Thetownend.com

We'll lose or draw, the meltdown will begin then we won't lose again for the rest of the season.

Our away form is starting to concern me a little... I know our games have been tough but we haven't picked many points up away from the CG recently and the longer that goes on I think we'll start getting in a rut. Could really do with a win tomorrow, I don't buy the "run in is easy" stuff. It won't be easy at all and it's very Bradford of us to assume we have a right to win these games.

I'm not going all Reg and saying it's a must win, but I feel like it would be a big statement. 4 points from Carlisle and Northampton would be a great return.

I don't buy the "run in is easy" stuff. It won't be easy at all and it's very Bradford of us to assume we have a right to win these games.

Think it's time for a refresh a little. Expecting changes. I'd like to see Issy get more game time, but not tomorrow. We need power, pace and strength so Woolery comes back in, and Lyden alongside Grant should give us more control. DJ or Doughty is a coin toss.

Team:

Benda

Caddis
Baudry
REG
Hunt

Lyden
Grant
Doughty

Woolery
Doyle
Yates

Of course it won't be easy, but I'd wouldn't swap it for any other team's.

Of course it won't be easy, but I'd wouldn't swap it for any other team's.

I think it's ours to throw away now.

Northampton have had a lot of games recently including FA cup at home to Derby and the reply last week which they lost.
Have been playing Sat/Tuesday for about 4 weeks! Takes it out of a team hence not surprised they lost to PV at home on Saturday.

Hopefully their players are still a little jaded! Town 2-1!

Perfect chance to bounce back from our first home defeat in 4 months with another home game on Tuesday. This time the leaders, who we beat at their place with a hell of a lot of fortune and a goal given despite being 4 yards offside. They've sold over a thousand already so a big attendance is guaranteed.
Think we need to win due to rivals having some decent games on Tuesday.

Swindon have only won 1 of their last 6 away games. In 16 away games they have scored 2 or more goals in 8 games but have also conceded 2 or more goals in 8 games.
Referee for this is James Adcock who I do not recall refereeing us before (have not checked his record)
Looking on the bright side, of the 92 league clubs Swindon are currently placed 69th.

Baudry missing again tomorrow and now joined on the sidelines by Yates (going for a scan today following a knee injury received in training)  >:(

Baudry missing again tomorrow and now joined on the sidelines by Yates (going for a scan today following a knee injury received in training)  >:(

Wellens on Anderson:


"He travelled with us to Carlisle on Friday but he pulled out of that training session. We need to get some fitness into him."

Training when?

can you take Wellens team news at face value anyway?

As much as Yates being out is a loss, it might bring some better shape to the team because he clearly plays best in the same role Hope does.  This will force one of Isgrove or Woolery to come in on the right who may be better placed to serve Doyle, or we move to three in midfield and push DJ out wide with Doughty behind Doyle to thread balls through and get more possession.

can you take Wellens team news at face value anyway?

When did Total Sport become the home of all things STFC?

Everyone at the Adver got sacked didn't they?

Everyone at the Adver got sacked didn't they?

Think there's 2 left covering the entire sports desk.
Until Newsquest build the Thunderdome anyway

When did Total Sport become the home of all things STFC?

Training when?

Training where ?

Training who?

Training why?

Training how?

Team for tomorrow I would go with:
Benda
Caddis
REG
Broadbent
Hunt
Grant
Lyden
Doughty
Woolery
DJ
Doyle

Lyden comes in to offer extra solidity in midfield and Broadbent/Woolery for Fryers/Hope respectively as both are better equipped to deal with Northamptons aerial threat at set pieces - which is their main strength. Also Hope offered little at Carlisle and Fryers looked as though he was coming back after a long lay off. Isgrove and the Admiral off the bench as needed. Also the return to a 433 formation offers Doughty the opportunity to get further forward and pace of Woolery and trickery of DJ to get at them out wide. I fancy Doyle to return to scoring ways in a 2-1 or 3-1 win for us, which will be great bearing in mind gusts of 45mph are scheduled for the Scunthorpe game on Saturday!

Yup

You might be able to pick up the local radio feed if your down that way

Should be able to watch 80% of the game whilst waiting for my trailer up at Coventry, so might make a sneaky ifollow purchase... Do I get the option to listen to the audio seperately as well when I've bought the video feed, as the DAB radios in the trucks are *shite* and I likely won't get the BBC coverage when I'm on the move!

One away win on a Tuesday in five years.

