Stevenage v Swindon Town Official Matchday Thread

[Not that Nice If I'm Honest]

I learned something else to night as well - you can still wear a leather pork pie hat in the 21st century

Flash - you know who I'm talking about

[Wilf Shergold]

This division is worse than it was before - think of the number of players filling the squads of most Prem teams, and many Champ ones, and even if you take out the foreigners who are a relatively recent addition there must be the equivalent of 20+ teams sitting in the stands most weeks.

It follows then that the current Div 4 is equivalent to the Conference at best, Conference N/S at worst, skills-wise.

Most of our team today would have been part-timers had their careers occurred 10/15 years ago.

[LincolnRedExile]

Just got back home to Lincolnshire.  A win is a win, but i won't remember that game for long.  Lincoln on Saturday should be good, full house or pretty close, a good turn from Town fans would be good.

[THE FLASH]

I learned something else to night as well - you can still wear a leather pork pie hat in the 21st century

Flash - you know who I'm talking about

Hurtful...

Stingy Brim Fedora!!

Well...that was shit awful game to watch...but winning ugly is what is was all about tonight.

Played better against Coventry and lost....sums up this league...

[RedRag]

This division is worse than it was before - think of the number of players filling the squads of most Prem teams, and many Champ ones, and even if you take out the foreigners who are a relatively recent addition there must be the equivalent of 20+ teams sitting in the stands most weeks.

It follows then that the current Div 4 is equivalent to the Conference at best, Conference N/S at worst, skills-wise.

Most of our team today would have been part-timers had their careers occurred 10/15 years ago.

Agree with your take

Whatever standard of player last night's performance was one of anti-football.  Justifiable perhaps against superior opponents in search of a result.   But against an injury-hit Stevenage who apparently have just one third of our playing budget? Playing it down the channels, route one are acceptable of course but I do not recall seeing the football hit so very high, so very long, just anywhere against inferior opposition.  You couldn't even hope for a lucky knockdown or glancing header because all the defenders were back in place before the football re-entered the earth's atmosphere.

Is Norris really a footballer?

So having said that, we are back in the play off spots, we did win, the effort put in by the whole team (Reece-Cooke aside who had nothing to do) was absolutely superb and I very much include the maligned Norris in there.  So very well done the players.  Flitcroft, I'm not so sure.

Also congratulations to the guy leading the singing for the selfless disregard shown to his larynx. Come on you boys in Green!

[Not that Nice If I'm Honest]

Also congratulations to the guy leading the singing for the selfless disregard shown to his larynx. Come on you boys in Green!

[/quote]

Yes I agree - amazing gruff voice

[Peter Venkman]

Excellent sarcastic report here from Stevnage.

https://dailystevenage.wordpress.com/

Danny Newton
Went off with scorched retinas due to staring too long at the floodlights in the expectation of the ball bouncing off one of them from our passes out of defence.

Matt Godden
Frustrated by a pedantic linesman who kept flagging him offside. At one point the official refused to play the advantage, flagging Matt offside on the eastbound carriageway of Broadhall Way.

[Panda Paws]

Still seems bizarrely negative on here given we won our 10th away game of the season last night to move 2 points from second, and to go 5 wins in 6... Horrible night, shit weather, and we win 1-0 with a set piece goal and afforded them next to nothing in terms of chances. Seems pretty perfect to me.

[Peter Venkman]

Stevenage who apparently have just one third of our playing budget?

Stevenages budget is probably not that low or they couldn't sign Revell who was on good wages at Northampton, hence why they wanted him off the wage bill, but budget is heavily dictated to by home attendances, Swindon are averaging 6,300 and Stevenage 2,100 so yes that is probably closish to the mark.

Is Norris really a footballer?

I really want Norris to come good, he has the physique, enough pace and strength to do the job but his short passing and control are way off the standard needed, especially when you are playing as a target man and thats 2 major attributes needed for that role.

Its the simple things that he fails with, short pass to a Swindon player, basic control of a ball and thats not mentioning the lack of threat in front of goal.

He looks tired and not fit to me, I don't think he is over his shoulder injury so doesn't throw himself into any challenge any more, unlike Richards who chases and harries opponents constantly but also knows what to do when he has the ball.

But Richards is not a target man he is more of a defensive forward, a very different role but one that is needed, defend from the front.

