Swindon v Grimsby matchday thread

[kirky69]

I haven't looked in on you guys for a while, but I'm glad I did tonight. That's a brilliant post, Constanza. Absolute classic.

Powers time in SN1 is up I'm afraid.

His experiment with polishing up promising players from Premier clubs failed dismally despite looking quite promising at the start. His failure to recognise (or react to) his fundamental mistake in appointing (on a fucking 5-year contract with a ringing endorsement about him being the best coach he's ever worked with) and then sticking with Williams, put paid to it as we were relegated in some style.

I kind of admire him for shutting the fuck up (mostly) this season after appointing Titcroft, but despite a fairly promising start, that appointment ultimately failed. More worryingly for us, there doesn't appear to have been much of a personal relationship between manager and Chairman, which is presumably why Titcroft upped sticks as soon as he had another opportunity.

Brown was another roll of the dice which may have worked, but it didn't. If he now appoints Brown full time ( we could do a lot worse to be honest), he's taking a massive gamble because the current squad reacted to his arrival in much the same way that they reacted to Matt Taylor getting the nod early on; complete indifference. Many of them will be here next season and will form the backbone of the squad, so any new players coming in will have to be the ones to make a massive difference, which is a big ask in a relatively small squad.

Also, Power has been flushed out by the trust this season and it's now obvious to everyone that he's here for the money that's involved in a stadium redevelopment, as well as what must now be a diminishing / tiny profit by 'running the business within its means'.

Next season he'll probably be chucking a couple of hundred thousand in due to plummeting season ticket sales (I hear the renewal numbers are terrifying the staff, let alone Power) which won't sit comfortably.

Many supporters have been OK with him previously admitting to being here to make money. That sticks in my throat personally, but everyone is entitled to be a fucking idiot 

However, and this is important, if our results had been as awful in the first half of the season as they've been in the 2nd half, we'd be right down there fighting with the likes of Chesterfield by now. If that's not enough to scare the shit out of even the most stubborn of Power sympathisers, I'm not sure what else will do the job.

How ironic was it that the lads of 25 years ago who were rightly so well applauded prior to KO yesterday, had to sit and watch that pile of gutless shite yesterday.

I'd love to know what they really thought about the performance of the team as a whole, and about the individuals as well.

I'm guessing that a few heads were shaking and a few more were laughing their cocks off!

The games up Power.

Fuck off.

All well and good and whilst it is impossible to argue against a lot of what you say, who is actually waiting in the wings to take the club on in the event that LP decides he has had enough?

The options would appear to be (a) an extremely wealthy fan, who hasn't surfaced before  (b)  the Trust, which the majority would be more comfortable with (c) foreign ownership - more examples of bad rather than good outcomes (d) a chancer like Jed and his cronies

Hopefully given the likely absence of acceptable alternatives, the Trust would be in a position to acquire and run the club in the event that LP decides to leave.

[horlock07]

The way the club have been recently it'll be Joe Romanski standing-in for Power.

 

I'll save you all 50 minutes of Power Hour.

Power to say the same stuff about saving the club
It hurts him
Flitcroft disappointed Power
He's a football and/or business man
Training ground is ongoing
Can't talk about the purchase of the County Ground
Something Australian is discussed
PASHUN
One caller will complain about the pies
Steve Anderson
Steve Anderson
Steve Anderson
Steve Anderson
One caller will want Sol Campbell or Craig Bellamy
Another will want Glenn Hoddle
Another will want to sign Timi Elsnik
One caller takes on Power
This caller somehow shocks Power as this opinion doesn't reflect the masses
Hodgett's reads a jovial text to lighten the mood
Man from Marlborough thanks 'Mr. Power' for his continued effort
Phone-in ends
Suddenly you're listening to the first few seconds of 'China in Your Hand' by T'Pau

You missed the bit before hand where loads of people moan like fuck on the internet for weeks then don't phone in when they have the change to air their grievances?

[horlock07]

Powers time in SN1 is up I'm afraid.

The games up Power.

Fuck off.

Possibly so, but in the absence of anyone to buy him out he ain't going nowhere and unless the fans wish to withdraw financial support and run the club into the ground and force him out, which would potentially have the unintended consequence of there being no club left to support I really do not see a real world solution.