Fucing hell - didn't realise it was that bad.

Fucing hell - didn't realise it was that bad.

Yeah the 1-0 away win at Stevenage in 2018, we are awful on the road in the league in recent years for Tuesday evening games.

Parcelforce hub ?

I genuinely have no idea, it encompasses every Town team recently so you can't put it down to 1 manager or 1 team, its just some wierd form of hoodoo it seems.

It would be interesting to see overall stats for L2 teams over the same period with away midweek games i.e. whether it's actually just a general thing at this level or something we as a club aren't quite getting right in managing the additional load.

There is no reasoning for it, I don't think its even something the players or manager are aware of TBH.

Its interesting but really not sure why, and yes I don't know how it affects other teams or if its just us!

That's why I asked. If it's a general thing, it may then be just that levels of fitness at this level aren't great so a rapid of turnover of matches + travel means teams don't recover from fatigue as quickly, for example.

Looking back at results, there have been at least 3 games (IIRC) in that run where we never had a preceeding match on the Saturday yet still lost on the Tuesday. So that COULD be unlikely. There are so many contributing factors too like injuries and distance travelled, some players may not like to travel and play on the same day, just a thought.

That could be a factor, good thought. Although that would apply to plenty of Saturday games as well?

That's why I asked. If it's a general thing, it may then be just that levels of fitness at this level aren't great so a rapid of turnover of matches + travel means teams don't recover from fatigue as quickly, for example.

It’s the same for all clubs. Seeing as every Tuesday game doesn’t end in a draw, then some clubs win and some clubs lose. We tend to lose more than most.

How many away games on Tuesdays have we even had in the last few years? Take that into account, alongside the fact that we've generally been average at best over much of that period, and it probably won't look at all unusual I reckon.

It’s the same for all clubs. .

For example we've lost more Tuesday night games this season than the other 6 clubs in the top 7 added together.

That was my point. Whatever the logistics around playing on Tuesday evenings affects all clubs - if there is an actual effect at all. Whatever it is, or isn’t, it ain’t doing us any favours.

Maybe, as we’re top of the league, we should concentrate on the fact that we win more Saturday games than anyone else.

Doesn’t really matters what day we win or lose on as long as the end effect is getting promoted. At this moment in time losing 3 games on a Tuesday this season still sees us top of the league.

Stop trying to pick holes in what has bee, so far, successful season.

That was my point. Whatever the logistics around playing on Tuesday evenings affects all clubs - if there is an actual effect at all. Whatever it is, or isn’t, it ain’t doing us any favours.

Worried about this one could be a Banana skin. Still feel we need to find a place for Isgrove in the team.

Good shout. The stat that really matters is whether we acrue more points than 21 other teams by the end of the season, not when we acquire them.

We only have two more midweek away games after this one - Stevenage and Morecambe, the latter being Easter Monday.

who cares as long as we get promoted at the end of the season - by being in the top 3

Definitely,  don't want to fuck about with them poxy playoffs,  so for me 3 points tonight would be excellent,  although a draw would be acceptable assuming we can win the next two home games.

Definitely,  don't want to fuck about with them poxy playoffs,  so for me 3 points tonight would be excellent,  although a draw would be acceptable assuming we can win the next two home games.

Yep. Would take third place now if offered. Play-offs can wait until next year when we're going for a place in The Championship  :toocool:

Wellens not at Sixfields tonight, hes got a stomach bug (interview at Salford for the managers job more like #Facebooktrolls).

He'll be able to watch it in iFollow wouldn't he?

Wellens not at Sixfields tonight, hes got a stomach bug (interview at Salford for the managers job more like #Facebooktrolls).

Wellens declaring himself unfit before the game is a whole new level of pre-match injury trolling.

Turnbull in midfield for them they reckon, he was spectacularly bad when we played him there on a few occasions so he’s bound to have a stormer tonight.

Turnbull in midfield for them they reckon, he was spectacularly bad when we played him there on a few occasions so he’s bound to have a stormer tonight.

both?

Interesting to see how we set up tonight. More of a 4-5-1? Hope Isgrove gets back to some early season form.

              Benda
Caddis   REG     Fryers   Hunt
           Lyden   Grant
Isgrove     Doughty           DJ
                 Doyle

Lyden sitting deeper closer to Grant but being a bit box to box leaving Doughty not having to track back so much and DJ given a free role not really wide left. I recon.

Has anyone elses iFollow started yet?

Yep.

FFS. Are you on Chrome? I've just got a black screen...

