Swindon Town v Gillingham FC

[Batch]

We are so good at playing sideways and more importantly backwards, why don't we face the opposite way from the kick off and see if its what we need to make "plan A" work.

genius, it's all so obvious now..

[Power to people]

Its a young group of players, never been in this position, lost a few games and dont know how to deal with the pressure of the expectation and frusration of the crowd so they are scared of making a bad ball and the crowd getting on there back., it happens crowds moan it forces players to try and play 'careful' football which does not work.

Let's hope we can get this phase out of the way so we can get back to form and ensure we are on a good run going in to the play-offs - confidence breeds success

[kerry red]

A lot of teams challenging at the top of all 3 leagues are/have  struggled to find consistency.

Muff won last night - first win in 6
Derby lost again last night
MBoro won after losing 2 on trot

Then there's us and MK - so it's not all down to having young players.

Anyway, recent history tells us that the runner-up in L1 does better in the Championship than the winner

[wiggy]

On a bright note, the chips from York Road last night were  bloody lovely.

[@mwooly63]

Its a young group of players, never been in this position, lost a few games and dont know how to deal with the pressure of the expectation and frusration of the crowd

Except some of them have

March 7th last season v Franchise, a match had we won would have taken us into a playoff spot iirc

Belford; N Thompson, Archibald-Henville, Ward, Byrne; L Thompson, Harley, Kasim, Luongo; Pritchard, Smith
Subs: Bedwell, McEveley, Branco, Gladwin, Murphy, N'Guessan, Barker

Stephens came in as well, along with Willo being injured.
OK Loius was out for tuesday

Not exactly sure the reasoning for our recent demise but can't keep using the young players excuse

In fact in light of Tuesdays effort and following comments the franchise thread from last season makes parallel reading.

http://thetownend.com/index.php?topic=53899.0

[kerry red]

For what's worth, why can't we have a go at 3-4-3 - pushing Luongo up with the 2 strikers.

Worked for Liverpool who started 3-5-2 and then changed

[herthab]

I'm not sure the fault lies with the formation. Whatever the reasons we seem to have lost a lot of the fluidity to our play, a few weeks ago ago the only way a team could get anything against us was to defend in numbers; if they tried to play attacking football we'd generally win. That's not the case recently and I don't believe it's down to the opposition 'sussing' us out (if that was the reason we'd have been having problems from October onwards).
One of the things I've noticed recently is the increase in unforced errors, particularly poor passing, together with an overall lack of good judgement. Swift is a prime example of this, ignoring good opportunities to lay the ball off and instead going on mazy runs down cul de sacs, although the poor judgement is spreading to all of them.
From a team that could keep the ball with ease we've become one that gifts it to the opposition time and again, not because we're pressed, but because we make the wrong choices.
In regard to the players being affected by the crowd there may be some truth in it, but if these players, technically adapt that they are, can't handle a few hundred in a crowd of a few thousand voicing their displeasure they really should think of an alternative career choice.
Last nights performance was as poor as I've seen for a long time. What made it worse was the apparent lack of desire and urgency throughout.
I don't know the reasons and I'm not close to the players like the management team are, but Cooper needs to sort this out before our blip becomes a collapse.

(I'm now going to think happy thoughts and put the memory of last night into my shit box of woeful Town performances).

[Batch]

Personally I think its simply a confidence. I'm not sure why its drained so quickly, but it has.

I think it would be foolish to change our default formation, but when things are going as badly as last night it also seems foolish not to give a change a go for 25 minutes.

I'm sure the team do not deserve to be booed, but I was proper pissed off when Cooper took off Williams and somehow thought two like for like changes up front was going to magic a change in our midfield/defence being shit. But as you say, its a minority that do it.

Wes would be proper snivelling if he witnessed a proper hostile crowd.

[wiggy]

The starting formation was fine, and we created planty of good positions in the first half.

What was frustrating was the seeming inability or reluctance to change the shape of the team to push in the second half.

[theakston2k]

Probably won't be popular but I think we need a few games of 4-5-1 just to solidify things a bit and take the pressure off the defence. We keep getting done down the wings at the back so with a back 4 it would give a little less space. Don't think it'd make too much difference in terms of attacking as Smith has been anonymous for weeks and Luongo will push on anyway.

Something like:
N Thompson Turnbull Stephens Toffolu/Branco
Byrne Gladwin Thompson (Swift if not fit) Kasim Luongo
Williams

Other teams keep flirting with 3 at the back and abandoning it as it leaves them too open, I think we need to do the same as we are far too open which if we're not scoring we can't afford to be.

[Red Frog]

People seem very quick to load the blame on Cooper. I'm fairly sure you could have played whatever formation you wanted yesterday - our players were shot. It happens year after year at this stage of the season. All depends now on whether we can get our second wind.

[Batch]

No..  not 4-5-1 for me.. not with our current forwards, certainly not at home. We could barely pull it off with Ranger, who was far more handy as a lone gunman. Away from home last season it didn't work at all.

[Batch]

People seem very quick to load the blame on Cooper. I'm fairly sure you could have played whatever formation you wanted yesterday - our players were shot. It happens year after year at this stage of the season. All depends now on whether we can get our second wind.

Yes you could be right. We could even have been worst (yes it is possible). I'd just like to see us have given it a go. We'll never know.

[chalkies_shorts]

I'd be tempted to drop Byrne and put Gladwin on the wing. I'd also look to get Swift out of the team. Since the turn of the year we've been exposed down our right where Byrne offers fuck all cover and if Swift plays on the right is defensively even more useless so whether its Stephens or Branco they are totally exposed. The opposition can either hit it into the space or do what Dack did last night and just run with the ball. To be honest, at the moment, just put the ball anywhere near our defence and they'll do the rest. All the opposition have to do is to be ready to pounce or just guess correctly.

[theakston2k]

No..  not 4-5-1 for me.. not with our current forwards, certainly not at home. We could barely pull it off with Ranger, who was far more handy as a lone gunman. Away from home last season it didn't work at all.

Problem is name another team that plays 3 at the back? There must be a reason others don't... It leaves you too open especially when your form dips.