FAO the players and management of STFC

[Spencer_White]

Yeah, but we had J Smith and Kanyukas errors vs Colchester. Bad mistake Ifil not playing that bloke offside at Aldershot.

They arent isolated anymore. It is a total shambles at the back. Its easy to say we should sign another centre back, but we didnt really try over the summer either?

They dont look organised. I think Ifil has been told to try and pass the ball instead of hoofing it upfield. While thats great in theory, its not really his game, I think its making him indecisive and nervous.

[RobertT]

Quite, I don't see that we a centre back pairing in the squad that can produce a steady performance.  All of them have moments like Ifil's yesterday.  We absolutely need one person who we can rely on.  They may not be as quick as Ifil, or as good in the tackle as Aljofree, or have the potential of Morrison, or rocovery ability of IFil and Kunyuka.  I hate Telfer, but he amazingly seemed able to cope yesterday by just doing the basics.

[Don Rogers Shop]

We have 5/6 centre halves how can malpas justify needing a loan defender

[Stef Troll]

I don't mind that we lost to Leeds (as they are a bigger club with more resources then us).  However what annoyed me was the fact that we played against 10 men for 80 minutes, yet as Micheal says, we were unable to establish any kind of advantage as a result of this.

If we lost 3-1 and were simply unlucky not to get a point/win, then i wouldn't mind.  However the manner of the defeat yesterday was disapointing.

[Reg Smeeton]

Agreed if we are talking about coaching or Management.  However, something can be done, and that's to replace those producing them.  Problem is they keep coming from the same source - GK & CD's.  That's a problem, and the replacements seem to be equally at fault, so I think someone has to swallow pride and visit the Loan market asap.  Can Culverhouse or Calderwood be cloned with a younger age?

 Speaking of CC....Forest have had a bit of a dodgy start, they're even below Derby.
 Now Forest fans really know how to moan....JPM should ask his old man....McGovern you cunt....you've only captained us to the Championship and 2 European cups, but you're fucking useless.

 Anyway...CC has never been popular there seen as too defensive, if he goes within the next few weeks, should teh Board bite the bullet.  He has a proven track record inn teh lower leagues.

[RobertT]

We have 5/6 centre halves how can malpas justify needing a loan defender

With difficulty I guess.  Maybe Vincent can do it, but I don't think he's going to be fit enough.  You can't coach a keeper to not chuck the ball in the goal, or a defender not to lift his foot over the ball etc.  We have a couple who may go on to be good, but right now name me something Malpas can do to stop individuals from making cock-ups other than not have at least one of them on the pitch.  Every single central defender we have has the natural ability right now to fuck it up badly.

I have to admit, I didn't see it being such an issue last season or close season, but it's now becomming clear that it was a far more important area to get right than who plays wide right.

[Don Rogers Shop]

God forbid mcnamee gets injured aswell. I understand  we cant help mistakes but its lack of closing down and the fact they looked like they had the extra man i cant forgive

[michael]

God forbid mcnamee gets injured aswell. I understand  we cant help mistakes but its lack of closing down and the fact they looked like they had the extra man i cant forgive

Totally agree Don Rogers Shop.

[dell boy]

God forbid mcnamee gets injured aswell. I understand  we cant help mistakes but its lack of closing down and the fact they looked like they had the extra man i cant forgive

When was the last time you saw a Swindon team win the midfield battle against opposition in our own division?
I totally agree with you.

[RobertT]

That's all just tinkering, all 3 goals yesterday were completely avoidable if individuals had done their jobs properly.  No matter how hard we work on systems, style of play, closing down etc, it means fuck all if a harmless cross along the floor is skipped over by a player, or a shot straight down a keepers throat fins a whole in his body, or a defender lets an easy ball go right across his stomach, or a keeper comes for and misses an easy cross, or a keeper goes feet first for a 1 on 1 etc etc etc.  I'm not saying we'd be able to find the right player, just that I don't see another answer.  Ifil's been doing it for years under various managers and it seems he isn't going to change.  2 of the prospects will take time to develop and Aljofree is not likely to become a different player at his age.

[sonic youth]

if there is a weak link in the management team i'd suggest it's byrne or the keeper coach.

byrne is just a shouty mcshouty assistant - he's not a proper number two, he was bought to the club as youth coach and somehow ended up as assistant manager.

our defence was at it's best when sturrock was here with blackley but do/should we need a defensive coach when we've got a manager of some defensive repute?

i think before getting rid of malpas we ought to ship out some of the backroom staff and get some experienced and knowledgable people in.

[Simon Pieman]

The mistakes yesterday were not inconsequencial, but they were not the reason we lost the game.

Our team lacks organisation, discipline and is devoid of motivation. We lose men when we should be marking them, we're not confident when we have possession and to top it off we have the most wanky corner routines in the world......ever. I thought at one point the players were auditioning for the robinettes, I'm sure one of them was singing songs from Saturday Night Fever before the ball was put in.

