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Not actually set the Swindon on fire, have they?

PDC was a bit trigger happy in the transfer market during the summer, wasn't he...

 :sherlock:

We certainly have a large squad. I'm a bit worried the board are going for shit or bust this season.

Meh, we'll go up via the playoffs.

We're only 2 months in. Give them until January at least.

did you copy & paste that from a thread last season ;D

And Di Canio has put his hands up and said some aren't as good as he thought.

Yeah Paolo's a cunt what a fucking twat he is, all that money on that shit. He should have stuck with the huge squad we already had.

On one hand most of them haven't played enough football to be judged properly

On the other hand you have to wonder why most of them haven't played enough football to be judged properly.

Pah, we got relegated last season with the bulk of the squad that got us within one win of promotion the year before. It was always going to be a case that these players would fuck off as soon as they could citing "Division 3 Playoff Finalist" on their CV's. 

Where the fuck does the club go from there? You sack the manager who got you to the playoffs (rightly in the end) and break up the squad for various reasons, but mostly because of the "playoff finalist" caveat mentioned.

We're in Division 4. We have an untried, rookie manager. We have to rebuild the squad. We were always going to go back to the days where we picked up a load of freebies (They're free for a reason) ala the King era and have transer budget of £70k for the odd Jerel Ifil etc etc.

The difference being this year of course that that manager has a name. The board are backing him with more than a £70k budget. The media are interested.

I belive PDC learns from every game and I came into this season HOPING for the title (as under Wise/Sturrock) but despite the inconsistent start to the season, I belive that we will be in the playoff/automatic promotion places come the end of the season and, there will be a part to play somewhere along the line for these players that have been mentioned. 

PDC is football to the very core of his being and, as with a decent pint of the black stuff, the best things come to those who wait.

This.

They all play for Swindon Town.

What do I win?

define 'play'.

They collect gold from Swindon Town in return for their services, should they be required.

As an aside, anyone know why a few of our players have '61 plate Mercs?  Are we sponsored by Mercedes or sumat?!

I belive PDC learns from every game and I came into this season HOPING for the title (as under Wise/Sturrock) but despite the inconsistent start to the season, I belive that we will be in the playoff/automatic promotion places come the end of the season and, there will be a part to play somewhere along the line for these players that have been mentioned.  

Did i miss a title winning season.?

[/quote]

I think he meant he went into that season hoping for the title, same as this season.

I still think we should be aiming for top spot. Our team is as good as, if not better than anything in this league.

Need to sort the away form out asap.

Although 6 defeats already is worry - we can probably only afford to lose 2 or 3 more if we want to win the league.

This.

Agreed about the autos. But I did wonder about the playoffs if those spots are out of reach.

Stevenage lost 13 and made the playoffs last season. That was the most losses in the top 7.

But importantly they drew 15. Clearly we need to improve, but even on current form we'd hit 62-63 points which is just 5 shy of the playoffs last year. It wouldn't take much to move is into contention, its finely balanced.

Indeed, probably about time I got my statto on...

Last years 7th place total of 68 points was the 2nd lowest in the last 10 seasons in L2!

 Div 4 is the easiest league to get out of, but as things stand we don't look like a top 3 side.

You just can't keep getting beat away, when playing reasonably well and having generally favourable conditions....sooner or later we'll start being poor away and the the weather will turn grim.

Starting from Saturday we need something like a 10-12  game unbeaten run to put us into contention. Can't really see a case for it happening, we've some useful players here and there, and bits work as units, but we've too many weak links, in key positions.

There doesn't seem to be a stand out team, but there are one or two who can grind results....O*frod being the best example of this.

I pretty much agree with all those points, maybe except for the weather turning as I think pitches are in the main vastly better than they were a few years back and most grounds have a good surface for playing passing football on.....there are of course a few exceptions to that.

But this is the easiest division to get out of, it has to be because its the lowest level of league football.

