The Ex Swindon Town Player Where Are They Now Thread

[Bogus Dave]

I think Mays problem is that Wellens system is very tactically demanding, and places a lot of responsibility on the people in the middle to be in the right place at the right time to move the ball around and expose gaps two/three/four phases forward - I don’t think May had anywhere near the level of understanding able to do that effectively, which is why he always looked two paces off the play whenever he was on the pitch

I’m sure he’s a technically able player, and may well function better in a more straightforward system - which would explain comments from Wellens and other fans

[BambooToTheFuture]

Eoin Doyle spotted making a brew in his house and chatting to Mrs Doyle, while holding a piece of paper clearly marked "M6 South".

Make of that, what you will 

[Exiled Bob]

Every Town side has to have a scapegoat for the negative types.... this time it's been May.  However if you look at the stats you find he made 1 league start.... the infamous Cobblers game, when we were robbed.  He got a longer sub appearance v Newport when Conroy was fucked, but we know this side has struggled when a key defender goes lame early doors.  The other 7 or so have been 3 or 4 mins at the end.

I'm not suggesting May is great, just that you can't really make an informed decision on such limited game time.

I wonder who is next in line for scapegoating.....   Woolery comes and goes

Couldn't agree more, Reg. Let's be fair about it - he clearly has ability otherwise he wouldn't have been signed by Portsmouth and Wellens raved about him when he signed him on loan.

It's odd that some players are scapegoated like this - there have been numerous examples over the years, many of whom made a lot of appearances so couldn't have been as bad as they were made out to be. I'm thinking of the likes of Leigh Barnard who was never appreciated by Town fans (towards the end a bit more maybe). Russell Lewis was another. Michael Pook, Matt Hewlett and David Duke in more recent times....Luke Norris......all made a decent amount of appearances so couldn't have been as bad as the boo boys made them out to be.  

[swindonmaniac]

With Adam May it seemed to me like he hadn't grasped the basics of football, he couldn't pass, tackle, block etc but he could run around.

But I bet he's earnt a good living fooling people.

[RobertT]

Sorry, Michael Pook was as bad as people moaned about and Norris got flak for a particular missing skill for his position, scoring (aside from Pens, he is very good at them).

In many cases it's a combination of many factors - the players who do not make it in the game are miles better than most of us could ever have dreamed of being, in the school playground.  The challenge for Professional sports stars is to maintain an uneasy balance between ego and lack of confidence.  Just look at Broadbent - he clearly has something in him that means he can completely lose it, to the point where he looks like he's never played the game.  Once all that doubt has gone, he looks like he could play in League One as a defender.  It's a lot like being an actor - the stage takes no prisoners, you are exposed, you need to be over confident to succeed, but then you also have the flip side that it can edge over into the ego side and create disastrous consequences for players (Gascoigne?).

The problem with the game as it was 10-15 years ago (I think it's getting better in England) was that "Athletes" got an easier ride in the development years.  Players that were bigger, faster, stronger etc. would always have an advantage when young, but clubs seemed to enjoy giving them a chance, even if they lacked the footballing brain to play a position.

[Reg Smeeton]

Couldn't agree more, Reg. Let's be fair about it - he clearly has ability otherwise he wouldn't have been signed by Portsmouth and Wellens raved about him when he signed him on loan.

It's odd that some players are scapegoated like this - there have been numerous examples over the years, many of whom made a lot of appearances so couldn't have been as bad as they were made out to be. I'm thinking of the likes of Leigh Barnard who was never appreciated by Town fans (towards the end a bit more maybe). Russell Lewis was another. Michael Pook, Matt Hewlett and David Duke in more recent times....Luke Norris......all made a decent amount of appearances so couldn't have been as bad as the boo boys made them out to be.  

It's always been like this.... the scapegoaters tend to have fairly closed minds, even when presented with a cogent counterpoint. 

Sometimes there may be proper grounds for complaint, like when BOO and was Traore were on the laughing gas, and playing in generally a candidate for our worst ever side.

[Peter Venkman]

It's always been like this.... the scapegoaters tend to have fairly closed minds, even when presented with a cogent counterpoint.  

Sometimes there may be proper grounds for complaint, like when BOO and was Traore were on the laughing gas, and playing in generally a candidate for our worst ever side.

Like people who criticise other people opinions based upon their own opinions are narrow minded, just saying.

[Reg Smeeton]

Like people who criticise other people opinions based upon their own opinions are narrow minded, just saying.

What I'm saying is that sometimes there is proper ground for complaint like BOO, other times like with Leigh Barnard who played 220 league games, contributing to a first league title and a promotion to Div 2, it is difficult to see any justification.

[RobertT]

I think there is cause for complaint about May, he's not been given much of a chance, but what little he has had has been wasted by him if he had more to offer than he showed.  Either way, he's not deserving of a loan spot.

[Peter Venkman]

What I'm saying is that sometimes there is proper ground for complaint like BOO, other times like with Leigh Barnard who played 220 league games, contributing to a first league title and a promotion to Div 2, it is difficult to see any justification.

OK, so its ok to have a different opinion to you then? because it seems not.

Opinions are indeed like arseholes, everyone has one, doesn't mean they are right or wrong or that yours is right or wrong it just means their opinion varies from yours, so no need to shout down any other opinions than your own stating your opinion is based on fact and their isn't.

Thats all I am saying.

[Peter Venkman]

I think there is cause for complaint about May, he's not been given much of a chance, but what little he has had has been wasted by him if he had more to offer than he showed.  Either way, he's not deserving of a loan spot.

Exactly, and I hope for his sake he moves on and proves me wrong, I just personally, and this is MY opinion, is that he isn't very good.

[Reg Smeeton]

I think there is cause for complaint about May, he's not been given much of a chance, but what little he has had has been wasted by him if he had more to offer than he showed.  Either way, he's not deserving of a loan spot.

The lad has played 191 minutes of league football this season, not suggesting he should have stayed or that he showed much but rather to condemn him as one of our worst ever players, isn't justified.

[Batch]

He just couldn't force himself into an experienced and winning squad that was fully loaded with loan players.

no hard feelings. at 21 lots of time to prove us wrong.

not sure he's a scapegoat though, and what is he supposed to be being scapegoated for exactly?

[Peter Venkman]

He just couldn't force himself into an experienced and winning squad that was fully loaded with loan players.

no hard feelings. at 21 lots of time to prove us wrong.

not sure he's a scapegoat though, and what is he supposed to be being scapegoated for exactly?

he is a scapegoat because it fits Regs argument.

I watched every minute he played for Swindon and he probably completed 1 or 2 out of 100 passes he tried to make.

OK he may not be our worst midfielder, there have been a lot of shit through the years, but hes up there with the worst for me, I hope he proves me wrong but as I say IMO I don't think he will ever play higher than this league at most based upon his performances for us.

[BambooToTheFuture]

It's all relative fellas. May, may have excelled in a Luke Warm or Flitcroft side. Or at least probably looked a cut above the shite that was on offer most of the time. A seemingly technical player and still finding his identity somewhat. A poor looking player in this very decent side but I would put this down to just wrong time/wrong place.

He likely will go on and have a steady career at this level (around mid table L2), I think we can all agree he won't become a world beater or even be a top 6 L1 player. He could prove many of us wrong and if he gets the right fit, system and environment (right time/right place) then he may do even better than stated above (mid L2).

It's up to him now to not only work hard, wherever that may be but to also transfer that training work into results/ability on the pitch. In fact a mid table club with no danger of being relegated/aiming for promotion could be the perfect place right now. A club that will have a little more patience. Right now, we are a club with urgency and there is no room for passengers.