Thetownend.com

May as well put some kind of thread, in case anyone finds any streams (audio/visual). Feel free if at the match to post any images you take. Remember 1mb (1000kb), so you may have to compress your images.


Anyway, in terms of result. We are sending a weak side. Melksham will likely be up for it and I would back them to bag a goal or two. BTTS & O3.5gls

Team news to follow...

STFC lineup v Melsham here:

https://twitter.com/Official_STFC/status/1298323016804433920

Tonight’s starting 1️⃣1️⃣:

Trialist, Reid, Haines, Cheshire, Giamattei; Palmer, Holland, M Smith; Twine, Trialist, Hope

#STFC 🔴

Substitutes:

Matthews, Johnson, Curran, Lyden

#STFC 🔴

Nice one Batch :thumb:

Wonder who the trialist striker is. Assume Kovar in net. As suspected though and if the previous friendly is anything to go by...we may get spanked.

Nichols again, I suppose.

Who’s Johnson - kid?

unlikley to be Nichols if we have already told him no

I thought we'd told Nichols thanks but no thanks.

though Wellens did admit he took some on to make up the numbers for games. bit naughty

Have we? Missed that.

Brett Pitman, then.

This. And quite possible that this one might also be all filler too.

I think that what is obvious is Wellens using these games as little mini tests.  He mentioned in that FB thing about starting to work on shape this week - so we've not even been preparing for team games yet.  These have been more about testing the "underbelly: of the squad and checking in on the fitness of a few players.  The line-up today means we'll learn very little I think, more about getting a few minutes in the legs of a player like Smith or Palmer, probably being advised to stay clear of injury situations as well.

Also, playing people to make up the numbers helps them as well - they are showcasing themselves even if knowing they won't get a slot with us.

Striker is Ken Charles

keeper - black. initials AJ.

 (Twitter) https://twitter.com/StfcBrandz/status/1298326798179209218?s=09

Absolutely, it's a form of free advertising for the player(s).

Anthony Joshua

Only been there 3 years, too. Sign him up.

crispy says keeper:

Alhaji Sesay

Slave trader U23 currently on loan to Dartford.

odd we've got a young one in  we've got a loan lined up.

if he's there to make numbers, you'd think Matthews would start

I'd imagine favours being done.

Lots of clubs are padding their squads with U21 players,which don’t count towards the cap on squad size.

yeah, but wellens seemed confident of a young one yesterday, then said he wanted a McCormick type experienced backup.

obviously he may bit have not been truthful, but it makes sense

I'd be amazed if either player is really on "Trial" for us.

yup.

1-0 melksham

See you’ve quickly amended your post. I was going to ask two or four hole punch and were they lever arch?

Good thing you resisted.

We've not been very good at all...

understandable given the young nature of the team.

a concern if we get injuries, though only if we don't recruit - which we will

Reid is stealing a living as a footballer.

One of few Wellens’ recruitment cock ups.

ok it's going badly, but is anyone standing out for town?

Matt Smith can play nice passes with both feet. Everyone else has been crap

Absolutely. San Miguel is £3.60 a pint for what it's worth.

thanks

Yes hasn't got much wrong with recruitment, although you could argue that Palmer, Hope, McGilp and Curran have also not been a resounding success, at least so far. 5 out of probably 25 new faces (purely a guess that one) over his tenure to date is hardly a disaster though.

I've yet to see Palmer only on video for Burton which he looked a decent player

HT 1-0. Noone stands out, 2 disallowed for offside and Melksham do look well organised at the back.

Hope & Palmer are still a bit TBC.

Not even sure McGlip was anything to do with him, similar with Curran.  Reid has been a big miss thus far and he didn;t like the lad he signed at the back on free for a month or two.  May was a waste of a squad place mind, so he has that one to live with.

Is Haines the young lad that had the number 30 shirt int he second half against Coventry, if so, he looked very lost in that game.  To be honest, the youth players in the last couple of years have been a bit sparse in terms of promise.  I guess that's what happens when the good ones get snapped up before we even see them play.

Who had the goals disallowed?

Pass, down the Stratton bank end. Attacking the Townend now.

Wellens started at Swindon in November 2018 and Curran and McGilp signed in January 2019 so they may have already been earmarked, but you would have thought that Wellens would have had the final say. Forgot about Adam May so that's 6 in total. Just dont see much hope in Hope, as other than his finishing he hasn't done anything to excite me and Carlisle fans didnt appear to rate him. You would expect both Hope and Palmer to stand out against Melksham, but that doesnt appear to be the case from reports provided.

The 4th official
Var .. .

1-1 Twine

Twine has scored a delightful chip :nod:

Don’t get excited. He literally has done nothing all game apart from that

Oh aye, we've not been special, doesn't take anything from the finish and the effort just after.

Football Phil is here.

Neither did a Don Rogers.