No Keshi
Is Wellens still on the shitter ?
1-0.

Didn't work for me tonight it Edge or Firefox, I downloaded Opera, I hate Chrome, its full of crap :) Try relaoading a few times.

ok on Safari  ;)

So I’m slightly surprised to be watching this while overlooking the azure water of the Gulf of Mexico, having been whisked away for a 20th anniversary trip. Makes Northampton on a winter Tuesday night that little bit more palatable. Hope the marriage survives me absconding back to the room.

Keshi has had another setback.

Whats up with him now ?

Crewe currently top of the league ...

Crewe currently top of the league ...

How's that work Batch?  :hmmm:

They're the better team so far.

Shite, now Exeter take the lead.

Turnbull is a fucking knob.

Massive loss for Town.

Indeed but get Baudry back in and we should be alright.

Who has moved to full back - Fryers or REG?

Who has moved to full back - Fryers or REG?

We'll have gone to a back three possibly?

Fryers natural replacement at left back and Hunt back on the right where he looks better.

See above ;)

That's what I mean but explained poorly. Hunt back at RB, Fryers at LB. Don't trust a CB pairing of Broadbean and REG. So Baudry back into CB asap.

I think if Broadbent is back how he was last season thats actually not that bad a centre back pairing. its a big IF though.

No glossing over it .we are struggling.

No glossing over it .we are struggling.

FGR 2-0 down at home to Vale, surely Cooper will be sacked by the time we play them at home.

No we aren't.

FGR 2-0 down at home to Vale, surely Cooper will be sacked by the time we play them at home.

Just realised Crewe and ourselves have the same GD at +20.

There's is better than ours, one more goal scored.

Northampton 0-0 Swindon in front of 5,792 with 1,221 Swindon fans there.

Not sure what table(s) you're looking at:

Crewe have scored 57 conceded 37,  we've scored 56, conceded 36.

Fair play to Calderwood, says it how it is

We’ve lost a degree of fluency and control of games in recent weeks. We were passing teams into the ground before Christmas, but every game now we’re back in the mix. They could all go either way. I’m concerned that we’ve lost that degree of control we had. Too many players not at their best right now (Doyle, Isgrove, Fryers, Hunt). Too many hopeful punts, not enough of that precise passing that played teams off the park.

In a tight game, they’ve had the much better chances. We’re still in it, but I don’t have that confidence I had a few weeks ago that we’d prevail. At the moment, we’re just another half-decent L2 team.

We have the SAME GD thought +20 each. Which is what I stated.

I’d say it’s down to the weather. The last month almost without exception had seen ridiculous wind and heavy pitches that aren’t really suited to good football. Hopefully as the weather improves so will our play.

Not sure we can use that excuse tonight.

Their pitch is very bobbly and I don’t just mean the matches, it’s impacting on our training.

Shambles

Shambles

Yes, GD is the same but they would go above us if we were both on same points.

Are you there or watching? no...you are talking utter shite.

If he was talking about that attack, he wasn’t wrong.

If he was talking about that attack, he wasn’t wrong.

pity Anderson wasn't playing, would have torn this shower a new one

What’s happened to DJ’s control tonight?

Crewe now top of the league 😢

Ridiculous pantomime.

1-0 Yates.

Crewe now top of 2nd in the league  :pint:

Yessssss. Come on top of the fucking league

Crewe now top of the league 😢

Jizz somewhere else. But fucking get in!

You changed that! you are just listening arent you! cos that was so obviously Lyden not Yates!

I will jizz in your face if we win the league darling

Good save from benda.

No I’m watching. Your stream is about 60 seconds behind judging on your comments. Thought Yates scored.

I don’t live in Swindon so don’t have access to game on radio.

Its easy when you are just listening to say that and not watching ;)

I’d get down to Specsavers early doors tomorrow if I was you...

Like I said I do not have access to the radio. If I listened to the game online there would be a delay.

I will jizz in your face if we win the league darling

Gaaaaaaaah, just back in to hear the goal.

this is tense

And Crawley equalise at Crewe.

Huge goal.

All about game management now. Called the subs correctly tonight. Come on Town.

You been dancing?  :moon:

Fuck it, Crewe score again.

So everyone won?  We needed those 3 points tonight.

Grant is such a professional.

Right, off for a tequila I think.  :D

Enjoy your evening and Madame too.

Reg, we're going up !