At last we seem to be gelling as a unit, players are learning their roles, banks looked excellent as a defensive midfielder allowing Elsnik and Anderson to attack when they could, protecting the defence.

Purkiss at the end of the game looked like he had played there all the time and is a far better asset there than Robertson, Purkiss also made a couple of runs with the ball through the middle which surprised Stevenage who expected him to pass, similar to how Calderwood used to make runs.

I think Purkiss will make a better CB than wing back, Gordon though offers little at the back and does not take his man on enough to be of value as a winger, he has bags of skill but his delivery is often woeful, hes young and could come good but hes not quite good enough most of the time for me.

[Peter Venkman]

Still seems bizarrely negative on here given we won our 10th away game of the season last night to move 2 points from second, and to go 5 wins in 6... Horrible night, shit weather, and we win 1-0 with a set piece goal and afforded them next to nothing in terms of chances. Seems pretty perfect to me.

I don't think its negativity, I think we are just discussing that with the standard of the opposition we should be killing off these teams with the players at our disposal.

It was a great solid workmanlike win yesterday, we didn't excel we didn't play badly and kept a clean sheet, I think the team has a few weak links that to acheive automatic promotion they need to be address, I want us to gallop over the line rather than just canter over, or even at times stumble accross the finish line.

I still think 2 more solid signings and we could still challenge for the title, there are no real outstanding teams, its there for the taking.

[Batch]

Still seems bizarrely negative on here given we won our 10th away game of the season last night to move 2 points from second, and to go 5 wins in 6... Horrible night, shit weather, and we win 1-0 with a set piece goal and afforded them next to nothing in terms of chances. Seems pretty perfect to me.

I think its because we don't appear to be any better at anyone else, or at least many of us fans can't see it even if the results don't lie. I guess we aren't used to watching such direct football.

Therefore it all feels a bit "lucky" thus far.

But I agree, a 1-0 scrappy away win on a we Tuesday, 2 points off second and with a real shout at promotion. Couldn't have expected much more when looking ahead in the summer. In fact expected far far worse...

[horlock07]

Well I have learnt something....

They haven't been called Stevenage Borough for 8 years, that passed me by....

[Peter Venkman]

Well I have learnt something....

They haven't been called Stevenage Borough for 8 years, that passed me by....

Not just you, I didn't know that either until now!

[Reg Smeeton]

Still seems bizarrely negative on here given we won our 10th away game of the season last night to move 2 points from second, and to go 5 wins in 6... Horrible night, shit weather, and we win 1-0 with a set piece goal and afforded them next to nothing in terms of chances. Seems pretty perfect to me.

It's very much like when Oxford had Wilder... their fans drove him out complaining about the style of football.... they got Gary Waddock instead.

Wilder went on to greater success, and has been touted for a Prem job recently, but will probably need to get there with the Blades.  Waddock now doing OK at Aldershot.

I said yesterday... a win, would be one of our biggest in recent seasons. It sets us up at least for a go at this run of horrible games, which will probably decide our season.  Also showed we can do Sat/Tuesday, by using the squad.  If the players stay fit and Linganzi and more importantly Hussey can come back in we've a chance.

[Reg Smeeton]

This division is worse than it was before - think of the number of players filling the squads of most Prem teams, and many Champ ones, and even if you take out the foreigners who are a relatively recent addition there must be the equivalent of 20+ teams sitting in the stands most weeks.

It follows then that the current Div 4 is equivalent to the Conference at best, Conference N/S at worst, skills-wise.

Most of our team today would have been part-timers had their careers occurred 10/15 years ago.

I've been giving this a bit of thought, and I take your point about Prem hoarding. However I'm not so sure. before is a bit nebulous. 

I don't think it was ever the case that too many players went from Div 4 to the top flight. You always had your Marc Richards style Div3/4 journeyman.  But there might be the odd one or two, like a Colin Calderwood, Matt Ritchie also has done it recently.  Vardy would come into the category.

In terms of play the overall standards are higher than in the past.... I'm not equating that to entertainment/atmosphere/enjoyment for fan etc.  Just the whole equipment, fitness, pitches etc has raised standards.

Also you still get the odd cup game where a Div 4 side like Cov beat a Prem side like Stoke... and a Newport can nearly beat a CL Prem outfit like Spurs.