Must be about FT? Disappointed at a few not taking an opportunity. Nice to hear Twine finished well but you do get more time on the ball in the latter stages of these games. I want to see him tested against better, once he starts doing that regular, we will know we have a competitive forward as reliable squad player. He's not quite that yet.

Coventry was a good test and he done ok against them

He could do with his own thread.

Agreed but apologies Q, I kind of meant in a League match :)

Fair point but very limited opportunities

Sorry but Scott Twine isn’t going to make it much further with us I’m afraid. He’s just not good enough.

Homegrown talent is becoming a thing of the past at Swindon

Agreed, roughly 5 years since he made his debut and doesn’t seem to have progressed at all. Flatters to deceive in friendlies against non league clubs or where it’s slow tempo and he has plenty of time. Still can’t ever remember him making an impact off the bench.

Managers over the last 2/3 years have said every pre season he needs to bulk up, and he hasn’t. He’s got ability but I think he’s going to end up at the likes of Chippenham unfortunately.

Ok we get the idea that you pair dont rate him but what was the final score.

If your at the game, then your PV reporting skills need working on

Talking of PV, I hope he is alright? Haven't heard from him on here for a little longer than normal.

Btw, FT 1-1.

I think PV is on his holibobs

Thanks for the thoughts boo, having a week break while in Scotland but keeping an eye on stuff :)

He managed to stick around for 5 years under various managers. Yet doesn’t appear to put up to nor have we seen any improvement.

It’s all very Michael Pookish

Some thoughts from last nights game.

Twine offers nothing as a right sided forward and I doubt can cut it in league 1 or 2. However, due to the goals we should give him a go up top. There have been strikers who carved out a good career in football despite not being able to actually play. The textbook example being Inzaghi. If Twine carry’s on scoring in the league then you can’t leave him out. I doubt it though.

Reid has no place on a football pitch. Terrible.

Hope did not stand out either and you would have thought should be bossing it at this level. Not convinced he will be here by October.

Sesay didn’t have much to do but did miss a couple of easy balls that could have led to goals if the opposition had been better.

Matt Smith and Lyden were clearly a cut above. Smith will fit nicely in the midfield and can pass with both feet. He sprayed some good balls around  and I think will be a really positive addition.

Does anyone know anything about the lad Holland. Seemed to do ok and worth another look if he’s on trial.

The rest meh.

HOW VERY DARE YOU!

Does anyone know what the score was?  :sherlock:

Holland is a first year pro

1-1

Holland was the pick of the youths for me. Not that that says much

https://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/news/2020/june/holland---ive-always-felt-like-swindon-suited-my-style

Genuinely intrigued by the Inzaghi comment. Admittedly I was young when I watched Inzaghi play so don't recall his style too well, but if 'carving out a career' means winning Serie A three times along with two Champions Leagues and a World Cup, and scoring roughly 0.4 goals per game for club and country along the way, I guess he did alright.

I guess he just means that Inzaghi was a pure poacher rather than a forward who contributed much in buildup play. Plenty of examples of those across the leagues (some chap with ginger hair did alright last season).

Provocative  ;)

God didn't do headers, tackling or tracking back.

However his mere presence also prevented one or two opponents from doing anything all game while they minded him. 

When he slipped them, there'd be goals and assists and often win bonuses for his team mates.

I would imagine the fact that despite his long standing and successful career Inzaghi never seemed to understand the offside rule worked would also be a contribution factor to the suggestion that he didn't really know how to play.

Just to clarify my Inzaghi ref. He was renowned for not being able to trap a ball or kick it very far in training. Most of his goals were in the penalty area, quite often scuffed off his shins. However, he is the textbook example of someone who had no right to be a footballer but had an amazing career. From what I have witnessed, Twine offers nothing in the build up of play and does not create chances but has scored goals. So give him a chance up front. You never know.

If you would like to hear more about Pippo, James Richardson does an Italian football podcast and has a whole episode dedicated to him. 

Yeah just go and look at his highlights reel, he had no technique, but he scored all sorts of goals, outside the box, inside the box, taking it past people, overhead kicks

Indeed the 80% quota seems to be on the rise today

He was an old school goal hanger just like Lineker and knew where to be in and around the six yard box

For those who went, how did Johnston (youth player, came on second half) get on?

The buzz/noise would rise as soon as Don got the ball. Great days.
How many supporters did we lose when he left for Palace, the gates dropped.

Were you temporarily hacked by STFCNo1Fan?  :girlgiggle:


Ahh nice one. I know you'd mentioned Belgium. Enjoy mate, do keep an eye on the Fridge loving Russian boy whilst you're there....unless you're something to do with that boat?!  :hmmm:

Oh and cheers for the heads up Mr Batch.

5 minutes to go, the result still uncertain, he'd get the ball out wide on the halfway line, in a little space but still with defenders blocking his progress and there'd be the kind of expectant buzz you get when a normal player is clean through on goal. 

And in terms of outcome, rightly so.