Thetownend.com

First half - yes played very well and created a number of good chances.
Half time - Williams does his usual motivational team talk
Second half - We don't turn up and the less said about the substitutions the better.

People will do well to remember it was Oldham we were playing for fuck sake. If the crowd were satisfied with a 0-0 draw with them after such a shit second half then we really are doomed as a club

Wouldn't argue with that!!   Williams team talks must be even more boring than what he says on the radio!

Oldham have won 3 of their last 4 league games, before today...

Yeah an in form Oldham who looked happy to take a point and mostly relied on a longer ball to their strong front men. And it worked. I'd be delighted with that and the run they're on.

2 points dropped.

 When you've been a desperately poor as we have recently, then you have to regard a point as a positive. It also banished the most defeats in a row prospect.  Still on for the lowest ever leading goalscorer for a season and no player scoring at least a brace. I'd hazard a guess that this might be the least goals we've ever scored after 33 games in Div 3.

A point at home to Oldham is a positive result?! Fuck me some of our fans are happy to accept and actually applaud this. How bad have things got for this to be a positive result!

Things have got very fucking bad, haven't you been paying attention?

Its a positive step in comparison with recent dogshit.

We all know its too, little too late. Resigned to relegation. Was after Bury and Nothampton.

Two more of them and that will equal a win #davidbrentwilliams

Im resigned to relegation too which is why it is so much more frustrating that some people are happy to accept this 'positive' result. God help us if Forest Green get promoted and were all happy with a 0-0 with them

I'm not sure if you realise, but this season we're looking at historic levels of ineptitude. We've been in Div 3 for 66 seasons, this one rivals 55/56....generally regarded as perhaps our worst ever season....having to apply for re-election. 

That season after 33 games we'd only scored 27 goals, which is the only season worse than this.  10/11 might be regarded as more disappointing, but we had some decent players, just not playing.....nevertheless they'd scored 40 odd by 33 games.

A really positive display today. Ince was outstanding, overall some very good crisp passing, just couldn't score. Gave me some hope for the remaining games though. Realise we look favourites for the drop but won't lose hope just yet as today was much better. Need positive results in the next 3 games though.

Port Vale and Gillingham have gone to bollocks. Chesterfield and Cov will be down there.  Bury and Oldham could go either way. Means nothing unless we start winning of course but we're not certs for the drop just yet.
Trying to keep the faith but admittedly it's looking more inevitable by the week.

Oh but today was a positive result - it's a third of a win, don't you know? #theanaesthetist

I thought we played well cos we did. Excuse me for that revelation.

Yes, it might not have been for 90 minutes and yes we missed so many chances, but what a lot of people have been clamouring for lately seems to be some form of effort/attacking intent and we saw that today. We are hardly likely to start playing like the best team in the division now, are we?

Oh, and anyone who boos their own team during the game is a prick anyway.

Don't tell me, you were one of those booing the Ince sub, weren't you? Williams justifiably gets a lot of stick, especially recently, but for once that one had a bit of logic to it at least. Ince was dead on his feet, giving fouls away for fun and on a yellow.

No one was satisfied with a draw, every man and his dog knew we needed a win. Even so, it was a better 90 minutes from town than we've seen lately. Yes the second half was a bit shit compared to the first, but at least we didn't capitulate for a change, still made chances and had a team that kept going 'till the whistle. Everyone knows we're essentially fucked, but shouting and screaming at the players after a draw is going to achieve the square route of fuck all at this moment in time. The time for abusing our own players has been and gone (I got most of it out of my system during the Pox match).

Whilst there's still a fair few matches to play until we're confirmed as down yet, you have to take what positives you can from the performance. We all know that if this is the signs of the "green shoots of recovery", we could have done with it a few fucking weeks ago, but I'd rather it now, than in the last 5 games of the season.

Just because some of us chose to give the team a bit of a clap for their efforts today, doesn't fucking mean we're all clapping seals blindly being led over the cliff to relegation. Some of us are capable of seeing the grey area between shit and sensational.

Yeah but we're Swindon, we shouldn't lose to anyone that hasn't won the Champions league at least twice ;)

We played better, against a pretty poor team who'd come for a draw when we needed a win. Not 1/3 of a win in Williams-nonsense speak. Excuse me if I'm not doing cartwheels.

Generally agree, but for once, and against all my usual principles, I joined in the chants of "You don't know what you're doing" when Williams took Ince and Obika off. It was aimed at the "manager", not the team, but you're right it doesn't help the team so I probably shouldn't have done. But in my defence, and that of others who joined in the chant, we did not have nearly so negative an effect on the team as whatever the anaesthetist says to them at half time. Every fucking week.

EDIT: And to counter that I also joined in clapping the players at the end, they did at least put a shift in and deserve credit for that

Was a draw good enough, nope we needed to win.

The difference between today and previous games is that at least we created some chances, the problem is we didn't take them.

This.

What I was eluding to was that 'playing better' as you say is the best we could have done. We weren't going to become world beaters over night.

I'd join anyone in questioning some of Williams' decisions / ability to motivate, but one thing that doesn't motivate is booing. Ince looked on his arse to me at that stage anyway, but even if he hadn't, the negative atmosphere around the ground is hardly going to inspire the players. It does exactly the opposite.

And who is to blame for that!?

Tough shit.

No i didn't boo the Ince substitution. I completely understood the need to be careful once he was on a yellow as he had ran his socks off. The fact he brought on a centre back to play in midfield when you genuinely have midfielders on the bench I do have issue with. The Obika sub I did not agree with and could not understand why we didn't gamble with the 3 up front.

