Thetownend.com

We'll piss about sideways in our own half.
We'll lose.

Williams, Shade, Lavinier, Tomlinson all out. RHM still suspended.

From the Morris presser: Williams is out with concussion. We knew instantly he would be unavailable, and we are assessing him. He took a really bad knock and he wasn't feeling great. Shade, Lavinier, Tomlinson not available. RHM still suspended. Khan back.

Can't say I feel good about this one, but fingers crossed. Khan back in for Williams I'd expect, not really sure how that midfield sets up though.

THE ADVER (Jonny Leighfield)

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/23318142.jody-morris-press-conference-live-updates-ahead-sutton-v-swindon/#comments-anchor

There were elements where we didn't do badly. We had them in on Sunday anyway because of the short turnaround, some guys were doing light training. The two goals were really disappointing, clearly, and we didn't go near their goal anywhere near enough. But there were things we did well, and I made sure to show the players that. We were clearly on top before the goals, so it's disappointing, but it wasn't all bad.

ON COPING WITHOUT WILLIAMS

When you lose your top scorer, it's always difficult. He was one of the only bright sparks on Saturday. But we've missed players already, so it's not something we're not used to. There are plenty of personal that I'd like to be using, but we have to find a way without them.

ON KHAN

He breaks up play fantastically well. The two games I watched live, he was the best player on the pitch - I felt. Not only can he break up play, but he keeps the game ticking over. He can obviously improve, no doubt, and I feel like I can help him unlock that. We need to make sure that when he comes back in, he doesn't get any silly red cards again.

ON SUTTON

I know a little bit about Sutton - I don't live a million miles away. I've played in charity games there. They've got some good history there in the cup, so it's not an easy place to go. We know it's a tough place to go, so we have to make sure we're up for the battle.

I have a little soft spot for them, and the people there deserve great credit for getting them to where they are. But clearly, I want us to beat them and that's what we'll be aiming to do.

ON BRAND AND WARD

We may be getting close to a resolution over Brand, so watch this space.

Meanwhile, the Ward situation is relatively complicated still. The relevant people are trying to get it done, but we don't know whether it's going to happen.

I get a strong suspicion that Morris is quite frustrated over both. He's the kind of character who wears his heart on his sleeve. Not a fan of the bureaucratic tape involved in these things.




TOTAL SPORT
https://www.totalswindon.com/sport/press-conference-live-sutton-united-v-swindon/

Jody Morris on Sutton:

I know a little bit about the place as I live quite close. I have played there before and know friends who have been there. They have had some FA Cups runs, so it is not an easy place to go. We have to focus on what we are trying to do and impose ourselves regardless of the surroundings. I have a soft spot for them as they are a little club who have done well and they deserve to be here.

Jody Morris on Ed Brand:

Honestly lads, I have no idea. We were under the impression it should be done today, but I have thought that for two weeks.

Jody Morris on a reaction:

I want to see better, for sure. I have felt that both times, and I think that in parts of training. I don't want to kill the lads and go over the top. There were things I was asking that they were trying to do. In the second half I do believe we looked better and were more agressive with our running. There were things that I was hoping to see and we moved the ball at times. Up until the 70th minute we were clearly on top. It was an awful goal to concede, so was the second. After that it wasn't great and we need to do better in adversity and if we can negate those moments where we switch off. We need to do better for the fans in a lot of ways, but I don't think they owe me anything. I don't want them to feel too down, it is just a moment. No one wants three points more than me, but for their development they need a coaches reaction, not just a fans one.

Jody Morris on patience:

I have seen it when you get an upturn and a bounce, but things happen. Like getting sent off in the first game and having players missing and changing the way we play. We have to look at ourselves, but when you are on top of games mistakes are costly and we have to reduce those. Then build on the positives. I would love to say give me time, but no one wants to win more than me and while we learn we can still be winning games. If we win 1-0 on Saturday the video would have been worse yesterday. I have won plenty of games where I have screamed my head off at players. Us conceding an easy goal and then falling away, I felt I had to show both sides to pick them up a bit. Some fans might disagree, but I have to get them where I want to get them to.

I asked Morris about a Brand back-up plan, Lewis Ward, and feeling under pressure:

  * I am being told that it should be done so not really
  * There are still questions about how he left his last club and if it fair for him to walk into another club. It is all very confusing
  * I don't feel under any pressure, I have a thick enough skin for fans to say what they want.

I know Williams is concussion but the obvious lack of fitness and injuries we get are getting ridiculous. Ricky Mcfarlane has rocked up at Crawley I see so hopefully that’s going to be another area where changes get made.

Jesus wept. Brewery, piss up.

I mean yes and no.  Without knowing why its difficult to gauge.

It does seem everything is taking ages these days. And yes its frustrating.

The club completely embarrassing now. If the usual defenders can stop pretending it isn't that would be greeeeaaat.

Problem is no one with football experience running the club.

The sheer shambles of the Lindsey then Morris delays proves this

Edit - the adver interpretation of the same question seems to be more upbeat

Literally thought the same earlier- every day it becomes more and more embarrassing.

At least Morris, as long as he lasts/ can put up with it, will call out the BS.

Lindsey was a pure yes man

We need to employ a capable club secretary and some admin staff like a year ago. Getting Austin in and a Head Coach that looks good like Morris is pointless if we can't get his number two in and piss him off and we miss out on a Centre Back replacement because there is no one who can scan a PDF and send it to the EFL.

Proper shite.

Do you honestly think that's what happened?

I don't think it can be categorically ruled out...

Was he the fitness coach ? how many more are going to end up at Crawley ?

Who is our physio now that our physio has gone on Mat leave, I've not seen anything announced - although that is not a great surprise, it will probably be announced the end of the season

Without Williams, it's tricky to see how we play the 4-2-3-1 unless one of Cain or Kadji plays further forward?

I'm expecting a switch to the 3-5-2 we've finished the last two games with - and looked a bit better in.

             Brynn
   Clayton FBT Brennan
Iandolo                   Hutton
        Cain Kadji Khan
        Austin Wakeling

Which I don't hate. Bench is likely to be super callow though, Darcy, Jephcott and bugger all else.

Is he a new signing?

That did make me laugh for some reason!

FWIW: I'm sure it did arrive late, but there was plenty of time to get it done so I inferred either we needed an out (but somehow found the money) or wither us or Spuds were playing silly buggers over the details at the 11th hour.

