The unofficial official Super Swindon Town v Preston North End Wembley Thread

[janaage]

Think history has repeated itself a little with some players being guilty of thinking about next season, and their ne t club, before finishing the job they still had to complete. PNE seemed to be fighting for every ball, our lot didn't have the same heRt. Having said that losing the two early goals obviously had a huge impact. The real problem was Smith missing that header, it had to go in for us to have any chance.

22 years and counting since we had anything to celebrate at Wembley, I was actually relieved we didn't get a meaningless consolation yesterday, would have been horrible to see a goal in the last minute.

I'd rather wait til next time, when the goal hopefully would mean something.

[JoeMezz]

Maybe we sign Gruffalo?

I hope not

[Batch]

Think I may have had a very brief chat with you on the tube, I was with my nephew, you were stood up with your lads sat down.

Quite possibly, you were stood up with your nephew yeah? It was good to nearly meet you Jan. I was the right side of merry then, hence the singing Hope he somehow had a good day, football aside. Think my lads did until goal 2/medical centre

Can't believe they mixed club Wembley. Don't think it was like that where we were (block 208). That's ridiculous. That said because we were late leaving Wembley we were with mostly Preston fans who had stayed to watch the trophy lift. They were all pretty decent, no piss taking at all. As much as they were trying to help though, "I know how you feel" doesn't make you fell better !

[arkellsboi]

Can't believe they mixed club Wembley. Don't think it was like that where we were (block 208). That's ridiculous. That said because we were late leaving Wembley we were with mostly Preston fans who had stayed to watch the trophy lift. They were all pretty decent, no piss taking at all. As much as they were trying to help though, "I know how you feel" doesn't make you fell better !

They were a damn sight nicer than those Millwall villains. And we've got to put up with them again next season... 

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

I hope not

He certainly went off the boil in the second half of the season. Who didn't though?

[JoeMezz]

Gladwin, Hylton and Wes. Don't think Obika can be criticised either.

[Batch]

PNE seemed to be fighting for every ball, our lot didn't

I'm still undecided as to whether that was down to stage fright, or not giving a shit. I think the former. I refuse to believe any professional footballer would not give a shit about a Wembley final regardless of whether they are off.

On the flip side, I can see an argument "well, I'll be in the chmpionship anyway next year" may just make them dip form that 1 or 2% that is enough to get beat.
-------
On Thompson, I think he was worth the risk myself. You will get 100% from him. Yes he gave away the free kick, but our utter schoolboy defending of it cost the goal.

[4D]

Quote of the day. Preston fan on tube after game...
"Is Swindon in the Cotswolds? " 

[@mwooly63]

I noticed Luongo looked pretty disinterested after the game, wandering around looking at the floor when the other players were clapping the fans. In stark contrast, Nath was clearly struggling to get around on crutches and seeing him and Louis after the game was quite moving really.

[Quagmire]

Seeing a video of a load of our players signing and dancing in a pub last night like they'd won the game didn't help my mood this morning.

[Combe Down]

Quote of the day. Preston fan on tube after game...
"Is Swindon in the Cotswolds? "  

Wasn't it someone on here who said that Swindon was 'The Bronx of the Cotswolds?!

No, Swindon isn't in the Cotswolds, but neither is Cirencester or Cheltenham. Each can legitimately call itself 'a gateway to the Cotswolds'. Unlike Gloucester which is 'Asda of the Malverns'.

[welshred]

So where to begin? I woke up feeling absolutely awful following a long day yesterday and thoroughly depressing game of football. When we were pretty much assured of a play-off place, I told my 6-year old I'd take him to his first ever game if we made it to Wembley. Obviously I had to follow through with this promise/threat when we did make it. He's never seen a live football match, so this should have been a real treat for him. After witnessing Millwall and Chesterfield, I was quietly optimistic. What a fool.

I was determined to enjoy the day regardless though, so we got the tube into Wembley Park, I got him a scarf and a horn (£15!) and he was amazed by all the people and the size of Wembley.

Then onto the game. The Wembley display was great and the atmosphere before the match was pretty decent. Then they scored. Why was Thompson playing? Why do we persist with 3 at the back. I hate the wing-back system, it leaves us exposed against any team. I'm not sure if the players got stage fright, or had their minds on where they were going to be playing next season, and it really pains me to say but it was the worst, and probably the most gutless display I've ever seen from a Swindon side. I really don't think anyone came out of it with any credit. Preston were everything that we weren't. Clinical up front, solid at the back, neat in possession and quick and strong in the tackle. Garner dominated our defence and Beckford's class shone through. He's really a bit too good for this division. When we did get the ball in good positions, it was almost as if we tried to make it harder for ourselves by slowing down the play and passing backwards to give them plenty of time to get the numbers back and make it near impossible to get through them.

I'm not sure where we go from here. There will be one hell of a rebuilding job to go. It feels like we need a couple of experienced pros to fill the spine, but they aren't easy to come by, and with the system we seem to insist upon they have to be good on the ground. I love the ideaology that we're going to be a club that passes the ball. Its how the game should be played in my opinion. But if we're going to be successful at it, we need to address other issues which have been absolutely glaring since around February. It seems the Asia Cup has a lot to answer for - since Mass and Kasim came back, we've not been right. Whether Mr Luongo came back thinking he was way too big for this club or not I', not sure, but he's been distinctly average ever since. I wouldn't be putting my hand in my pocket if I was Tim Sherwood.

The only shining light from yesterday was my boy. He took the defeat pretty well (not as emotionally invested as me!) and said that we may stand a better chance next season when Preston aren't there. I didn't have the heart to tell him its not quite as simple as that. He also announced that he's going to be a Swindon fan for the next year, at which point he will assess his options, which considering the result yesterday I'll take!

Bit of a pattern for the new Wembley now. 0-1, 0-2, 0-4. If it continues, we lose the next one 0-8. 

[FreddySTFC!]

Seeing a video of a load of our players signing and dancing in a pub last night like they'd won the game didn't help my mood this morning.

Have you got a link?

[Quagmire]

Have you got a link?

Afraid not, it was on snapchat.

[Reg Smeeton]

Wasn't it someone on here who said that Swindon was 'The Bronx of the Cotswolds?!

No, Swindon isn't in the Cotswolds, but neither is Cirencester or Cheltenham. Each can legitimately call itself 'a gateway to the Cotswolds'. Unlike Gloucester which is 'Asda of the Malverns'.

The Cotswold Hills are geologically a bit indistinctive, as your talking about part of a band of oolitic limestone, that stretches from Dorset to Lincolnshire.   The scarp bit is obvious rising as it does from the Severn valley, but then the dip slope part trails away for a good 60 miles eastward, and so it's end is a bit arbitrary.