Still TOP OF THE LEAGUE by 2 points.
Crewe have a game in hand and will take 1st place if they win that.
Exeter can match us on points if they win their game in hand, but we have a superior goal difference.
Plymouth in 4th will match us on points if they win their 2 games in hand, but we have a superior goal difference.

Below that, Colchester are 5 points behind 4th, having played 2 games more.
Northampton are 5 points behind 4th having played 1 game more.

A long way to go yet, but it's beginning to look like a 4 horse race.

Enjoy Madame? This is a 20th anniversary, not a honeymoon!  ;)

Add into that, Crewe v Plymouth on Saturday so one will drop 3pts or both will drop 2pts :pint:

I want one of the other 3 in the top 4 to fall away. Or all of them, it doesn't matter  ;D

Benda mom. 2 Game saving saves

That’s 17 points in 2020 from a possible 27 where we’ve played the rest of the top 6, that’s a decent return!

but...but...but....we never beat anyone in the top 10...or something....

That's certainly a massive win....

I want a Crewe win.

I'd love for us to go up as champions, but taking an automatic promotion spot is by far more important.

Apparently a Northampton steward got thrown out.

Potentially a season defining win. Like Lincoln that year when RC-C "dropped" backwards. This time those saves by Benda tonight. Could be what we look back at, seasons end and say that was the night we knew we'd do it.

Away "deteriorating" record halted ☑
No win on a Tues night, answered ☑
Top of the league after Christmas ☑
Unable to beat Top 6 side rebuffed☑
"Just a one man team" put to bed  ☑

Apparently a Northampton steward got thrown out.

Annoying that Colchester prevented us getting the clean sweep of victories against the top teams to shove that back down peoples throats! Oh and for a one man team we got all those points with only the solitary goal from Doyle!

are you counting exeter for doyle?

Apparently a Northampton steward got thrown out.

Still a lot of work to do.... for sure had we not won then things wouldn't be looking so good. Since the start 2020 we've only had 2 game v sides in the lower half, Newport and Carlisle. We now need to make sure no complacency thinking we can beat the higher ranked outfits now so the lower ranked will be easy... they won't

My wussiness has got us 6 points this season! Couldn’t bear to log on to the game this evening.

Maybe I should steer clear of iFollow - period!

Just hoping we can pull in a decent crowd on Saturday after a big away win

Have you seen the weather forecast? Makes the Stevenage FA cup game look like an April Shower.

Have you seen the weather forecast? Makes the Stevenage FA cup game look like an April Shower.

On a side note I feel a bit sorry for Danny Rose, he’s gone from being captain against Plymouth to not even being able to get in the squad now.

If Danny Rose can’t get in the squad let alone the team what’s the point in signing Palmer? I realise Wellens has probably got an eye on next season, despite what he says. The subs bench does seem overloaded with forward players to me - last night we had Hope, Yates, the Admiral, Woolery out of the 7. Only had Broadbent and Palmer as the other outfield players.

Chuck in Keshi when he’s fit and how does that work? Nice problem to have, I suppose, but I’d have swapped one of those 4 forward players for Rose on the bench last night.

Benda still has one mistake a game in him, luckily it rarely costs us but his shot saving is exceptional, if he would come for crosses a little better he will be an amazing keeper at any level not just this one.

See, I think he is excellent coming for crosses JJ and it’s one of his best attributes.

Most Swindon fans on their forum seem less than confident, hoping for a draw at best but expecting defeat
How very humble of our Wiltshire friends!

Swindon fans are class in my experience. Not many clubs I would say that about in this division.

**** poor.
Toothless going forward... again.

Not an awful performance but;
We lack any pace, real finesse up front. Very much a case of hump it up and hope. We are one dimensional.
Marshall looked useful. We need to use him better.
I know the Swindon scorer should have been tracked back but couldn't Cornell have come for that cross ?

Williams had a truly dismal game but who do you bring on in his place. We are badly short of options up top whereas Swindon can afford to have someone of Yates' quality on the bench.

The last two games have been so frustrating. Our solitary tactic has seemingly been to win a throw, let Goode take it and watch it get headed away by the opposition, and repeat.

I am Utterly fed up, pissed off call it what you will.... that every team we
Play, without exception, play better football than we do. Do we not have players that could play football? Course we do. They’re just not allowed to.
I’m serious. We need to get rid of Curle. I don’t even care if we don’t go up this season. It could be the worst thing to happen to us. Can you imagine us playing this style of football in league 1?? It would be an embarrassment.

