Thetownend.com

Which is no doubt going to end up being a discussion about why hedgehogs can't make very good pets!! ::)

Hedgehogs make very good pets, Erin Moonbeam is a great little character and a cute little fucker also.

Handling can be a tad awkward though.

Little Lego Men rule.

Well we're not signing martyn waghorn from sunderland.

http://www.thisisswindontownfc.co.uk/news/headlines/4533978.Town_out_foxed_in_striker_hunt/

Gillingham 0 Swindon Town 0.

Shame that Martyn Waghorn is a decent youngster.

Back to the drawing board....

Do pandas make good pets?

not as good as badgers mr whits!

True but i don't want to catch tb

Just to keep with the randomness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZEEgIti8sM&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fteakdoor.com%2Fthe-teakdoor-lounge%2F54698-cheer-me-up-3.html&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKhit2nsoq4

Looks like Lee Trundle could be our man (GOD NO)

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/sport/Swindon-Town-save-Trundle-Bristol-City-reserves/article-1232502-detail/article.html

Surely this article is just a re-write of this one that appeared a few days ago -

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11719_5474256,00.html

How many clubs did he verbally agree to join?

So all this bollocks about only signing players that will be here for seasons to come is a load of rubbish then.

It's like Malpas all over again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkwh4ZaxHIA&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fteakdoor.com%2Fthe-teakdoor-lounge%2F54698-cheer-me-up-3.html&feature=player_embedded

laugh we nearly shat.

ace i hadnt heard this in years, quote of the day.

Well short term measure, Could be one of those "see how he does then sign permanent" if he can get back into shape, and thats a big IF because he has been pretty out of shape ever  since leaving Swansea, he may do ok. Being a loan, there isn't a lot of risk on our behalf apart from wages, MAy be a decent stop gap before signing a perm. striker.

Is that real? That's complete and utter lunacy if real. Wow. :D

No idea.

am i missing something but who is billy clarke?

However you want to dress it up, the failure to relace Cox woth ANY stiker is nothing short of incompetance.

We are trying to replace Cox with a decent replacement, not just a wally we can put a number 9 shirt on that can't hit a barn door the size of Frome.  We've built from the back which will see us more solid than last season. If it takes a few weeks to get 1 or 2 top quality strikers then so be it.

I'd rather wait than bring in panic buys.

However, if Wilson fails to bring in a decentish name before the end of the transfer window his stock will go down whether that's fair or not. Of course I say this because I have confidence that Wilson will bring in a decentish name.

Also, heaven forbid our midfield chip in with a few efforts at goal :)

sorry im with grim reaper, i understand we need quality etc. but to have not signed anyone this far after we knew cox was going back in say march, is as mentioned pretty incompetent.

Billy Clarke was a young Ipswich striker who scored a hatful of goals on loan at Brentford last year, out of contract this summer, we were rumoured to be sniffing around, he chose to join Championship Blackpool instead.

Well thgats the point isn't it. The calibre of striker that we are after are those that are of a standard suitable to the championship. Thus it ain't going to be easy.
I'd rather wait & get someone like that than sign half a dozen league 2  journey men strikers.

How long do you hold out for these championship standard strikers? I guess with the loans market it doesn't even matter if we dont get it sorted by the end of August.

Not sure what to make of this Trundle development

Yes lets just wait, i mean we got a whole day before the season starts so no rush! Not to mention said player will need to 'gel' and all that bollocks. No good signing a quality player in a few weeks time if were already playing catchup! Pre-season has already shown us we do not have goals in our team. I'll be at Gillingham tomorrow but I cant see us scoring more than 1!

So if we reckon Waghorn is the loanee that we, amongst others it seems, were after, this still leaves us with the Championship striker that the Adver informs us that we're gonna sign. BTW Was that to buy or loan?

If so who's that gonna be? I can't think of who's available, I think someones already mentioned Simon Church, he'd fit the bill, so I'm praying its him. (arf arf) I just can't imagine Reading selling him.

No-one mention Trundle anymore and the rumour may go away.

Does Simon Church really fall under Fittons label of them both being established players?

If only one of them is in the championship is the other this Rochdale lad that was mentioned in the last couple of days?

Trundle would be a superb signing I think - he brings that talismanic quality that Mooney did.

