So, how are we shaping up?

[Islington Red]

The Guardian reckon we're dark horses for this season, can't argue with that
http://www.theguardian.com/football/football-league-blog/2015/aug/05/league-one-2015-16-season-preview

[suttonred]

442 reckon 11th as it stands. Probably first time i've agreed with them, interestingly they have Peterbrough at 20th, so expect them to do well..

[Costanza]

442 reckon 11th as it stands. Probably first time i've agreed with them, interestingly they have Peterbrough at 20th, so expect them to do well..

Yeah the Peterborough prediction surprised me too. I imagine the Posh forums will be going loco-crazy with such news... This is were I need Venkman to confirm...

 

[horlock07]

Just been looking on Wiki.... is Lawrence Vigouroux really from Chile?

[leftside]

Reg you been writing for a tipping website I sometimes use?

So with the top six excluded from the market, it’s time to play ball. First up is Swindon, which may come as a surprise. Currently trading at 9/1 with Bet365, the Robins were 90 minutes away from Championship football back in May. But with a quarter of the past 12 losing play-off finalists suffering relegation the following year, I reckon they’re worth a poke to dip dramatically in 2015/16.

Sure, four of those 12 teams did win promotion the year thereafter but none will have seen their spine decimated in the same way Swindon have this summer. Eight of the players starting at Wembley have left and at the time of writing, the Robins have just 13 players on their books, just over a week before the action gets underway.

Boss Mark Cooper was linked with a move away from the County Ground in the summer and there’s a suggestion the gaffer is angling for a better deal elsewhere, which won’t help preparation. The club is financial stable but chairman Lee Power is again focussing his recruitment on loan deals for exciting youngsters and whilst last term worked wondrously well, it’s hardly an ideal recipe for success.

Midfield mystros Mass Luongo and Ben Gladwin have joined top-scorer Andy Williams and keeper Wes Foderingham on the outgoings list and the Robins are now scrabbling around in the hope of adding two defenders, two midfielders and a striker to the ranks. Leyton Orient, Swindon themselves and Hartlepool have all flopped following play-off final heartache and at 9/1 there’s plenty of appeal in backing a repeat.

I got 9/1 the season we were champions under McMoan. Free £1 bet at the services on the way to the first game at Hull.

Omen!

[leftside]

Just been looking on Wiki.... is Lawrence Vigouroux really from Chile?

I think Shaun Hodgetts said on Sunday his father was from Chile, his mother from France? Apparently Vigouroux supports Chile in internationals.

[Skinny Pete]

I got 9/1 the season we were champions under McMoan. Free £1 bet at the services on the way to the first game at Hull.

Omen!

Shay Given's debut. Our minibus got pelted with bottles after the game.

What a shithole.

[DRS]

I think Shaun Hodgetts said on Sunday his father was from Chile, his mother from France? Apparently Vigouroux supports Chile in internationals.

he has been called up to under 20s squad before

[DarloSTFC84]

Have we had a Chilean on the books before?..

[Flashheart]

I know it's only one game blah blah, but how would people compare us to last season based on today's performance?

[ron dodgers]

easily, after today's performance

[Skinny Pete]

Still taking huge risks at the back as per last season, but when we clicked going forward we looked a class apart.

It's difficult to describe just how good we were in the 2nd half. Very sharp, incisive passing at speed against a team I think will be up there this year.

Sure, at times the intricate stuff will land us in trouble and we may well run out of steam in the New Year, but, hey, if they dish this stuff up more often than not, who cares.

[Batch]

I know it's only one game blah blah, but how would people compare us to last season based on today's performance?

I don't agree with Audry. We were very good in the second half. But some of the stuff we played around/just after Christmas last year was much better. We were quite poor in the first half and lucky Bradford didn't put the game out of sight..

Style of play was same old.

Pretty hard to judge other than that. Not what you wanted but its true, its just impossible to say. First half we looked fragile at the back and piss poor in the final third. Second half I can't remember them having a shot and we carved them open. We also seemed a bit more willing to get a boot in with Robert, Stewart and BOO not pussing out of it like Luongo used to.

[suttonred]

Saying we've aquired a bit of steel to go with the silk and shite then?

[Batch]

i think so yes. but it's only one game, blah blah