Exactly as I'd play it.

But with Clayton, Iandolo on the left and Hutton and Brennan on the right :)

Kadji would play deep.

Speckled Jim wasn't available  :)

Get Brennan/Minturn in, FBT to LB, Iandolo to CM.

We’re going to get bombarded, kicked and generally shithoused. I’d drop Wakeling and get Jephcott in.

We need beef.

Thats our problem- we aren't set up to win the physical side needed to get out of this division

Not unreasonable

I don't recall Sutton's style - only that we won 3-2. The highlights are no help in that regard. We were a tad fortunate in the first two to say the least. And the winner was 90 + 2.

Gladwin, Shade*, Williams* and Reed all contributing significantly in there too.

* scorers

Hoof down wings, hoof into box, moan and niggle constantly.

Then perhaps Aud's way is better.

Gissa job

Any good with Spreadsheets?

I spread them when I go to bed

Cheese spreads maybe.

That could be handy too.

I assume Mcechran hasn't been signed in time to be in the squad for tomorrow?

Come on, Bob. Announced today means he signed weeks ago.

  :D

This is the sort of fixture where I expect our lack of experience and nous in the midfield will be exposed. I just don’t think we have the players to control matches, especially away from home against physical opposition.

I’d love to be proven wrong but am expecting a narrow defeat - 2-1 Sutton.

Everything says we get bullied and beaten in this one, so a 1-0 win with 10 men it is.

Can’t see anything other than another 2-0 defeat. Hope I’m proved wrong I really do !

last time I was this pessimistic we beat Northampton

4-0 to take Morris to 0-0-3

What’s the longest it’s taken any of previous managers to get a point?

It took Paul Hart eight ( 8 ) games to register a win, but he did draw his first.

Iffy got his first point in his fourth game, drew three in a row and then won one in his seventh.

Not particularly optimistic tonight. Watching in hope rather than expectation. Another 2-0 defeat looms I reckon.

Pre match I drink therefore I am in The Coronation Hall.
Well, coffee to start with anyway.

So, Surbiton, not quite seeking the good life but the start of a voyage of discovery through the heart of suburban Slurrey and not anything like a Joseph Conrad novel.

Many a good day out has been spoiled by the football before. Hopefully not the case tonight.

Quite like the idea of a back three & pushing the wing backs up to half way & just going for it.

The most disappointing thing about Saturday for me was the lack of any response after going 2 down.
Almost naivety coupled with a lack of collective responsibility.
Don't know if that can be taught & taken on board, certainly not in 2 days.

100% record against our opponents albeit over 4 games.
Don't think that we'll lose tonight.
Last manager to lose the first 3 games might have been Roy Evans?
Not sure that any Town manager has ever lost their first 4.

At least the away end has been improved since last time.
Hope to make it to kick off still at optimum operating temperature.

Very different circumstances but John Gormans record with regards to first point(s) & first win must be pretty bad.

Lost the first 4 before a draw. 16 games before a win in the league. Only 8 games if you include cup competitions

Yeah that's very bad, albeit "being in the Prem" is a fairly decent excuse for making a poor start.

Listening to the LSPod presser coverage and it sounds like McEachran is a) fit and b) impressing so sounds like he could be involved. Wonder if he might be in the Williams position if we stick with 4-2-3-1.

With the amount of injuries in the squad I cant see past a loss.

Was there any indication as to where he has been for the last 8-10 months (Assuming he was released by Chelsea in the summer)? Whilst he may be fit enough to start I fear it may be another case of lasting little more than an hour.


Can't disagree with that sadly.

Went to cloggy land I think.

Looking at Wiki (so it must be true) the Dutch loans seem to pre-date his release from Chelsea? Whilst I have spent a fair bit of time in the Netherlands I honestly don't yhave any idea as to the quality of its second tier of football?

Lancashire???? :)

Swindon v Sutton.

4 games 4 wins, scored 9 conceded 4 - every previous game ending with Swindon having a 1 goal victory.

Each one of the 4 (now 5) games played between the clubs has happened on a Tuesday evening.

2022/3 Swindon 3-2 Sutton
2001/2 Swindon 2-1 Sutton
2001/2 Sutton    1-2 Swindon
1981/2 Swindon 2-1 Sutton

That’s good enough for me.

Piece of piss, 1-4

Going by previous results shouldnt that be 1-2 ;)

Sutton 2 Swindon 1 Att: 2,910  (580 Town fans)

If anyone wants a ticket for tonight Flash cant make it so he has a spare that is electronically transferrable. PM if interested.

It's 600 and we've not sold out apparently FWIW.

Cheers Bob, surprised we haven't sold out on half term week. Amended based on your knowledge 😀

Maybe Valentine's has had an impact! ;)

My information is second hand from a group of guys going tonight, so if I am wrong, please don't shoot the messenger Jim :)

It's all humour Bob you won't be made accountable even though my gut feeling says slightly higher😀

I've already been made accountable by Mrs Bob for buying a vegan chocolate pudding in error!  :doh:

That's not good🤣

Who's going to Plough Lane?

Just seen that we have sold 585 tickets pre-match so won't be far off of selling out.

Top man!

I'm in Wimbledon. :)

4-1 defeat

How much are beers in London these days WB?

Stuck with spoons mainly today.
£2.57 for a guest ale in Wimbledon, but I think prices are due to increase shortly.
Just bought a carbonated pale ale in a craft beer type pub.
£7.15. Ouch. I'm the only punter in here!
That's on a par with craft ales in Camden back in December and they added a service charge as well, which is becoming increasingly common practice I suspect.
Then again last month bought a decent ale for £4.90 in a pub just off Great Portland Street.
Around £5.50 - £6.00 or so for an ale in central London, Oxford Street area last month.

£7.15 is eye watering! I remember when I first paid north of £5 when I lived in Battersea, and I haven't lived there for 2 years so that's some increase! It sounds like apart from spoons (and they do have decent beers at tremendous prices) you'll now be lucky to get much under a fiver outside of a happy hour type scenario.

Going to be in London for some works leaving drinks in Canary Wharf next week and then at the Orient game so was wondering what i'd be looking at forking out!

€7 in my local for a 3 course meal and a glass of beer or wine.  Was €6.50 last year, Cost of living eh?

You live in a country where the people are appreciated though!

Same with my mum in Portugal, dirt cheap there aswell. Would move out there if i could.

