Swindon Town v Crewe Alexandra Official Matchday Thread

[BambooToTheFuture]

20/01 Coventry Away ~ Lose
27/01 Crewe Home ~ Win
30/01 Stevenage Away ~ Win
03/02 Lincoln Away ~ Draw

Accrington also have three wins on the spin but in the last five, have lost the previous two.

They play;

20/01 Vale Home ~ Win
27/01 Crawley Away ~ Lose
03/02 Stevenage Home ~ Win

Ok so leading up to our so called game in hand, versus Accrington. I predicted the outcomes and so far we did lose to Cov (should have won), beat Crewe (phew) and have Stevenage then Lincoln to play. I'd take a win in either of them and a draw. I just think we might be able to manage it against St. Evenage on Tues because that game is such a carrot for us now. To clinch 4th place and really be forcing the teams around us to pick up points the following Saturday then who knows it may spur us on to take something versus Lincoln.

Accrington. I've predicted the two out of three matches leading up to us. Similarly, they won versus Vale when they probably should've lost. Pretty much any betting man would have chosen Crawley to beat them on their own patch. I too think they will beat St. Evenage yet on  their own turf, this coming Saturday. This tie is really lining up to be quite a decider, in which one of us makes a valid stake (and maintains a winning run, wit the odd blip) for an automatic spot with about 1/3 of the season to go.


As for Saturday against Crewe. I think we should celebrate this kind of win, it's always a great team effort to come back from two goals down. However, I share most of the concern on here because at one point it looked like Town were about to capitulate and "do a Luton". There is a sense of papering over the cracks, especially in defence. It's odd because the form of Preston seems to have deteriorated over recent weeks. Is that down to Flitcroft? Are the things he (and his coaching team) is asking certain players to do at a detriment to their better abilities? Should he be allowing a little more freedom in style of play? A couple of us on here had been calling for relevant subs to be used over several weeks and it was frustrating as hell. Yesterday, DF certainly got that right and some may say "I understand why he didn't start Elsnik", we have to remember, Timi played in two U23 matches for Derby before coming back to us. The final one versus Birmingham, where he showed natural control and ability from a searching cross at the touchline, to then break away back in field was sublime. The guy is clearly too good for Swindon Town. I am glad we have got him at least until the end of this season. He showed again from the bench what a provider he i becoming. He oozes quality. Likewise Taylor and Richards both showed they can still offer something else. These three should start the next game. I am still struggling with the reason Dunne is starting (and generally finishing) most games. He really does not offer much at all. I can only guess he gets his head down in training and is well acquainted with DF?

We need to add a better CB or sign an quality holding midfielder to take the pressure off (this is certainly key, in my opinion) the defence. Since there are massive gaps and as mentioned, Dunne just cannot even distribute the ball very well. If Rohan Ince is an option for us (maybe he's seeing if any other clubs become available  before he chooses us?) then we should jump at the chance. In L2 he will be more than adequate as the missing link between Preston and Elsnik.

There's not a lot more needed. We have players who can deliver good crosses and set pieces (Taylor & Iandolo), goalscorers (Timi, poss Richards, others chipping in and even Norris), and imo RCC is a good enough shot stopper at this level. With the right coaching and more experience the command of the area and claiming crosse will come. He is decent enough, it's all about the confidence.

To conclude, even though we have been picking up results I feel that our weakest link is indeed DF. I do think there are plenty of half decent L2 and poorish L1 managers that could "manage" this set of players better. There is so much more that could be squeezed out of them. We know they aren't all going to be world beaters and L2 i what it is - it's shit. However we have enough quality but every week (yes even after a 2-0 or 3-0 win), I'm still left thinking to myself - this manager isn't good enough to take us any further than the line or just over it. L1 would be out of his depth and yes as harsh as it sounds, you can sack a manager that gets you to the play-offs or promoted out of this wretched division because we know his ability lies within L2.

[REDBUCK]

So after Saturday you think Richards is only possibly a goalscorer....

[BambooToTheFuture]

So after Saturday you think Richards is only possibly a goalscorer....

Ffs, one Swallow doesn't make a summer. I'm not writing him off and my post holds more than just that part of it. If he follows it up on Tuesday or next Saturday with a goal then indeed he will seem more than a possibility.

[jayohaitchenn]

I noticed on the excellent swindon-town-fc.co.uk that Vigouroux's next game would be his 100th for the club. Do you think there is any coincidence in the fact that that game will never come? Could trigger something in his contract/ transfer fee?

The 100 includes games where he was here on loan so probably not.

[Dr Pierre Chang]

Ffs, one Swallow doesn't make a summer. I'm not writing him off and my post holds more than just that part of it. If he follows it up on Tuesday or next Saturday with a goal then indeed he will seem more than a possibility.

A sensible outlook...Richards had gone something like 23 matches without scoring before Saturday.

He certainly looks like he will do the business at this level but it's early days.

