Swindon Town v Burton matchday thread

[DiV]

I agree with Audrey about needing to find the most balanced team, not the one that accommodates all the best individuals.

I read an interesting article on a German website the other day, about how in England we obsess too much over individual players, and don't focus enough on tactical/ structural issues the same way they do on the continent.

This was used to explain why the English club and national teams were performing so poorly in Europe. A bit of an overgeneralisation perhaps, but I think there's some truth in it. England's 'Golden Generation' are a good example, when we had much better individuals, and the Germans a far superior team.

Post-Barnsley, Cooper focused too much on individual errors, when it was clear the problems ran a lot deeper.

In respect of yesterday's game, I don't think dropping Williams and playing Turnball at CB would have made any difference to the overall performance. The shape of the team was wrong, the intensity was too low, the midfield were not taking enough responsibility for launching attacks/ driving the play forward, Thomas was completely isolated up front, and movement off the ball was lacking.

In many ways, his job has been made much harder by all the new signings, as he's having to integrate them all without the benefit of a pre-season, accommodate (allegedly) loanees in the first team while keeping permanent signings happy, and manage a huge rise in fan expectations.

Performance wise, this has certainly been our poorest start to a season under him. He does need to find a way to start delivering soon, but he also needs to be given time by the fans.

I think England World Cup group last year highlighted this to be true. Costa Rica topping it with easily the weakest group of players on paper.

Team work can trump individual talent in football and usually does. Another reason as to why I am not a fan of our model on the pitch, we will never build a team for more than a few months at a time.

[Bathtime]

I don`t know what was worse the game or the bloke in the Arkells stand who spent the whole match shouting out at the top of his voice ` rubbish` like some deranged parrot - in the end I was more pissed off with him than the match - Burton looked a decent team well set up to play against our style of play. Given the fact that our team hasn`t had time to play together, half of whom looked unfit it wasn`t so much of a surprise that this match was always going to be a difficult one. Cooper / Williams need a bit of time - I believe this group of players certainly have enough going for them.

However if that bloke carries on shouting out rubbish every five minutes he`s going to get a smack.....

[Chippy Red]

Haven't read what's been put before here. Yesterday was pathetic. I blame cooper 100%. I don't believe he has the strength to manage. Everyone is saying Turnbull is not a left back and you are moving him from where he is good. We bought two left backs both just out the pram, so you have to go with them. Play players in their correct positions. Obika needs to be in the middle.  We have some quality players but it doesn't seem they were brought in with any idea how we were going to play. Cooper seeming to suggest the loan players must play means we have to shoe horn them into a system that doesn't work.  Cooper needs to grow some or leave. I'd prefer he left. A proper manager installs desire in his team. A proper manager instills the thought in his players heads that tempo is important ( we have no urgency ). A proper manager would know that you have to attack to score goals and that fannying about on the edge of our own box only creates goals for the other team.  We beat ourselves rather than the other team beating us.  Coopers only plan is to be kamikaze at the back in the hope we beat the press as he calls it.  Teams just wait for us to cock it up now.  I'm not saying go long ball, I'm saying play with a desire, with tempo, with players in their correct position. Why is it wrong to tell the players when you get the ball think forward. Can you run forward, is there space to attack, is there a team mate making a run. It seems to be set into our players heads to just go back or sideways. We are boring. Even when losing we continue the same way.  Cooper just stood there like Danny Wilson yesterday looking lost. His team played in coopers image. They looked lost to. Players need someone to look to. On the pitch there is no experience, no leader, no one organising or encouraging those around him. We need someone stronger in charge someone the players can look to.

( sorry for war n peace, I'm not happy )

[Sippo]

Fucking brilliant.

So we have a 'poor' start (not even that poor really) and you are saying we should sack cooper. Do you suffer from short term memory loss?

Fickle.

[DarloSTFC84]

Bring back PDC!! Let's spunk our money away again :-)

[tans]

Maurice Malpas for Manager

[woolster]

Bring back PDC!! Let's spunk our money away again :-)

don't need to spunk money, we have a lot of decent players, trouble is we need to start putting them in the correct positions, and get them playing as a team

[REDBUCK]

Still here's looking forward to Colchester next who have had  2 good wins in a week.