Whats your gas/electric prices like out there?

Few changes tonight

4⃣ changes for Town from the weekend:

➡️ Khan, Brennan, Jephcott and McEachran
⬅️ Cain, Darcy, Wakeling and Williams

A debut for George 🔥

Morris can thank me later

I make that 352 myself.

Austin and Jephcott up top then.

I fear we are going to get tonked. 3-0

As much as it looked bad earlier in the season we've looked better last two games in a 3 5 2 so actually fairly encouraged by the selection. We could really do with a result tonight.

Clearly we needed to change the system tonight. I'm glad Morris hasn't just decided to sleepwalk through the problems like our previous manager.

I'm hoping the change in players in midfield will have a positive effect as well even though we're losing Williams. Hopefully we compete better for the ball in midfield.

As much as Cain looks like he can put a pass together and shoot, along with Darcy who isn't that type of player and Wakeling we just looked way too lightweight in the last game. Khan and McEachran I'm hoping can really compete better.

Cautiously optimistic. At least Morris seems to be trying logical moves.

Can UK residents watch on ifollow or is it only fans "abroad" please?

UK is fine midweek

Thanks, Nemo.

Fuck it 3 - 0 Town (McEachran, Citizen, Jeff)
Att: 3'265 (601)
BTTB

#SandroIsOurKing  ;)

Markus Fjortoft on Comms?

Omar Buigel just sounds like they couldn't get the rights for Omar Bogle.

Why does the name Charles Breakspear fill me with trepidation?

Got no enthusiasm for this game tonight.

Interesting Sutton comma. One guy forgot his colleagues name. Then they have just been moved along and one chap breathed ‘Fuck!’ 😂

Starting off with some dodgy clearances and hospital passes. Hope the new era starts soon.

If you're on home comms you're missing Fjortoft Jr's fascinating accent.

He sounds almost Irish.

Now they think Johnny Morris is the manager!

I had forgotten how agricultural and "old school division 4" their style was.

600 Town fans have made more noise in 5 minutes than 9000 managed in 90 at the weekend.

Why the fuck has Hutton stopped wanting to beat his man and get crosses in?

Indeed.

Got away with that after Brennans slip.

Worst fk routine of the season sewn up.

Jesus Christ, we’re still as casual as fuck at the back.

Really good save from Brynn before the offside but by Christ that was bad.

Not just at the back, all over the pitch we look sloppy so far.

3-1-4-2 ?

1-0 Austin.

Great run by FBT and cross and a lovely low finish by Charlie from 15 yards.

Great goal

And when you get a decent move together, Bam.

Yes! FBT and Ellis combining like Caddis and Ritchie all of a sudden, and one chance, one goal for Charlie.

Pretty much against the run of play, hopefully we will settle down a bit now.

Confidence is huge. That’s what we’ve been lacking.

1st corner to Town.

Really hope so.

Nice move down  the left again between McEachran and FBT and the low cross is kicked out for a corner to Town.

Now let’s hold on to 1-0 for 75 mins - Said no fan ever!

Nice to see Blake-Tracy being so effective getting forward again.

3rd corner for Town, McEachran has a decent delivery on him.

I turned on just before the goal. Can someone lay out for me how we're lined up?

We haven't attacked effectively down the left hand side all season, so this is a pleasant surprise. McEachran looks handy early on.

Opposition scouting reports for us must just be "PRESS THEM HIGH" in size 72 font.

Indeed, hes offered more so far that Cain has in his 2 games combined.

Add to that....bully them into mistakes.

Iandolo should have done a bit better there when the Sutton player passed straight to him 20 yards or so out.

Mostly 3-5-2, although FBT seems to have licence to play really quite forward at times in the style of the Sheff Utd CBs under Wilder.

I prefer FBT when he is allowed to get forwards, he has a great cross on him but playing at CB he never gets the chance to do that.

In a three he can, agree not in a two. The three at the back looks a lot better when one of them can carry the ball like FBT does.

Quite liking the new fella

Hmm, Daleks seem to have invaded Radio Swindon.

Fjortoft makes some great tactical points and is very elegantly articulate verbally. He can read the game better than many on co comms. Please come back again.

Jagielkaesque.

What a refreshing change on Co-comms compared with Saturday.

Agree. The General he ain’t.

Sounds like a wierd german shot you can buy in Aldi!

Fjortoft is on our comms? FFS Only time I wish I didn't have IPTV, I've got Sutton.

And Harry Maguire until he turned shit..

Fjortoft junior!

Markus Fjortoft, hes more eloquent than his father TBH.

What are his credentials? Is/was he a footballer?

Yes, but not to the same level as his old man. CB - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markus_Fj%C3%B8rtoft

Played his last pro season alongside one Tomi Adeloye - I wonder if he'll get a mention?

Imagine Conor off the LSPod is absolute beside himself with excitement.

Yes he recently retired had been playing a fair bit in Scotland and a half decent big CB.

FBT good at both ends

Cos he's been told not to I assume.

Who the fuck has broken Hutton? hes gone from one of our most constant performers to one of the poorest recently.

Dont we need a CB?

Kadji not been perfect, but he does a really good job of being in the right place to receive a short pass when one of our players is under pressure. Underrated skill that, something Reed was good at.

Now a football journalist (predominantly on German football) and does a lot of work with his old man including a German Football Podcast.

I believe it's traditional to blame Sandro ;)

For a tiny ground, the camera looks as far away as at the Camp Nou.

Hes got the build and is deceptively fast and has a good 1st touch but his 2nd touch looks poor at times, I like the look of him TBH.

Born in Swindon, youth career in Norway, then college in the states and then off to Scotland after briefly in New Zealand.

The man has been about.

Great chance for Austin who puts it well over the bar from 18 yards.

You can tell from his accent!

Must speak at least three languages then.

Unlike Hockaday who can barely even managed English.

Comms has been poor lately. I like Grant but he's more interested in other scores.

I'm not saying that this game is going better than expected, but I've opened a cider!

I am 3 large bottles of Leffe Brune down already which helps!

I saw a robin in the garden this afternoon. Good omen?

We do still look so shakey at the back, assuming we can get that Derby Centre Back who has been without a club, signing an actual near 30 year old will do wonders as long as he is fit.

If it was a Reliant, a very bad sign.

We're winning headers, surprisingly, but keep heading the ball straight up in the air rather than away from goal.

I’m on a rather good Black Sheep Ale from York Brewery.

