Swindon Town v Franchise FC Official Matchday Thread

[scillyred]

I don't normally comment on football matters as I am unable to go.

All I ever wanted when I could go, was for the team to give 100%, give it a go and at least be fit enough to last 90 mins - from what I can glean from the comments on here, we seem to incapable of most of these.

[Bob's Orange]

Smith is normally the only player in the box. I feel sorry for the lad.

I felt a bit sorry for him at Orient as well, ok his touch isn't good but when he did have the ball under control he had nobody in support to pass to and was often alienated. The one chance he created, reckord took it off him!!

[chalkies_shorts]

I don't normally comment on football matters as I am unable to go.

All I ever wanted when I could go, was for the team to give 100%, give it a go and at least be fit enough to last 90 mins - from what I can glean from the comments on here, we seem to incapable of most of these.

and therein lies the frustration as currently at home we fail on all three - its the second one that does my swede in. The fitness can be accounted for the fact a lot of players are in their first full season.

[Benzel]

Smith is normally the only player in the box. I feel sorry for the lad.

Really? He comes out wide too often for my liking.

[chalkies_shorts]

Sorry, I meant that if someone got to the line then if they looked up to cross only Smith would be in the box ( unless as you say he's out wide also ) as the other players are around the edge of the box waiting for the ball. Getting to the line and crossing would be useless as a plan B unless we were going to commit players to the box, which we don't.

[fuzzy]

We were the better side in the first half- just shading it. The second half, they started at a higher tempo and we never caught up.

The long ball to Smith is a workable tactic as he regularly outjumps the defender and nods the ball on- to space devoid of a Town player We should be ready for that and getting bodies into the area around their 16 yard box so that Smith at least has somone on our side in the vicinty of the ball.

Their winner was a sublime strike, I was sat right behind it in the DRS pit lane. Lovely strike and curl preceeded by too much backing off by our defence.

[Tails]

Really? He comes out wide too often for my liking.

Yeah agree, but tbf no other fucker is out there as Pritchard seems determined to either run sideways or skin his man rather than get to the touchline and get the ball in.

I like Smith though, bad first touch but he tries hard and he seems to get himself in the right places. He'll get better as the years go on, I remember Jonathan Walters playing against us for Hull and despite scoring, he was woeful. Look at him now, living the dream at Stoke!

[fuzzy]

Yeah agree, but tbf no other fucker is out there as Pritchard seems determined to either run sideways or skin his man rather than get to the touchline and get the ball in.

I like Smith though, bad first touch but he tries hard and he seems to get himself in the right places. He'll get better as the years go on, I remember Jonathan Walters playing against us for Hull and despite scoring, he was woeful. Look at him now, living the dream at Stoke!

Pritch spent a bit of time looking pissed off on Saturday as he was in acres of space on the wing, flailing his arms about calling for the ball- ignored.

The first time he got the ball on the left wing, he did his magic, cut in and shot, the parried save setting Smith up for his goal.

He spends a lot of time away from the wings cos he doesn't get passed to when he is out there.

[Tails]

What about the 5+ times he did 300 stepovers and lost the ball because he did get the ball wide and decided against putting the ball in? Wont deny he did extremely well for the goal, and I won't dispute the fact he is ignored, but he is greedy as fuck when he does have the ball. Sometimes justified, but extremely frustrating for such a talented player.

[Batch]

While we are pointing out his weaknesses, he's got a great free kick but takes a shit corner. Plus he has a good shot but 8/10 seem to trickle back to the keeper.

Those stepovers were class. Like me in my prime in the playground

[chalkies_shorts]

McNamee has left a legacy picked up initially by Gladwin and now Pritchard.

[Power to people]

Smith for me is a striker that needs a partner, he isnt the type of player to wait up front for the ball to come to him, he likes to go out and get the ball himself pass it out and then go and try and get in position to receive it and to strike.
But he seems to go to the ball and all to often there is no one in the box when the ball is played in there as he has gone looking for the ball and as he is theonly one up front nobody else can be bothered to get up there.

One thing from the Di Canio days at least we knew the players would be 100% fit and would be able to last 90 mins without puffing and panting, and, most respected the manager even if they didnt like his methods

[Tails]

What the fuck has Di Canio got to do with this? He fucked off and we've had 4 people in charge isnce then.

[fuzzy]

What the fuck has Di Canio got to do with this? He fucked off and we've had 4 people in charge isnce then.

The fact that the DeCanio era squad maintained a better level of fitness perhaps?

[Power to people]

The fact that the DeCanio era squad maintained a better level of fitness perhaps?

Correct