Thetownend.com

Not sure if its just me really but for the last few seasons our defence has been great for the most part NOW its the worst part of our team despite having the same players pretty much as last season. Perhaps its just me or whatever but perhaps Ady Williams is one of the root causes for our defensive woes this season, time for him to be replaced? I dont think replacing Malpas is the answer as he put out a decent team and is making substitutions at the right times, ie bringing on Marshall yesterday. I am starting to think we need a good defensive coach to give them a kick up the back side?

"Williams out!" says Gaz!

Not sure if he is the problem or not but they certainly need a hand back there.

Gazza, malpas was a international defender who amazingly seems to have appeared to make every defender worse. Aljofree has more say in our team than williams

True however is Aljofree and Williams spending time say with the defenders and Malpas working with the strikes and midfield to manufacture more goals from midfield etc???

Well if he is he is more of a cock than i thought.

Its a good shout Gazza. I thought Williams was a real Rolls Royce of a defender but it has to be said we are glaringly deficient at the back now.

I said to someone yesterday, Id take Matty Heywood back from Grimsby. Never thought Id say that.

Weve now shipped 3 at home to QPR, Colchester and Leeds. 3 out of 4 home games. Were not going anywhere with this defence.

I think we got a little carried away with our one season in a very shit Division 4.

Our defence is looking quite bad. That said, I think Aljofree had a better game yesterday and I like the way Amankwaah plays. He's quite vocal too.

The last time our defence looked proper solid was when Adie Williams was bloody playing in it.

We miss Vincent.

Did not think i would say but it appears that is true dv

Under Sturrock we had an old head who was an experienced defensive coach ( Sloop ?) and that is all he ever done was work with the defence.  I agree that our defence seems to have gone backwards, but technically this is the same back 3 out of 4 that we had last season.

You have to question what role everyone takes in training Williams, Malpas & Byrne, do they overlap with different ideas ? - it does seem that most games this season we have gifted teams goals through perhaps a lack of concentration,  but it is not as is Smith, Aljofee & Ifil are youngsters learning the ropes, there must be something that is at the route cause of this, nobody but the coaching staff and players know what happens on the training ground though.....

do the players still train at wanbrough and can you go and watch them?

Yeah they do

Although apparenty we are looking for a new training ground!

What you going to do Dan?  Go down there and try and tell Malpas how its done? :D

Well im not working and its only up the road....

nah, seriously alot of people are question what Williams/Byrne/Malpas actually do in training, well they train in the open....so if you really want to know, go and watch!!!

Fair point!  Just make sure you come and report back!

The reserves are doing well and that is Williams job, to maintain the fitness and ability of the fringe players and assist in the transition of the youth to the senior squad.

Unless Malpas has adopted the same kind of regime as Sturrock, Williams is not a defensive coach and therefore the finger can not be pointed at him - it's Malpas and Byrne that would put their hands up first for 1st team responsibility. Or am I completely wrong?

Now, our goalkeepers are not having the greatest of times... and we have a goalkeeper coach.....

thats the plan, so if anyone (JCP81762?) knows what time they train I might go have a gander....not sure if im allowed to though!

Start at 10 you can watch from ridgeway stables i wouldnt tomorow as a few will have a well earned rest

Well earned?   :eek:

I think half the reason I don't want to see MM go is because I have a horrible feeling all that would happen is Byrne and AW would take charge on a temp basis and before, if we had a proper replacement lined up who would bring his own staff in I don't think I would mind as much.

Having said that I still believe in what MM is trying to achieve on the pitch, but these stupid individual errors are really starting to grate with me, it's embarrassing, I feel like not even acknowledging Jerel when I see him in Asda tomorrow evening!

i'd rather williams wages went on a decent centre half really.

Williams is a decent centre half though!

I guess injuries mean he cant continue...but desperate times and all that!

You being serious dv?

He was also prone to the odd individual mistake, can't remember who we played when AW allowed a keepers clearance go under his foot and they scored the winner.

he was in charge that game wasnt he? when him and hunter was in charge

no not really, he was a good centre half though


Lincon when he was the gaffer!!

Lincoln!  That's it DV.  Remember being severely pissed off with him at the time.

if he wasnt thinking about making subtitutions I dont think it would have happened.

Haha barry hunter

Barry Hunter, what a c....   I never saw the point in Bazza.

