Thetownend.com

Winger Etienne Esajas handed Swindon Town deal
     

Swindon Town sign former Sheffield Wednesday winger Etienne Esajas following a successful trial at the County Ground.
     

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14225523.stm
     

This is really good news.  Priority, obviously, has to be to keep him fit.  Another player who has played at a higher level - in this country.  He should do well.

If we can keep him fit, and one or two others pieces fall in to place as planned, I have a feeling that we may surprise a few people.  The consensus out there with many fans of other clubs is that the newly assembled Swindon squad is not going to know how to handle League 2.  The optimist in me (which was not completely crushed by the experience of last season) has a feeling that much of League 2 is going to have a job on its hands in understanding how to handle us.

Well put as usual Ardiles. Agree with all of that.

Nice to have another option for the left wing. Timlin is more steady and defensivr, Easyjet provides more attacking flair. Just the mix you want.


My squad assessment so far, which isn't very interesting and is based off one game:

Smith is Smith. Good enough, but not Peter Schmichael.

The defence looks well organised and mostly experienced. I still have a question mark with them over defending against big lumps which may be a problem at set pieces (assuming its Comazzi and Devera that start, Flint may be able to get to high balls!).

Personally I think the midfield looks good, even if we lose Ferry. Provided we can keep Ritchie that is. I have a worry as he is too good for league 2 and will yet be poached. 

Strikers are my biggest unknown - not got a clue about them. Connell looked OK against Supermarine, but collectively they didn't really get in the game enough to judge them.

So Ardiles could be right, or the rest of league 2 could be right. Erm, see this post is pointless.

Best signing of the summer for us I would say as long as he is kept fit.

Goalkeeper depends on whether Lanzano is up to it, because Smith isnt. He's passed it. Id honestly rather we gave Mark Scott a go.

Strikers, we could do with one more. Maybe a bigger man who can use his head (but no point signing a donkey if we cant get that sort of striker).

Everything else is fingers crossed. If weve got the quality then I think we'll have the work ethic and the team spirit. But we need a better keeper than Phil Smith.

Smith is a lower league 1/league 2 keeper. He will make the odd mistake but what do you expect

Neither of our keepers were of a FL standard in the second half of last season.

Very happy with this signing, squad looking virtually complete now, just another striker should do it.

i'd like to see scott given a go, but i think smith will be behind the italian fella who's name I forget

like to see a bit of will evans at some stage, too. an absolute giant of a man.

one striker to go...

the whole team was about that level in the second half of the season. Mostly due to confidence and crap managers.
He will be just fine at this level, i see him being our number 1 and if he does cock up the italian will step in

Another striker?! We have 5 now?

De Vita, Kerrouche, Bodin, Pavett and Storey? I make that 2 first team strikers and one youngster who may or may not break into the side, plus two who aren't likely to make an impression this year. We need one more.

I agree Sippo, I think Pavett and Bodin will go out on loan at some stage.

and connell but i agree with your point

Connell.

Connell, Kerouche and De Vita, two of those have no experience of english league football, so would like a bigger striker with a bit of league experience

I can't see anymore signings for now, unless we have a loan one.

I can see us getting a striker in on loan.

from the adver article de vita happy to face striking competition, 
So far, De Vita has partnered two different types of forwards in Atiku and Connell, while it is understood that Di Canio is determined to bring a big centre-forward to the club.

Sky Sports News have just reported that Rotherham have just turned down a bid for Adam Le Fondre - can't be him though can it as he's a bit of a pee wee? Doesn't quite fit the whole 'big striker' tag - unless they mean big not in the physical sense!

It was from Scunthorpe or Carlisle apparently.

Ah, quite! It's so easy to lose track!!

I still think Di Canio's right to be going after somebody else though, for that extra option.

I understood le Fodre was a northern boy and had no interest in moving South.  Not sure where I heard this, so treat it in the usual TEF way.

I 'll guess we won't be able to afford Le Fondre, nor would he wish to make a sideways move if we could.

MysticMeg.

Soft northerners! They need to 'man up' and get their coal stained, working class, whippet loving, wife beating arses down south,  this is where its at.... He can experience queues at museums and art galleries rather than at the local dole office ;)

That's far too polite for the usual TEF way! (But thanks).

Need to forget about Pavett. Last season he had the best chance he'll ever get (just Dossevi fit) and he didnt even make matchday squads.

Give him a chance.

He was only here 2 minutes and i dont think the plan was for him ever to have any impact last season.  Bodin was always going to be ahead of him in the pecking order.

That was the plan for Charlie Austin as well, but the talent shone through very quickly.

Bodin needs to go out on loan and play regularly for a Conference side.

I don't expect to see much from Pavett if I'm honest. He hasn't even played that much in pre-season. He should probably get a chance at Cirencester.

Connell, Da Vita, Kerrouche and Bodin are all ahead of him. If Bodin goes out on loan then I would guess that even then a loanee would come in as the '4th forward'.

Pavett was signed purely as a publicity stunt. Seems like a bit of a waste of time and money having him around.

As Spencer said, if he was up to it he'd have got a look in towards the end of last season.

Very much doubt he'll ever make a league appearance for us.

Exactly how i see it,looks an exiting player and i will be interested to see how he does.

But Samsung pick up his wages. So really it does us no harm at all.

Isn't there a stat that wages actually make up a small part of the total cost of hiring and employing someone?

Correct,remember all these imports will be in hotels or houses paid for by the club,so all that has to be in to the reckoning when it looks like we have got them for free.

A made up one perhaps.

Come to think of it, I think I heard it on the office, so you may be right