The Ex Swindon Town Player Where Are They Now Thread

[FreddySTFC!]

Fuck me, Flitcroft really is a grade A bullshitter. Apparently, he can’t remember Preston giving away many free kicks.

But, there again, do penalties count as free kicks?

How many pens did Preston actually give away then? I always thought Lancashire was the main offender when it came to giving away pens.

[Batch]

George Barker -> Salisbury
Cuthbert -> Stevenage

[Costanza]

George Barker

He had been going out to Florida with Harry Agombar doing some, I guess, trial/training sessions with Tampa Bay.

[ferret]

Well done for breaking the news before the Adver and even Chang for that matter.

It's an interesting reversal of history.... in 85, Stags had a CH, who they wanted to keep, but we lured away using a very handsome wage package. That player went on to be, in my opinion, our second best post war player. 20 years ago, he was marking reasonably successfully the toothy Ronaldo, at the WC.  Let's hope their acquisition is less successful, and not the next Alfie Mawson.

Got to chuckle at how, the moment a player leaves us after a few months (half of them in the treatment room), he's suddenly being implicitly linked with the best players in our history.

Preston is a decent fourth tier centre back - no more, no less. Main strength? Good in the air. Main weakness? Slow on the deck, and therefore prone to concede a foul when being run at. There are plenty who fit into that bracket.

He left Walsall last summer because he couldn't get a regular game. Came here, played 20-odd times, did alright and has moved sideways to a club that's offering him an extra few quid. Not a big deal.

I know Taylor is nearing the end, but to me he's much more important, just for one more year. Because he would be far more difficult to replace. Not concerned about Hussey because, under Brown in particular (and I know he also fell out with Flitcroft), his attitude stank.

[Reg Smeeton]

Got to chuckle at how, the moment a player leaves us after a few months (half of them in the treatment room), he's suddenly being implicitly linked with the best players in our history.

Preston is a decent fourth tier centre back - no more, no less. Main strength? Good in the air. Main weakness? Slow on the deck, and therefore prone to concede a foul when being run at. There are plenty who fit into that bracket.

He left Walsall last summer because he couldn't get a regular game. Came here, played 20-odd times, did alright and has moved sideways to a club that's offering him an extra few quid. Not a big deal.

I know Taylor is nearing the end, but to me he's much more important, just for one more year. Because he would be far more difficult to replace. Not concerned about Hussey because, under Brown in particular (and I know he also fell out with Flitcroft), his attitude stank.

The implied comparison was more to Mawson, ie a decent Div 4 stopper, who went for big money. The hope being that Preston doesn't succeed.

Given that Brown has said one of our problems is defenders who won't head the ball, Preston would have suited him very well.

 I'm not so sure as you seem to be that there are so many of the ball heading, row z, traditional lower league centre halves about.  They're becoming an endangered species.... the increased awareness of the potential damage caused by cranial contact, with ball/head/elbow, means that at the lower levels of football, heading is being phased out.  In the higher echelons, this is happening by style of play, CH's need to be able to use the ball.

[Peter Venkman]

How many pens did Preston actually give away then? I always thought Lancashire was the main offender when it came to giving away pens.

Coventry away and Lincoln away.

[Peter Venkman]

Scott Cuthbert signs for Stevenage.

[ferret]

The implied comparison was more to Mawson, ie a decent Div 4 stopper, who went for big money. The hope being that Preston doesn't succeed.

Given that Brown has said one of our problems is defenders who won't head the ball, Preston would have suited him very well.

 I'm not so sure as you seem to be that there are so many of the ball heading, row z, traditional lower league centre halves about.  They're becoming an endangered species.... the increased awareness of the potential damage caused by cranial contact, with ball/head/elbow, means that at the lower levels of football, heading is being phased out.  In the higher echelons, this is happening by style of play, CH's need to be able to use the ball.

Pre-Brown, we conceded 54 in 36 league games (not to mention cups - 5 at Stevenage etc). 1.5 goals per game. Preston played in the majority of those games. 

Under Brown, we conceded 11 in 10. Preston played in none of the games. 1.1 goals per game.

To take Morecambe as an example, who probably have the lowest budget in the league, they only conceded 56 all season. At the County Ground they just had a couple of big lumps at the back doing exactly what Preston used to do; they were probably better at it. Regardless of what is in or out of fashion, if a manager wants to sign a centre back who can head a ball, that is not a difficult or expensive thing to do.

[Batch]

Pre-Brown, we conceded 54 in 36 league games (not to mention cups - 5 at Stevenage etc). 1.5 goals per game. Preston played in the majority of those games.  

Under Brown, we conceded 11 in 10. Preston played in none of the games. 1.1 goals per game.

That's because Brown can set up a defensive team better than Flitcroft. Points per game show that.

I don't think anybody was saying that Preston was the best thing since sliced bread, just that he was our best central defender and until replaced we are weaker without him.

People talk of messiah complex, but both sides come out  - "he was shit, didn't need him anyway".  

[Peter Venkman]

People talk of messiah complex, but both sides come out  - "he was shit, didn't need him anyway".  

I don't think Preston is or was shit, hes just not as good as some fans make out, (no I don't mean you of course) he is a fairly good CB at L2 level but saying that so could be Lancashire if he gets back to fitness alongside somebody half decent. Mayo could be if he had a good partner playing also.

There were many games when he was playing that we looked more solid at the back, there were also some games when we looked better without him in the side at the back. Mayo has twice the pace of Preston for instance when up against a speedy forward.

I would have liked to have kept him but we can replace him with comparable for probably less money so its no huge loss IMO. He always looked slow when tracking back and got caught out several times for pace, but thats to be expected with the standard of player at this level.

[Batch]

Its certainly going to be interesting to see who Brown can attract over the next couple of months..

[Peter Venkman]

Its certainly going to be interesting to see who Brown can attract over the next couple of months..

Yes it will be very interesting, he himself said he likes to work with players he has worked with before or that he knows, I would also suggest he has a fair few connections he can use to bring players in.

Cue the FB group saying "Boooooo its June tomorrow and we haven't signed anyone" "Shows how far we have come that Mansfield can outbid us" etc etc.

I have more faith in PB to sign capable players than I did with Flipper.

[Reg Smeeton]

Its certainly going to be interesting to see who Brown can attract over the next couple of months..

Having made McGivern an offer and seeing how he was without a club for so long, it wouldn't be a surprise if he accepts, that leaves us with 4 CH's, Robertson, Conroy and Romaski being the others. If Mayo comes on loan, then presumably that position is sorted.

[Batch]

Agreed, though he said t'other day he'd rather get a perm in than loaner.

[Flashheart]

I wouldn't include Romanski. He's only just turned 18. I'd be surprised if there's an intention to use him, unless he's particularly good of course.