Swindon v Lincoln Match day thread

[chalkies_shorts]

First half - total toss of a game. I thought the one we cleared off the line was over. Second half we tried to play a bit more on the ground but our decision making / final ball was crap apart from one peach by Taylor. Anderson put in a performance any of our players from last season would have been proud of - plenty of room and running and no end product.
We could really do with a Bostwick - was excellent last season against us and again today.
This was a game to forget to go along with every other home game this season bar Coventry.
I can see crowds going right down as we just serve up dross after dross at home.

[Ticker45]

Sat here in sunny Oz and I put off finding out the result as feared the worse an so it was. Got to say that our home record is abysmal and seeing the comments it is apparent that Flitcroft needs very quickly to take a long hard look at himself/coaching/tactics/players as this season could rapidly turn into a gigantic foul up.

[Tails]

Thought the result was harsh. Lincoln started time wasting at 0-0 so obviously they'd settled for a point. Needed more creativity in the box, if it had been there we would have won it. Dunne did ok (best I've seen him anyway) but Linganzi was terrible..

Overall I think our performances are improving. Preston makes the defence more solid and RCC looks just as capable as Vigs. Long way to go still but looks like the top 3 chances may be diminishing. Top 7 certainly within our reach.

[Reg Smeeton]

Long way to go still but looks like the top 3 chances may be diminishing. Top 7 certainly within our reach.

There is a long way to go, but we are starting to see the development of certain obvious patterns. Some of these are desirable, others less so.

I still think our bus rather than being parked is still hanging Italian Job style... we haven't quite halted our slide yet.

Saturday now becomes significant, Wycombe are away specialists, they can unleash the Beast.  A point in the present circumstances would be acceptable.... a 5th home defeat hugely damaging, meaning we'd already lost as many at the CG as in our previous 3 Div 4 seasons.

[Peter Venkman]

It seems I was lucky not to be able to watch or even listen to this yesterday.

We just can't seem to win at home for some reason, usually thats a mental block, weak leadership on and off the pitch.

Our fitness and conditioning levels still don't seem to be where they need to be, which I think is partly why we seem to concede late goals often. It could also be a concentraition problem for some players.

Its obvious that we have players that are capable at this and higher levels but they seem to not have gelled into Flitcrofts way of playing, after 17 games that would suggest that they never will adapt to it - so its either new players (which again take time to gel as a unit) or we change our style of play to suit the players that we have.

Use Woolery and Andersons pace, down the channels to exploit fullbacks/centre backs who are not as quick as them.

Don't hit high balls up to Norris to win, the way any target man would, hes hugely improved but he is not a target man, hes not enough of a bully and not great at winning headers from balls pumped up to him.

Elsnik and Goddard are our best players with the ball at their feet and getting it forward so don't just hoof it over their heads in an inane attempt to get the ball forward as quick as we can for Norris to lose it and again we are back under pressure, mix the play up more.

Dunne and Linganzi are probably too alike in style to play at home together, keep them for away ties when we have to sit more defensively.

It is now that we do find out how good a manager Flitcroft is, will he change our style to suit our players or will he persist in as style that does not suit our team (currently).

I don't think Power will do anything silly like get rid of him so soon, that would be foolish, but Flitcroft needs to see his deficiencies as well as the teams and work on changing them and also get us fit so we can play for the full 95 or so mins that most games go to now.

[Batch]

I can see crowds going right down as we just serve up dross after dross at home.

'Entertainment' is overrated. I think you can get away with dross if you are winning the vast majority...but...yeah...

[Batch]

but Linganzi was terrible..

Clearly not in the team for his ability to pass three yards. I'd have taken him off too. But to try and find a positive he does do OK breaking up play in the air I suppose.

Preston makes the defence more solid and

Yup. Did I imagine it, or did he also show a bit of pace on occasion. Probably just used to seeing dog slow defending rather than normal speed

RCC looks just as capable as Vigs.

He did spill 'that one', maybe saw it late, but otherwise he looked impressive and commanded his area well. His kicking is more consistent that Vigs too.  Keep this up and Vigs will be getting splinters on his ass.

[Reg Smeeton]

Our fitness and conditioning levels still don't seem to be where they need to be, which I think is partly why we seem to concede late goals often. It could also be a concentraition problem for some players.

Its obvious that we have players that are capable at this and higher levels

I don't think Power will do anything silly like get rid of him so soon, that would be foolish, but Flitcroft needs to see his deficiencies as well as the teams and work on changing them and also get us fit so we can play for the full 95 or so mins that most games go to now.

We've lost all our midweek games this season, which suggests we can't do 2 games a week, and allied as you say to conceding late goals suggests a fitness concentration thing. This is why I say tinkering with formations and wanting flair isn't as important as improving basics like the above.

The daddy side for late goals was Danny Wilson's decent outfit... had they been able to cut that out we'd have pissed the league, the 96th minute equaliser for Charlton at the Valley when they had 9 men still wakes me up at night from time to time.

At present I don't thing any of our own players are good enough for the level above... of the loanees, perhaps Hussey might be Div 3 and Timi has some potential, and too soon to judge. Keshi will probably go back to non league.

Flitters is doing OK, he's taken on a difficult job, a bumpy ride is to be expected. Could go either way, but he's still got some credit in the bank.

[Peter Venkman]

Flitters is doing OK, he's taken on a difficult job, a bumpy ride is to be expected. Could go either way, but he's still got some credit in the bank.

For me fitness wise Macaris side took some beating with many of our wins coming from late goals, surely fitness is a fairly basic attribute for a professional footballer? but then I guess there is fitness and then there is "Macari fitness" which is the next notch up.

I think Flitcroft had no idea when he took over the magnitude of cleaning the club out on and off the pitch.

He has started OK, as you say it still could easily go either way but often when a team is better away from home than at home there isn't TOO much wrong, just tweaking of things.

[Batch]

Di Canio/Wise fitness wasn't too shabby either.

[Peter Venkman]

Di Canio/Wise fitness wasn't too shabby either.

Indeed, all were well respected by the players and all had super levels of fitness, and each of those - Macari, Wise, PdC we got out of this division under.

Thats not a coicidence.

[Wobbly Bob]

Indeed, all were well respected by the players and all had super levels of fitness, and each of those - Macari, Wise, PdC we got out of this division under.

Thats not a coicidence.

I think we would have won the league had Wise remained.
We just made it under Sturrock despite the change to a neeps and tatties diet.

[Peter Venkman]

I think we would have won the league had Wise remained.
We just made it under Sturrock despite the change to a neeps and tatties diet.

I am 100% certain we would have walked the league had Wise stayed.

And it was stotties apparently not neeps and tatties

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

For me, the big question is whether this is Flitcroft's preferred style. If it is and we do manage to get promoted it’s going to get us nowhere in L1. Plus, how many fans would we have lost along the way.

He may be the man to get us out of this league, but not to take the club forward. We’ve shed 2000+ fans over the last season and a bit. It can’t continue.

[Matchworn Shirts]

Audrey is exactly right - I said this to somebody after the Cheltenham game. The thing is, the style of football might just get us out of this division - but that is about it. And you cannot bin off a manager after promotion