Reading between the lines of the AF interiew - he says one is an established Championship player who creates goals rather than scores them - basically what we've all been saying about Trundle.

Darius Henderson signed for Swindon one day before scoring a brace in an away derby at Bristol City.

My point is that strikers shouldn't need to gel. There's the goal, score please.

As someone just said to me, Paynter and Trundle up front will be slower than a week in jail

If you only want to bring in better players than you currently have surely it will mean Paynter will not be a starting striker, but a bench warmer?

Church did well on loan with Orient at the back end of last season.

But if Fittons wording was a player who creates rather than scores then Trundle fits the bill. I went to see a Swansea game at the Vetch Field, (vs Walsall I think) and he was good at bringing the midfield into forward positions by holding the ball up and distributing accordingly.

I'd rather have a nippy small poacher, Paynter sets them up and the new guy knocks them in sort of thing. I got the impression this is the sort of player that Wilson was after as well, as he was trying Marshall and Macklin up front.

Despite my personal opinion of the bloke you're right that he could become a Mooney-esque figure and get the crowd going and he could, if he remains fit, score plenty of goals in Division 3.

Trundle is older than Mooney was isn't he? I thought Mooney was 30 and Trundle is only 2 months shy of 33, i guess he has no pace to lose but it could just be a short term thing.

Mooney was 32.

That's the thing though isn't it. Our team is definitely going to be harder to score against. But consequently the midfield don't look like scoring. And improved as he is Paynter can't carry the team in the goalscoring department.

Its all been said but Trundle could do a job for us. IF he got fit. But he isn't. We need pace up front too and he doesn't provide it.

Sheringham was a similar type of player. No pace whatsoever but had a wonderful football brain so he could create goals for others. And he used to score a fair amount as well to be fair. He played until he was about 36 or 37 I think.

With Wilson as manager and Trundle we would be a bit like like some kind of rehashed City.  :-X

He's not even dating the bird that used to be in Atomic kitten any more is he?? how dull - cant we at least have someone with a z list WAG?

I understand that Wilson is doing a decent job and I quite like the look of the squad (other than up front) and his ambition is refreshing, but there has to be a point when the board and management need to assume responsibility and stop living off the fact they saved the club.

I think its this kind of criteria thats limiting DW's search, could you settle for a striker with a Y list WAG?

If we are so interested in signing Leeds rejects then why didn't we put in a bid for Delph or Beckford?

Don't think anyone's bringing in the whole "saved the club" statement though are they? Or have I missed a comment?

We'd all love a couple of signings, but for whatever reason it hasn't happened yet.

This is a debate/argument that'll just go on and on until a signing is made (and even then it'll probably produce comments along the lines of "who?", "he's shit" and "we waited all this time for him"). I'm hoping a signing will happen today, but that really does look quite unlikely!

If they haven't announced a press conference by lunchtime there will be no signing today.

I read it back and it does seem a bit harsh. But I'm pretty sure if Diamandis was still in charge people would be saying all sorts of bad shit.

It just reads that some people are giving those up top more time because of past exploits. The same was true over the time it took for Malpas to be sacked/Wilson to be appointed. I was one of the patient people to begin with, but we fans trusted Fitton far too much with that saga.

The club needs to accept we need strikers and fast. If we can't get the calibre of striker in we want for the money we have then we either need to aim a bit lower or spend a bit more. This drawn out affair can't come down to anything but money.

Good post Si.

you're right si, but now that it looks as though we're looking at Trundle, now that our other targets are falling through, people arre still complaining. Wilson can't win.

I wonder if we're going to sign any of Clark, Klukowski and McDonald? I'm suprised to see we haven't already just chucked a 1 year deal at one or two of them just to make up the numbers, they can't be that pricey.

Mentioned on the Adver site that none of them had done enough to get a contract

Yes but we'll have McNamee/O'Brien/Macklin supporting them - all quick as fuck.

I read the report on 'this is'......Samdy is right....not only like Malpas all over again but much like the complete farce of getting a new manager after the twat left!

There is NO excuse for not signing at least one decent signing before season kick off. ???

We had time...

We had money (Cox had been sold so 'some' of that could of been made available)...

DW is an experienced manager.

