil fans really don't like us much.


https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/league-love-hate-league-two-1840515

What does it say in the wider WSC survey, we often used to pop up as an disliked club in the strangest possible places?

It did surprise me that we are a fair bit higher in the hated clubs than their much closer rivals Exeter who Yeovil often have hooligan problems with home and away.

I don't remember there being a single fight or problem at any Yeovil v Swindon game in the past.

Although I do know they really don't like us yet they don't mind Rovers and Shitty who have both caused a lot of problems the last few times they played.

Jealousy?

I was surprised we were so disliked, relatively, throughout the League.  Would rather be there than right down the bottom with the likes of Colchester.

I'd put the dislike levels down to the PDC effect.

Regardless, MKD rightly top.

Several Yeovil fans I have spoken to have said their main dislike started with the transfer of (at the time) Yeovil legend Andy Williams with us doubling his wages and his badge kissing in front of them after scoring, seems petty to me TBH and why the anger is directed at STFC rather than Andy Williams I also don't understand.

I couldn’t give a rat’s arse who dislikes us.

There are only 2 things that matter in this sphere

Love Swindon

Hate Oxford

Simples!

Presumably, the "George" character in this is from somewhere near the other end of the A420:

https://soundcloud.com/ntt20pod/76-league-two-1-24-predictions

Yep, George Ellik (sp) is a Oxford fan. Shame as its not a bad podcast.

Hopes, entertaining football and automatic promotion

Fears, Steve Evans turning up as manager

Predictions, going up via the play-offs

A mid table finish should be regarded as a successful season.

Why?

Adver doing a Q&A session with PB this afternoon, and are seeking questions to ask:

https://twitter.com/AdverSport/status/1024936115952869376?s=20

Did you wear that shirt for a bet?

Hopes - we end the season in the top 3 and sign some deenders and another striker before deadline
and we end up being bought by a rich saudi prince that wants to turn us into the Man City of the south West

Fears - We end the season in play off spot but fail in spectacular style, and that Power gets to own the ground them immediately sells the club on to a chancer the club completely implodes due to his incompetence and we end up being demoted and then wound up

Prediction - 2nd

Genuinely my fear (ok not fear, but you know what I mean). Can't think of anything worse.

Whilst I understand what you mean, the point below it would surely be worse (ie no club at all)

Yeah, cos that went really well for Rovers and Salisbury City didn't it?

The one can lead to the other - ask Salisbury fans

The Al-Qhadis are Jordanian ;) and when they took over they made no bones about buying the club almost purely for the ground development rights at the Mem, Rovers got the only hard up middle eastern owners in existance :D

As for Salisbury, I was unaware they had foreign ownership before they went bust, I thought they were owned by some middling rich English chap, I didn't pay a lot of notice that far down the leagues then though..

My point was generally be careful what you wish for in terms of supposedly wealthy foreign owners coming in and assuming they will put in rather than take out. The Thais at Reading, now at Oxford, are another case in point.

He was left carrying the can when their supposedly vastly wealthy Morrocan owner did a bunk once it became clear he would be needing to put some money in rather than take it out.

Allegedly wealthy foreign owners are not the panacea that many assume - they can sometimes be the start of even bigger problems. Portsmouth being another case in point

Based on......... a safe bet/the law of averages?

I assumed he meant he didn't want to be loaded, with a great ground and playing in the premier league. And becoming plastic, hated, and losing identity and all the other downside shit that comes with it.

can see where he's coming from  Given a choice of 'bought success' and infinite stagnation I think I'd give the former a go. It's not an easy decision.

obviously I'd rather climb the leagues organically (no not the fgr type of organic). But that's fairly unrealistic now.

Are City thought of that way, I am perhaps biased as when I worked down that way City really are the Manchester club (or at least in terms of the Manc's I worked with who without exception were City through and through!).

I think a lot depends on baggage, when I was a kid everyone seemed to support Liverpool but that doesn't have the stigma that supporting Man Utd has now (coincidentally a number of my school friends now support Man U yet I don't recall anyone supporting them in West Oxfordshire when I was a sprog!)

There are clear "bought the league" accusations. Mainly from fans of other clubs that used to be able to afford to buy the league once...

Not sure they have the same loftiness in the other departments as, say, Chelsea. Probably should have used them as the example.

Just based on the perception that there has not been a significant improvement in both the playing and managerial staff. 

Hope going to The County Ground becomes less of a chore. Seeing Saturday as a new dawn because I've drifted away from it the last couple of seasons, mostly due to financial constraints, however.

Fear a third season in League 2, or worse.
Fear a bad start and disillusioned fanbase by the end of September.

Predictions: Top 10 at Christmas. Sneak into 3rd on the last day.

Now, I can’t see how we are worse. Almost anyone would be an upgrade on Flitcroft - some of the worst performances I have ever witnessed.

