Exeter City v Swindon Town pre match chat and matchday thread

[Sippo]

Swindon lost to a better team. End of.

[Tails]

I'm going to invite criticism, but I think Conroy is good enough for this level .

I am not claiming he's doing it right now, he's off form and low on confidence. And there are questions over attitude

Baudry is a bit long in the tooth. injuries and 34 years catching up

the pairing isn't going to cut it.

humph

I have no doubt that Conroy could go to another club in our league or maybe even higher and be a valuable asset. He is a good player with some obvious quality.

However, he is not playing well for us and it doesn't look like he gives a shit either. I don't like to question anyone's leadership but when you're basically stood at pitch level you can hear them and he wasn't leading. I think it's probably best for both parties that he moves on (and I'm sure he'll come back to bite us on the arse!).

[Batch]

agreed unfortunately

[4D]

Reminds me, what's Aljofree up to these days?

[Nomoreheroes]

TBH I thought JOB was our best centre back last night after a poor start, Conroy and Baudry were poor/anonymous in the main at least JOB made a few decent long passes.

That's how I saw it.

Hope he wasn't brought off because he was injured? Or worse, because he was fed up of being shouted at by people who were blaming him when they were at fault.

[Nomoreheroes]

O think that the nice thing about having Tomlinson, Hunt, Cooper and O'Brien as a back 4 was that they were all individually competent and covered eachother.

Conroy and Baudry like to anticipate to combat their lack of pace and need others to cover for them s lot more.

[RobertT]

I'll call it, Baudry and Conroy's careers from here are retirement or downwards.

Baudry has spent the past two seasons looking like he is playing while high - obvious talent from a few years past, but off with the fairies at critical times.  There was a moment last night where he knew Conroy was to blame for something but couldn't figure out where he was to shout at him.

Conroy looks like an articulated lorry trying to play football.  I think the injuries have done for him - I imagine his achilies or something like that.  Even if he knows what to do, he can't do it and he is clearly playing with frustration.  Last night him and Baudry seemed to spend most of the game pointing at each other for not doing stuff or throwing their arms in the air.  Sorry, a good player, but done for.

I still think, even through the good results, our defensive shape in midfield and seeming lack of a plan at set pieces is exposing the defence far more than you'd like.  Having three defenders losing markers is a problem though (Iandolo has looked great on the ball recently, but he is forever looking over his shoulder and spotting the guy he was stood next two only a few seconds earlier).

[Berniman]

That's how I saw it.

Hope he wasn't brought off because he was injured? Or worse, because he was fed up of being shouted at by people who were blaming him when they were at fault.

He was brought off because the game was done and we need him for the future games.

I think everyone agrees that Baudry is seeing out the season, and even though I think Conroy is still capable, his attitude showed last night that he is done with us.  With that being said, that leaves us with Hunt, O'Brien, Akin and Iandolo as our defensive backline (possibly Tomlinson if he recovers) for the rest of the season.  Unless we are planning to blood some youngsters, that is it.  That is a long run of games for those 4 and not likley to be enough to get us over the line, IMO.

[Peter Venkman]

I wouldnt mind seeing Fox and Francis at fullback if the games are less meaningful by that stage.

Both have impressed me when I have seen them and they didnt do bad vs Colchester when they came on too.

[Power to people]

I think Conroy is good enough for this level but maybe suffering with no proper pre season for a couple of seasons after his injuries and obviously this season when he was fit, maybe now it is so far in the season it is taking its toll a little bit.

I think we can see with the addition of the loans what needs to happen with our backline next season, with the loans we looked more solid.

Obviously we are suffering up front as well.

With the embargo being lifted end of the season then we will be able to sign a better class of player and maybe we will be able to pay a small fee for the right type of player which would help.

With a bit of luck we may squeeze a play off spot this season but unless we get either of the injured players back we may struggle against the better teams or those that just hoof it.

[Outletred]

Genuinely cannot wait to see the back of Conroy and Baudry. They're simply not up to it and serve no purpose other than filling a squad position. Conroy having the armband is just insulting to the club. 

Unfortunately we don't really have anyone else at the moment though and this may be what finally derails our season.

Completely agree with this.

Last night Conroy was awful- looked like he did not give a shit, did absolutely no leading or talking on the pitch either. Totally invisible as a captain

[horlock07]

I'll call it, Baudry and Conroy's careers from here are retirement or downwards.

Baudry has spent the past two seasons looking like he is playing while high - obvious talent from a few years past, but off with the fairies at critical times.  There was a moment last night where he knew Conroy was to blame for something but couldn't figure out where he was to shout at him.

Conroy looks like an articulated lorry trying to play football.  I think the injuries have done for him - I imagine his achilies or something like that.  Even if he knows what to do, he can't do it and he is clearly playing with frustration.  Last night him and Baudry seemed to spend most of the game pointing at each other for not doing stuff or throwing their arms in the air.  Sorry, a good player, but done for.

I still think, even through the good results, our defensive shape in midfield and seeming lack of a plan at set pieces is exposing the defence far more than you'd like.  Having three defenders losing markers is a problem though (Iandolo has looked great on the ball recently, but he is forever looking over his shoulder and spotting the guy he was stood next two only a few seconds earlier).

Pretty much this, I still wonder whether one of Conroy's problems are that he thinks he is a better footballer than he actually is. I know I have banged on about this, but at Barrow he kept asking JJ for the ball, then would turn pass it to a team mate who was either already marked or being closed down, then fail to tell the player being closed down that he was 'man on' it would then be lost and we drop ourselves in the shite, likewise against Man City Ward got dogs abuse after Conroy demanded the ball then immediately played a moving ball back to Ward in a worse position than when he started who then fucked up his clearance.

Add into the equation that he either doesn't give a shit or thinks he is better than us and combined with his injury record the positives don't outweigh the negatives as it stands.

[REDBUCK]

He did this a few times to O'Brian last night and then gave him dogs abuse for not getting the ball away cleanly

[Nemo]

I still wonder whether one of Conroy's problems are that he thinks he is a better footballer than he actually is.

I think he was a lot better than he currently is, which probably is very frustrating for him and hard to adapt your game. He's not old, but his injuries seem to have done an absolute number on him. I don't really understand the Conroy culture war that seems to have kicked off now (perhaps I would if I went to games and saw his supposed attitude) but it does seem like a parting of the ways is for the best. Hopefully he picks up, because god knows we'll need him to in order to finish this season well.

[TheDukeOfBanbury]

TBH I thought JOB was our best centre back last night after a poor start, Conroy and Baudry were poor/anonymous in the main at least JOB made a few decent long passes.

JOB was getting caught out of position countless times first half. Young and learning.
Noted a few times Baudry was furious with his positioning and not sure if that was compounding why Hunt was being pulled out of the position he was struggling to cover.

Our midfield last night was dominated from start to finish and nothing we could do or change it.

Damage limitation for me go 442 Saturday.
However AK clearly not fit last night, he was struggling massively.

Too many young players having to rely on and Payne gave an example of what we were crying out for somebody that could travel with the ball.
Exeter had pace and movement all over, we didn’t and had nothing available to change it.