I have tickets for me and the old man for tomorrow so i am looking forward to the match.

BUT...

I am really pissed off with this Striker 'farce' unless we get someone today... >:(

Paynter on his own is a joke not his strength.......and Macklin will be swotted like a fly!

Like that!! :D

Wading through Treacle pace!

You can't have it both ways. We start signing players to make up the numbers and people will complain at that as well.

Don't get me wrong, I'm as frustrated as the next man, but I like our current policy and I like the calibre of striker we're looking at.

If we sign Trundle on loan and continue trying to get a waghorn-type, then that's good enough for me.

I just hope Macklin can find the net and help paynter out.

 :(

I've been relatively quiet on the subject to date, but I have to put on record that I'm now concerned. Yes, concerned. Nothing more, nothing less.

I agree wholeheartedly with juddie. What bothers me if the amount of pressure we are putting on Paynter, solid player that he is, but its already well established he's not the most prolific in front of goal. I'm also a tad concerned about burn-out. Its also fair to say Paynter isn't universally popular with our fan base, so if a few morons get on his back if he doesn't score straight awy might just ebb away at his confidence.

The start of the season is pretty intense and we have 6 games coming up before the transfer window closes at the end of the month. Relying solely on Paynter and Macklin, a talented albeit inexperienced player, is risky. I think we can cope for the first two games, but we go into next weekends game at home to MK with no new strikers, my level of concern might get elevated further.

Still, its something to moan about, and it wouldn't be right if all was well at SN1......

I've not heard anymore about Yan the Man or Dean McDonald either...

I think we should all complain about the striker situation even if we are top at the end of August, that'll show em.

I can't help but giggle at all the comments like "how long can we give them...".  What are you going to do if we don't sign the person we think we should be signing? stop supporting the club.

I can't give a flying fuck who plays for the club, provided we have a team doing the best it can.  As Juddie says, we've spent the summer chasing good quality targets, they tend to be going to bigger clubs than us (get over it, we are small fry).  People have moaned that we should drop our sights a little, so names get rumoured who aren't top quality and then people moan about why we are even considering them.  There is hardly a flood of decent strikers moving to League 1 clubs, so it's not like we are being pipped by clubs of our own level (only Huddersfield and Norwich in our league have signed anyone near decent, and  remember plenty of people thinking Holt wasn't good enough anyway).

It said in the adver that none of the trialists are being given contracts.

i think it's pretty obvious that funds are not really anywhere near what we hope they would be.if they were, we would have had a decent replacement for cox by now.

Why dont we try and sign Frank Lampard........bid 200k and get fucked off by Chelsea as a joke.......go on the Adver site and state we want quality players and this shows our intent and will keep trying.....

That would really cheer me up as we trot out tomorrow!

 still give DW Time... ONCE AGAIN ok 2006/07 season we had Peacock/Roberts/Corr (injured) /Sturrock (pants), and they were never going to score goals and on deadline day we got Paynter and Cox, now I am not saying this will happen again but it shows we don’t need to press the panic button yet. Judging by some comments its as if we are saying “well Paynter can do a job so lets just leave it to him we don’t need anyone else” its not like that at all from where I a sitting. I would take Trundle on loan, apart from wages, it would be a gamble which could be a good one. Who knows? Plenty of time, ideal? NO ofcourse not, but its where we are….

FWIW I realise we were still on a high from promotion which is why we may have done well at the start of that season where now we are on the back of just avoiding relegation.

I'm not in anyway bothered by our striker situation. Yet.

I disagree arriba, it's not about funds. The players we're looking at would command bigger fees than we've paid in the past, or bigger wages, it simply boils down to the fact that they want to play for championship teams and not league one teams, or sides they think have more chance than going up than us.

Theo Robinson joined a side that has spent a shed load, fair enough. I'd choose them over us. Waghorn chose the championship over us, again fair enough.

But at least that's where we're looking, and not buying muppets like blair sturrock.

And for all the muppets on thisis moaning, it'\s like they think Wilson has his head in the sand and is ignoring the problem. I'm sure it's occupying 99% of his time right now.

Like BS and RobT, I'm not worried yet.

2007/2008.

Call yourself a fan? Pah.