Apart from Preston there is no player that has left I wanted to stay. I’m honestly looking forward to watching Alzate week after week. Dave has to be better than Linganzi. Doughty we know will be class at this level. McGlashan instead of McDermott, Vigs instead of RCC.

Add in the emergence of a couple of youngsters and you’ve got to be optimistic for a far better season than last season’s shite.

Go back to your GP and either up the strength of your medication or change it.

Thanks for your kind sentiments ...

I just hope for a better atmosphere around the club, and I think we are will going the right way.
An honest and open manager, hopefully more entertaining football, better results and a good start to the season will see the crowds come back and make it enjoyable to watch Swindon again. 

I personally think we start the season in slightly better shape than we did last season.

I hope we will strengthen in January if we are in a similar situation as last season.

I worry that Brown is indeed a shit Manager and despite enjoying watching some of the games at the tail end of last season, I am subjected to another 46 games of iFollow boredom.

Without seeing-us play, I'd say we are good for the play offs - that's also without knowing what the rest of league looks like, so just using last season as a guide.

If Mansfield do not end-up top 3 or promoted in the play offs, surely Flitcroft will be done for in terms of getting decent gigs for a while.

Nah, there's always some tosser with a pile of half-read self-help/management guru bullshit books by their bed will fall for his line of Brent-isms

Welcome to league Two. Swindon generally don't do mid table, either sniffing around the play off positions or bottom five.

You are most welcome.....

Hoping to beat my 1 game per season of the last few years.

I’ve paid little attention...to well, anything STFC but

I think we still look suspect in defence. Think we will be better as we’ve cleared some deadwood and hopefully Vigs can get back to the form he’s capable of (ok it’s harsh to say he’s dipped in form having played one game but even L2 keepers shouldnt be making mistakes like he did Saturday)

Midfield looks a lot better all around. Happy with that.

Not sure we have enough goals in us. Adebayo will either be that awkward striker who causes defences all sorts of problems and do a job for the team but not score many goals or he’ll provide a very good return - can’t decide which.

Vigs in goal, well Vigs is Vigs, you will always get a howler or 3 a season but hes far far better a keeper than RCC or Moore.

Defensively Knoyle and Conroy are both good, Taylor gets drawn out of position too easily and doesn't have the pace left to get back when he is out of position but we rely on his dead ball deliveries in the team and he can put some excellent crosses in but he is not a defender.

Lancashire is a weak link at the back, hopefully Nelson will come in and replace him as for me he was last season and still is the weak link at the back, with Nelson in I am fairly happy with the back 4.

Midfield has been strengthened well, Doughty, Alzate, Toums, McGlashan and Smith are all far better than what we have had there in the last few seasons, jury is still out on McCourt until I have seen him more so thats far stronger.

Anderson looks to have sharpened up since last season his control is better and he has always had pace he just needs to add a better final ball/shot and he will be excellent. He no longer runs into trouble from a great position and ends up near the corner flag, a vast improvement.

Adebayo puts himself around his control isn't that great but he gets in good positions and can head a ball, his ability to jump needs a bit of work but is a much better target man than Norris and won more headers in 1 game thanNorris did all last season in the same role.

He reminds me of a young Nile Ranger, I doubt he will score more than 10 goals but his link up play and pace as well as his lay offs are worth him being in the side, could be a great target man in time without the baggage of Ranger.

We also have Dunne to come back who can cover all accross midfield but won't be a regular starter, Richards who will bag goals again this year if he stays fit and Woolery who if his pace is utilised can be a threat.

Overall I think we look to have a healthier squad than this time last season.

Oh and I forgot to add, I think Twine looked way out of his depth on Saturday he needs time out on loan IMO not ready yet for the first team, or certainly not playing against a huge defence like Macclesfield.

Although the second goal was Vigs fault i don't think Lancashire did much to help him. He dithered and then played a pass the left footed keeper had to take a touch for first.

I wasn't impressed with Lancashire at all on Sat but i think we have to remember that he has missed a lot of preseason and that's his first 90 mins of football. Want to see what the Nelson lad is like but i think Lancashire will get better.

I was very impressed with Adebayo. He had a good header that hit the bar, had a decent attempt in the second half that the keeper had to push past the post. He won the first penalty and created 2 chances for Doughty in the first half with good knockdowns that the keeper did well to save. He also showed a turn of pace on a couple of occasions noticeably in the second half and linked up well with others.

I think the most shocking thing about Sat was taking off Alzate, i thought the guy looked class. Twine is not even close to the same standard. If Brown wants two more then i think one has to be someone who can cover the full back roles and the other, someone who can play across the front 3. I'm not sure how well Richards plays in this set up, but he does score goals. I think we have to wait and see how good an improved Anderson/McGlashan and Woolery are going to be. Another to compete in that area so we dont need Twine would be good.

The best thing about this season compared to last is the number of players who look like they can create something when we need it, something we lacked completely last year.

Its difficult to judge though given Macclesfield only just got promoted, this Sat will tell us much more.