It's intention is to be successful utilising a small budget. Younger players are cheaper, easier to mould and develop (so a sell on fee is likely) and most young players nowadays are trained to play a certain way. It's the smartest model we've used since I've been a Town fan. Club doesn't generate much income (pretty sure it runs at a loss) so it's our only chance of going up. I understand the frustration of Town fans who are very short minded (well most football fans are tbh) but it makes sense to me. Power invests when he's keen on a player. It makes us attractive to young players too, as they see it as a chance to grow and get a good move. Williams is therefore essential as he is a very good coach and comes with a great reputation which makes us more appealing.
8th and 4th on a shoe string budget was impressive. Blip last year but with all the injuries we had all season and massive turnover of personnel it was always going to be tough. As I've said before, I think we'll be OK this year. We need to try and settle the squad down a bit, but I've seen enough quality in the team.
My only dislike of this plan is it just shows no long term ambition. Whilst I appreciate the need to survive (and I am also grateful for this), we'll never grow as a club and I fear we'll get left behind. The stadium is falling apart and we need to try and tap into a growing Swindon population but Power seems interested in neither of these things. A new training ground will help, but I think he needs to start thinking about the future a bit more.
The problem with this analysis is yes it worked for a while.....the early success due to Sherwood being at Spurs, and there still being a few players knocking around from the previous PdC regime, but the brief vogue for Spanish style possession football in England has gone. Look at Roberto Martinez. ...it may have some attraction at the very top end with a fella like Pep, but let's see where that ends up.
On the up are Italian pragmatists like Ranieri, Walter Mazzarri, Antonio Conte....get the defence right 4-4-2, although I believe WM flirts with 3-5-2 on occasions. Guidolin at Swansea, I'm not sure if he's moving them away from how they played under Martinez Rodgers etc.
Pragmatists, like athletes, big strong boys who are quick....it's partly why we had no-one to sell other than NA last season. A 20+ goalscorer will always attract some attention, but he had to stay in Div 3, cos he's a short arse.
That we had no-one to sell represents a failure for Power, more so than our struggle with relegation.
A few years ago Kingy insisted that our youth recruitment should go for big lads....we got Tozer, Morrison and Jutkiewicz, who scored for Brum Sat, probably fetched a combined sum of 8 mill in transfers to us and more so others.
Of what we currently have, Yaser is by far the stand out player, yet because of his style being at odds with the zeitgeist we'll get nowt for him. Miles away from a fee for the rest.
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