Bradford City v Swindon Town Matchday Thread

[Red Frog]

Did LW mention whether the 3 amigos will be considered for selection against Bury?

Shouldn't that be the Chuckle Brothers?

[FormerlyPlymRed]

Considering the drop in form of a couple and key players struggling for fitness I'd say it was a good move giving them a few days off. We will see on Saturday whether it was a good decision or not. Hopefully this will allow Obika/Ajose time to recover and be raring to go

[Uncletrunx]

Given that most clubs and managers will identify games where they expect to win, expect to lose and hope to get something, I would anticipate that this was a fixture STFC had marked down as one where little was expected.

As such, giving the front two an extra week rather than risking them may be a sensible option, given that they are often the difference between a loss and a point / win. Making sure they are available for Bury and Shrewsbury and that we get something from those matches could be vital; having them back too early against a team we were unlikely to beat and thus injured for the vital matches could be lethal, especially if a single point is needed in either case.

Assuming that Obika / Ajose come back next week and secure the necessary points, the proof of the pudding will come in the summer. The prospect of a bouyant Oxford, Northampton, Rovers and Plymouth in the division means we'll need players who can compete in pressure fixtures.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

For the second time this season (the first being Coventry at home after Cooper had been sacked and Power was in temporary charge), I've gone to a Town expecting an utterly dire outcome and like the Coventry game I game away pleasantly surprised and encouraged.

Given our recent form and lack of strikers and Bradford's league position and home support, it was a very decent, battling performance which deserved a point. I don't feel inclined to criticize any individual players as everyone played their part but on the plus side, I thought Branco, Turnbull and Brophy did particularly well.

I think some one suggested on here in the week that we should get rid of Brophy? I could be wrong but if they did that's bollocks. He's impressed me every time I've seen him this season with today being no exception. A beautiful bit of skill in the area led to him being fouled for a blatant, nailed on, bolted down, stick on, guaranteed mother fucking penalty. The only problem was that somehow or other, the ref and lino both managed to miss it.

As I say, a point would have been well deserved but on that evidence I would be 100% confident of us quite comfortably getting the required points to stay up - assuming we've not already got them.

[Reg Smeeton]

Luckily I don't rely on stats to form my opinion. We can and probably will need to rely on Blackpool to be worse than us over the remainder of the season to stay up as I don't see where our next goal is coming from as long as the front two are out let alone a point.

I don't like relying on other teams.....I think back to 00/01, when we'd got to 52, by beating Posh with the Invincibile wonder goal....leaving Rovers needing 4 points from 3 home games in hand...given we were at a strong Stoke City side last game.

I'd have much preferred it had we eked the necessary couple of points to avoid that trauma....in the same way I would be very happy with a draw a against the Shakers.

[leftside]

I don't like relying on other teams.....I think back to 00/01, when we'd got to 52, by beating Posh with the Invincibile wonder goal....leaving Rovers needing 4 points from 3 home games in hand...given we were at a strong Stoke City side last game.

I'd have much preferred it had we eked the necessary couple of points to avoid that trauma....in the same way I would be very happy with a draw a against the Shakers.

The decisive Rovers v Wycombe game is probably the best match I've been to as a 'neutral'.

[Costanza]

I think some one suggested on here in the week that we should get rid of Brophy? I could be wrong but if they did that's bollocks. He's impressed me every time I've seen him this season with today being no exception. A beautiful bit of skill in the area led to him being fouled for a blatant, nailed on, bolted down, stick on, guaranteed mother fucking penalty. The only problem was that somehow or other, the ref and lino both managed to miss it.

I put him on my released list and I'll stand by my opinion as you will with your own. I don't think it's a 'bollocks' opinion though, that would saying something like Jon Obika shouldn't be offered a new deal because he doesn't score enough (for example).

If Brophy stays, he's squad back-up again (and I wouldn't be fully against this). Next season we have Bolton, Charlton, MKD (who are expected to compete) and then the usual threats of clubs like Coventry, Sheffield United (who are the sort of names that come good in this division eventually) then we probably have Oxford and maybe Bristol Rovers (who can both attract players) and then plenty of clubs in-between.

My point is that 2016-17 will be a tougher division for Swindon Town if we don't learn from the mistakes the club made this season. Lee Power thought we had promotion potential this season and got it drastically wrong so can we risk punting on 'potential' players like Brophy and Hylton?

Of course, the way the club choose to operate will result in Brophy in getting a 2-year deal thus making my point null and void

[Private Fraser]

Well, whoever is editing the OS still seems to have kept his or her sense of humour:

http://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/news/article/williams-positives-to-take-3052193.aspx

[Mrs Brown]

Did LW mention whether the 3 amigos will be considered for selection against Bury?
Shouldn't that be the Chuckle Brothers?

I think he said the the Fun Boy Three would not be considered for the Bury game and that the investigation into their actions  is ongoing.

[WestYorksRed]

Yeah for sure, seems like as someone else mentioned the training pitch might be causing issues, we might have picked up more today as well.

Was interesting yesterday, Turnball got clattered in the first half, took his sock off so the physio could take a look and he's got tubigrip all down his lower left leg. Watching Nathan T walk off at half time, I thought he seemed to be moving stiffly as well. Don't follow the news closely enough to know whether the club has said anything about Turnball carrying a knock, but guess my point is there are the injuries we know about and then, given the lack of depth to our squad, others are being asked to play through pain. If it's those players being given a few days off at this stage of the season, actually think that's quite sensible particularly after yesterday which was quite physical. To be honest, sounds like the training ground needs fumigating anyway given current form so a few days away may be no bad thing.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

I put him on my released list and I'll stand by my opinion as you will with your own. I don't think it's a 'bollocks' opinion though, that would saying something like Jon Obika shouldn't be offered a new deal because he doesn't score enough (for example).

Fair enough - I should have said 'strongly disagree' rather than 'bollocks' which was a bit childish. I do think though that Brophy is way ahead of Hilton. I think Brophy has realised quite a lot of his potential already and his main challenge this season has been the step up required in match fitness from the Spartan South Midlands Football League (FFS!) to L1. His experience this season followed by a full pre-season and hopefully expert coaching from Williams and Embleton will benefit him hugely and I would definitely stick with him.

Obviously it wasn't Jermaine's fault that he got injured in the first game of the season but that has inevitably set back his development and I think he could do with going out on loan to Braintree Town or some one of that ilk next season to toughen him up a bit.

As a side note - I used Braintree purely as an example as I know the Club but it's worth noting that in the last few seasons they've had Britt Assombalonga and Bradley Dack for extended loan spells and it didn't do them any harm  

[Batch]

I think playing with hidden injuries is part and parcel of the game WestYorkReds. I've heard a few pro players say there's always something that hurts !

[Batch]

just seen the goal on c5. Balford has flapped at that and we've got 6 defenders in shot marking 4 attackers, and yet they still get the header in from a long throw. Piss poor all round.

They didn't show the penalty claim

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

I think playing with hidden injuries is part and parcel of the game WestYorkReds. I've heard a few pro players say there's always something that hurts !

Steve Foley was never not injured and was pumped full of cortisone most games. He probably drives a mobility scooter these days mind you...

[WestYorksRed]

Fair enough, occupational hazard I guess. As an aside, heard Phil King speak at a dinner up here a few years back. Pre league cup final 1991, reckoned one of his ankles was the size of a balloon and black and blue all over. Big Ron kept the team up drinking til whenever the night before the final, next day King had a blinder and the rest as they say is history. Based on a sample of one, then, suppose it can work both ways.