Thetownend.com

How many times does this tactical inept clown have to cost us before Power fucking sees sense. We controlled the game first half but the only reason for that was Dons were shit. Second half they were slightly better than shit but to fucking try and win by holding on when we havent kept a clean sheet for how long?!

Once again everyone else can see were struggling but lets wait until we've conceded before making a sub (he does know you can make changes at other points right?)

Were playing at home with 1 upfront in a game where if we really want to try to get playoffs we have to win. Then lets take off our striker and continue to play with 1 upfront for the last 5mins.

Cooper do us all a favour and just fuck off. You're a shit manager who has got lucky with a number of home results this season (coventry, shrewsbury etc spring to mind!) We would be with City if we didnt get lucky in those games. You are a shit manager who should be no where near this level. The worst player motivator ever. Instead of slagging off the players or making an excuse saying they only won due to a wonder strike, how about taking a look at yourself and fucking walk!

 :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

well that's a well reasoned post

Some of you are obviously satisfied with watching that each week then. Im not one to complain if we lose but its the manner we lose games. Were not even creating chances! If it was entertaining then fine but why should us as fans pay to watch that. Did there keeper make a save? Did Colchesters keeper make a save? Did Oldhams keeper make a save. Yeah were top half but i can guarentee you we will not finish there! Tuesday will be embarrassing based on todays performance

 :blowup:

You are a cunt, and I don't mean that in the jokey TEF way. You are a cunt.

Perspective - yes this season is better than i expected. I understand the budget cuts and dont expect to win every game i just expect passion and to be entertained. Too much to ask?

So does Cooper have to translate Power's passion as well as his required style of play?

Sounds like you should maybe spend your money on a juggling hooker rather than going to football tbh

This is the post Di Canio era, ladies & gentlemen.

This.

I'd settle for Andy kings style of football or even 'we'll score 1 more than you'. That is what we were promised at the start of the season. I dont care about losing games but the crowd need to be entertained. The atmosphere is abysmal and has been for years. That may be down to the di canio effect i dont know and in all honesty i dont care who is in charge of the club as long as we give games a go! Right now i struggle to see how we will score 1 goal let alone 2 as we dont create chance after chance. That has to be down to the managers tactics

Atmosphere is a two way thing, our fans are notoriously bad when the chips are down and are easy to get on the players' backs. Plymouth/Portsmouth fans cheer the team on non-stop for 90 minutes no matter how bad the side is.

Actually, I agree with this in the context of today's game. I don't think the playoffs were really on, but we could have given it a go.

All i ask is to give it a go. Our atmosphere is always bad i can live with that. This is no where near the worst side we've ever had which is why its infuriating to watch. Yes they are young players and i understand they will be inconsistent. But its the lack of effort on the sidelines. To not even put 2 upfront to try and win the game today was a travesty when the Dons defence was as bad as it was

I think that's a bit harsh to be honest.

The final paragraph might be a bit ott, but the rest of it is pretty spot on.  His subs are always too late and often don't make a lot of sense and he does seem to have an isdue with throwing 2 up front.

I didn't even read the post to be fair, was just going on the thread title.

:)

Reading back i agree with you as it was a heat of the moment but my thoughts with the exception if the last paragraph which was just complete anger after losing today when the opposition were so poor defensively

You spineless backtracking cunt

Leave Sloth alone

Think he meant 1989Monkey.

Cooper does make some puzzling decisions but I fervently believe in what he and Power are trying to build here and want to see it succeed. It's the antithesis to the Di Canio short termism that I personally found dull and alienating. My desire to be proven right (in my own head at least) probably means I'm blind to some of the criticisms people rightly have.

However, we need patience and given that large portions of our support aren't patient enough to sit through 90 minutes without screaming FORWARD because of an inexplicable urge to see the ball aimlessly hoofed forward then it's unrealistic to expect anyone to endure a full season of it.

Swindon is not a club for this type of project and sadly it will never work. I believe that we will never see any long term success because of this and will be a bit of a yo-yo club as we have been since the early 00s. I just need to work on being less irritable in order to enjoy football again.

Nothing gets past you, are you any good in goal?

(http://www.honeybunsnurseries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/10001362-smiling-star-showing-thumbs-up.jpg)

I'm going to say something possibly controversial and some won't agree but it's where my mind is heading and I may be doing Cooper a disservice but....
Was the good attractive football at the start of the season more to do with having technically gifted players being fit and on the top of their game playing with freedom rather than anything Cooper really did. As the season has gone on this has fizzled out and Cooper seemingly hasn't had a clue how to recreate it and has become more and more desperate in his decision making.
Coopers CV doesn't suggest he has it in him to impose the attractive passing football on a team, quite the opposite in fact he is known as an 'anti-football' manager by trade with a fondness for the long ball direct approach!
Is Cooper just a square peg in a round hole and not the right person to try and impose this change in philosophy onto a club as it's not actually his way of playing....

I think the reason he got the job full time was because he's happy to be a glorified coach. A bigger name wouldn't agree to Power's terms.

Alternatively perhaps his reputation as 'anti-football' is because he managed at a lower level where he built his teams to suit their strengths due to a lack of technically gifted players at that level?

To be honest I had no idea he was known as an 'anti-football' manager.

You are aware we scored a goal today?

