Thetownend.com

Swindon Town

Prediction 6th

Wellens has done superbly at Swindon Town, turning the Wiltshire outfit from League Two’s underachieving bottom half fodder into title-winners in 16 months.

Fresh challenges are afoot for the Mancunian motivator, as his side enter League One with forward Eoin Doyle – who scored 40% of their goals last season – now at Bolton.

It’s plausible, though, that Swindon can get a healthy goal return from Tyler Smith – the energetic Sheffield United loanee was described as “a star in the making” while at Doncaster – or any other poacher brought in, because their attractive system is designed to create chances at will.

Losing Yates and Anderson to Blackpool was a blow. But Town have signed versatile playmaker Jack Payne, who has thrived in four of his five League One stints.

Swansea loanee goalkeeper Steven Benda, meanwhile, is set to be replaced by Manchester United loanee Matěj Kovář, compared favourably to Dean Henderson.

Gritty anchor man Anthony Grant and technician Michael Doughty have their strong midfield partnership threatened, potentially, by the loan signing of Matthew Smith, who must have been given some assurances of game-time after featuring recently for Arsenal’s first team.

The anticipated fixture pile-up means Wellens will be hoping defensive leader Mathieu Baudry, talented centre-back Dion Conroy, full-back turned centre-back Zeki Fryers, versatile full-back Rob Hunt, tough tackler Jordan Lyden, unpredictable forward Diallang Jaiyesimi and assist-maker Kaiyne Woolery can stay fit for the duration.

If so, Swindon’s swashbuckling style could see them upset some of the more obvious promotion contenders.

I'd take that. 

The guy that wrote those is very knowledgable, knows everything!

The guy that wrote those is very knowledgable, knows everything!

Many clubs forums and the press have us down as "dark horses" this coming season. It seems like a lot of our own fans can't see that though and have us down as strugglers.

In our favour will be that League One doesn't really have a Newport or even a Colchester (the version they kept figuring out caused us problems, not the decent footballing version they started with in games).  It's also a good bit of design by Wellens that we can play with the ball or on the counter.  That means teams can't just set-up to play a single way against us.  Go back to the recent past and some of our possession based teams have looked likely to succumb to a single goal defeat after passing it around for 65% of the game.  Wellens has us looking good with possession to stop teams just sitting back, but also we look a real threat on the counter so teams can;t just press us either.

The nearest team with that style would be AFC Wimbledon

Fleetwood and Accrington play a similar style and of course not forgetting Northampton.

There are just too many imponderables to make a reasoned case as to how things might pan out....

There are just too many imponderables to make a reasoned case as to how things might pan out....

That translates as “I haven’t got a fucking clue!”

There are still a couple of imponderables to settle before we should start to think about how the PO's might shape, as we're the only side that know we'll finish.

 Losing at ColU on Tuesday, will give them an excellent chance of avoiding the drop, if they can get something off Preston on Sunday, Franchise have Yeovil at home.

 Chesterfield at Bramall Lane on Sunday.....ideally we'd like Chesterfield to win and Franchise to take the auto, which could mean us v Chesterfield and Blades v Preston.

Firstly... I think Wellens gets this as a free shot, although we do have more of an answer to some of the imponderables which made it difficult to get a feel for today.

But one thing is clear we need to dust down the   (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTILbm2YWgE3l2YI4YSThYICJvYffVedvg2asyqgKzr5SHNsy-a)

Of the imponderables.... firstly the injuries seem genuine, those that had them down as tactical look to be wrong. Secondly, the players look to have reacted badly to Wellens/Hunt..... hardly surprising after what he said about approach, which is completely at odds with the requirements of a relegation battle.  Thirdly, Sheridan would know this and so just set up for a basic Div 4 style, to be competent and that should be enough. Fourthly...the whole week seems to have fucked the players heads.

Notts v Numb, a draw would have been handy, but Notts are now well in the shit. 

Certainly this would be the most damaging performance for a new manager in our history...

Imponderables, which are more my thing, aren't quite the same as variables. Imponderables sprung up v Carlisle at the CG.... these are factors, we can't really see how thye'll impact in advance due to the unusual circumstances.  In the Carlisle case the imponderables caused an unusual scoreline.

We know much more about how this one looks, so a win would be a surprise. The interesting imnponderable is this is Wellens, only second away game, could the style of play he's trying to inculcate actually work and be effective at Blundell Park when so many other decent Town sides have tried and failed?

I've really no idea what you're on about.... but will try and pick a way through. Rob made the point about Power getting concerned about the declining league position, causing him "to stem the bleeding" I suggested that Wellens could be his answer to that.

If the second line refers to Saturday.... I said too many imponderables to make a call then listed a few. I had no idea.... having no idea why would I then want to say we'll do this or that?  Makes no sense.

I'm fairly confident I said that Wellens got Sat and PV as free shots...and then we'll start needing to see that he's understanding the squad as we'll have 10 or so games before anything can happen in the window.

As for turning corners.... yes it would be a good idea and if we could find say 3 wins and a couple of draws in those 10 games, it would keep us above the drop line.... anything less and it will be tenuous. To provide context the last 10 have provided 2 wins and 3 draws.

Its the Reg way you will get used to it in time.

There's a lot of imponderables in there  :pint:

The key is in the definition provided......

" Imponderables sprung up v Carlisle at the CG.... these are factors, we can't really see how they'll impact in advance due to the unusual circumstances"

He’s making out that he has got a fucking clue.  But he hasn’t really.

I haven’t got a fucking clue covers all the bases as far as I can see.

To be fair, Reg is right. Our squad is not complete, we still need two strikers, another keeper and possibly a winger. As it stands, I don't believe our squad is strong enough to compete at the top end of League One. However, Wellens knows this too as he's said we need 5-6 more bodies and I trust him and Jewell to find the talent we need to put together a squad capable of challenging for at least a play off spot.
Last season we didn't get Grant, Benda or Doyle until the season had started, and they were probably our three best players.

No one is saying he’s wrong.  Just that the rest of us have lives to lead, families to feed, daytime television to watch, etc etc :crash:

Interesting though they may be, in what way do you think your domestic arrangements have anything to do with how the, hopefuly forthcoming,  unprecedented season will pan out?

Bamboo- will we see a sponsored post containing predictions from your partner internet betting provider?

Haha! Good old imponderables has made its season debut😂😂😂

I hope we do well and win games next season because Reg will hopefully post less If we’re winning.

The only trouble is...it means I'll post more (I hear blood curdling screams of "is that possible"). Swings and roundabouts I guess   :girlgiggle:

Beware.  I’ve found my Red Card. And my glasses.  Now, behave.

I only ever received one booking in my life...but less about my live performance career.

I hope we do well and win games next season because Reg will hopefully post less If we’re winning.

Are you on Chatterbate?

D3D4 League one preview


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