Feck I assume the 330ml ones....

HT 1-0

Hell no, 750's will have at least 2 more before the end of the game too probably, I normally drink Belgian triples or Quads, I never get drunk any more luckily.

pretty decent all things considered. thought we just about edged it and while chances are at a premium you're glad of having Austin.

massive improvement from Saturday

Interesting half. Not without heart palpitations (particularly *that* free kick) but looking better than at the weekend, particularly down our left. Our right is still... a work in progress. McEachran looks bright, and think Ellis has been better than he has for a while. Stuff to work on, but we're winning!

Jephcott has given us more presence up top and FBT has had a storming half. Easily the better team so far in my opinion

Has Black Sheep moved from Masham then?

It was owned by one of the same family that owned Theakston’s. The ‘black sheep’ of the family left them and started his own brewery.

Ahem. Back to the footie…

https://youtu.be/JXbLyi5wgeg

We have a midfield today!

The back three seems to be working, I'd welcome Brennan not trying to play football and just twatting it forwards.
Whilst Jephcott isn't really involved in the actual footie, he's giving Sutton's defenders something physically bigger than Wakeling as a challenge.

McEachran looks decent on the ball. Hope he doesn't give the ref a chance to give him a second yellow

Exactly what I was hoping for with the change. Williams is a class playmaker but he's a midget. We just had no strength to our midfield Saturday.

Still need a lot of work at the back.

Or some type of cockney speak, exclaiming disbelief ie Gordon Bennett

'Oh my bugle Jeanette, where've ya put the remote this time!' ~ said O-mar bui-gel

Not to be confused with;

George Moncur

'Flamin' ell would look at the George Moncur on that!'

Meaning something noticeably large and out of proportion. Sometimes shortened to just 'Moncur'

 :D

Christ alive.

If we can sign another Centre Back, the three with Clayton and FBT might work quite well. Tomlinson and Hutton as wing backs would make 3-5-2 a lot better than the earlier season version too.

Oh for a fully fit squad.

I've had to get the vodka from the back of my teacher desk  :beers: :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

Indeed.

That was definitely not our worst half of football this season.

Really like Fjortoft jnr on co comms...

I've not really read back. Missed most of the first half as my DNA was balls deep in someone...and I've been lumbered with their pet beaver - ahem, not a euphemism!!

How have Town looked? Are they actually playing wel, as well as winning? Great to see them ahead and Austin now 4 in 4 is always nice to see.

Not sure if I should tune in for the 2nd half or continue stroking the beaver... :hmmm:

zombie Jesus day is a month and a half away

Austin has a pop from 40 yards out, well over the bar.

Well over the stand!

I’m hitting the Absolute Vodka, I don’t like vodka…

40 yards his distance from the goal and also the distance it went over the bar.

Nobody actually likes vodka!

Had a Smirnoff raspberry crush and sprite Friday. Lovely.

Perm one of Williams, Darcy & Cain perhaps?

The camera set up seems as non league as the ground, not sure its even 720p quality and dark and low and far back, otherwise its ok.

Glad to hear you are in touch with your feminine side ;)

We have done our absolute best to gift them a goal 3-4 times now.

Really got away with that there.

No, you’re right, it’s Masham - very nice stuff too.

We’ve actually got a bit lucky that they’re so direct they try and shoot every time rather than passing in the area.

Yeah, I think as a trio we'll just get bulldozed trying that again. Darcy is especially lightweight.

If Williams leaves in the summer and we keep with 4-2-3-1, I'd be tempted to try Cain in the middle of the 3 rather than in the more holding 2 as well. Or during his injury absence of course.

Was blinding  :D

I know it's league two but this ref is very poor. His early whistle when Khan broke away from the foul and he's letting sutton delay every Town set piece or take an extra 15 yards on each throw in

They are probably even more direct that Newport under Flynn. It may be effective but its not entertaining to watch for me.

As long as it was "literally" blinding! I had some real moonshine from the deep south at Christmas, 70% alcohol, I couldnt see for 2 days afterwards but my blood didnt freeze!

We look weak as shit defensively down our right/their left.

Hutton is pulled right out of position all game, his head doeant look in the game to me.

Nothing is dropping for Jephcott, but I quite like him in a two with Austin.

ee spee-eks is oo-an langawige

Great control and lay off by the Sutton player who lays it off for a shoit which is defelcted wide luckily, good chance for them.

There is definately a player in there, his first touch is excellent.

Kadji brought down 25 yards out centrally.

We must be on 20+ free kicks by now.

A nice 8.5% West Coast DDH for me, avec beaver  :D :pint:

Jepchott FK on target but too close to the keeper.

Leffe sans beaver!

Quite a good sign there on McEachran who thought about going in for a 50:50 but clearly remembered he was on a yellow - take note Saidou!

Midfield is sitting off/backing off too much and inviting too much pressure.
Austin is running his arse off, is he emptying the tank before Wakeling comes on for him?

Brynn long clearance with a slip so near to finding its man in their box.

He is conserving his energy too, taking shots where he would have normally have ran with the ball, but yes that is inevitable I think.

Could have done with Cain on the pitch for that freekick

We also don't know the fitness level of McEachran either so I wouldnt be surprised to see Cain get some game time for him in the later stages too.

That was sunday league defending! Amazing scenes

I was thinking the same thing.

This is all getting a bit frantic in our box.

Jephcott gives away a silly free kick 25 yards out and fairly central.

Limbs!

Shit free kick by them luckily.

No, that's usually what Poitin does Chalky  :D

Time for a change or two I think.

There is a lot of Sunday League football going on with everyone chasing the ball at the same time. Especially when we are defending.

We've been shaky at the back all game, we've now started losing second balls all over the pitch. It's not a good direction to be going in.

Tome time? 😂

Wakeling and Cain the only 2 realistic options I think. Probably for Austin and Kadji/McEachran only for fitness reasons.

I mentioned earlier that Fjortoft played with Tomi in his final season at Ayr, would be interested in his views!

... Hopefully not whilst the plug is pulled out.

He's watching it on IPTV with us... or not..

Hes not on the bench.

He isn't on the bench is he?

Ah!

Great break by Khan to Iandolo but his cross cant find anyone in the box.

That’s got to be pretty humiliating when you’ve just scored your first goal and an academy player gets on the bench ahead of you

Wakeling coming on.