My other point was that it makes no sense all this posturing.  Surely it's the results and performances that matter, are people really saying that if we win 1-0 tomorrow but haven't signed a striker that they will spend the next week spitting with rage at how we haven't signed a striker?  and what exactly are they going to do about it when they say they are getting worried about it.

It's probably of little relevance, but 1992/93 came to my mind, and Leicester pushed us pretty hard that season playing with 1 young raw talent upfront and a centre half.  In 1993/94 we got relegated despite trying out a fair number of forwards.  Numbers mean jack, it's what the players you have can do that matters and we won't really know that answer for a few weeks.  Then we can all moan or get excited.

http://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/page/Interview/0,,10341~1745502,00.html


Just as fucking well!!!

It's natural for football fans to comment on how they see their their football team isn't it. Of course we will moan at having no strikers, then be fickle in ignoring the fact if it turns out not to matter if we win the first six games 1-0.

It's what we do.

how many goals did BP score this pre-season?  :D

2 and they came in the same game :)

was we playing 1 upfront in that game?

Ask SONN.

Pick the phone up and get the recently retired Tommy Mooney registered for Saturday and sit the bald arse on the bench as insurance.

I don’t think since the deepest darkest days of the smoking chimp being in charge have we been this lacking in firepower and in the chimp’s defence it was the hand he inherited from the departing Colin Todd that left him short and doing an “Anton”.

It’s unlucky we’ve been shafted at the final hurdle really and the philosophy of getting these lads in from a higher level is superb but I’d feel happier if we had something even a Sabin, Fola, Christ even a big Trevor Benjamin to sit on the bench and at least provide some insurance and possibly some options (albeit of their calibre they’re limited ones) to play around with.

Razak could of done a job!!

Hmm.  And where is Razak currently?  Unattached.  No one wants him.  He wasn't good enough for our level, he wasn't good enough for league 2.  Why contract shit players.  Get rid of the crap and work hard at getting decent level replacements. 

Im not too worried at the moment.  Im confident that Fitton and in particular Wilson, know more about football players that I do.  They also know more about the costs constraints, business plans and worth of the football club and the players in the league.  Not something I could have said about Mo Malpas.

Something will happen.  We didn't expect Douglas but he came, I expect a similar level of player will be secured eventually.  I don't consider a couple of games in to a very long season too late.

It isn't too late until deadline day or beyond. Just a pain if if Paynter gets injured.

When does the loan window close and open?

In one sense you have to say tomorrow is too late, as it could cost us. But if we win (and I optimistically fancy we will) then it doesn't matter does it.

My concern isn't just about tomorrow, it's what if we get to the end of August and then the loan window is still open so we'll keep looking scenario continues.

Fucking hell chaps, it`s only a game.

I reckon Wilson should get down to the local Royal Mail depot, loads of strikers there apparently.

Agreed................forgeting all the fannying around a new striker should have been first on the list.......theres lots of strikers about...good ones cost money so we should flash abit of cash cos if Paynter gets injured tomorow its going to be a right state...no other football  club in the country would be going into the first game with just one striker....weve all applauded the good things the club has done.............but this is just plain stupid.

I want us to sign a decent striker more than anyone and I'm up there with the best at having a whinge and worried/concerned etc...but really can we all please just stop our fucking moaning....or at least save it til sept if we aint got one in and haven't won a game....keep the faith in Wilson and Fitton, they aint let us down yet have they

I'm no pessimist jimbob but last season was a bit of a let down was it not?

Ok, some have gone on a bit. But going into a league season with only one senior striker at the club is a bit poor really and IMO is a justified criticism.

Yes but that was due to Malpas, which Fitton has admitted was a mistake. If we'd been under Wilson all of last season we'd have finished at least mid table.

We don't know that for sure and it was still a disappointing season regardless as to whether they admit it or not. Still a season of football down the old pan.

For what its worth I more than appreciate Fitton and company's tenure thus far but I'm a football fan and I'd like a good season on the pitch please :)

If you were looking for immediate success/miracles it was yes...re-establishing our club will take time and patience and remember this running a professional football club business was new to AF. We've got the foundations of a club that can get ourselves back in the Championship but we all know that aint gonna happen overnight...rome weren't built in a day and all that bollocks....ask Man City fans at Christmas

I'm playing Devils Advocate here... But it's healthy to question the board from time to time.

fair dos mate...WHEN we sign our new striker(s), well soon be moaning that we need a new ground...