Their, it's their

His 'style' of football is why he gets so much derision off Peterborough fans, he set them up as a long ball team when he was there, and Kettering were renowned for it in the conference.
1 win in 12 now isn't really building for next season, if we aren't careful we'll go into next season on the back of a truly awful run of form. Let's not kid ourselves our form at the moment is that of relegation candidates and what we feared at the start of the season, thankfully a good first 20 or so games have allowed us to accumulate almost enough points to survive. Add in the apparent lack of fitness amongst the players where they seem dead on their feet after 70 minutes it really does make me question him....

What I find strange is that we went to Crewe and played them off the park but allowed them to escape with a 1-1 draw - I believe the Adver said that STFC had rediscovered its mojo! - why change the team?

If form carries over from season to season we wouldn't have gone from Wembley to 24th.

We did though really didn't we, our form at the back end of that season was pretty poor though wasn't it, we beat Leeds and then fell away somewhat after.... If as he keeps saying we are building for next season this sort of form won't help with that.

Some people really do need to find something else to do on a Saturday.

Ugh. It's all a bit Newcastle United at the moment.

I've read the bemoaning of the manager.
I've read the bemoaning of the owner.

...and yet we're are comfortably midtable and you'd think we were in a proper struggle. Some TEF'ers will try and tell us that we're far from safe (assuming that every results from hereon in goes against us).

We've probably overachieved this season and the only sad thing about that is finishing mid-table in Division 3 can be considered an over-achievement when it's probably the zone we've finished the most of all over the years.

Bristol City should should be FUN next week. The football gods help Cooper if we lose next week.

once again, when these people do find something better to do next season, won't you miss them just
T a little?
I know the clubs coffers will.

arriba probably won't as I think he's one of those who's already found something better to do most weeks (apologies if I've misremembered that, arriba)

Time for reflection is at the end of the season, good, bad, indifferent.

But I think its fair enough come match day to criticise performances, and trends. Just as its right to decalare us the Barcelona of league 1 when we stuff Wolves on Tuesday. We shouldn't not do so just because the season is going better than (I) expected.

(http://i.minus.com/ibqvXRCSmDyxXX.gif)

Yep. I am one of them.
Had an enjoyable shopping trip into town with the Mrs. Nice meal and a few drinks, checking footy scores every now and then.

I can take losing....unless we go one up and sit back. Its a local derby so at least lets give it a go. If we don't give it a go I will be very very fucked off as I suspect 2000 others will be.

Everyone makes their own choices about whether to go to games and I'm not going to criticise anyone for that. But fuckin ell. Have a bloody word with yourself. :)

Fucking hell arriba are the first 10 words for real. No problems with the rest of the sentence.

Arriba came from Swindon, oh, ay,
Shopped instead of footy come match day
Plucked his eyebrows on the way
Shaved his legs and then he was a she
She said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side,
Said, hey honey, take a walk on the wild side.

Short shopping trip. Quick and efficient. Keeps the Mrs sweet. Prolonged food and drink relaxation. Why I'm there.
I recommend it fellas.

:Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick: Superb

no arriba its plain wrong. I'd rather take the unsoothing sedative effects currently on offer at the cg than go shopping with the mrs. Anyway, why would you want to keep the mrs sweet - man the fuck up.

We seem to be getting progressively worse as the season progresses to the point that even our home form is now deserting us. The  loss of Ranger, Ajose and in my opinion Mason to injury have contributed to this.

At the start of the season i was very impressed with the way we tried to play football (wes playing it short for a start). The balance of Kasim, Luongo and Mason was excellent. As the season has gone on though Cooper seems to have got more practical and we've played less and less. We still play more than a lot of teams, but when you see Walsall and Orient for example you see we are not playing the same way we were. I'm disappointed in this change and i don't think its worked in our favour.

I get the vibe Cooper is not going to resign Ranger next year which is a massive mistake in my opinion. He is the sort of player we can build a very good team around. You see how bad we are with out him.

I know expectations were low this year but i think we have better players than we realised and i'm a little disappointed with how the season has gone. We have a strong first 11. Cutting the budget next season will hopefully be covered by the likes of Williams/Navarro/Benson leaving and the first team will not be too affected. The loss of Pritchard will be huge, chances of getting another player like that are slim lets be honest.

Just can't help shaking the feeling this season has been a wasted opportunity. With lower budgets and no plans to improve the club (redevelopment and new revenues) i'm pretty depressed on the short term future.

 ;D

 :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

Classic...

It wasn't good today...I don't care what anybody says.

The players also have to eat a shit sandwich now and again and today was no exception.

Posts like this will be on the increase I feel.

Cooper splits opinion like no other manager that I can remember since 1979.

However...he got the job for a few reasons, the two most important being:

- the right place at the right time.. (Kmac walked)
- a yes man ..   (Power wheels and deals and buys em...Cooper plays em)

So IMO no matter how shit we play/results the second factor will be the most important to Power.

He's going no where.....He would only be replaced by someone like him...don't like it but its shit I just have to suck up.

No point in getting now anyway, let him see out the season. who'd we get in replace him? we're skint remember.

How long before a TEF poll is in order?

Agree with most of that...apart from dividing opinion bit.

For Power success is marked by the ability of his coaching team to add value to the players he gives to them. That Luongo and Kasim have this week received international recognition won't have gone unnoticed....the brand has therefore gained a bit of recognition...there have been a few other instances of positives like the form of Louis Thompson, Nathan Byrne starting to show improvement, and Belford looking like he might make a keeper.