If or when we go down would everyone be happy to play some of our own young players (Smith, Young etc) in preparation for next season?

I would have played Smith and young ages ago. Couldn't do any worse.

Keeping Ince and Obika on was worth the risk to me. We needed to win.

Gladwin was blowing out his arse as much as Ince and Boo was shocking defending and spent going forward.

Ditto.

I'd imagine that Power thinks he can get a few bob for Young, so probably would prefer not to expose him to injury or reverse turd polishing by Luke.

We just need to see this season out, preferably not getting any unwanted shitness records, and then as fans get a well deserved break. Don't think much that happens this season will impact on next as so few of the players will be here.

Next season will be same shit different venues with captain powers bargain basement mismatches and loanees managed by as you say a reverse turd polisher

Oh I agree, it's pointless and self-defeating, I know that. But as "things that demoralise the players" go, I'd suggest the main problem there is in the dugout not the stands

There's part of me thinks this whole sorry experience will almost have been worth it for the sheer glory of that phrase - "reverse turd polisher". Reg, chalkie, I salute you both

All regs work. I'm just an early adopter.

Although it was two points dropped I was far happier with the overall performance than the dire games witnessed recently. Apart from our finishing, which was diabolical, the overall performance against a side who have turned the corner recently was
far better balanced having Ince in the side and the Obika/Ajose partnership will come good of that I am sure. Not so sure about playing both Barry and BOO from the start when they have both been missing for weeks and this points to the problems we have seen all season from Williams team selections. Feel there is something to build on at last.

Yes we did play well and evidenced by the reception at the end.

Didn't have a problem with the subs either if end result helps both to play injure free for rest of the season.

Have a feeling that this will go to final game.

We can do this.

The performance is a positive step even if the result wasn't what we needed. Hopefully they can build on this and get 3 points in the next game.

We need to support the players on the pitch if we are going to have any chance whatsoever.

2nd half Oldham stick a man on Ince.

People are happy with the performance, the effort and determination on display from start to finish, not the result.

Ince and Obika - both played bugger all football this year and Brophy is known for having breathing difficulties.

good effort today, you could see how upset they were that we didn't win, subs were fine. If you don't like it, don't go, easy innit?

All you can ask is the players try their hardest. In previous matches it has appeared that they haven't.

It sounds like today we upped the effort and the fans responded. It's a good start, hopefully I'll see a similar effort at the Ricoh next week.

We all know we played Oldham. We also know how poor we have been playing.

For weeks (even months) people have moaning about the lack of effort. Now we put in the effort you are still complaining.

No doubt if we won 1-0 you would have complained about not scoring enough.



Sent from my SM-G935F

Compared to most of this season yesterday was a good performance, if not a good result. Ince looks like the type of player everyone (apart from Power, Williams and Tactics Tim) has been crying out for.

I doubt we'll stay up and look to be one of the favourites now for relegation, but there's still a lot of points to play for and until it's mathematically impossible there's still hope. Faint, but still there....

I had all but given up and now I'm pretty pissed off at myself for thinking that way. It's the middle of February and there's only 4 points in it.
I've been going to every game hoping that this is the one where we start to turn it around, I hope yesterday was it. I have to believe it was otherwise what's the point in turning up every week?

Sent from my SM-G930F

Nine points from the next 3 games would change the complexion a little.
Seven points from the next 3 games would give us a chance.
5 points from the next 3 games would result in us needing a lot of favours from others
3 points or less from the next 3 games and we're doomed.

Interesting age distribution chart in league 1 teams posted on the FB site.

Not anything we didn't know, but its a good comparison with other teams..

And ours looks like a little red bird.

Interesting to see those Stats, Batch

The bottom 3 in the League happen to have the youngest, 2nd youngest and 5th youngest squads and (subject to the cases of Posh and Pox) that does indicate for me that there may be certain risk factors associated with squads well below the average age of a little over 26.

That is not to say that the older the average age of squad the more successful, otherwise some of us on here might do better than the present squad, with Reg replacing Nathan as skipper.

Come to think of it......

yeah, it's just massively more risky IMO.

not really a rocket science statement. Spending more money on proven quality derisks things. proven players are generally older than 23.

that's not too say there are any guarantees either way. I just know which approach is more likely to take us to oblivion...

Just think that our mix has gone too far the way of youth & potential.

I know it's only one game but even just the presence of Ince had a big impact on the team Saturday.
Imagine what adding someone like Greer as well might have done

That's all we can do though, 'imagine'.

'Someone like Greer' = a Championship first team regular.

He was past it and we got 250k for him.

We were definitely the real winners out of that deal  ::)

Not really seen Greer in the Championship

When he left us, I thought his lack of pace could become a concern so I have been mildly surprised by the longevity of his career at Championship level.

The lack of pace wasn't really the problem.

Without him alongside, the faster and promising Cuthbert saw his form take a massive dip and the Town defence reverted to the standards recently discussed on another thread.

Cuthbert is still way better than any of our CBs right now I'd guess....

Why has he been playing in League two for the past 2 seasons then?

The last two statements are not mutually exclusive.

Out of interest what odds can be got on us not being relegated, cannot find anything on Bet365?

Here you go:

http://www.oddschecker.com/football/english/league-1/to-stay-up

no price on offer on 365 but skybet offering 1/3 relegation,    9/4 to stay up - not enough for me !,.