Hi Jim.....know ones really having a big go at the club..ware all pleased how the club has progressed....but a non lge club wouldnt go into the season with one striker.......its going to be a week to get one at least..three matches at least....just because the club has progressed dosnt mean we havnt got expectations...i dont want mid table security as a fan..we got big bucks for Cox so there is no excuse not to have at least one decent front man on the back of that.

fair points made lee...so what are your expectations for the season? my expectations are to win more games than we lose(with me in attendance for all the wins of course) which will hopefully equate to a top-half finish, but I know if we almost make the play-offs it'll be because we took X weeks to get a striker in at the start of the season.

I am trying to fathom out what more they can do....maybe they aint had enough 'blue sky thinking' time.....maybe Wilson dont want someone coming in thats billy big spuds earning a lot more dollar than the rest and causing unrest in the squad? We sound like we're quite a tight-knit pack at the mo so we need a grafter/goal scorer....anyone?.....anyone?....I see Mr Loverman, 'Kabba' signed for Brentford yest? would he have done the job? would that have been setting our sights too high? or too low?

My expectations are to watch attractive football.....yes we will lose matches playing attacking football but the amount we pay out each week to watch entitles us to some entertainement.
As for the striker........well DW has made it clear that he wants a certain kind..fast and nippy playing off Paynter....i would have kept Joyce as backup..the signing of Douglas and Cuthbert was top notch....but the ace in the pack could be Obrien if he starts well...all i am worried about is if Paynter gets a knock in the first 5 mins tomorow ware does that leave us...............hope to see you at a match Jimbob and grab that beer.

Not sure jimbob, Paynter's signing didn't really inspire me at the time and he's not the type of player who has that buzz around him (unlike Cox for example), but he's been a steady and decent performer and has contributed to the team very nicely. Also he's improved a lot since joining in my opinion (ok I'll admit I'm a bit of a Paynter fan)!

If we got a similar sort of player, obviously with different attributes on the pitch but I hope you can fathom what I mean then that would be good.

We'll see what comes by the end of August though I guess. If we don't get someone exciting in and we've struggled up front I will expect we'll have some unhappy posts but to tell you the truth I just want the lack of options rectified more than anything.

Agree Sie about Paynter,still only 25.....big season for him.

but we don't need a new stadium (someone had to say it).

It's pretty shit that we've only got one ground as well

set pieces are the way forward :-)

up for that beer for sure.....but remember 1st rule of beer club? correct, no-one talks about lack of strikers!

agreed Paynter has improved for sure.....back in May, I honestly thought he would have been mostly spending this coming season on the bench....

as for lack of options Si Pie, I too want this rectified, but lets not waste money ala Casal

the longer it takes to get a striker in,the bigger the risk of the player being a gamble.wilson has identified targets, and not got them for reasons we can speculate on.i am convinced money,or lack of is the main reason.

i'm on the fence.

i can't help but feel that not signing any strikers by this stage is pretty foolish and a failure on behalf of those involved BUT i also feel that the club are taking a sensible approach in getting the right player(s) in and not just any old junk to make up numbers. look at our signings this year, all from 'bigger' teams or from a higher division.

part of me would prefer to see macklin given a run out instead of us signing a youngster from another team but that's how we got parkin and cox...

and some people are still talking about sundgot as a target on the adver site/forums. i didn't realise they were that gullible.

I'm not so sure about it being a bigger risk...I reckon DW will have enough to choose from come the end of August, when some strikers get restless as they aint getting in the squad as expected...cant think of many, but lets say Deon Burton for talking sake....altogether now, 'Deon Burton for talking sake'.....I'd settle for Alan Smith from the Toon though....

i guess time will tell jimbob.

A shitty fan on TFF is saying that we are getting Trundle in on a 4 month loan deal!

Make of it what you will!

would not suprise me

I'd take him for a few months, we are seriously thinking above our station if we think we are too good for him given Brentford's manager is excited about signing Kabba.

Something like 8 goals in 25 starts for city. We could do alot worse

i don't think he's the answer though, he's not a goalscorer.

i kind of hate him but begrudgingly like him too.

