Dagenham & Redbridge V Swindon Town Official Match Day Thread

[sonicyouth]

We need a run of games with a settled team playing the system that worked so well last season, too many changes both in personnel and formation at the moment. I don't think we're much weaker than last season with everyone fit, we just need someone consistent on the left. I wonder if Dossevi could be the answer as a Ward style replacement. We lack leadership and of course we miss Paynter's goals although neither are easily replaced we need to bring in two or three players on loan.

tl;dr: stick with 4-4-2, develop consistency, sign a centre-back, left-winger and striker.

[Dr Pierre Chang]

i think we have a average team which isn't anywhere near last seasons team.

That's it in an nutshell.

I don't think the start we have made is that surprising, the annoying thing is that we have had time to replace these players we lost but have come up with fuck all. It's not like they left at the start of August, it was clear 2 of them were off after Wembley and Greer only went in early July didn't he?

Bring in a couple of players and we will be where we want to be. It's just a case of whether or not we find them.

[sonicyouth]

Fuck me....we're Swindon Town not Wendies or Leeds. Last season we overachieved, this season we may not be able to...

Fitton set the target of Championship in five years, he's running out of time and if we move backwards in terms of where we finish at the end of the season, does not that equate to a failure?

Midtable with the odd season of challenging for promotion is about our level, I'm not expecting more than that - simply looking at it as Fitton might.

[Arriba]

We get Charlie fit, we go back to 4-4-2 matching up as close to last season as possible, we play players in position. JPM right, Ball upfront etc We drop under performers. If that means Billy Bodin plays so be it. We go back to basics and work our bollocks off again. We enter the loan market and try to bring in a centre back, left winger and striker. Preferably experienced player not youngsters. Bring back Timlin, I fail to see the point in having a senior pro out on loan when we can only name 6 subs and he was just starting to play well before he went.

Come January we dont sell Austin and we spend money to get better players in.

pretty much agree and have hated the new formation since i first saw it.
dont think bodin is ready and timlin is a bench warmer at best for a progressive team(if we are that)

[DiV]

Plus, without wishing to sound all 'Leeds' shouldnt we want to progress?

I'm not saying we deserve it or have a right to it, but surely the minute we except we're a mid table 3rd division side there's not point even bothering?

I'm sorry - I just cant get myself excited for finishing 12th in Division 3 every year.

Its clear Reg gave up a long time ago and settled. I'd hope the club have more ambition...

[Arriba]

Fitton set the target of Championship in five years

first was 3 years, then 5, then said last seasons target was the play offs all along.

[Panda Paws]

Fuck me....we're Swindon Town not Wendies or Leeds. Last season we overachieved, this season we may not be able to...

That's so simplistic!

Off the field we've made massive progress. Our wage budget and transfer budget is towards the top end of this league (maybe 5th - 8th), our crowds are at a similar level. The board have been hell-bent on building this club on and off the pitch to put us in a position to challenge in this league, and we now have to deliver.

We're no longer a run-of-the-mill league one club, capable of a good season every 8 years or whatever. Look at the sponsors, look at the gates increasing in a time of real financial hardship, the ambitious but sensible ground plans, the general improvement of of the "CG experience". This board have changed all of that, and now we need to make sure we step up on the pitch.

Last year was not an over-acheivement.  AF and DW have both said many times that the expectation last year was playoffs and the 3rd round of the cup, and it was part of the building process. The expectation - inhouse at least - will be the same one would imagine, or possible even higher with the outlay in the summer.

[DiV]

pretty much agree and have hated the new formation since i first saw it.
dont think bodin is ready and timlin is a bench warmer at best for a progressive team(if we are that)

The new formation, in my opinion only of course worked well against Southampton because they also played a diamond midfield. Their game plan was to play through Puncheon and Dougie didnt let that happen. It worked that game, not so much since.

I dont think Bodin is ready at all - but - I'd rather give him a go than have passengers in our team. I'd rather have our players mindset be 'I need to perform otherwise I'll get dropped' rather than 'fuck it, who could he replace me with?' thats the thing that annoys me about the keeper situation, Lucas knows he will play if fit. Doesnt keep him on his toes at all - for the most part he's solid though.