I'm surprised more comment hasn't been passed on the training facilities front...I wasn't keen on the Calne thing, a link up with Supermarine making more sense...

My opinion not that many on here will is that today that for the second half we played for a draw, after the francise scored we played for the draw they went for the win. we need a strong midfielder, Louis thompson tries but gets no back up from the rest of the midfield, they all want to play it tippy tappy but get bustled off the ball. We miss Ranger up front, no matter what copper says no.1 priority is signing Ranger for next season and building around him & the other few young players who are under contract , Ward is starting to look past it, luckily Troy is carrying him. WE STILL HAVE NO PLAN B, Once a team score against us we struggle to know how to get back into a game, Today showed that.

No, no, no.

Shopping by definition cannot be 'enjoyable'. It is a necessary evil, like going to the dentist or getting your hair cut. It's one of those things that has to be done once in a while but is not a recreational activity in its own right. If you do find it pleasurable you may actually find that you are in fact....a woman.

Sorry to break it to you  :no:

It's Swindon Town FC, we're Swindon Town FC, get over it. If you want and expect promotion every season stick to the video games. I started watching the 40 odd years ago, we were a div3 club then, role it forward and hey ho guess what? Yep, we're still a div3 club. What does that tell you? I felt dissapointed yesterday, like many others. So what do you propose? New manager?, Who? New owners?, Who?, Money is the answer to all your angst but again guess what? Answers on a post card too........

PS. I wouldn't go Tuesday if i were you, we're going to get royally fucked. 0-2 if we're lucky!

Arriba's comments don't by definition count as he does not go anymore IIRC? Big like moaning about the government or council and not bothering to turn up to vote.

[Rubs eyes]

Did this thread actually happen?

Yes, but it is funny to read that these people who found better things to do (not only arriba) still feel the need tk come on here and moan about the football.

This! Just out of interest I wonder how many who have commented actually had to sit through that yesterday, I did and I will be renewing our four season tickets for next season so I do think i am entitled to call them shit - as they have been for a few months now!!

I just dont care and I dont care that I dont care. Im with Arriba

I was there yesterday and have obviously got lower expectations than most. I didn't think it was shit, in fact some of the football in the 1st half was very good. There was a lot less 'backwards' football than in recent weeks and some nice fluid passing. Second half didn't match the first and we began to show a bit of tiredness. A draw would've probably been a fair result and but for a fantastic strike it would've ended 1-1.
I can't understand how anyone can compare the current team and style of play to Malpas or Hart. I know most fans have short memories but fucking hell.
Young inexperienced team with a youngish, inexperienced manager. Currently sitting 8th. I'm more than happy to see what next season brings.
One other point. All this bollocks about being a team of loanees. How many loanees started yesterday?

Pretty much agree with all of that herthab. At half time I was pretty pleased with how were playing and didn't think Dons offered any threat at all. We were playing the same patient style that we play but with more pace and purpose. 2nd half was the total opposite and due to the midfield tiring, Nathan T. was getting caught upfield too often and there was always a ball on in behind him which they used many times.
I knew we'd concede, we all know that by now. I was disappointed with Dany only getting 5 minutes and us settling for a point... again.

Fuck off with your calm positive reasoning, now is about knee jerk reaction.

And there was me thinking the commentators were full of shite because we sounded good in the 1st half.

And that's both sets of commentary teams as I switched between the two, Franchise commentators were very complimentary. For the first half at least.

I'm the one who's calling this out and I stand by it. The football we have played at home this year has been boring and easy to play against. Malpas due to the fact we have no steel or backbone and teams can easily suss us out. Hart because we are so fucking negative with so many people behind the ball. With both managers there was no entertainment value and that's where we have been in our last few home games - turgid, boring, negative shite.
I can see why people are calling for Cooper to go but I'd give him until X Mas and then review where we are once we've cleared out the big earners.
Most people understand this is a season of transition and it would have been better if the crap play had been earlier this season and we were coming into form now.

The first half after we scored looked good without real quality in the final third. We looked good against Chelsea after they scored two!

Youngish inexperienced manager? Why?? We are not Barca but we are certainly not fucking FGR, so why haven't we got an experienced manager..?...at this level at the very least.

Never mind, he's a yes man, that's the way it is......I take another chomp out of my shit sandwich and roll up Tuesday and travel Saturday.

This is the saddest thing for me. After the Orient game I stayed away missing the Crawley game and didn't miss it at all. When this crowd realise their experiment adds up to a pile of cat shit and leave I'll be used to life without the Town.

In a non-conspiracy theory way, I'd not be at all surprised to see Sherwood here next season. Spurs will go for a big name at EOS, with the Power link and the all out attack he'd fit the bill. I wouldn't even mind.

Exactly what I was thinking when I heard his after-match speech yesterday - his days are numbered ! nice to hear a manager saying it as it was and not full of bollocks !
Mind you, the fact he and Power are such good mates might make it a bad idea, as may well end in tears !

I fucking hate the majority of Swindon fans.

This. I don't dislike going because of Power, or because of the results, or the manager, but because our bitter and deluded fanbase really piss me off.

Who are no different to any other sets of fans.

Well, I fucking hate most football fans then.

First one, definitely.
Second one, partly.
But most importantly, because he was the cheaper option.
No compensation to pay him off or for an expensive contract on an experienced manager.