Just switched over to Home Comms whilst Radio Swindon sort themselves out... crikey the Sutton Comms are bad. Not biased, but just long silences and not actually talking about the play - they can't be on the radio can they?

Yeah makes the most sense.

Wakeling on for Jepchott.

He had a strop on Saturday when Kanu came on - stormed off down the tunnel

Lovely without commentary

Its even worse when they do talk!

Lovely jubbly! :soapy tit wank:


Could really do with a Town 2nd goal about now   :fear:

Wakeling so near to scoring with his first touch, only the keeper to beat, saved.

To a point, fair enough - he scored with his first touch last week and we then brought an academy player on ahead of him whilst chasing the game. That's not good man management really.

McEachran down injured.

Not sure who was more asleep with Wakelings chance there. Their comms or their defender.

I think Jephcott would've been there for a tap in!

Did they say it was Darcy going to come on when we’re trying to defend a one nil lead?

Darcy on for the injured McEachran.

For the most attacking mid. It's him or Aguiar really, not sure either are going to solidify anything.

Cain would have been the better option for me.

If Adeloye has played in training like he has for most of his minutes in games this season though and the young lad is playing well, then its fair.

Good defending by FBT there to win a goal kick with a ball kicked against him.

Surprised Jephcott come off and not Austin.

did well for this first game.

thought kadji was a lot better today. but khan has made a big difference

Dolo's best game for ages too

Yeah me too. Austin looks knackered.

Darcy ran forwards, despite fresh legs is out run by Austin. Groan

Yeah strange one bringing on a lightweight luxury player in this situation.

Wakeling does really well to get in front of the defender there and forces a good save.

Att: 2,928 with 608 Town fans.

Great chance again for Wakeling. Saved.

Swindon comms back on btw.

I think Austin is playing as a centre circle target man about now. Cain on for him and let Darcy not track back from up front

Sutton have had a *lot* of box entries.

Wakeling has looked livelier since coming on than he has starting for months.

Sutton hit the bar.

Cain on for Austin.

Something just troubles me that ''journeyman'' Lee Angol is going to get his head on one of these corners and score.

Please don't, you cunt!

Ffs

Just highlighting again how sleepy and disorganised we are at the back, unfortunately.

1-1

Fuck me that's such an obvious foul on Brynn

Foul on Brynn it looked like.

100% a foul on Brynn.

Can't say it hasn't been coming but their striker has just jumped into Brynn arm first, he's not competed for the ball at all.

there's a cunting elbow on his jaw, how the fucking hell is that not a foul.
absolute cunting clown

Another shocker from a ref, why am I surprised. Such a blatant foul.

Fuck off that is a blatant foul.

you jinxed it ! 

That is up there with the ball to the face giving a penalty. What the fuck is League Two officiating.

Fml

It's Brakespear  ::)

1-2

Football can fuck off.

RRRRWWWWRRRRR???5% Lee Angol you cunt!  :crash: :crash:

2-1, sutton.

We do seem to fade badly towards the end of games, questions need to be asked about the fitness of the players. And as I type this they score another.

We are tosh

fucking foul on thekeeper cunt ref

oh fuck off

Sutton is the epitome of league two football. Fuck my life

Fuck off

Too.  Fucking.  Small.  >:(

Well, poor substitutions look to have cost us for me. Jephcott should never have been subbed

Soft. As. Fuck.

Lindsey had the balls out first week of training. He seemed quite proud of this.

Think back to every successful team we've had in the fourth tier in particular Macari and Di Canio's. Had them super fit and always scored late.

How is that not a foul on Khan ffs?

1 point from 12.

not losing sight of an improvement tonight but it doesn't really matter

I bloody know. It just seemed the perfect storm for an experienced pro to get his side back into the match.

Ahh ffs. I'm off to stroke the beaver!  :crash:

Just glad I am not there watching.......

If I'd none that I would have continued to ignore it.  How many shit decisions has that cunt given against us over the years.  

Angus Macdonald would have been good for a game like this.  :doh:

Another season in this shithouse league then.

Grim.

Hutton should have shot 1st time there.

Fjortoft just had a little (mild) dig at Rich of LSPod's views on Khan there I think :D

Weakling, Darcy, Cain combined height as a standard school ruler against high direct ball Sutton.  WTF

What was said?

FT 1-2

Had enough of this.

"I know some of the fans have said Khan is a one in five kind of player... I must have seen the one"

(Rich said that almost verbatim on the presser today - Fjortoft's doing his homework!)

That's my season over

Fuck.

Fuck it. What I hate most is that we get beaten by shit football teams like that. I’m so done with this fucking league. We’ve got to get a lot savvier.

What a shambles we’ve become, Ralph needs to be shown the door tomorrow and need to start planning for next season now.

ah :D  Haven't listened today..  He likes a Podcast..  probably swatting up ready for the co comms

Time for Morris to go.

Season over. Can't blame Morris. Ref fucked us tonight. Sandro and Lindsey and maybe some of the direction from Clem has fucked us for the season.

Big job coming up Jody.

Such a shame ................... Another year in this fucking division.

You really missed a chance here Clem. Suggest that the honeymoon period has long gone

 

it was better than Saturday.

that's all I have to say about that

Eh, the first goal was a ref fuck up, but it was 100% coming from 60 minutes onwards and we shat the bed again immediately after.

Is it any coincidence that when we play with 3 at the back we lose, we have been better during the season when we have had 4 at the back

What is it for play offs? Around 70 points? We'll need to win 10 of the last 16 games.

Not gonna happen is it.

I managed to miss the first half due to a meeting at work.  The second was a question of when we'd let them score, although a couple of breakaways from Wakeling (playing the role he should play at this stage of his development, making an impact not being relied upon).

Darcy was a joke defending the cross for their second.  Probably a foul for their first but they'd still have scored I think.  We looked liked we have for a lot of the season - in the game, but nothing special.  We have rarely been thumped and we've only done a couple of teams ourselves.

Why did I think getting a ticket to the Salford match was a good idea.

Masochism I guess.

Sutton subs were bigger still and we countered with lightweights.

Wakeling excepted from criticism - he stole a couple of angled shots that could have been finished had anyone been following up.

Didn't closely see the first goal but was relaxed as hell that it would be Brynn's. I think the Sutton player has a right at least to challenge.  Brynn usually punches when in any doubt.  I'm thinking it's Brynn's ball to clear if the catch is in doubt.  Without a closer look, that's Brynn's blunder rather than Brakspear's.