That doesnt mean that we will find it easy to get out of this division, but having watched the highlights of the macc lads game then I feel on another day we could have easily had 4 or 5 goals and thrashed them.

It's the easiest because 4 go up, and 7th is a PO place and can be achieved by a fairly modest haul of points....the pattern of away defeats is what is concerning, namely that we play well first half miss some chances then go behind due to error and can't find a way back.  Not a recipe for success.

If I could guarantee us winning in the playoff finals then I would love to dump oxford into league 2 for another year by beating them at wembly, those bobble Austin shirts took the p1ss. Howwever it seems a common theme at the moment that we basically batter teams but are not scorring the goals and we get caught against the run of play. Hopefully PDC will stop tinkering and leave a winning squad unchanged.

We should be using the Tin Pot Trophy tomorrow night to give these guys some game time.

Gabilondo certainly looked very useful when I've watched him. Even if he's just used as an impact sub to make something happen in a game like Macclesfield, surely he has to be worth a place on the bench?!

I've never known players to be purchased, played a few games, then completely disappeared from the face of the earth like some of PDC's acquisitions have!

Hang on Welsh,not having a go bud but most people are slating PDC for changing the team to much!
Fact is all these players will get a chance,we are only 11 matches in and the Cups to come...the main reason for these players not playing i think is there level of fitness,if it isn't as Paolo wants it they have no chance of playing.

slating him for changing the team in the league

no one gives a fuck about the piss poor paint pot, might as well rest some players and give some others a go.

So many away defeats is concerning, there is no way of doubting that. But I do think that we will get a break and win several on the bounce away from home, when the luck is going your way it really does go your way, at the moment it isnt but these things average out over a season normally.

And we are playing quite well in at least 1 half of games and if that clicks then we will start storming matches IMO.

We are very close to having a good side, but for me the defence and the keeping situation is a concern, with Smith injured relying on Lanzano scares the crap put of me.

Arent there specific rules about playing a certain amount of players in this cup that played the previous 1st team match? isn't it at least 6 players that played in the previous game or something like that because that may limit his amount of choices for playing squad players such as these players mentioned above?

T*dd's short lived reign had something similar.....a major rebuild after a relegation and lots of new players taken in bulk from an agent. Players like Cobian, Heiselberg, Martin Williams, Robertson....of course with a scatter gun approach to signings, you can get the odd decent player, so Invincible and O'Halloran fell into that bracket. 

Exactly,that is my point but Welsh made the point that players had disapeared without trace :hmmm:...yet as i am pointing out people are saying the team has been changed to much :hmmm:

Can't have it both ways can you.

You can't. But it is surprising they haven't made the bench (Comazzi aside).

Esajas has been given ample opportunity as has Risser,,so that leaves three, two of whom have played matches,only Atiku has not featured.
Fact is all the players have been given a chance...Bodin and Storey,Thompson......even the young keeper has been benched.
Saying that he hasn't given certain players a chance......i couldn't disagree more.

I would like to see esajas, gabilondo and flint devera get a start tomorow nite.

Being one of the 200 or Town fans that will make the game tomorrow I hope he gives at least Flint a start with Devera, Easyjet and Gabilondo on each wing resting Ritchie, unless he Ritchie is desperate to play then I would start with Ritchie, maybe in the hole behind a lone striker.

Mix it up a bit but not too much, I would like to see one of the young lads to start in goal, Scott if hes fit again.

Esejas - 2 starts , 3 sub appearances
Gabilondo - 3 starts, 1 sub appearances.
Risser - 4 starts, 3 sub appearanes.

I wouldn't call that ample, though Risser has come up a bit short in most of his games so I think you have a point there. But it confuses me as to why Esejas and Gabi haven't made the bench when we have 2 strikers sitting there. They didn't look out their depth the few times I've seen them.