Wouldn't surprise me if Darren award is the next manager, which doesn't fill me with much confidence either.

Join the club

No, you're in the "I fucking hate everyone" club.

But they are, as someone else posted in this thread you look at teams like Portsmouth & Plymouth and their fans get behind the team regardless of how shit things are going.

There are large numbers of ours that moan & bitch at every little thing. I had some fuckwit sat behind me moaning about us passing the ball sideways after two mins yesterday, FFS at least give the team a chance.

everyone and everything

Except Dylan.

Good post.

Spot on.

Largely agree so I must share your low expectations! I said yesterday, thought we did OK for the first hour, should have finished them off then, but didn't, then we started to look poor once they got the equaliser, and as you say they seemed tired. Fitness an issue? Maybe if Sippo didn't keep chasing them out of the gym for making a mess in the changing rooms, they might be fitter?  :)

Can we have that again in English ?

Sacking Cooper will achieve nothing. You can't keep sacking managers because you've had a few bad results, if you're in the bottom third then maybe but we're not and for the most part he has done a good job.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't concerned / a little fed up of our boring, predictable and utterly toothless performances in the last few months but it isn't the right time to sack Cooper. Although I would like to know what he actually works on in training because we are utterly clueless when we get to the final third and so reluctant to have a shot, or cross the ball. Also would be nice if he could tell the players to at least look like they give a shit.

Well said tails

Therein lies the problem for most people.

Pre-season we were told we'd be an attacking, entertaining team and be prepared for a deluge of 4-3 scorelines.

For a couple of months we were.

How and why we have morphed into a boring, sterile team is what has got people moaning

Probably a coincidence, but it definitely seems the level of enthusiasm has dropped since Jed left. Just saying!

It was exactly the same when Diamandis left.

Notwithstanding the two games against Peterborough and the game against Port Vale last month eh?

Shh

Peterborough pissed all over us in the 2nd half at the CG, following a pattern of us taking the lead and blowing it.

Away at Peterborough was fine - but both those games were Tin Pot games.

The shite served up against Oldham, Colchester, Orient, Crawley, MK and even the win against Shrews lingers longer than a half decent showing in a cup tie.

You need to call the samaritans

How long before we hear Cooper out chants ?

I don't think we'll hear them this season. If we start badly next season though I can see it. Saying that defeats to Wolves, City and a crap performance home to PNE might swing it. 

Last few home matches have been reminiscent of 10/11 after the sale of Austin - just with more effort from the players. Equally as devoid of creativity and a similar set up with us sat deep and a lone, isolated striker. I didn't realise quite how integral Ranger is to our game.

There are already signs the natives are getting restless and with some tough home matches coming up Cooper could do with a good result or two, starting at Ashton Gate on Saturday.

Tomorrow night is a 'free' match for Cooper, lose and it is expected (as long as the effort is there), a point would be considered a great result and a win would be remarkable considering Wolves run of form. I think we might just get something.

What gets me, as I said in the match day thread is that many people wanted a relegation free and mid table season and that is what they are getting, many predicted the worse. Is it the same people who are now up in arms that we are 8th?

I think if Power has ambition of a push to exit the league next season then I think he will look elsewhere for a manager, but all things considered Cooper has done a reasonable job and has steadied the ship after a summer of upheaval. Patience is key, and I am sure Power has that.

It's nothing to do with league position.

It's simply fans are perplexed as to why we have gone from a stylish, entertaining team to the turgid, boring outfit we are now.

We could be in exactly the same position now with exactly the same results but if the performances had been up to par nobody would be saying a word

This

The fact we are still 8th shows what a piss poor league it is. 1 win in 10 and we haven't dropped down the table.

I think most worrying is the fact that when things go wrong Cooper doesn't seem to be able to stop the rot and turn things around. He's never been able sort the away form all season and now the same has happened to our home form he seems equally lost which doesn't bode well.
If as most believe Power runs true show then Cooper has 3 jobs; fitness, training and in match tactics all of which we seem to have major issues with at the moment....

I have lots of questions I'd like to ask Cooper. Firstly, why is Miles Storey out on loan ? We are toothless up front and miss Ranger massively. I don't think I'll ever be a fan of 1 up front either.

Because he isn't very good.

How long until we hear a chant emanating round the County Ground again.... Crowd's dead as a dodo! I do think that the style of football (slow and ponderous with one up front) has a direct impact on the noise of the crowd.

What I'd give for the last 20-25 minutes against Coventry City again - attack, attack, attack! Ranger and Storey giving us a large and quick front-two combination that scared the shit out of teams!

I'm a die-hard but this has been a pretty miserable run of home games to endure. Dull and lifeless. Thank god the next two games will inevitably have some atmosphere due to the large number of Wolves fans and the Westcountry derby against Bristol City.

Well, I disagree with you.

So do I.

I think he's OK but massively overrated.

 Miles is something of a curio, insofar as he has shown something, without quite having had the necessary run to show if he's got more to his game...so I don't think he should be written off, nor do I necessarily think he'll make it.

I believe he's still contracted for next season, so we'll really need to see then if there's any progress.

but better than anything I've seen from barker, which isn't that much (hardly seen him)

Should recall him now if we can, we're not going up nor going down, so we may aswell now tinker with the 1st team and see what everyone is capable of.

Absolutely.

I don't think he is league 1 standard but until we give him a prolonged run in the team my opinion isn't really based on much.

