FAO the players and management of STFC

[Spencer_White]

Glos, I guess you meant the team is in crisis/limbo? Id agree with that, this defeat leaves the home supporters hurting. Too many goals conceeded at home, we aint going anywhere. Hereford JPT looks a big game to me, because weve got little chance of getting to Wembley via the league.

The club is making fantastic strives forward mate. Went corporate yesterday, its looking fantastic now. Not the embaressment/joke it was before. Obviously still no boxes. But its all been painted, mouldy roof tiles are gone, new carpet, leather sofas with wood veneer on top. Half decent food.

[herthab]

I've said Malpas needs time right from the start. I like what he's trying to do and the style he's trying to get the players to play. HOWEVER, if he hasn't got the man management skills to back up his undoubted coaching ability we've got one huge fucking problem.

On another thread, about the importance of a good number 2, someone mentioned how Hoddle and Gorman complemented each other: Hoddle was a bit distant but a good tactician, Gorman was more the man manager/motivator. For a successful team you need either a manager who has both these traits, or a manager and number two who, combined, have both these traits.

In my opinion a major bollock was dropped by keeping Byrne and Williams involved with the first team, Malpas should have had the freedom to pick his own backroom staff.

I was positive yesterday that we would come out second half and stretch Leeds, we had a player more than them FFS! Instead we looked like the team with 10 men. Heads were dropping all over the place and most didn't appear to have any fight or desire in them. Now compare that performance with last season at home to Swansea, when we had 10 men and battled like fuck. What's changed?

It's still early in the season and Malpas still has time to put it right, but conceding 3 goals for the 2nd consecutive home games is unacceptable.

By the way, I am still majorly pissed off with yesterday.

[Don Rogers Shop]

I hate the way you say what i am feelin but dont sound like a cunt

[herthab]

I hate the way you say what i am feelin but dont sound like a cunt

It's because I'm not a cunt.....

[Mexicano Rojo]

Behind the scenes, we are far from in crisis, as Spencer says executive area is starting to look the bollocks, in the next couple of weeks there is an open invitation to the top local buisness' to come and view facilities and I know at least 50 have taken up the option, improved facilities for supporters,cheaper season tickets with the highest take up since premiership days. Fitton, Wray and Watkins are doing exactly the right things behind the scenes.

In regards to the playing side, I have seen every game home and away bar 1 this season, and I feel that the team have only played exceptionally in the first 2, Tranmere and QPR. Yes we got results against Franchise scum, but we scraped that. I really felt we could do soething this season and shock a few people, Im not sure why the players have lost the confidence because that is what i believe it is. We have major troubles in our defense, Jerel looks to be perfectly frank fucking awful at the moment. He was fucking awful against aldershot to. When he made his mistake for the first goal yesterday his head dropped and not one other player went to him. Not one. That botheres me, to me that looks like the team were expecting it to happen, the same with phil smith after his blunder, no one gave him a pat on the back and said "come on we are in this together".

For me we have to seriously question why there seems to be this lack of togetherness, Malpas obviously wants us to play the passing game,but yesterday Nalis, easton and timlin only rarely went to get the ball from aljofree and ifil giving them no option than to hoof. Something was very very right in the first 2 games, the question is what has changed?

[wiggy]

Yesterday will take a bit of getting over, for sure.

In an odd way, I wonder if the turning point of the game was us equalising when we did. Before that I had thought that Marshall would come on at half time and we would have a real go at them. The goal meant that JP the passenger stayed on and we continued to basically play 10 v 10.

It is hard to criticise Malpas either for the starting 11 or the substitutions (except I would have taken JP off sooner). The level of application on the pitch yesterday just leaves a sour taste.

Where I will criticise Malpas is the attacking set pieces. The attackng set pieces are like comedy routines. My 8 year old can whip in a better corner than what we saw yesterday. Amankwaah has a decent long throw on him, so why do we never put an attacking throw in straight in the box and try to make some pressure? I like the way he is trying to get the team playing in open play, but sometimes you have to just wang it in the box and see of the opposition will make a mistake (like we seem to regularly ).

[herthab]

For me we have to seriously question why there seems to be this lack of togetherness, Malpas obviously wants us to play the passing game,but yesterday Nalis, easton and timlin only rarely went to get the ball from aljofree and ifil giving them no option than to hoof. Something was very very right in the first 2 games, the question is what has changed?

Team spirit comes from good leadership. On the pitch we haven't got it, off the pitch I don't know...

[wiggy]

Mex, the role of encouraging the team on the pitch is down to Aljofree, but all he does is rant and try to pass the blame. It is no coincidence that many believe Jerel plays better with Vincent.

I would make Nalis captain.

[Spencer_White]

Making Nalis captain is not a bad shout.

With all these mistakes I can see players shrugging their shoulders again and lapsing into the careless attitudes that made our season so flat last season. We lost fans for that. Theres a few I know who cant get themselves up for this season after the lack of heart/passion/desire we showed from feb onwards last season.

Nalis wasnt here then and so maybe he could shake it up a bit. Hes a consistent performer.

[tans]

I had a feeling it was going to be a bad day when the Sky stopped working in the Winners before the game...

On a brighter note I have calmed down considerably.

[Stef Troll]

Town usually buckle under presure when they play one of the bigger teams at home where their is a large attendance of fans.

Swindons problem is they can't string more then 4 passes together before one of the players feels it necessary to hoof the ball up the pitch and hope for the best.  Only Cox, McNamee and Nallis looked comfortable on the ball, and had the composure to pass the ball on the deck to another player.  All the other players (especially Ifil) seemed to be scared of being in possession of the ball, and hence wanted to give the ball away as soon as possible.  This resulted in the players hoofing the ball aimlessly, hoping it would land to another player.

To be fair though,  2 of the goals we conceded today were goals which you wouldn't see Swindon conceding on a weekly basis (well Leeds second goal anyway).  The boys just need to put the performance behind them and get a result at Stockport next week.

[reeves4england]

Stef and Wiggy make good points.
Malpas did nothing wrong in his team selection and he's trying to get us playing the right way. I don't know why it's not always working - either we're not good enough or we need more time. Also, the goals we conceded yesterday were down to individual errors. As much as they pissed me off, and still are pissing me off, there's nothing you can do about them.

[michael]

But we were playing against 10 men! We've got previous too, Barnet away anyone?

People seem quick to write off yesterday as being down to errors but forgetting we were critically and fatally unable to establish any kind of advantage yesterday.

So far this season we have had 3 disastrous results: Cheltenham and Colchester (both teams have only won a single game this season) and Leeds yesterday.

Malpas is the manager and ultimately the buck stops there. Stop making excuses for him.

[Reg Smeeton]

Stef and Wiggy make good points.
Malpas did nothing wrong in his team selection and he's trying to get us playing the right way. I don't know why it's not always working - either we're not good enough or we need more time. Also, the goals we conceded yesterday were down to individual errors. As much as they pissed me off, and still are pissing me off, there's nothing you can do about them.

 At half time I thought we'd go on and win the game...the second goal just about killed us, followed by the save from Coxy's header.

 I think I can just about remember 2 other such poor goals from free kicks in my time, Bart Griemink v ColU and Jimmy Allan once did something similar.

 I had Phil Smith down as a steady keeper....he may be lucky, that Brez is injured, but he can't complain if it's back to the bench.

[RobertT]

Also, the goals we conceded yesterday were down to individual errors. As much as they pissed me off, and still are pissing me off, there's nothing you can do about them.

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?