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Foderingham to stay but Roberts and Ward are on their way
           
           


  WES Foderingham is expected to put pen to paper on a new contract with Swindon Town on Monday after verbally agreeing to an extended stay at the County Ground yesterday evening.

           

http://www.thisisswindontownfc.co.uk/news/headlines/10502164.Foderingham_to_stay_but_Roberts_and_Ward_are_on_their_way/?ref=rss
           
           
           

DOOOOOOM

Roberts meh but I'm sorry to see Ward go....solid player and having met him....a fucking quality bloke too.

Anyway....hope he's shit when we play em next season.

Wad is the calmest player I have ever seen on the pitch

Shame about Ward, thought he would be captain next season for us.

So relegation is what the new board want then.

If/when Ward does go - that leaves only Foderingham and Williams who started the second leg at Brentford...

...and possibly Adam Rooney if he plays for us anymore?!?

Ward is old, past it, too slow, gives away silly free kicks on the edge of the box, easily replaceable, we wont miss him, sell him to one of our rivals, who cares - they wont do anything this season. Heard that before!!! Brentford to win the league!

Is this whats happening though? If we release him from his contract I will be pissed but what fee could we expect from a 34 yr old?

fuckssake

Ward? WARD? Aargh!

No, thats not what is happening - thats what all the happy clappers told me a few years back when we sold Greer to Brighton. I disagreed vehemently at the time.

Oh yeah, I think I remember you mentioning it now :)

Once or twice

Maybe a third time but that was about it.

Let it go, DV  :)

Ward is a superb defender and an experienced head. Even with all these players going I thought we would keep him and he would be the leader next season. Big signing for Brentford, him and Dean would be an excellent partnership at the back.

People can dress it up how they want, but these are worrying times.

Ward is the one I am gutted about if I am honest. I can understand why he wants to leave though because let’s face it he is 34 and will not ever get offered a two year deal again is he so his agent has worked wonders here.

Massively important  we replace him now

If players want to leave and their contract gets terminated do they get paid off?

Surely if they want to leave they have broken the contract?

Nope they won't and they are entitled to a nice signing on fee at the new club,like Roberts will be

As Meatloaf said 2 out of 3 aint bad - shame about ward. Now if we can move on Navarro, McEveley and Williams we can start again.

Disappointed to say the least but I'd rather we got rid of anyone who doesn't want to play for the club.

If Brentford want Ward, can we have that Harlee fella? I thought he looked good. I doubt that will happen, but I'm intrigued who will turn up for training on Monday!

I think we have an interesting couple of weeks ahead.

Waiting to hear about what's happening with Williams and Collins next. End of last season I thought Williams played like Paynter when he had his Leeds future assured. Collins, however, looked to be playing for something. And isn't it interesting that we haven't heard anything about Adam Rooney recently.

It's all doom and gloom!!  Surely there will be some more good news soon, anybody got any rumours? Not the Messi one again though . .  .please!  Come on Dean, you are in the know, just tell us there will be a few new players training on Monday!!

I completely understand why fans are getting a little twitchy at the moment and I certainly had Ward down as our captain for the upcoming season. However, I'm quite excited about this squad rebuild. Sure, it may result in doom but it may not. We shall see.

New squad, new era, new ethos and it will be Kevin MacDonald's Swindon Town and he will be judged on it.

Good luck to him.

Excellent post Rich.  I say excellent post because it totally agrees with the way I'm feeling about it so it must be 100% correct.

Good post. Half the fun for me is the uncertainty.

Good post. Half the fun for me is the uncertainty.

KMac/Jed will certainly need to get a wiggle on now with transfers in.

The traditional first day of training pictures in the adver will have a lot of wide open spaces as things stand.

Have a few trialists mate but new signings will be here by the following week

Would have liked to keep Ward, would surely have been captain for us this upcoming season! Doesn't sound like he wants to do the rebuild bit and it's been stated numerous times on here he dropped a level to get back up a level pretty much straight away. Big player lost when he goes!

I am genuinely looking forward to the new season and beyond. Liking the new mantra of the playing side and feel that there will be no one better to complete this than Kevin MacDonald. Sure it may take a few years for it to work, but a slow build to promotion is much better than shit or bust.

I agree with much of whats said here, if any player no matter who it is doesn't want to play for Swindon then fuck off, we don't want passengers in the team.

Kmac should be judged on his own team by signing the players he wants and that appears to be the way it is panning out.

None of the players that have left are irreplaceable at all, but that does mean that we need to replace them, and I am sure that Kmac will bring in suitable players in time, yes it would appear that we have no squad but players arent even released from their contracts officially until 1st July and I am sure that we have several targets lined up.

Who knows what this season will bring, it could be good it could be bad we will find out soon enough but I do hope Kmac is given enough time by the fans, many of whom seem to be wanting blood and have done since the chosen one left us and I feel will not be pleased by anything other than winning every game and winning the League 1 Championship. Actually many fans seem to be convinced we will get relegated it would appear.