[Sippo]

So this years faults is Power's? I would disagree. Power back Flitcroft. Flitcroft had a good reputation of getting teams out of this league. Flitcroft failed.

[Batch]

there could be someone willing to buy us.
they could be worse. or better.

hard to tell when the club isn't up for sale (as far as we know).

[Batch]

So this years faults is Power's? I would disagree. Power back Flitcroft. Flitcroft had a good reputation of getting teams out of this league. Flitcroft failed.

he left us in a playoff position, albeit on a downward spiral.

Flitcroft, brown and injuries saw us fail.

[Flashheart]

This season in isolation is not Power's fault. There's not much else he could have reasonably done.

[Flashheart]

You missed the bit before hand where loads of people moan like fuck on the internet for weeks then don't phone in when they have the change to air their grievances?

But you're missing the FACT that Hodgetts filters the calls so that no negative calls are allowed to get through. Ever. Except for those that are but asides from those that are allowed, none are allowed. At all.

I've never quite got the criticism of Hodgetts. A lot of people seem to be convinced Power is guilty of whatever it is they think he is guilty of, and then blame Hodgetts for not revealing it. Because, of course, there is definitely something to be revealed, because some people on the internet say so.

[Batch]

assuming the budget was as stated, and the recruitment was down to Flitcroft then yeah.

And no I'm not going all CT, just struggling with the reality of what a competative division 4 budget buys you. Not much.

[sir windon]

It will be very interesting to see if Brown gets the job. He has a rapport with the fans so would satisfy most. Post Grimsby he admitted to failing to impress his potential future employer in terms of results yet seemed to challenge Power to 'put his money where his mouth is'. The chairman has openly preached frugality and past overspending has almost led to oblivion. Where does ambition become unsustainable and ultimately unattainable? Where does caution become too limiting and self damaging?
It may be a game of 'psychological chicken' between Brown and Power in terms of demands and promises. i believe they'll go their separate ways amicably and we, the fans, will be left in a period of wilderness again.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

From what he said post Grimsby he wants the job - if he can get rid of 40% of the present squad who he said he couldn’t work with. Seems a bit low to me.

Whether Power would sanction another major rebuild remains to be seen.

[Reg Smeeton]

assuming the budget was as stated, and the recruitment was down to Flitcroft then yeah.

And no I'm not going all CT, just struggling with the reality of what a competative division 4 budget buys you. Not much.

If you think back to the close/pre season, and the talk of competitive budgies, and to keep CS happy rock bands, the consensus was pretty much ours would be less than the big hitters of Div 4.  After the numbers and speculation had been crunched, you predicted a respectable 9th place fiinish.... still all to play for on that.

[Berniman]

there could be someone willing to buy us.
they could be worse. or better.

hard to tell when the club isn't up for sale (as far as we know).

I see this on FB all the time and don't get it.  Clubs are rarely put up for sale, except in the odd case like Newcastle etc.  Clubs are always up for sale, it just needs the willingness of anyone to enquire and negotiate a price that they would be willing to pay.

The fact is, there is not a queue of people doing that, and Power will want an unreasonable amount to sell the club, we all know that (unless he has had enough which we don't know).

The numerous shouts for "Power out" are a conversational non-starter as unless there is somebody ready to come in an pay the asking price, it's never going to happen until a buyer comes out of the woodwork.  Power will not just walk away without a pay out that is for sure.

He will want ownership of the ground at least before he considers it.

[Berniman]

If you think back to the close/pre season, and the talk of competitive budgies, and to keep CS happy rock bands, the consensus was pretty much ours would be less than the big hitters of Div 4.  After the numbers and speculation had been crunched, you predicted a respectable 9th place fiinish.... still all to play for on that.

I would have taken 11 competitive budgies over the non-competitive dross we have witnessed this season..

[Reg Smeeton]

It will be very interesting to see if Brown gets the job. He has a rapport with the fans so would satisfy most. Post Grimsby he admitted to failing to impress his potential future employer in terms of results yet seemed to challenge Power to 'put his money where his mouth is'. The chairman has openly preached frugality and past overspending has almost led to oblivion. Where does ambition become unsustainable and ultimately unattainable? Where does caution become too limiting and and self damaging?
It may be a game of 'psychological chicken' between Brown and Power in terms of demands and promises. i believe they'll go their separate ways amicably and we, the fans will be left in a period of wilderness again.

Pretty much spot on.