Thetownend.com

... in the other thread...

if you could've retained one player from last season, who would it be (apart from parkin)?

I personally think the failure to secure Henderson was the major miss-out, and in terms of contracted ones who left, I'd have Duke

Lloyd Opara! :wink:

Grant Smith - Left sided balance and a source of goals

Although we're missing Dukey - his versitilaty is needed at the moment

Brain Howard all the way!

blinkpip never fails to make me laugh... usually unintentionally.

I'd agree that missing out on Darius Henderson was unfortunate, if he'd continued in anything resembling that form for us we could have challenged for the playoffs again I feel.

Out of the players who have left, I think Robinson could do a great job for us with his energy and enthusiasm, the sort of player you need in a relegation battle.

oh - and Parkin!

Smith, his goals were vital, this season the only goals have come from up front, no one else looks likely to get double figures, I guess smiths kinda burnt his bredges though, silly boy.  Maybe turbo to add midfield steel.

On a serious note I'd have kept Duke, though if we could have guaranteed Smith's form to be as good as the 2nd half of last season he'd have been a strong contender.

I'm going to stick my neck out and say Walrus would have kept Howard.

KT - yes I would, he's thew quality we're lacking this season.  His balls into the box would have been ideal.  Also, I know Howard indirectly so I could have met a Swindon star  :D

No one from last season really sticks out as a must-keep, other than the messiah.  Perhaps Mooney could have done a job last season, but is probably a bit past it this.  I'm still convinced we need that intimate fan-player relationship Mooney and good performances help build up, as sometimes I feel the players resent us, or certain sections of the fans, when they get stick.

turbo, no question about it!

Not Robinson. I'd probably go for Heywood to be honest but none of them were that amazing.

 :shock:
Good lord,i'm all for remincising about our old players,but why are people all of a sudden coming over all misty-eyed at the thought of daisy.I must have been watching another player than the rest of you,because in my eyes he coudn't cross,tackle,defend or score goals,in fact the bloke was useless for all the time he was with us.I'm glad he's gone to warm the bench at darlington.

Player i miss, Grant Smith because he played well last season and his column in the program was great.

I'm sure you must have been watching a different game then.

OK he didn't score many, but he played as a full-back, if he played in midfield he would have been good for at least 5 goals a season.

As for crossing we don't have one midfielder now who can cross the ball as well as Duke can.  (Obviously I'm not counting Roberts as a midfielder)

Without question Matt Heywood.

Far from the complete defender but he had started to really show some of the form last season that gave so much promise early on in his Town career.

A few neutrals I managed to drag with me back in the day always singled out Heywood for praise where I perhaps had taken him for granted.

His inclusion would likely be at the expense of Ifil however it gives the side options as Ifil himself had always looked strongest alongside Heywood and O’Hanlon is more than capable of doing a very good job at right back.

As for the rest…….

Duke – Only really missing the number of assists he gave the side, overall play he’s easily covered.

Hewlett – A consistent inconsistent body in the side.  On very rare patches of form he was irreplaceable the rest of the time he was a Gonorrea swab.

Smith – Certainly miss his goals but he proved neither to be a left sided player nor a very complete central midfielder.  Can’t help but wonder now if he wasn’t somewhat a flash in the pan.

Howard – Already starting to attract praise on the LEFT at Barnsley.  Why King not only gave him the opportunity to play in the middle but then didn’t bother switching him back to the wing is a mystery.  As a central midfielder, less than Hewlett.

Igoe – 2nd choice to Heywood.  Out-of-sorts last season but given the form of a lot of the current side this season I’d rather take an out-of-sorts Igoe in the side over some of the performances seen.

Robinson – Didn’t really see enough of him last season to really warrant his inclusion.  The benefits of a tireless bustling Turbo in midfield in the current side are there to be seen and I’d quite like to see who measures up as the scruffiest man in football between him and Steve Jenkins.  Sadly to be honest a lot the time in central midfield he wasn’t much cop and it was only as a right wing back where I thought he came into his own.