Disastrous subs.

Absolute fucking shit again. This team has no toughness, no physicality, no fight. When the going gets tough, this team shits itself. The worst thing is: it was so inevitable. You just knew it was going to happen. We didn't deal with the aerial bombardment all game and there was just nothing to suggest we could hold on.

The blame lies solely with Sandro I'm afraid. He recruited for this team. He picked a load of 'projects'. He has signed what to me is a completely unbalanced squad, lacking in experience and certain players that you just need.

Fed up of this shite.

Ahh a bloody frustrating loss. A seemingly steady and improved 1st half, to take Town into the lead at HT. A position which should have been built upon.

Alas, and as predicted Lee "cunting" Angol pops up with a UFC assisted goal. Town's confidence evaporates quicker than a tin of Carnation Milk and Sutton press instantly for a 2nd and winning goal.

2 sucker punches in 2 games with a "mad 5mins" on both occasions. Sub timings weren't a problem but the personnel off was strange with Jephcott being subbed instead of Austin (who again was out on his arse toward the latter stages).

'...and Swindon have collapsed and crumbled!' Cunty McCuntsticks!!


NB: Not sure why the fuck I've now got BBC Radio Greater Manchester on BBC Wilts but all I can hear is people who sownd lerke Vernon fucking Kay!

He’s an academy coach so far removed from real football.
It’s going to all end in tears.

Against physical sides you’ll need fresh legs. We had kids. They had grown ups. It’s the worst squad depletion we have had since we disintegrated in Wilson’s last season. Possibly worse. It has coincided with Di Michele. So yes he is to blame, but so is whoever appointed him (Morfuni, Z Austin?). A pitiful season in this shit division and with Di Michele pulling strings I’ve zero confidence it’ll improve.

It’s like having a team of Anthony McNamees. One midget was a “luxury”. 6 or 7 of them in a team…. ??

Being at pitch level, the sheer difference in physicality was massive, we have no one to bring on when we are trying to shut up shop. They are full of giants pinging balls into our box, and we are bringing on darcy to counteract it!

Simply put................ There is no experience or spine in the current playing staff.

Frenchy out for the season Macdonald moved out, Gladwin moved on and no replacements.

What the hell did Morris see in coming to Swindon ???  

This is a fuck up.  

Adeloye out 'sick' tonight.

Fjortoft reckons he is good when he is fit. And bemoaned the fact that you can't get into a rhythm of influence anything having only played 300 mins in a season.

Morris has been dealt and fucking shit hand, hasn’t he?

Only experienced centre back, and club captain let go on deadline day and not replaced.
Spent the first 3 games of his tenure without his assistant alongside him.
Stupid sending offs, awful refereeing decisions and players who are simply not up to it.

Poor bloke must wonder what he’s let himself in for.

Not a manager,lucky to get the job in my opinion

Agree with that mate

Fuck this absolute bin-fire of a league. If the dog shit teams don’t get you, the dog shit refs fucking will.

We were poor and they were getting into our box plenty, granted, but when they get gifted an equaliser that 99% of league refs will see as a clear foul, that’s fucking tough to take.

Don’t get me started on leaving Austin on to occupy the centre circle and bringing on mr blood and guts Ronan Darcy. The bloke couldn’t even pass accurately to Khan 10 feet in front of him running down the wing.

We were better than Saturday but almost to a man, our touch and control has been absolutely awful the last few games. Have we just been watching videos in training the last 2 weeks or something?

Fuck sake

I'm never sure when your being serious or sarcastic any more :)

It's quite hard to stomach letting someone like McDonald go and then getting done by physicality away from home with two late goals.

We'll never escape League 2 with the current approach - at least at the right end!

A sobering evening.

Morris has just given the perfect reason why he should have left Jephcott on! Austin was knackered long before he went off

We did all dream of them. It's on us really.

That song always amused me because of how thoroughly unsuited he'd be in any other position!

They had the opportunity to appoint an experienced L2 manager but chose a more expensive academy coach instead. The inevitable defeat away on Saturday will have us nervously looking at the wrong end of the table. Still no announcement on Ed Brand, a disappointing transfer window and continued shadiness behind the scenes at the club. A sorry state of affairs especially when we get a great amount of season tickets sold in the close season when there was the farce over card payments. I don’t think renewals will be particularly healthy next month, so if there is a cash flow problem this will be a proper test of Clems stewardship.

Morris:
- Need to do both sides of the game better today
- You can ride pressure in different ways
- If you stop playing to our strength and just boot the ball clear, then we need to be better defending the box
- Did some OK stuff in the first half, but not happy enough with the passing
- Clear foul on Brynn. Gets given 99 times out of 100
- We played into their hands
- They cant boom balls into the box if we make it hard for them to get the ball
- Clearly we are not good enough to deal with the physicality of the ball into our box
- Wanted midfielders to screen things better
- We shouldn't be getting beaten in the box with 3 centre halves on the pitch
- We didn't deal with the threat. We should have been better on the ball
- We are conceeding too many goals from individual errors. Playing 3 at the back was to try to stop that.
- Not aiming it solely at the defenders. The mentality of conceeding a second was poor
- At the moment, you might say its cos we are on the younger side. We shouldn't have to rely on Charlie Austin running back.
- Had to take Austin off (beut didnt want to) as he was shattered from all the covering he was doing
- Even if we had won, Morris wouldnt have been happy with the performance
- Too many aspects that weren't good enough
- Though McEacheran 'done great'. He was a ball of energy. But had to come off as he was shattered because of the effort he put in
- If we aren't making passes and using the extra body at the back then we are playing into the other teams hands. Then we need to be better at defending the box
- You need to fucking (excuse my language) prepare for the game.
- Don't think we are getting the rub of the green
- Even if we'd wont Morris wouldn't have been happy with that second half.

Thought McEachran slotted into things quite nicely, so is a positive.

Without writing off Morris just yet and although I've voiced that he probably (in an ideal world) should have been employed as a No.2...if he was apparently the "brains" behind Frank Lampard then I'm really hoping Brand (whenever the club announce him) is the "brains" behind Morris and it'll just be a matter of time; won't it?!  :hmmm:

Probably implied sarcasm. Although had I posted exactly the same at the end of the match I'd be getting pelters. Probably from him  :D

As was pointed out, tonight was so much a MacDonald sort of game.  Being at least one short of an experienced, gets the job done central defender will never secure automatic promotion.  What a waste of an opportunity having signed Austin.  And we have to start all over again next season.