All he looks to do is beat the offside trap and run through on goal. You never see him playing passes, dropping back etc. Good player as an impact sub but unless he works on his overall game he's not going to be starting with this system/style of play.

Did our current decline coincide with Sherwood getting the Spurs job?  Just recall him being quite involved in the early part of the season.

Kind of depends what you mean by our current decline, it could be argued that we've been in decline for the last 20 years or so...

Agree Reg it's been a long time, I was referring to this season's expectations with some real quality being played in the early part, it's be stated enough so I don't intend to go on, but without Sherwood/Ferdinand's input maybe Cooper has struggled to maintain the kind of football they introduced.

I was listening to 5live earlier, where there was a discussion of Sherwood and his meltdown on Saturday....you got the inevitable tweets from listeners and Spurs fans,were moaning that Sherwood's style, was a bit boring relative to Arry's....try and keep possession go through one up top and not getting the ball going forward, but sideways and back.  Sounded familiar  :)

While I think you could convincingly argue that the club was in decline from 1994 to 2004, it's far harder to make that assertion between 2004 and 2014.  The club was on its knees 10 years ago...with the play off season under Andy King the only ray of light.  Just take a look at the crowds we were getting then vs now.  We've hardly set the world alight - and, yes, we've dropped in to the basement twice - but the fundamentals are definitely healthier now than they were in 2004.

Unfortunately our recent tendency to Div 3/Div 4 yo-yo is a bit of a fly in the ointment for your case.

For sure the Fitton/Wray/Black axis represented a very real chance to get a bit of upward mobilty...but it just goes to show how difficult that now is.

We're now just about at the likely high water mark of what is achievable with the current model....repeating it  next season would be a very decent achievement.

He's scored 4 goals - only one of those v Coventry was playing to his strengths. Give him a run to the end of the season and he's either good enough or he isn't. Let him start games and play with Smith and see if they can build a partnership. Alternatively, if the system doesn't suit him and the system is here to stay then get him off the books. I think there's a decent player there if he could get a run of a few games and I'd rather give one  of ours a go.

Bloody hope that's not the case. They are Spurs employees and other than check on their  loan players they should have fuck all input on our club whatsover.

Oh come on.  My 'case' is that we're no worse off now than were in 2004.  Yours was that we've been in decline for 20 years.  At worst, we crashed in the 10 years following the Premiership season and have been bumping along the bottom since (albeit with improved attendance figures).  To suggest that things are worse now than they were 10 years ago - when the Club seemed to be under permanent threat of collapse - is farcical.

We've been in division 4 twice in like 28 years.. OK twice in the last 10 years, but in that time we've made the division 3 playoffs three times. So by your logic we have a 'tendency' to finish top 6 as well.

Saturday was key.

5 points off the play off spot despite a poor run - thank your lucky stars and play like it really matters!  MK certainly did in the second half and that we failed to match their commitment is down to Cooper.  Given that a point was not enough, part of me was glad that the team that fought for the points got its reward. (even if I try to do my best to vocalise my support during the full 90 minutes).

First half of the season, we showed both style and commitment with naivety quite often costing us and the absence of Ranger tending to stifle the style.

Cooper will have to be judged on the season as a whole, with greater weight attached to the more recent 2nd half of the season, and he is still left with something to prove beyond merely avoiding relegation.

Quite simply, when Ajose went back to The Posh we stopped winning so much. Three games since he left.

N'Guessan was scoring for fun at the start of the season, now he looks like a right donkey. Ranger has been a cunt and missed out through being a lazy fucker and also with his trial. Storey has been a bit part player under how many managers? Don't get me wrong I like the lad, but the 'Miles Storey will change our season' theorists have rose tinted glasses on.

We've not got enough in the final third of the pitch. Nathan Byrne (to his immense credit) has been our best attacking player in recent weeks. This is a player a large proportion of fans hated up until a few games ago. I wish some of our other players would show a similar set of bollocks and do something creative.

Agreed

NUT
SHELL

Though I still think we could at least try playing to the strengths of players we have, rather to a system they are struggling with.

Byrne has given 100%, still not totally convinced of his quality in the final third but he deserves his starting place.

Murphy gone back i see

Shame we didn't see him play on the wing much.

He was never going to thrive in our style of play so it was a little pointless loaning him in the first place. That said, whenever I saw him he looked a player (the JPT backpass aside)

That's kind of pissed me off.

Putting square pegs into round holes - I'd like to see if we play to our strengths how we can be let's scrap this so called pretty pretty football that isn't and just play football and see where it get's us.

Not likely to happen anytime soon though

I think Cooper has made that quite clear that this philosophy is here to stay.

"the philosophy" is just bollocks, I'm just not sure if its coopers, power's, jed's or a combination of all 3.

Early season, whilst a bit frustrating at times we did play some good stuff. It might be a cliché, but that type of football was always going to come undone in the winter at league 1 level on terrible pitches in horrific weather. You need to be able to mix it up and we cant.

Also, a footballing philosophy should mean playing to a broadly familiar tactic, that players all though the clubs age ranges should play so that they are instantly familiar when joining the 1st team set up. The likes of ajax and barca do this to great effect, and although I'm clearly not execting that sort of quailty to roll out of our youth setup, that seems to be the way to go about it.