 

[Leggett]

That was poop. All kicked off in the DRS mid-60s seats at the end too, some bellend standing on the stairs when we had the corner at the end, then getting shitty when people shouted at him to move, then some other guy threatening to smack an old lady after he called the ref a cunt. Top work, swindon fans.

[Chippy Red]

Never liked cooper. Just don't believe in him. Just don't think he's strong enough.  Don't think he's tactically aware. A team should play with passion.a desire to win. All this tippy tappy crap along our own penalty area, meh.  Yes we did amazing last season. But I think a better manager would have got us up. Just my opinion.  He just can't find a balance. Either no defensive minded players in front of back 4 or 3 so we get blitzed as no midfielder go with runner's. Or its just walk around at the back with no desire to go forward. From start of year we have been hit and miss with many a poor performance where we even managed to squueze wins. They masked performances. We scrapped I to play off final and then were embarrassing. Just like yesterday was. We have good players. We do lack experience and a decent left back. But I think a better manager would set the players we have out better. Give them a better focus. Play players in the best positions to get the best out of them. Maybe even install a little desire. Will still be there next week. Just hoping for a hell of alot better.

[ibelieveinmrreeves]

The thing is, you talk about instilling desire like it's adding sugar to a cake. Altering the mental state of an individual or group of players is a gradual thing, and needs to be reinforced by positive experiences.

We showed yesterday that getting the ball forward quickly means getting it in the air, which did not work and just gave possession straight to Burton. We need to make sure the ball is going forward quickly on the floor, but passing yesterday was at times, wayward at best. That really was the crux of it I think - more successful passes and some better movement among the front line would have dramatically improved our ability to create chances.

I don't think a lack of desire is a legitimate gripe. They're paid to do a job they love, they all have the desire to win.

[inept and tiresome]

The thing is, you talk about instilling desire like it's adding sugar to a cake. Altering the mental state of an individual or group of players is a gradual thing, and needs to be reinforced by positive experiences.

We showed yesterday that getting the ball forward quickly means getting it in the air, which did not work and just gave possession straight to Burton. We need to make sure the ball is going forward quickly on the floor, but passing yesterday was at times, wayward at best. That really was the crux of it I think - more successful passes and some better movement among the front line would have dramatically improved our ability to create chances.

I don't think a lack of desire is a legitimate gripe. They're paid to do a job they love, they all have the desire to win.

Lumping the ball forward may not of been a great success but everything else we did lost the ball to Burton anyway. Particularly throw ins, the times we had an advantage, let the ball run out took the throw in and lost control of the ball.
It wasn't me who lost it in the DRS yesterday but I was laughing hysterically by the end. The game was so poor it become funny.
entertaining by mistake. I don't expect our problems to be sorted by Saturday so looking for more of the same. It's the County Ground, shopping or DIY for me on a Saturday so no option but to turn up.

[ibelieveinmrreeves]

Lumping the ball forward may not of been a great success but everything else we did lost the ball to Burton anyway. Particularly throw ins, the times we had an advantage, let the ball run out took the throw in and lost control of the ball.
It wasn't me who lost it in the DRS yesterday but I was laughing hysterically by the end. The game was so poor it become funny.
entertaining by mistake. I don't expect our problems to be sorted by Saturday so looking for more of the same. It's the County Ground, shopping or DIY for me on a Saturday so no option but to turn up.

I disagree that "everything else we did lost the ball to Burton anyway". In fact I'd say it's plain wrong. Most of the time, we kept possession, hence going backwards. The times we gave the ball away to Burton were either by lumping it or over-playing in the final third (which I agree with you on, it was laughably poor and so incredibly frustrating - my main gripe was losing possession so easily from goal kicks). So long as we kept it simple and kept the ball moving, we retained possession (I suspect to make Burton chase and tire them) but lacked enough movement up top or creativity in the passes going forwards to penetrate.

[ronnie21]

Jesus, thought our defending was bad but Soton just as bad this afternoon!! 

[BruceChatwin]

Perhaps we should take inspiration from our Premier League overlords?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34310400

Vigaroux

Williams  Branco  Turnbull

Barry   L.Thompson  Traore   Brophy

Robert

Obika  Thomas

Would mean leaving out some star players, but maybe it would make us more balanced, at least until our new players are up to speed?