Oldham Athletic v Swindon Town Matchday Thread

[Reg Smeeton]

If we do go down (I don't think will happen) should Williams be sacked?

100% yes. Coaching and management ar not the same thing. Luke may be a decent coach, but I suspect he himself has doubts as to whether he's a manager.

Our results over the last couple of seasons v Div 4 sides illustrate that Div 4 really is no place for too much football, so wins at Luton and Newport, followed by a draw at Rodney Parade and defeats to Cheltnum, Plymuff and Exeter.

A manager will make sure this prospect doesn't happen by making sure we eke out te necessary couple of points.

[deltaincline]

100% yes. Coaching and management ar not the same thing. Luke may be a decent coach, but I suspect he himself has doubts as to whether he's a manager.

Our results over the last couple of seasons v Div 4 sides illustrate that Div 4 really is no place for too much football, so wins at Luton and Newport, followed by a draw at Rodney Parade and defeats to Cheltnum, Plymuff and Exeter.

A manager will make sure this prospect doesn't happen by making sure we eke out te necessary couple of points.

Yes.

The club needs someone who knows how to attract players and to set up a side in the right way to get points on the board.

Clearly, we're awful defensively when we haven't got front players available who hold the ball up. Williams insists on playing 'the Swindon way' no matter who's available - which is just plain fucking dumb. Even expensive premier league sides adjust their style of play to suit the opposition on occasion.

I think we'd all probably settle for route 1 football if it brought safety, a bit excitement now and then and a modicum of hope for the club.

Williams may be one for the future, but massive schoolboy errors early in his managerial days tells me that he's really not up to the mark for a L1 club.

There are plenty of cheap managers in the same mould as Martin Ling out there with the experience and contacts that would benefit us.

Trouble is, could any of them work with the dictatorial knob long enough to make a difference?

[Reg Smeeton]

Yes.

The club needs someone who knows how to attract players and to set up a side in the right way to get points on the board.

Clearly, we're awful defensively when we haven't got front players available who hold the ball up. Williams insists on playing 'the Swindon way' no matter who's available - which is just plain fucking dumb. Even expensive premier league sides adjust their style of play to suit the opposition on occasion.

I think we'd all probably settle for route 1 football if it brought safety, a bit excitement now and then and a modicum of hope for the club.

Williams may be one for the future, but massive schoolboy errors early in his managerial days tells me that he's really not up to the mark for a L1 club.

There are plenty of cheap managers in the same mould as Martin Ling out there with the experience and contacts that would benefit us.

Trouble is, could any of them work with the dictatorial knob long enough to make a difference?

Don't think there's too much wrong with the philosophy of trying to play out from the back, but it needs to be tempered with some pragmatism.

Doing it there will be occasions when you come unstuck as we know, but I'd guess more of our goals conceded are from balls into the box, either from headers or scrambles.

So nothing wrong with sticking an El Abd type in there to put a head in or get a block even if he's unlikely to bring it out from the back too often.  The Sainted Glenn had Shaun Taylor to do that for him. Further the wing backs should be encouraged to harry and block balls coming into the box.

[Don Rogers Sock]

Don't think there's too much wrong with the philosophy of trying to play out from the back, but it needs to be tempered with some pragmatism.

Doing it there will be occasions when you come unstuck as we know, but I'd guess more of our goals conceded are from balls into the box, either from headers or scrambles.

So nothing wrong with sticking an El Abd type in there to put a head in or get a block even if he's unlikely to bring it out from the back too often.  The Sainted Glenn had Shaun Taylor to do that for him. Further the wing backs should be encouraged to harry and block balls coming into the box.

Or a Sendles White type even

[Reg Smeeton]

Or a Sendles White type even

I've yet to see anything from JSW that suggests to me an old skool defender who sticks his head in, or gets a ball in then bollocks making a last ditch block.  OK with a ball at his feet, mind.

[Chrystovski]

My main concern about Williams is the fact he's unable to set us up defensively for the past 3 seasons.
It only appears to be getting worse and the blame must be shared equally between Power & Williams.