Finally, lets stop pretending that slow, ponderous passing through the midfield is the only way to play football and anything less is somehow morally inferior. We played some great stuff at times under PDC with much more tempo than we currently do, and I dont see why many of the players we have now couldn't play that way.

No it isn't.

We have managed to eke out a few points in difficult conditions, like PV away, the weather although predictably causing problems, has more to do with the attritional nature of Div 3, causing wear and tear on bodies, rather than the style of play.

Just look at the numbers of our players who've pulled up lame with various strains and pulls. This is particularly so on young players because they're unused to to the pressure on their bodies....it's surely no coincidence that our more or less only ever present is Darren Ward, the oldest pro.

You mention elsewhere mediocrity, but we have seen some decent football this season, and it was never going to be the case that this side could compete for promotion....it's about developing the players, and the interest that this can create, and from "the project" point of view it's been largely successful so far.

It was fairly obvious early doors, that Power was going to have problems taking some of our fans along with this model, many preferring traditional  English hoofball, and I'm sure this will be reflected in season ticket sales.

Disagree with some of that reg. There is an intermediate between total football passing and hoofball. Why can't we try it sometimes when plan a is failing..

Oh and did my ears deceive me, or were the town end chanting "boring boring" at one point. I could be totally wrong, there were to few singing to hear it clearly :)

They definitely were.

Apparently people were leaving the DRS at half time? If so that's bizarre

Half time pie?

Perhaps they moved because all the action was at one end  :sherlock:

There were also a few seats around me where ST holders didn't show up. This has happenned a few games in a row now. I expected them to be back for the Wolves game as it was probably the most attractive we had left.
People are also getting more and more vocal around me in the DRS and its not positive.
I'm nowhere near happy with what I've seen this year but I'd like to see where we are at X Mas before hitting the panic button.

They were going to your surprise birthday party

I understand and appreciate that Swindon's sudden dip in form and ideas is worryingly but it still feels a tad harsh on Cooper at this moment in time. He deserves the whole campaign and I don't think that'll jeopardise our division status and if we're all truthful we know that a new manager wouldn't enhance the possibility of promotion either.

The appointment of Mark Cooper has, to me, always felt temporary and I wouldn't be surprised if he left or returned to the assistant role once the season is done anyway even if Swindon enjoy a comfortable run-in.

That is highly likely to hinge around our visits to strugglers, Tranmere, Carlisle and Notts County....although Coventry could easily slide, and so could be pivotal.  Potentially we'll need to win one of these...they'll likely be desperate.

Don't forget Warsaw are also dropping like a stone.

I know many of us have the jitters but I honestly don't think we'll be near the bottom 4

Too many scenarios need to happen for us to be anything close to worried. I admit that we could easily plummet downwards but 21st-24th? I can't see it.

Finishing above Bristol City would be nice though.

To go down we will have to be overtaken by Port Vale, Bradford , Sheffield United, Gillingham, Coventry , Bristol City, Crawley, Colchester, Oldham, Carlisle, Stevenage AND Tranmere.

Behave.

4 weeks ago I thought Reg was on the wind up, but it's not beyond the realms of comprehension now - we are unbelievably wank.

We're not alone though.

About 5 weeks ago I highlighted that there wasn't much difference between most of the sides in this league...with the notable exception of Wolves and a lesser extent Brentford, pointing out, that Shitty although in the drop zone, were realistically 3 or so wins for them and 3 or so defeats for us apart. 

At the time, some of the usual suspects suggested a loss of plot on my part....nevertheless it's a very realistic possibility, they'll be 3 adrift of us come Saturday, as opposed to the 17 at the time.

I think we'll get the handful of points necessary, but it might be messy, and seat belts should be fastened for a bumpy landing at season's end.

Feel free to quote my reasonably relaxed attitude towards the final 10 games Reg... but 21st-24th? Again, can't see it. Too many scenarios.

The only teams to pull out are Sheffield United and Bristol City who shouldn't have been down there in the first place.

Whilst I agree it is highly unlikely, every time I look at our remaining fixtures I struggle to see where another win is coming from.

We play a number of in form teams at home, and our away form is wank.

It may be that we don't need another five points, which I think maybe just as well.

I dread the thought of relegation. Reg will be unbearable.

We still have to go to Tranmere and Notts County. Beat both and we will stay up with ease. We only need 4 or 5 more wins for a comfortable mid table finish. Ill take that now.

I came past the CG at half time on my way home from college.  There were a number of people walking away from the ground and down County Road.  A few people I know posted on fb that they'd left at half time as well.  I assume at that point it looked like we might lose 6-0 or something and some people couldn't bear it?

Exactly. It is more than possible to up the tempo a little and get the ball forward a bit earlier at times without playing like pulis's stoke.

The insistance that continuing with slow ponderous passing in the midfield that allows the opposition time to get set in their shape even in games when its blatantly not working is possibly the most frustrating thing I've ever seen at STFC.

I'm no footballing neanderthal who wants balls hacked forward constantly, but evolving tactics to win games is part of football. We can stick to "the philosophy" as much as we like but losing games (23rd in the form table now) isnt going to help develop young players, make them sellable assets or convince premier league clubs to lend us the cream of their youth systems like Pritchard - all of which are the reasons for the existence of the philosophy

The thing that gets me is our style of play is supposed to be the same throughout the season yet to watch it is completely different. At the start we used to keep ball and play intricate passes through the opposition and create through fantastic movement. None of this is showing any more. I much prefer to watch wing play and I'm sure smith does too! Unfortunately we haven't created a squad/mindset for this to work. When we work it down the wings it comes straight back to the defence and they try again. I miss Sammy igoe

The ability to use a longer pass has long part of the Dutch way of playing from Krol to Koeman to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsZkCFoqSBs&sns=em

There is a more serious point which others are making, but I just love this goal. Although watching it again now shows how much the Argentine front line dropped off. Don't see that much any more.

