Some pre match comments about us and Wellens, some complimentary some seemingly wide of the mark, like the comment about us being fortunate at Grimsby last week, that could not be further from the truth.
So playing top of the league on Saturday, who have won their last 6 league games on the bounce, are the highest scorers in the division, have our ex favourite ginger one on fire who has netted 17 times in 16 games this season, and have our berated ex manager in charge who has the hump with Al.... What could possibly go wrong!!
Should be several nil, but wouldn’t put it past us to somehow come away with a smash & grab 1-0.
We'll either lose by a little or lose by a lot here, I'm afraid.
If we keep them (Doyle) down to three, I'll class it as a result.
Swindon are a division 2 not a Premieship team, yet we seem to be treating them as unbeatable.
We have seen Doyle score goals here, but let's not forget he was anonymous in many games.
Be just like Latics to sneak a 1 nil win.
Swindon are a 2nd division team you are spot on. They also happen to be a darn sight better football side than us as well.
Generally, I have been optimistic, even when we've struggled. But I've always looked to see if I can spot something positive on the horizon.
I've never in my life felt like deserting the club I've loved for so long, but since AL and ML took over, I just don't recognise it any more.
We've got a team of misfits that the Brothers Numbnuts think are world beaters. Not from what I've seen, they're not.
I'll go to Swindon with hope of a result more than expectation and I guess it would be just like us to sneak a scrappy 1-0 win, but I just don't see it happening.
When we won 1-0 at Newport, we caught them in a bad patch of form - they've just lost their last 4 in succession, including against us. Contrast that to Swindon, who are in a superb run of form and I just can't see us getting anything
As an aside, it really does make you wonder what went on regarding Wellens. He had us playing excellent football initially - and then it just nosedived, leading to relegation. Presently, he looks like an accomplished manager. We'll probably never know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Whilst Swindon are top and are registering a few good wins with Doyle apparently in great form again under Wellens, Latics have throughout history always managed to throw in the odd really unexpected cracking result. I can't see us going toe-to-toe with Swindon under Maamria or with the players at our disposal - think we will try and sit in and frustrate them and try and pick them off via Smith (not much else in the team looks dangerous going forwards).
I think they have recently had trouble despatching teams at home, their good wins tend to be away so I am not totally writing this one off. Equally I have seen nothing yet in this Division, every team is pretty much of a muchness, although I have to say I think Latics league position is probably a fair reflection of our ability.
Wellens seems to struggle to find a Plan B if things are not going well on the pitch hence he is in league 2.
He's in league 2 because he was truly shafted by the ownership when he was here and is rebuilding a fledgling managerial career and doing superbly. Was a huge mistake letting him go.
I say apparently because I have not seen Eoin play for them Danny, from newspaper reports they were a bit fortunate on Saturday at Grimsby but they ran out 3-0 winners so can't argue with that.
FWIW I would have kept Richie Wellens on but I think there is an issue about his plan B - he couldn't manage to get a squad of decent players (albeit one with no harmony) up to winning at least 1 of last 10 fixtures and so took us down to basement division for first time since 1971.
Wellens will try and take the game to us and alot will depend on how we can counter attack with Wilson and Smityh we do have abit of pace on the counter.
I saw them earlier in the season at Exeter and they were the best team I've seen in the league this season. They dominated the first half and should've been well clear, 2nd half was even and good quality. Doyle scored a typical Doyle goal late on and obviously he'll be a threat on Saturday, but he's scoring loads because he's got a lot of help around him. Yates up front has scored steadily in the last 2 seasons at this level, Woolery, Isgrove and Anderson are direct wingers who have pace and Doughty's creative in the centre of the park. They take a few risks playing it out from the back but they've got players who can do it well.
Dino says all Swindon's goals have been scored from inside the box, so he's going to play a high line to try and keep them out. Most clubs will have tried that already, but Swindon have succeeded in getting around them. The longer the game goes on the more pressure they will put on, and our high line will drop deeper and deeper.
I don't pay as much attention to other teams as many but I'm sure I even saw Doyle score one for them from outside the box on a highlights programme.
Wellens is no god, where would he be in the league without doyle!? People have short memories, shez signed doyle and Byrne and Bryan . The up lift in form was shez team and take away doyle from the Swindon team, u have a very different lay on land. Wellens is a Chancer, who couldn't get one win from ten. Hes playing attractive attacking football, yep. But were 5 points clear of relegation with a team of absolute shite, anyone with a bit of cash could walk this league.
Fancy us for all three here. Not a happy clapper by any stretch but sitting in and showing no ambition suits us. 0-2 latics.
Wellens, although doing well, Really fell into a barrel of roses after leaving here, swindon have always been a decent set up and had he gone to a lesser club, then, I still think the same problems that dogged him here would be laid bare once more. Let's see if he ever steps up from this temporary lofty position
Always been a decent club? One of the select few that have managed to find their way from the Premier League to here.
And from their manager...
"They're the best team in the league right now. I think that if you look at the players they have, Mathieu Baudry has won promotion from this level twice in the last three years with Doncaster Rovers and Franchise and they've got Michael Doughty in the middle of the park with a terrific left foot, terrific box-to-box player.
"Also, they've Anthony Grant and he has won many promotions with different clubs and he's been around the block and their front three Kaiyne Woolery, Eoin Doyle and Jerry Yates they all can score and create goals and they're a real force going forward and they're a very good team."
I am pretty sure Grant has never featured in a promotion winning side in his career, I could be wrong though.