No you're right, we don't have a defensive coach any more. If you listen to the podcast with Jerel and Aljofree, there's a bit in there where Jerel complains about missing having specific defensive coaching. There's also some stuff in the Malpas podcasts about how he sets about coaching and encouraging the whole team to defend/attack

well it dont fucking work does it!

Get a defence coach in then.

Hoddle did that on at least 3 occassions that I can recall.

Hoddle was also good though

Hey, Jerel slammed that ball home at Hereford. Glenn would have been proud of that.

Honestly though, its a small management team, we need help badly. You only need to look at the positive impact people like Harford and Coppell have had short term.

The management team is vastly inexperienced. They all need replacing. Fitton went on sturrocks recommendation in appointing MM and it has backfired badly.

If they are not replaced- a relegation battle beckons

 :shutup:

Nah it doesn't, another season in midtable where one minute we're worse than Oxford and the next we're better than Arsenal is quite clearly on the cards.

Sources?

You seem to paint Fitton as the messiah but Malpas as satan - you're no different than those who support Malpas... Malpas' appointment is all Fitton's work.

I support both.

I do not think Fitton is the messiah. He saved our club, lets remember that but he is also responsible for the appointment of Malpas. He hired him so he must fire him.

Oh fucking hell. This is just laughable.

Bart, do you post things like this to wind us all up?

And then do what? Bring another manager in who'll want to play the game a different way, with his own players? That costs £££ and even super rich mega clubs like ourselves are being hit hard by the state of the economy!

Malpas should be given the season, if we are really, really struggling then maybe it's time for him to go but he's got a good squad and we are capable of playing excellent football. We will batter teams this season, and we will have off games and lose. If, come May, we have not progressed I am sure Fitton will be having words.

Have faith my tediously pessimistic brother, things will work out for us soon.

Why is it laughable?

"He hired him so he must fire him" what a strange comment.  Sounds like a tag line to some shit american "movie".

**deep voiced voice over man**

The townsfolk didn't know him....  they said he had no personality.....  But one man believed....he hired him......now....he must fire him.  Blind Faith, The Maurice Malpas story, showing on the big screen outside House fo Fraser now.

Fair enough and yes you state the obvious well. However, you give the unfounded excuse that Sturrock advised our chairman. Fitton said this wasn't the case, why would he lie? He interviewed several candidates and he aced the interview.

What makes you think Fitton would, in your opinion, get it right a second time?

whether Fitton admits it to the fans or not Sturrock did have a hand in Malpas getting the job, doesnt matter a fuck what we think if Fitton thinks Malpas is still the right man for the job then he will be sticking around whether we like it or not.

Who hired Fitton?

Mike Diamandis.

Brilliant work jan. That's half my coffee sprayed across the table.

We are nailed on for relegation in exactly the same way as Hull fans should be dashing straight down to the travel agents now to book early for next season because they're currently in a UEFA Cup spot.

Well, as you know all, I might aswell stop going down that route :D but the latter point is quite right.

I'm sick to death of managers turning up and buggering off, we cannot force Fitton to get rid of Malpas at this stage. There hasn't been consistancy behind the scenes at Swindon for far too long.

I think there could be quite a lucrative follow up. "Blind Faith 2, The Right Winger Returns" for when the next little known manager is appointed.

I know this post is pointless ar Bart ignores any questions asked of him and his opinions but who would you replace him with?

He's hear for the season, it would take an Andy King style run of 8 defeats for Malpas to go. Whats the point in sacking him now? New manager comes in, new manager brings his own staff in, new manager wants his own team due to the transfer window that cant happen right away.

So we'll have to wait for ages for him to turn the set up into his....when he finally has unless he wins every game Bart will be making the same points anyway.

I beg to differ, Fwiw i would replace him with Ian holloway

 :fishing:

Surely, you're fishing?!  I'll take the bait.  Holloway was fucking clueless at Leicester and managed to do what no-one else (not even a solicitor) had ever done and got them relegated.  Holloway would be a disaster.

I'd be happy with Holloway here

I wouldn't, unless it was solely to give post match interviews of course.

There's the rub, you'll never please everyone, so why bother trying.  Fitton can get on with the job he's doing without worrying what the "majority" want, because the "majority" never fucking know what they want anyway.

There is no majority.

that was the point

I know. I just felt like Bob Holting it up.