Batch we have played 11 games,dont want to labour on a trivial point but no one can say that Di Canio hasn't gave the squad a chance....on the contrary he has probably used the squad to much for most peoples liking,he cant win can he?
If the fringe players come in tommorow and they win 6-0 does he change the team for Saturday?
He said every player will be given a chance and they will be,he has been fair even dropping Ferry and Connell to give others a go....yes he hasn't found his best team yet but to suggest that he hasn't gave players a chance is wrong in my opinion.

There is and its changed some what - they tried explaining it on the radio but it wasnt clear.

As I said in the maccs match day thread - 3 points in each game either side of the piss poor paint pot (wont happen now maccs is done obviously) is worth more to us than the fine we'd get (I think)

Promotion, nothing else matters.


Surely, in this case you can?

The team is being changed alot but there are still alot of players who arent making the squad


Made even more bizarre by the fact that Gabilondo has put in some decent performances, even if the others havent!


He certainly hasnt given all his players a fair chance in competitive games.

On a slightly related note - what with no reserve league this season, have we had (m)any reserve games so far for the players left out to even get any sort of game time?

But most were complaining that he changed a winning team v Macc.....so what does he do?

not change a winning team

change a losing team

pick the fringe players for the pointless cup games

Pointless Cup games...we are not fucking Man Utd...in case you havn't noticed Exeter play to a better standard than us and if you think Paolo will be seeing this as pointless game and RESTING players i think your in for a shock.
Fact is like it or not the Gabilandos and the Esajas have been injured a lot and that is the reason they havnt played as much.....no one can say any players havn't been given the chance...all of the squad have been used and we better get used to changes in the team and that is good.
Unlike other managers he will not have his favourites and will not settle for mediocre performances...he wont think we have fringe players....lge 2 teams dont have fringe players.

It is a pointless cup game.

We want promotion, do we not? if we were even a tenth as good as Man Utd we wouldnt even have to enter this competition. The fact that Exeter player at a better standard is exactly the reason why promotion should be our only aim.

Has Gabilondo been injured?

Not all of the squad has had a chance. I can say it and I have. Reasons for them not getting a chance may vary from case to case but the fact is you cant judge most of these players on the limited football they have played. No way will I accept that 5 or less games is enough of a chance for any player to prove to us his worth or lack there of.

Our squad is pretty big - we definitely have fringe players.

Yeah,you carry on thinking that DV,as i said the man that matters wont,he will see all his players as important as each other....no one is saying that the players are being judged on less than three games but you contradict yourself...ie dont change a winning team?..how do these players get in then if you are the manager if we win six on the trot.

Answer is they wont if you had your way,god forbid if we go ten on the trot :D hence the contradiction,course promotion is our aim but the win at Bristol City shows that these matches are good for confidence and not pointless.
The facts are this, win or lose the team will be changed and the players who are up for debate on this thread have all been used,in fact one was even made captain,some might say his displays along with Esajas's not to brilliant cameos are the reason others have been prefered.
The Gabilondo situation is unclear but i am not going to argue the toss over one player DV.

You've said the players have had a fair chance, so surely you must be judging the likes of Risser and co on the little football they have played?

I havent contradicted myself - I wouldnt change a winning team, so no the players in question wouldnt get in. I'd never change a winning team unless I had to.

We arent a consistently winning team though and for every good result we get (at home) we get an equally piss poor one (away)

it's been a while since we had a DV-leefer clash  :)

We'll have to agree to disagree.

Following the termination of Ibrahim Atiku's contract we've published a short peice reflecting on his brief stay in Swindon:

Ibrahim Atikwho: Goodbye to Swindon's new Misun man - http://thewashbag.com/2011/11/03/ibrahim-atikwho-goodbye-to-swindon%e2%80%99s-new-misun-man/

We've also now got a response from Atiku's agent, who seems quite handy at making YouTube videos of his clients...

I wonder where Atiku will end up next in his world tour...

Swindon->Sweden...Read he was heading back there to try and get a contract. Can't remember where I read it (Washbag or Adver probably!).

Like the article, and the agent is right - he could have stayed for 2 years and picked up his wage. Though he must have got a worthwhile payment anyway.

Good luck to him.