Some people need to realise that a season finishing 9th or 10th will be viewed as a successful season

Thought that Swindon were not as good as their position suggested; unfortunately we looked a 6 or 7th placed play off fodder. We were not poor and matched Swindon ball for ball in the first half but became scrappy in the second and was disappointed with the midfield inability to take the game to Swindon. However two 0-1 defeats is not a crisis but highlights our deficiencies in critical areas particularly in midfield.

It was hilarious watching the ball hoofed up to Morton, he just get bullied off the ball.

Played OK first half and matched them, but offered nothing in the second

Two very different styles of play but nothing between the teams in a game that should have been a draw. The Swindon keeper had to work much harder than Cornell who didn't have to make a meaningful save. I'm assuming someone lost the runner for the goal.                                           
We played our usual game and did have chances but seem to forget that Marshall gives us a new option. We hardly passed the ball to him in the second half even though he could beat the fullback at will.

I personally thought that the midfield was lacking in creativity and the drive to trouble Swindon particularly second half.

What worries me is that KC thinks he's some sort of tactical genius. How many times tonight did we nearly get caught out by only leaving one man back when we had a corner and they put 2 upfront and spread them wide, they broke on us every time. It's a massive ****, to say it's schoolboy stuff is an insult to schoolboys. KC thinks it's a good idea but no one else in football does it, so is he a tactical genius or just another stubborn manager ?

A poor result but ironically a better performance than the one that saw us nick 3 points at theirs earlier in the season. Their keeper made 3 decent stops but other than that we looked pretty flat and as soon as they scored the game was lost.
The worry is we're happy enough to plod along at our own pace and hope we score but we're terrible at chasing the game when we go behind because we lack the ability to go up a gear; we just panic and aimlessly lob the ball forwards even more than usual.

180 minutes of clueless dross the last 2 games - no goals the result of no creativity in the team - relying on throw ins and corners and aimless lumps forward - and at no point did we actually look like scoring.

I must be in a minority - I thought we were second best in every department and Swindon really impressed me as a well drilled unit. Their keeper was impressive, the defenders won nearly every header and the midfield picked up on every second ball. I thought doughty, grant and Lyndon worked hard and we’re also decent on the ball and they clearly had scouted us thoroughly by playing 3 up top spread across the field. I lost count of the amount of times they caught us on the break and I agree with barton in that KC’s obsession with leaving 1 on 1 or 2 on 2 from our own set pieces was shown to be naive to say that least. We looked really disjointed all over and now the goals have dried up completely. First half Marshall was a danger but second half they must have done a job on him as he became anonymous. Lines came off and had a hissy fit but I can’t see that he has any grounds to complain - he is so lightweight it’s untrue, to state the obvious we desperately need McCormack back but I fear that even when he does eventually make his comeback he will soon break down again.

first half performance OK but second half Swindon bossed it.

Swindon were no great shakes. In fact I don't expect that at this level. But they tried hard to play football.

I think it should be noted that Swindons manager wasn't even there yesterday due to illness and so they had an Assistant in charge. That assistant had more tactical awareness than Keith Curle. That for me brings massive alarm bells.

I don't particularly like it, but I can understand,  the route 1 hoof it up field every opportunity football when Smith and/or Oliver are up there trying to win it.

Keith Curle says his plan B is more of plan A, enough said........
A mid table finish, with this squad, in this league, not good enough, the sooner he’s gone the better.

Doyle's cross for the goal could not have been better placed.

Doyle's cross for the goal could not have been better placed.

He's only 21, which is about 13 in keeper years

I think hes getting better definately, but there is always one or two he doesn't quite get to.

Wellens on Saturday pre game said thats a part of his game they have pinpointed as needs a fair bit more work in training, hes still very young he does needs to pick his battles better of what he can and what he thinks he can get to.

Hes far better than Vigs ever was already and in a different league to Moore and RCC!

The cross ultimately turned out to be a good one. Think that has more to do with the run from Lyden.
If he doesn’t make that run from deep, it’s a shit cross. Only Doyle can tell you whether he aimed to hit Lyden in his stride or not.

If I’m a Northampton player I’m going mental at the midfield that has let Lyden go.

They were virtually one trick ponies - long throws into the box being their main weapon.

Turnbull was a complete cock all game.

I think he's far better than any keeper in recent memory on crosses and I include Foderingham in that.

Apparently a Northampton steward got thrown out.

Just got in...epic night and result.

Fucking cold though....