I will be quite happy with a mid table season with a good cup run and beating shitty at Trashton Gate and the County Ground.

Kmac really has the chance to prove himself as a decent manager this coming season and I hope he does so. To get a top 6 finish with the mass exodus we have seen would be a great achievement.

My fear is a stuttering start with fans turning on him early doors. Jed expects a title charge, so I expect quite a few fans will too. Personally after losing out last season I would see anything other than a good effort at finishing in the top 6 disappointing.

Am I looking forward to the new season? No. But a few signings would soon change that to a yes.

Good post which I agreed with untill the last part.

The day I am 'quite happy' with a midtable season in League 1 is the day I stop bothering with football.

Why would anyone expect a title challenge following this summer?

We had our chance at promotion and a spectacular sequences of events saw us blow it. This season will be about rebuilding and starting again and not going for bust chasing a promised land that realistically promises fuck all

Town fans are notoriously impatient (perhaps football fans all over!) so my worry is that we will see signs of a new spring dawning, a few results go against us, fans are clamouring for the manager's head and Jed throws his toys out of the pram and sells us to somebody like Diamandis, and the hard work will be lost.  I would love to see us challenging next season, but a decent season with a few youngsters in the side would be a mid-table finish ready for a push the following season.  I just wish Jed had come out and told us the real position, financially, as he is left to sort out the mess left by le god, Jeremy Wray.  That way we would know a bit more what to expect.  Waiting for a pm Dean, give us a clue!!

With the chairman regularly stating on Twitter that he thinks we will be challenging then some fans are going to expect it, no matter how unrealistic it may be.

Last season we were expected to do well.  A dark horse for promotion.  Lets face it, this season we are more Walsall.  Could get caught up in relegation dogfight, more likely be mid table mediocrity but who know (we certainly dont, especially as we'll have almost a completely new squad.  Possibly) maybe there will be moments when we surprise ourselves and look like challenging for 6th place. 

We haven't a fucking clue at the moment have we.  That's what makes it exciting. 

I'd personally take a season of mid table mediocrity next season.  It was never going to be easy to cut the playing budget in half, will be interesting to see who else leaves and what we get in.  If we don't replace some of the experience thats moved on we could be in big trouble.

They turned on him when he lost his first game as a manager here. Some fans are fucking thick like that.

Collins will be next to go i reckon. Obvious from January he didnt want to fucking be here.

Do you really believe that KMac, has and will be making these decisions?  I'd say this is an important statement from KMac.....

Given the expected influx of young players I would have thought Ward was just the kind of player we needed.  

Quite understand the need to restructure financially - just difficult for those of us on the outside to appreciate the specific financial imperatives.  STFC will need some quality and experience and if it is already here at a reasonable price, why look to change everything?  

I think the "signals" being given out by the club won't be especially helpful in attracting two or three key quality players.  Not envious of KMacs position as he will indeed take the blame if the results go against him.

Excited and pessimistic at the same time!

I would have thought that KMac would coach what players he has been given. I've seen nothing to suggest he's in charge of player movements in or out. I thought Lee Power was doing that.
If someone told me we'd finish half way next season I'd snatch their hands off. 

Morshead said the other day that Collins won't be going. He fits in with the new philosophy to be fair and could fetch a larger fee in a year or so time.

Said fans should attempt to engage their own brains. Hopefully it won't prove too painful for them.

No but I believe that Kmac has given certain targets to Jed to secure the signing of but I also feel a middle man could well be considered by the club, something like the Joe Kinnear role at Newcastle a DoF type role (but done in a better way obviously and not with a person hated by the fans), as long as its done with Kmacs backing then it could work well.

Our one venture at this previously failed I know when Andy King refused to work with Mel Machin but football has changed a lot since then.

So you are saying Jed is talking a load of shite ;)

Absolutely. Not that he has much choice.

Damn! I wasn't expecting that answer..

He must be staying then.

Good news Ronnie,the Ladies have a new manager

Chang in "ironic post" shocker!

The oracle has spoken. The pot calling the kettle black.

Surely if Ward is meeting with Brentford then we have agreed a fee for him otherwise he wouldn't be allowed to talk to them. If he has talked to them without the clubs consent then they will be breaking the leagues rules. With all of the players that have been allowed to leave then we must have cut the wage bill by at least 60-70%
 

Unless it has been agreed to "release" him a la Roberts?

Great news, is it DRS as new manager?

3 years? They must be fucking insane!!

Sam Morshead ‏@SamMorshead_SA 5m

Roberts gets a three-year deal at the Proact Stadium - as reported by the Adver this morning.

Can't believe he is dropping down to league two, surely could have got a decent league one team.  Still only 29.

He's shit and his legs have gone. They've got to hope he shows a lot more appetite than he had here. His agent has done a cracking job.