I think I imagined that around the 10 minute mark, a Leeds player was sent off. I'm convinced it was the opposite. I've never seen a team lack so much control against 10 men. We should stretch a team in that situation, instead we were stretched.

Not good enough Swindon and Malpas. I don't care how they do it, but they have to erradicate these deficiencies within 4 games, or at least make a vast improvement or Malpas should walk. We've gone backwards on the end of last season.

[glos_robin]

if there is a weak link in the management team i'd suggest it's byrne or the keeper coach.

byrne is just a shouty mcshouty assistant - he's not a proper number two, he was bought to the club as youth coach and somehow ended up as assistant manager.

our defence was at it's best when sturrock was here with blackley but do/should we need a defensive coach when we've got a manager of some defensive repute?

i think before getting rid of malpas we ought to ship out some of the backroom staff and get some experienced and knowledgable people in.

Agree entirely with that Sonic I've made it quite clear in the past I think Granville is a big issue and Byrne is quite frankly embarrassing, how he hasn't had a touchline ban yet I have no idea. However it must be said it's upto Malpas to acknowledge the issue and do something about it.

Incidently Paul I meant on the pitch we're a club in crisis.....off the pitch we're in the best shape for years. I'll find out more about this Bullock character later but apparently he works for some Tewkesbury company and does some financial/marketing advising for the club. I personally know nothing about him but a few of my mates have mentioned him and they usually have no interest or knowledge of Swindon sounds pretty genuine.
edit: his names Andy Bullock

Anyway back to the game I still can't believe how we capitulated so badly against 10 men there is just no team spirit it seems and tbh 3-1 flattered us.

[Crozzer]

Yeah, but we had J Smith and Kanyukas errors vs Colchester. Bad mistake Ifil not playing that bloke offside at Aldershot.

They arent isolated anymore. It is a total shambles at the back. Its easy to say we should sign another centre back, but we didnt really try over the summer either?

They dont look organised. I think Ifil has been told to try and pass the ball instead of hoofing it upfield. While thats great in theory, its not really his game, I think its making him indecisive and nervous.

Spot on. "Don't ever ask a player to do something they are not capable of", Brian Clough.

Anybody remember Larry Lloyd?  Cloughie rescued his career and very successfully played him, but  within his limits. 

In both Stanley Matthews' and Brian Clough's autobiographies, it is remarkable the importance that both authors put on the mental side of the game.  In other sports, they talk about mental preparation, getting centered, putting fear aside, and focusing on execution.

We have a manager who as a player must have adequately prepared himself mentally each game, otherwise why so many international caps?  He talks about mental side quite a bit.  Has it dawned on him that none of his team are capable of winning fifty international caps, and that they probably do not have the extremely tough mental approach that he had.  The slagging off of players and ringing the changes is going to make no difference.  If the team are going to cross the white line playing in fear that they are going to make mistakes judged on international standards, rather than being confident of winning, each game becomes like one in a series in a relegation battle.  Relegation teams often look lethargic, although the players are doing their best, simply because the stress is getting to them.  Relegation teams often do better in away games, it's tougher to play at home.   

If experienced professional players are making stupid errors that would not be acceptable in Conference South, there is something fundamentally wrong with preparation for games.  If players cannot adapt to changes during a game, there is something fundamentally wrong with preparation for games.  If several players show a drop off in form at the same time, there is something fundamentally wrong with preparation for games.

If it's only about signing the right players, naming the best team from the squad, and letting the players get on with it, then Andy King should be reappointed and Brian Clough must have been just lucky in winning championships and European Cups.  Another Clough quote "you make your own luck".   


I liked Paul Sturrock as manager, one of the best qualified coaches in the game.  He seemed to be in tune with Clough's methods.

[RobertT]

Clough did not "coach" his players, more often than not being a little worse for the bottle.  His team around him carried out most of that.  He simply inspired people and gave people the freedom, within his limits - which usually meant a certain type of player in the first place -, to express themselves.  At least that's how someone who played under him explained it to me.  He was certainly offbeat, encouraging training sessions to be 99% driven by use of the ball rather than running around for hours without one.

I still can't see how P Smiths hole in his body has anything to do with his Manager.  It happens to good keepers, just not very often.  For us it's been happening too often with too many.  A season in Division 4 convinced us we could defend, I think this in actual fact bollocks.  I now believe we have had a shit defence for going on 4 seasons at least.  Under Sturrock it seemed less evident maybe, probably because he went for a rigid defensive direct style beyond the defence.  Malpas has tried to open us up a bit and bring in more passing.  Maybe the lesson is we should just go to a direct lump it forwad style and stick 6/7 defensive minded people infron of the keeper and hope for 1-0, 2-1's.  It would require fans who don't moan at the ball spending more time in the air than on the floor though.