Loans I agree Henderson was the biggest loss without a doubt, possibly playoffs with him in the side, who knows?

I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one KT :) .He was with us for four seasons,and in all that time he never showed any desire or improvement.As for his crossing ability,almost every time he got into a position to cross into the box,the best we could hope for was a corner.

Anyway its all in the past and nothing is going to be gained from thinking about what might have been,because he's gone to  the quakers, in spite of my non-belief in his ability i still wish the bloke luck,maybe he'll show me next season what he can do.

I think most of last years under achievers wouldn't be doing any better this term.

Heywood would be my choice I think, just for a bit of experience at the back.

I would of kept Igoe.

Lee Holmes...

Probably most of them tbh.

Igoe & Howard were coasting in my mind, with a different gaffer in charge ala Iffy they would have hopefully worked for their place and shown their potential.

Duke we miss, more assists that most realise. You dont realise what you've got untill its gone.


Cant not mention Parkin, he was Swindon for 3 years...

heywood for me, followed by an on-form Smith.

matt heywood definatly.

duke was shit & has been easily replaced by super jack smith, who is 1000 times better.

Turbo.  Quick, tackles.  Just an allround better version of Pook.

i have never laughed so much at one thread in my life.

DUKE!!!????
the bloke was a liability. Couldn't pass, tackle or cross.

the bloke i miss is Howard in his first season. He was excellent down the left for us that season.

Duke could cross - the stats do not lie!! :wall:

I miss Duke like a heavy attack of the runs after a curry night in Oxford!

Smith always looked dangerous and the most likely midfielder to score, we will never know if he could have kept it up, my feeling is yes,but he's blown it.

You're all mad!!

Dukey was the main source of my stress at Swindon games for all the time he was at the club, although admittedly this was mainly down to AK playing him at Left back when the whole world could see he was a left sided midfielder.

I miss Grant Smith most followed closely by Matt Heywood.

Thank God,i thought i was going mad,but at least 3 people agree with me that Daisy was a waste of space :beers: .

Bloody hell duke was not that bad!He was quick and yeh he did have his off games,but thats a bit like Ifil/pook any of the players really.Remember when he marked scott murray,that was ace he played well then.
I wouldnt want heywood back to be honest.Howard and Igoe yes.

But, Jack Smith is a left back.....playing at left back so of course he is going to be a better left back, seen as Duke was a midfielders playing at left back.

No Duke was a left back playing at left back.

Can we change Ben Wah Balls nickname from Andy King's #1 fan to Andy King in disguise please?

David Duke was not a fucking left back.....

He's as much a left back as anything else dv.

He certainly weren't much of a winger... after 5 seasons at LB you'd have thought he'd get better at it too.  I for one am glad he's gone.

Duke was certainly a better winger than left back.

He was always good going forward, or have I been watching something totally different?!

Yes.  He couldn't take people on or cross.

Having said that, Shakes can't cross either.  I blame the CG pitch... :wink:

Why are we so obsessed with daisy all of a sudden?I know its a forum so  for it to work we have to have things to discuss :wink:  :) .But i'm bored by the whole David Duke thing now,can't we all just except the idea that he has gone  :) and get on with thinking about Swindon now? :)

 :D

Well said Matt :)

Please for the sake of the forum can't all of us Duke lovers and haters just forgive and forget :wink: ,lets try and let our wounds heal and put daisy firmly in the past ,where he belongs[until next season when we play Darlington that is :-))( ]

you make me cringe this days  :x

for me it will have to be Grant Smith. Put in alot of effort and scored vital goals. who knows if he would have done it this season!

Duke could do both?!

He could damn well cross!

Smith definitely.

Was on top form, scoring and providing goals with the odd hard challenge thrown in for good measure.

Then went to City and ruined his "career"  :-))(