Our very own Glen Hoddle used to love a long pass, and I don't think you can accuse him of hoof ball

The danger will be when heavy defeats start coming together which is a possibility this week

Are you sure?  You may not have noticed Pritchard up for 2 young player of then year awards and Luongo and Kasim getting capped last week...the progress being made by Louis Thompson, Nathan Byrne ands lads like Tyrell Belford coming in and showing ability. These are just the sort of things which will attract the attention of players, D o F's, etc.

How players react to losing games is also crucial in their development....we now have a chance to see.

Lets not forget that this season has had some off the field items that Cooper has had to deal with.

The Jed/Power 'struggle' can't have helped, and the various Nile Ranger situations required managing also.

Hopefully next season we'll see the end of the Di Canio high end players leaving (Navarro, Benson, Williams and others) and we'll be able to start the season with Lee Power's principles and new sustainable budget with (hopefully) players like Pritchard on loan from the start of the season.

Exactly, considering the instability we've had in the last 14/15 months, staying up, and I think we will, is a decent achievement. Although tempting to speculate on what next season may bring, it is difficult, just because football is so short term now....all that can really be said is that the core of the young players kept from this season, should be better for the experience of this.

As I've said before, next season is the real test. That we've done well enough for people to be considering play-offs this season, as well as a half-decent cup run, is a (welcome) surprise.

I can see Pritch going up a league on loan next year, but if Sherwood comes here as the rumour mongers are so keen to state, we will have someone with great knowledge of PL youth systems coming in.

With the core of the squad as it is (all the Belford haters seem to have been a little more subdued recently, which is good to hear), with a few choice additions (namely in central defence) we'll be in very good shape for next year.

Far from Cooper out, I think he's done a good job with some iffy resources. (Not the Onura kind)

The 'problem' with Belford is that he has performed well enough that the club may sanction a move for Wes

I don't think Belfords form has anything to do with Wes being sold. Power has always said that Wes has his price and if a club matches his price then they will accept a bid for him, Belford playing well is irrelevant to that.

Every player has his price and Power will not take the first offer that come sin for him, as he proved with the Bournemouth bid.

Makes it more attractive, though, if you sell Wes knowing you don't need to find a replacement.

I'll be surprised if he's here next season and good luck to him wherever he may end up

Yeah pretty much resigned to losing wes, just like I was last year!

And we were all resigned to losing Luongo, Wes, amongst others in jan.

Although I do think it's likely some players will be sold in the summer.... But I suppose seeing as so many fans are so keen to starve the club of income, that's gonna be even more inevitable than it was anyway.

I'm glad Belford has done well. Swindon fans have a tendancy to slam a player if they cant produce the form of the person they've replaced, especially if it's a fans favourite.

The point Power made with Wes and Mass is that both have big sell on clauses, he said 30 to 40%, so they will need be good offers to be worth it, while both are under contract.

Have to consider the players wishes as well, neither are at the stage of their career where they need to be thinking about one last big signing on fee and have the luxury of considering the long term. Mass has had less than a year of actual first team football and may conclude he could do with another season at this level before making the step up, and may have more attractive offers in twelve months time. Wes, on the other hand has now played over a 100 games for us and has a decent reputation, this summer may be the right time for him to move on .

We should have sold him in the summer, doubt we'll get as much now.

Are those players being recognised because of the style of football we play, or just extended periods of 1st team football, mostly for the 1st time in their careers? I say the latter

That's a ridiculous level of cynicism, even for a Town fan.

I thought these awards were given to those who play well - or is that too simple

Actually he's got a point, particularly re Luongo and Kasim. Both of these players, in my view, have got visibily worse under Cooper's tenure.

Kasim hasn't played for any other manager at Swindon and looking at his career to date it can be argued that Cooper has got the best out of Yaser thus far.

I don't know whether you're A) Joking B) Deliberately trying to wind me up or C) coming out with some bland half thought out nonsense in a miserable attempt to somehow try and defend Cooper.

Kasim is visibly worse now than he was 6 months ago.

Who was he playing under during pre-season and when he was on top form?

Can Cooper take no credit for that? Was Kasim simply this criminally overlooked player who was playing poorly in the Conference? Was that Cooper's fault too?

But what about when they were good? Was that someone elses fault? I could understand your point with Luongo, who IMO is not really any better or worse than he was last season, in fact his best spell came under Cooper... But Kasim has only ever played under Cooper, and considering he wasn't good enough to play for Macclesfield I'd suggest Cooper did pretty well to get him playing in the first place. And even at his poorest he's still pretty decent.

http://www.flicwiltshire.com/STFC/Town-set-to-snap-up-Southampton-youngster.aspx#.UyHrTJFSEfE

a quick centre-back, why would we need one of those :sherlock:

So what you saying now ?  :bye:

I'd be saying that sending him out on loan was a good idea which we're now benefitting from.

The only reason Storey is good is because he's had a fucking chance.