He was a goalscorer in this league though although i assume you mean like a poacher?

just looked at his record again, he was more prolific than i thought. my mistake.

although yeah, he's not a poacher really is he? not that we neccesarily need that.

lots of ifs, buts and maybes but if he can reproduce the form he had at swansea maybe he'll be the perfect man for the job. but if it's a four month loan and he does produce that form, will we get him long term or will he want to stay in the championship?

I would say if it was 4 mnths we could maybe get someone lined up for january in that time but im not so sure now.

Bunch of fucking Bopards.

Here's an idea. Send somebody to Fittons house, get a road painting machine and write "We need a fucking striker" on his driveway. Do it on Wilson's driveway as well as I am sure that both of them are sat at home with their thumbs up their arses blissfully unaware that football teams need strikers.

So do that and I am sure that it will whip them into action "Oh yeah, Cox's gone and we'd best do something about it..... DUH!". And whilst we are at it why don't we get a striker or too for them seeing as we know so much, shit..... Cox's 30-ish goals...... We are so good on the TEF that whoever we seen will bang in 50 goals next season AND we'll get him for free.

We'd best do that as, of course, Wilson is an absolutely shite manager ain't he. He is an absolute fucking joke of a manager that no cunt want's to play for and he is so bad that some players would even rather play for a team in a higher league than us. We are fucking doomed, when Wilson signed Lita for shitty he thought he was signing a fucking defender, he had idea what he was doing then, of course. Our manager is fucking terrible, we should have stuck with Malpas.

Fuck off. Ain't in the mood.

What a bunch off cunt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTifRi3qDkU

Fuck off gook

Racist! What the fuck are you doing up so early anyway?

BR that sums up what I think of the situation nicely.

Obviously in an angrier, swearier, fuck me is BR on way.

[url width=600 height=800]http://i30.tinypic.com/ehhiy9.jpg[/url]

Fuck yeah!!!

[url width=60 height=45]http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t337/joeythetuna/rant.jpg[/url]

how can you say hes not a goalscorer he averages a goal every 2 games in this league

yeah, i was wrong.

sorry dint notice you corrected yaself jack smith is playing centre back for millwall on sky

1-0 down dint take long so much for our great defence

Agreed. Surely the only issues are whether he is fit enough and whether we can afford him?

anyone know why bbc radio swindon aint working online?

they don't have the rights to broadcast the football over interwebs. Wrong thread?

i listened to the plymouth match on there it even advertised it last week

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/content/articles/2008/06/13/stfc_commentary_press_release_feature.shtml

says here

The Plymuff game wasnt a league game though was it.

yeah sorry league games. Think they leave it on for LDPaintPotWindshields too.

dont see why ya cant listen to it on the net had to lug me old radio upstairs

Here:

http://thetownend.com/index.php/topic,35314.120.html

listening on the radio now. thanks anyway

*Groan*

You can lead a horse to water...................

2-0 down to a gillingham team that are missing 4 of there best players what a load of crock

Somebody help me out here.

yeah, use the other thread carbon. it's silly not to.

He wants to post in both threads at the same time. A carbon copy you could say.

 :D

i hear the striker that was just about to put pen to paper is having 2nd thoughts following todays drubbin  ::)

Blimey, if you have that this quickly after the game you must be his agent!

Courtesy of ThisIs I take it? cos that sounds a lot like bollocks to me.

Players go where the money and games are... a 5-0 loss wouldn't end that. If anything it highlights their importance.

did you really believe that?!

I beleive everything and nothing, its all bollocks, life the universe and everything, football at the moment leaves me totally flat, todays proceedings have not helped that, but the petty bickering of some fans lately has really made me feel that I truly cant be bothered with football.

i dont let it get to me anymore jj.it's not important really.

I'm with you JJ.  There are so many things in the matchday thread that I could and would normally comment on, but it's just not worth it.

Everyone is a manager and a chairman.

Fair enough to moan about todays performances and decisions, but everyone turns into Mr Fucking Hindsight!

EGGSACKLY

Its only a game. The worlds still spinning, i'm still breathing, my arms are still working. Theres ultimatley much more important things in the world than how well 11 strangers do on a football field.