Power for his poor recruitment, Williams because his defensive coaching is clearly not up to scratch and because he told Power in Jan the squad was big enough when every man and his dog knew it wasn't. We've had youth team players on the bench for every game this season, which is fine if they are good enough but LW clearly doesn't rate them highly enough as he makes the same substitution game in game out and they don't get a look in.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

I still reckon Branco would be a decent, Flint-type CB, if he was allowed to be. A kick it, head it away old fashioned centre half. He's got a bit of talent on the ball, too.

But, as has been said before, asking him to  play like Beckenbauer is a bit too much for him.

The absence of Byrne is also part of the defensive problem. When he played, opposing players stayed back to try and counter his breaks. Without him, or more truthfully,  with BOO and Barry they don't give a shit about bombing forward.

[Panda Paws]

I still reckon Branco would be a decent, Flint-type CB, if he was allowed to be. A kick it, head it away old fashioned centre half. He's got a bit of talent on the ball, too.

Just no. He literally cannot mark anyone. To even put him in the same realm as Flint is an insult (to Flint - vastly under-rated by most of our fans).

Branco needs to be a back-up CB at best.

[Tails]

I still reckon Branco would be a decent, Flint-type CB, if he was allowed to be. A kick it, head it away old fashioned centre half. He's got a bit of talent on the ball, too.

But, as has been said before, asking him to  play like Beckenbauer is a bit too much for him.

The absence of Byrne is also part of the defensive problem. When he played, opposing players stayed back to try and counter his breaks. Without him, or more truthfully,  with BOO and Barry they don't give a shit about bombing forward.

If Branco could tackle and head the ball well enough, consistently then yeah sure. He's too much of a liability in my eyes.

[Reg Smeeton]

If Branco could tackle and head the ball well enough, consistently then yeah sure. He's too much of a liability in my eyes.

At times Branco has looked like a player...I wouldn't write him off just yet, as central defenders can get better with age.

A classic example being Wes Morgan, by a long way the best English born defender in the Prem, now 32.

One of Woy's laments is that England are a bit thin in the CH department, especially left footed, however I'm fairly sure Morgan wouldn't have been called up to the country of his birth, even if he hadn't opted for the Reggae Boyz a few years ago.

No we have to have John Stones, who strolls about and looks like he'd slot in at the CG, for comedy defending.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

Stick Wes Morgan and Robert Huth in our side, playing the way we do, they'd probably be shite,  too.

It's all horses for courses.

[Reg Smeeton]

Stick Wes Morgan and Robert Huth in our side, playing the way we do, they'd probably be shite,  too.

It's all horses for courses.

Burton have shown what can be achieved by sticking to basic lower league principles, of decent keeper, defenders who defend, and some terriers in midfield. Stick a work horse up top...and you can have a good season.

However they don't have players who'll fetch large sums on the market, like us when we sell Ajose.  Who may be the first player to get relegated having topped the divisional scoring charts.

[Bob's Orange]

This is their squad. Not exactly amazing on paper is it?

1    GK    Jon McLaughlin
2    DF    Phil Edwards
3    DF    Shane Cansdell-Sherriff
4    MF    John Mousinho (captain)
5    DF    George Taft
7    MF    Callum Reilly
8    MF    Robbie Weir
9    FW    Stuart Beavon
10    FW    Lucas Akins
12    MF    Calum Butcher
14    DF    Damien McCrory
      
No.       Position    Player
15    DF    Tom Naylor
17    MF    Marcus Harness
19    DF    Anthony O'Connor
21    FW    Mark Duffy (on loan from Birmingham City)
25    DF    Kelvin Maynard
28    GK    Sam Hornby
30    DF    Tom Flanagan
31    GK    Stephen Bywater
33    FW    Mason Bennett (on loan from Derby County)
34    MF    Hamza Choudhury (on loan from Leicester City)
—    FW    Tyler Walker (on loan from Nottingham Forest)

[Tails]

They are going to get torn apart in the Championship.

[Reg Smeeton]

They are going to get torn apart in the Championship.

Having said that, Franchise, who like to play are going down and Preston who are old skool are staying up easily.