Bullshit to say that the loan move improved him....I don't buy that....sorry...I doesnt wash with me.

We loaned the fucker out and Ranger gets injured.......fucked our chance against a Boro side there for the taking on the night...and a Wembley final....big and costly mistake.

A season if ifs, buts and maybes....

One goal doesn't make storey good or bad. But he's certainly giving us more options up front rather than giving it to smith and watching him crowded out.

We'll see with miles, but at least he's getting a chance.

Yeah, we loaned him out and Ranger got injured. Not something we could have foreseen and then due to the rules couldn't recall him. Rotten luck.
Until the last few games we were persevering with one up front. A role that Storey would be utterly shit at. He's gone out, blown the cobwebs out and is benefitting from playing off of a big man.

He has fantastic pace and knows where the goal is. An extended run is the only way we will ever find out.

Whatever happened to Andy Caton?

I agree. FWIW I quite like Storey.

I missed this thread originally, great reading.

the same as pretty much every other season for every team.

No...not at all....

The season we went down with Prutton and co...there was none.

I didn't say every season but football is mostly comprised of ifs, buts and maybes unless you are incredibly awful (Wilson/Hart relegation) or far better than the rest (Di Canio champions).

Last season - if Di Canio hadn't left we could be playing Championship football this season. Maybe if the FL hadn't hit us with an embargo we might have strengthened and not faded away so poorly.

If there hadn't been a bobble at Wembley then Charlie would have scored and we'd still be enjoying the benefits of Black's cash. But if we hadn't suffered a poor run towards the end of the season we would have avoided the lottery of the playoffs.

Even that awful relegation was solely due to the loss of Greer according to some.

The point is that football is usually lost and won by fine margins and more often than not they can be summed up with lots of ifs, buts and maybes. In that regard this season isn't that different.

There are plenty of reasons this season has been unique mind...

Agreed.

The key word being if of course...but he has done himself no harm and will get a run for the last six matches to stake a claim for next season.

No doubt about it, the loan spell at Shrewsbury has been a big help and was a decent move. Looks a much improved player now.

"It's not about the long ball or the short ball, it's about the right ball" - Bill Shankly

Disagree. The loan move clearly did him some good, there's a reason he wasn't getting picked before and he's been picked regularly since he came back.

The point of a loan spell (for a player under contract beyond the summer) is to give them the valuable amount of minutes that a parent club cannot guarantee them at that moment in time.

Swindon were doing 'okay' without Storey but during his time at Shrewsbury our own form dips. We bring a player back from a loan spell at another League One club and he's match fit and fully ready for his opportunity.

The atmosphere within our fan base during some parts of this month was a hyperbole of panic (see thread title) and I'm glad a young prospect in Miles Storey was away from that. Remember Louis Thompson was allegedly verbally abused during that time.

Storey was not doing enough with the chances he was being given at Swindon pre-Shrewsbury and now he is. That's all that matters right now.

Let's not forget Miles had that penalty miss at Brentford in last season's playoffs hanging over him. You might say he'd be over it by now, but really, at that age, if it was the club you'd grown up in, belonged in since you were young, and you missed that spot kick, would you be? It was good for him to get away and get some L1 game time at another club, away from that pressure of being forced to prove himself, especially, in retrospect with the atmosphere that was building at the CG (people abusing Louis Thompson etc.). Perhaps he should have been recalled sooner, but he probably couldn't be. If Nile hadn't crocked himself Storey probably wouldn't have been missed.

He's come back firing on all cylinders, that's for sure. I doubt he would be doing that if he'd not had that chance to go play first team L1 football.

Yeah, I'm a bit bitter about the JPT too, but if Miles is back and on form, then we've still got a sneaking chance of a decent end to the season.

I'd forgotten about that. One of the great advantages of youth is that you don't tend to get over things pretty quickly.

Also there are so many pen shoot out these days, that I don't think those that miss, carry it around for too long as there are plenty of examples out there...

Fnar.

It was his first 'big' penalty shoot out. He missed the losing one. That's got to stick with you. My point is that it was good for him to get out of the club for a short while.

Guess it depends on the individual to some extent....but I'm minded of a quiz question I recently had...

Name the 12 England players who've missed a pen in a WC or EC shootout in the 6 times we've fucked up?

Try it without Google....most of these cunts don't seem to be too emotionally scarred.

Pearce, Waddle, Ashley Cole, Gareth Southgate, Batty and Paul Ince? as a starter.

I didn't say Miles was emotionally scarred, just that he'd had it hanging over him at the back of his mind. He's probably over it now, but it's an interesting line of thought if nothing else.

And comparing some of those England players to L1 players is like comparing eggs to ham. The wedge they're on at their home clubs would soften the blow slightly one would suspect.

That's 6...6 to go.

Carragher missed one in 2006.

Pretty sure Darius Vassell goofed one up in a tournament too.

Beckham spasticated one halfway to the moon in 2004, after missing against France in the group stages the week before.

Lampard

Pretty sure Gerrard missed in 2004 too although may have been later.

We barely scored anything in the Pen Shoot Out against Italy in the last tournament but I can't remember who took them.

That's eleven...one to go...a nasty little shit.

john terry ?

He's big shit.

DMR ?  :D

David Batty.

Bob's already got him....although he does fit the description.

Dennis Wise?

No, it's Ashley Young.  A player who I particularly despise for his inability to stay on his feet.