[Peter Venkman]

So tear a strip off him at half time in the dressing room, that shows the player and the group that the behaviour won't be tolerated and adds an element of peer group humiliation (which presumably was also the intent). But to make the sub 3-4 minutes before half time seems to add an unnecessary element of public humiliation. Taken together with the way he's hung Vigoroux out to dry, it does look like poor man management. He may well have his reasons, he may well be justified in wanting to sanction either or both players but the purpose of such sanctions is to reset the relationship and enable it to be rebuilt, hopefully stronger. Whereas Flitcroft just seems to burn his bridges publicly to prove who's the bigger man. And in both instances, with players who the club had hoped to make a return on. So not very good asset management either.

I agree awful man management by Flitcroft.

Crewe did us a huge favour of stop attacking after 3-1, had they have continued they would probably have scored more goals.

Lancashire looks poor, but Robertson is worse.

Dunne is a very limited footballer, has very little club what to do with the ball, but he probably saved two goals in the first half with a clearance off the line & a block of a shot from inside the box before they made it 2-1.

I agree with all of that, Robertson, Lancashire and Dunne are weak links in the defensive part of the pitch and need replacing, if not Robertson & Lancashire then one of them, Lancashire always looks like hes about to make a fuck up, Robertson is just very limited.

Dunne gives the defence no cover which is what I imagine his only job is because hes far to limited a footballer to give us anything past the half way line, get rid now.

Anyone who’s watched football knows that the one thing that can embarrass a player the most is being substituted in the first half. Anyone who says otherwise is being obtuse

Definately.

[horlock07]

I agree awful man management by Flitcroft.

Possibly so, although its been interesting to see the contrast in response to when PDC did similar with Fodders at Preston?

[Peter Venkman]

Possibly so, although its been interesting to see the contrast in response to when PDC did similar with Fodders at Preston?

TBF I can't remember if there was a backlash or not to that at the time, although I did certainly think at the time it was a very poor decision by PdC.

http://thetownend.com/index.php?topic=49087.0

[horlock07]

TBF I can't remember if there was a backlash or not to that at the time, although I did certainly think at the time it was a very poor decision by PdC.

http://thetownend.com/index.php?topic=49087.0

As a wise man said in that thread....

This whole case seems to illustrate the paradox of modern football and perceived player power, everyone moans that they have too much power, then if they are substituted 20 mins in they have been disrespected.

[Reg Smeeton]

As a wise man said in that thread....

Watching Barca last night... they're 1-0 down at half time, so Valverde, indicates he's going to hook the 2 fullbacks Digne and Semedo, 3 minutes into the second half, clearly as they're not following instructions and the team is suffering. They go on and win 2-1. What's the difference between 3 mins before half time and 3 minutes after?

[pauld]

Watching Barca last night... they're 1-0 down at half time, so Valverde, indicates he's going to hook the 2 fullbacks Digne and Semedo, 3 minutes into the second half, clearly as they're not following instructions and the team is suffering. They go on and win 2-1. What's the difference between 3 mins before half time and 3 minutes after?

3 mins before HT, you may as well wait until they get into the dressing room and either re-instruct or make the sub if you don't think they're going to do it. 3 mins after, you've done that, and they're still not following the instructions.

[Reg Smeeton]

3 mins before HT, you may as well wait until they get into the dressing room and either re-instruct or make the sub if you don't think they're going to do it. 3 mins after, you've done that, and they're still not following the instructions.

Fair enough, but which ever way you look at it, it's still the manager hooking the player(s) with plenty of time to go because, he thinks the collective no longer requires their input, but rather someone elses.

In the modern game, with 3 subs available, it is in fact a tacit admission by the manager, that he got his first picks wrong as much as a reflection on the player.

[pauld]

In the modern game, with 3 subs available, it is in fact a tacit admission by the manager, that he got his first picks wrong as much as a reflection on the player.

Not always, sometimes it can be a deliberate tactic, there's a long tradition of the "impact sub" being used to change a game. David Fairclough made a very successful career at Liverpool out of being a "SuperSub" (which these days just sounds like an extra size fast food offer)

[Boeta]

I know we've had a decent run with it but can't help thinking 352 with three clogging centre halves and no natural/competent wing backs is going to be on borrowed time at some point. With Elsnik and Banks, the squad looks ideal to play 433

If Elsnik stays fit we'll go up in autos. If not, we won't, which speaks volumes about the management because (despite a couple of weak links) the recruitment has been good enough but we rarely seem to play to our players' strengths in open play

[Reg Smeeton]

Not always, sometimes it can be a deliberate tactic, there's a long tradition of the "impact sub" being used to change a game. David Fairclough made a very successful career at Liverpool out of being a "SuperSub" (which these days just sounds like an extra size fast food offer)

But at the time it was seen as a lesser role....  whereas now because of 3 subs,  fans normally get the squad nature of the managers decisions.