Again, Timlin - bench warmer, fair enough - its less about Timlin personally and more about the squad. Having a player out on loan then only naming 6 subs - 3 of which have never played a professional league game, how does that work?

[PHIL!!!!]

Millwall were in our position this time last season, position/results wise, as were Norwich - I will settle for a similar outcome to theirs, come the seasons end 

Roll on next Saturday!

[Berniman]

We've just lost twice in a week?

We arent exactly going to be jumping for joy are we?

Panda Paws has got it spot on above.

Not expecting anyone to be jumping for joy but some people need to get things into perspective.  As Sonic says when we win we are the best thing since sliced bread when we lose we are doomed.

We Support an average League 1 side that over achieved last year.  We over achieved last year, maybe deserved play offs, but it was too early to be on the verge of automatic, which is what we were.  Because of that over achievement everyone is talking like it's our right to walk into the play offs and improve on last year, that is not always the case though, especially when you lose important players from the squad.

I sit and listen to Premiership fans phone in to radio shows moaning about this and that because they lost and think, you want to try supporting a football league team.  It's like they have forgotten what it's like to be rubbish, and I suppose you can forgive that with the majority of teams as they have been there for so long, but just a few years ago we were on the verge of folding as a club and had to watch the absolute shit that Malpas was serving up.  We have one good season and now we throw the toys out of the pram when we lose a couple of matches.

Right, lets say that the board don't spend money and don't bring players in to improve our squad to push us up the right end of the table this year, what are you going to do about it?  Let's say that the board don't deliver their promise of Championship football within 5 years, what are you going to do about it?  Wilson out?  Fitton out?  Get wee willy carson back in?

This is what I mean about over reaction.  I expect everyone to be pissed off about losing, I expect everyone to be happy about us winning, but the over reaction that last seasons success has created this year is IMO well over the top, and there are many on here that almost wollow in the pit of sarcastic failure and it gets tedious.  Everyone comes up with their obvious simplistic views about what is wrong, and that is great because that is what a forum is all about, but a collective pressing of a panic button is not required, because the alternative is going back to the shit old days of the previous regimes, because sooner or later it will turn into discontent from the fans because the board haven't delivered what they promised.  If they don't then they have still done better than the previous mob, even if they matched them by not delivering what they promised.

And breath......

[DiV]

If Wilson fails to meet his targets he should be sacked.

[Berniman]

So if we finish 7th and get knocked out of the cup in the 2nd round we should sack Wilson?

Who would you get in to replace him?

[PHIL!!!!]

If Wilson fails to meet his targets he should be sacked.

Fuck that

[reeves4england]

Back to the game for a moment...

Lucas did alright. Amankwaah had a mare. Cuthbert(?) made a terrible mistake for their first, then goodness knows what was going on at the back for their second. Douglas and Ferry totally failed to dominate the midfield, and up front we looked toothless - we had nothing on the wings, Pericard barely had a sniff of goal and Dossevi was given offside almost every time he received the ball. Most of the time the decision was correct. JPM came on and did well, and O'Brien got at them a bit. Even Bodin had a go, which is more than could be said for many of the starting XI.

Overall, Dagenham were a poor side who didn't really play any decent football, but they thoroughly deserved to beat us today. I'd love to hear Lucas' interview as it sounds like he had it spot on. I didn't boo the team off at the end, but to be honest I can totally understand why some people did.

[DiV]

So if we finish 7th and get knocked out of the cup in the 2nd round we should sack Wilson?

Who would you get in to replace him?

That depends on what targets Fitton has set him, doesnt it

Fitton and Wilson have both publicly said they want to go one better than last season, that is their aim for this season.

If we finish 12th  or 14th then Wilson has failed.

As for who I'd want, stupid question. There are so many managerial changes there is no one of knowing who is available one week to the next. Let alone next May.

Martin O'Neill would be fantastic though!