Present form suggests the trapdoor for us.  It's still worth bearing in mind that our matchday squad is missing a number of quality players at L2 level.  No reason not to be hopeful of a turnaround in form.  But you need commitment as well as quality.  Hutton was again disinterested.

The goodwill was there last season but if we're not at least competing for the automatics we need less back slapping and more hard analysis and action.  I'm loathe to blame individuals like Sandro whom I know little about and whose role and interdependencies I have even less of a grasp for.  So interested as ever in the insights of others.

It's pain for us all though.

Austin:
- Got to come away from that with at least a point
- Players have to show more on the pitch in the last 5 mins
- Massive learning curve for the lads
- Very little experience in the team. Younger lads need to grab on and learn from the others
- Panic caused it
- They scored one and the lads then dropped back a couple of more yards
- Someone has to be a leader. Can't always be Austin or Khan
- Tonight we got given a footballing lesson
- Austin was trying to put a shift in for the team
- Austin said he could say some silly things but he didnt want to do that
- Fans are brilliant and come in their numbers. The minority are drowned out
- Fantastic turn out again tonight.
- That last little bit must have been awful for them on the drive home
- We need to start showing them again and again so they keep coming
- When Austin first came to the club the team was very different. Austin had players to lean on. We don't have so many this time around.
- Three defeats and we need to put this right quickly.
- It will be tough at Salford on Saturday

If the new lad is the standard of Morris recruiting in a limited market then he absolutely should be in full charge of recruitment. Sandro can clean the toilets if for some reason we can't sack him. Absolutely stealing a living.

Maybe exaggerated with sarcasm but stand by the point that he’s the wrong choice & we needed someone with experience of managing at a level where winning games is the priority or even just some one with the philosophy of winning > style.

What's great is that Austin (of the Charlie variety) definitely ''gets'' and understands the fan - that it matters. The guy genuinely cares. I hope that can and will filter across to the rest of the squad because whilst you win nothing for sentiment, if you care that much on the pitch then you'll run that extra I0 yards even when you've ripped your spleen out.

Only plus side I got the score right so may go up in the prediction league!

It’s painful to think of our squad this time last year in comparison to now. This is not a serious promotion campaign. Let’s hope the new boss is the man to sort it out for next season.

Couldn't defend once Austin went off, were dropping too deep and just dropped deeper inviting the pressure.
Clayton looked fantastic next to MacDonald now looks very average, wonder why!

Awful transfer business, Morris and Austin both mentioned it, well hinted at it.   Expecting a bunch of kids to come in half way through the season is utterly clueless.

9 goals conceded in 4 games without MacDonald.  1 point out of last 12, 1 win at home since October 22nd.

It's a fucking disaster of a season on the pitch.

Will be amazed if we get more than 3k renewing STs next year.

Let's hope we pull out fingers out and get his assistant in and he doesn't fuck off.

STOP BEING A FUCKING SHAMBLES SWINDON, PLEASE.

Been saying that for 30 years  :cry:

Maybe Clem would finally get the fucking message and sack the spiv.

Morris and Brand needs need full control of ins and outs in the summer. Sandro can stick his spreadsheet up his ass.

🤣🤣🤣

can we go back to Alan Reeves now?

I was no fan of MacDonald, thought he was far to slow and couldn't string a pass together, so wasn't bothered when he went to Aberdeen. But to let him go without a proper replacement is really coming home to bite us on the ass now.   :suicide:

I'd have gone artell as he's more likely to have got the ground running. And because I had money on him.

But I'm not sure it would have made a difference given the available squad.

not going to know much about Morris ability until later in the season and the summer imo.

I dunno. The fan base has been remarkably resilient so far. 9k on Saturday.

I know a fair few are saying they won't renew, but will they?

the price rise better be token or frozen though.

Gav Gunning (small sample size I know) hit the ground running.
This team / squad is definitely capable of better.
It just seems we are trying to make our team a passing possession team when we’d be better of being an up and at them team.

I’m waiting to see if anything changes with the set up/ recruitment policy before renewing.

Not prepared to pay nearly £400 to watch a team of academy kids get given their asses on a plate by physical players every week.

This season have enjoyed 2 home games Rochdale and Grimsby. That ain’t value for money

Thank god we signed Austin, although not for the reasons we originally thought. There was us thinking he’d help with a promotion charge when in reality he should provide enough quality to keep us out of the relegation fight. Let’s face it, this lot would capitulate under that sort of pressure.

I know I didn't watch the first half tonight, but the second half did not look like a team trying to play possession based football.  Rabbit caught in the headlights football.

The fact Austin would call out Khan as being his partner in crime as the wise heads should be a huge alarm bell.  The lad is in his first Div 4 level season of football.  What a damning indictment of what he sees in the changing room and training pitch.

I know Reed, Gladwin and MacDonald were all "replaceable" - that context though is if you replaced with better as they were not good enough for a top 3 push as a combined group.  Instead we ripped the experience out of the team and replaced it with more rough diamonds.  They sure as hell were not Morris' decisions and I doubt Clem wants to be involved in the squad building (hence why the Austin signing was totally left field - looks to me like Clem trying to correct the ship a little).  That leaves Ralph as the man at the wheel in building this squad.

I love him. But is it possible that his wages have led to the sale of other vital players?

Not even angry, from about 60 onwards you could see it coming (1 goal anyway, maybe not 2 😂). First half was good. Positive, quick football. Khan returning made a massive difference and not having that heedless bottle job weasel Darcy in the middle. FBT and Iandolo had good games I thought. Jephcott ran hard. New signing looked very tidy for a debut chucked in deep end.Give Austin the ball in the box and shock- he scores!
Caved in at the end.Weak mentality.Weak squad. Too many kids. Need older heads to see out game, none of this bollocks about oh he’s had one or two seasons  in football he’s experienced- no. I mean men, blokes, late 20s/early 30s  that will go to war and Shithouse a way to a win and get the younger players through the tough moments.  Carbon copy from Sutton for their second half performance from last season. They chucked everything at us. Difference was we had experience at the back in Baudry to see the game out.