Good luck to Roberts, He did alright despite some abuse from our fans. I actually enjoyed watching him.

Ward, top man. Probably the man I wanted to stay the most.
Hope we at least bring in one or two older heads, will make me feel more confident.

The players that been moved out have shown a lot respect (apart from Flint) none have moaned or behaved badly towards us despite being pushed. Good luck to them, not their fault they got given more money than they should.

His agent must have spiked some drinks up in Chesterfield

Wasn't a Roberts fan.  I think wingers should have pace and he didnt have any.  Any decent full back should just send him out wide.  Not many good games from him in a town shirt.  At home he tried hard but didnt show the quality he supposedly had.

Ward will be a loss and unlike Greer we must replace like for like.  A experianced CB who will organise those around him.  Matt Taylor who we wanted when Greer went is on a free and if as good as he was would fit the bill , well if we can afford the bill of course.

Next week will hopefully start to see some incomings.  Players back in training with trialists joining them.  So hopefully will be some faces on the official site of the players running that we dont recognise.

Hope A Rooney isnt coming back personally.  Would like to see a target man type striker come in as felt we didnt hold the ball up that well last year.  Williams can bugger off any place he likes.

3 years for Roberts, 4 years for Flint - those are bizarely long contracts for lower league players. Even more so with Roberts, at least Flint has years ahead of him and could maybe be sold on if he improves enough.

Dont have the same hatred for Roberts most do, surprised he's only 29 though!

Like with most of the outgoing players, we'll see who we replace him with first...

Roberts on a 3 year deal has the potential to be a Whalley-esque Albatross. Perhaps he just had a bad season but it did look like his legs were going for us.

With the formation that our manager prefers I would imagine out and out wingers are not a must

If Byrne is coming in where are we going to play him ?  He isnt as good as Nathan Thompson.  If Bircham from spurs is coming in he looks like he can use both feet but would maybe battle with Jay at left back if Jay is staying.  If we not playing with wingers and going with 3 in midfiled then Byrne doesnt fit in does he ?  No saying hes rubbish by any stretch, but kinda looks like a squad player who covers various positions if needed.

What about down and out wingers?We seem to get a few of them.

Unless KMac plans to play a narrow diamond midfield then I cant think why we wouldnt need wingers?

Even if we play 451 all of next season - your wingers have to make up the attacking options and are pretty vital to the system. They might not be out and out wingers but we'll still need them imo.

Unless, we play a proper 433 with 3 strikers upfront, so Williams and Storey either side of Collins?

at present im thinking

Wes
N. Thompson-----New CB-----New CB -----Jay/Bircham ( if he is coming )
New Right wing----Luongo (if coming)--- New CM------ New left wing
Collins-----New striker


Thats a bit scary thinking that through

Surely there's someone out there willing to give McEvely a 3 year deal?

Surely a good manager can and will change a formation Dean.....if you have a quality wide man on your books then in my opinion the formation is changed to accomodate him.....saying that i feel previous managers over did it a bit...exspecially with Ritchie when at times it seemed that he was the only player on the pitch...other teams got wise to it.
Going to be interesting with K Mac....for all the support he is getting from the fans a few bad results will have the fans fretting....funds or no funds.

This ^^^^

Glad to see the back of Roberts but am gutted to be losing Ward
All very well playing youth but you need a few experienced heads around them and IMO Ward would have been ideal for that

Looks to me that kmac is building a young team for the long haul, any targets that have been mentioned are all on the young side.
Patience is something very few football fans have whatever the club. Esp if home form is bad.

Time will tell but I for one am not looking forward to or expecting much from next season which is a massive negative after the last couple of seasons

So you're happy with Power being this man...even though as far as we know he hasn't passed the FaPP requirement?

I see no reason why he won't

No I never mentioned Power....you did. I feel it will be someone from outside the club.

And anyway to be a Director of Football you do not have to pass a FaPP anyway.

Do we know why it seems to be taking so long, or is this the norm?  It seems ages ago that his name came into the frame?

For all we know, we might be reliant on him coming officially on board before we can bring any players in?

This

So much this

And potentially two years for Ward,  there's some good agenting going on here!  Do we know who Spencer represents at the club these days?

Probably all of the players who have left - it's Paolo's final act

Ward to Brentford = Greer to Brighton. I'm betting on Brentford to go up and us to go down.

I might have some of that too.  Any idea what sort of odds you would get?  I don't really understand gambling odds.

It's always this. We'll soon see what the board are made of with regard to players coming in.

Brentford are best priced 4/1 to get promoted either auto or via play offs

STFC are best priced 15/2 to get relegated

You mean like Matt 'Lightning Bolt' Ritchie?

More like Alan 'fucking shit' O'Brien.

So a bit better than 40/1 for the combination, assuming those odds are from the same bookie.

Gotta be worth a quid then?

I love you.

What about down and out wingers?We seem to get a few of them.


 :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick: