Swindon v Colchester pre match chat and matchday thread

[Reg Smeeton]

It was like a cheap bettery from poundland performance tonight.

Started off very brightly. And for 10-15 minutes I thought the early 'going up' talk was clearly right. However slowly but surely we faded out the game, consistently getting worse and worse. We started misplacing passes, our attacking became more infrequent, and lets be honest - Colchester took over. In fact they looked the better team and deserved their win.

I totally get the point of Doughty coming on, no point in continuing in the same vein and hoping for the best. But he was so bloody deep and there wasn't a lot to pick out playing 'quarterback'.

As mentioned by more than one person, perhaps high tempo footy twice in a week is too much mentally as well as physically.

I still don't have the feeling of a false dawn, these games happen, but time will tell.

Being able to play is a good thing, but Div 4 is a tough attritional league.... we know that we've taken a bit of a punt on somewhat iffy fitness records to get better quality, but that looked the difference... ColU were just physically stronger.

[Batch]

I get what you are saying, bu its ,ore of an iffy injury record rather than fitness. And we only had one injury tonight.

Can't say any more than we came up short. If it keeps happening I'll worry.

[wiggy]

I really fucking hate Tuesday night games

[4D]

If plan A doesn’t work, dogmatically stick to plan A

I’m not saying go route one, but we clearly got nowhere with our 4-2-2-2, so why not try a more conventional diamond? Doughties best off behind the frontmen, which is where I thought he was going to go when he came on - nope, like for like with rose, standing on the centre backs toes

Broadbent looks shot, conroy still can’t defend - watch him ‘cover’ for that third, abysmal

We’ve not beaten anyone decent this year. Hopefully this was just a blip

I've mentioned before about a plan b but got shot down. Ah well let's stick to what's not working and concede three.

[Super Hans]

Dare I say we could have done with someone in the Billy Paynter mould to bully them around a bit. Put their centre halves under minimal stress all evening.

[Wobbly Bob]

As has been said, bad day at the office. Hopefully just that.

A side finishing in the autos will look back at the next game responses to setbacks like that.

[Panda Paws]

I've mentioned before about a plan b but got shot down. Ah well let's stick to what's not working and concede three.

Listen to RW. We got stuffed because we literally didn't stick to what's working.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

I don’t get the argument that we got beaten because they, and Cobblers, were too strong for us. What about the other sides we’ve beaten or played off the park. Were they all playing weedy nerds?

Our style, to me, looks entirely dependent on confidence. The confidence to ping the ball around in neat and, at times, dangerous patterns.

It was noticeable how we stopped doing the things that won us previous games. Maybe the self belief isn’t quite there. Yet.

[Batch]

but you have to give Colchester credit for tightening the game up. They had good shape and once they'd weathered the early storm and adapted they made it hard for us to do what we wanted to

[Legends-Lounge]

Just seen the goals. Free header for the first. LMC at fault for the second (unless the ball span wickedly away as he went to gather it. Or it took a deflection) then we were clearly chasing the game and the third we got caught on the counter attack. But the season did not end last night did it. Wellens will learn from that, no doubt in my mind so he as will all of us be looking for a response on Saturday.

[4D]

My season ended last night 

[WEBBERhyde]

Probably not a bad thing in the long run to have a result that brings us back down to earth a bit and stop everyone getting too carried away after the last few performances. I’m sure that’s just a bit of a blip, I’m still sure we’re better than most teams in this league. It just highlights how we need to learn to adapt now that teams are going to be cottoning on to sucking the energy out of game. Credit to Colchester for doing an absolute number on us. If we’d have broken through in that first 20 minutes, chances are it would have been a hiding.

Funny thing confidence, can’t remember seeing it melt away so drastically as last night for a while. Completely on top with tight passing and neat touches, in the first 20, then ending the half barely able to control the ball and string more than 2 passes together. Bloody Tuesday nights...

[Outletred]

Colchester did a professional job on us last night. Nullify and exploit long ball- lump it to a big man up top.
We are a far better footballing side than them but must find a way at home to counter these tactics where we don’t score early

[pauld]

My season ended last night 

I want that written out as a legal guarantee

[pauld]

I don’t get the argument that we got beaten because they, and Cobblers, were too strong for us. What about the other sides we’ve beaten or played off the park. Were they all playing weedy nerds?

Our style, to me, looks entirely dependent on confidence. The confidence to ping the ball around in neat and, at times, dangerous patterns.

It was noticeable how we stopped doing the things that won us previous games. Maybe the self belief isn’t quite there. Yet.

I think it was more just that they were knackered, mentally as much as physically. We seem to struggle with midweek games, perhaps because we play such a high tempo demanding style, there's not much left in the pot after Saturday. Would explain why we ran out of steam so abruptly early on (apologies if this has already been mooted, haven't read back)