Diabolical transfer window from Sandro. Like Austin said- when he came, we had experienced players to see out games and a shoulder to lean on, now we don’t. Got the likes of the puppets at the OSC who think it’s okay to censor the topic of Sandro, and there’s people on here that like to deflect, but now the club captains saying it, it tells you all you need to know. Go against Austin if you feel different…..I bet my bottom dollar Jody Morris feels the same way as Austin, the rest of the squad, and all of us.

Solid  turnout from the fans, good to see Grant get a great reception in second half also, one of the worst grounds I’ve ever been too.

“When I came to the club we had experience and I had players to lean on. We are now in a very different position” - Charlie Austin. Says it all. Something at this club is not right at all, this is Power-esque

I'm starting to think differently about it all now. The football side setup stinks. Why is a coach/manager not assembling a squad? I don't get it at all. We can all see what the problem is, I am beginning to become disillusioned again  :(

Lindsey has to take a lot of the blame. Whether Sandra foists players on him or not he stated he preferred small, technical players. Well, we’ve got loads of them and this is the result.

It’s ridiculous heaping this on Morris. How does he pick a more robust squad when he’s stuck with the players he’s got. We’ve got to stick with him even if this season is a write off.

We’re  fast becoming a laughing stock.

I reckon Morris has been sold a pup. Time will tell i guess.

This is absolute madness. When the captain is saying stuff like this you know you are up shit creek.
He wont be here by summer, and to be honest who could blame him.

I am half expecting Sandros' spreadsheets to identify Taylor Curran as the free agent to shore up our defence

On reflection, having been at the match and watched the highlights back, we did okay for large parts of the game. Brynn possibly a bit unlucky with the first and the second one snuck in where I would have thought he might be able to keep it out. There were lots of loose passes throughout but a few spells of fast, attacking one or two touch football in the first half. Nice goal and assist from Austin and Ellis respectively. New lad seemed to do okay. FBT very good (at least from what I could see when he was down our end in the first half). Wakeling looked up for it and probably unlucky not to be on the scoresheet with a couple of efforts across goal which tested the keeper. Both of those should ideally have had someone lurking to seek the tap in. The manner of the capitulation at the end was unpleasant and perhaps highlights a lack of experienced heads who can see games out with calmness and a dash of the dark arts. Depressing sign of the times that we are playing at grounds like that. It serves as a reminder of our current standings in the football pyramid. Football is a meritocracy however and we have no god given right to be at a higher level and I feel we have seen precious little this season that shows we deserve to be anywhere else. Some credit must be given to Sutton who turned around a deficit quickly and offered a threat. I believe that was the first time we have not beaten them.

Not defending Sandro but I read that quote as meaning when he came to the club under Wilson 🤷‍♀️

I heard it live and didn't see it that way, but, on reflection, it is what he could have meant, or were well chosen words to infer with a get-out if challenged.

It’s very contextual because it could mean either but if he was on about now wouldn’t he have used the prefix ‘when I came back to the club’ rather than ‘when I came to the club’

You could just as easily argue it the other way I suppose and say if he meant his original spell he’d have said ‘when I first joined the club’

Pissed off like the rest of us,  but you’ll still be there next home game.

The context was about the current playing staff being young and inexperienced. I thought it was quite clear that he was saying that when he joined the club as a young inexperienced player, he had older heads around him to help him. That isn’t the case for the current crop as there are fewer experienced players in the squad.

Took a wrong turn & ended up in the home end which was fine.
Good backing from the away end throughout.

Overall much better than Saturday.
Successful teams always have a strong spine.
That means both strength, experience & nous which is obviously lacking in midfield & central defence.

Not in favour of recruitment being the sole responsibility of one individual be it the manager or the technical director.
Hopefully in the summer all of the interested parties will be on the same page.

ST renewals might take a hit.
That's fine. People will always turn up to watch a winning team.

Big opportunity missed to ride that wave of initial goodwill & build some momentum on the pitch.

Oh well, aim now is to ensure safety with the hope that some foundations can be laid for next season.

he did have a slightly better squad to pick from.

I'm not saying you are wrong, but it's not quite clear cut.

Not read back yet but looking at Wobbly Bob's report, missed opportunity is very much how I see things. I was mulling over the game whilst supping on my Irish coffee last night and I can't help thinking that had Angus Mac been in the centre of our defence last night, we wouldn't have let those 3 points slip. Sutton were not very good at all but we didn't manage out the game at all. I think Jody Morris has to learn how to do that as well, surely with 10 minutes to play, that's when players need to break up the game, draw in fouls, get the physio on a few times, slow the game down and kill it. We didn't do that and ended up paying the price, not once but twice. 2 games in a row we've conceded 2 quick goals, I don't think we do that with Angus Macdonald on the pitch.

Positives - Mceachran looks classy and Charlie scored a lovely goal, I thought Khan was quiet but on the ball showed some good ability. It was a shame Wakeling couldn't take advantage of his 2 half chances, you felt that if Jonny Williams was on the pitch he's have been following up to bury any rebounds. It wasn't the worst performance in the world but naive not to see out the win, and catastrophic not to take a point. 

Spine and experience has been mentioned, that's Gladwin and MacDonald right there.

I didn't hear it, but are you sure he's referring to this time and bit when he joined us the first time when he was a young pup?

edit: should have read to end of the thread, it's already been discussed

One thing I think a lot are overlooking is the fact Clem should be as equally to blame/held to account over this. Sandro will be operating the profit above success mantra driven from the very top.

did he through, or has that brief come from the management?

genuine question.

He's either comparing his return to his first time here, or he could be meaning we have lost all our experienced heads during this season. Could be either tbh.

I don't think the mantra is wrong necessarily, but the implementation has.

Did we establish who Chris Kiely is/was?

Some big changes needed at the club. I hope and think we will see some in the next 7 days.

What needs to happen here is Clem come out and say look i have made mistakes with the right intentions, make moves to fix them and then we have to start again as this year is a right off now imo

Thats the season over, wasnt even angry on the journey home which says a lot. Resigned to this cesspit of a league for at least another year, more if the strategy doesnt change.

You can preach about moneyball and a wonderful medical setup as much as you like but the fact is you dont get out of the trenches with boys. Need some real men to get out of this league.

Mentality lost us that game, not ability.

Weak, feeble setup. Having them running around Lawn Woods all week and not letting the cunts see a ball until Saturday would be more effective than our pussy softly softly approach right now.

Need some proper communication from the senior management at the club to explain the thinking behind the recruitment and what the strategy is to put it right in the summer, at present its 4x season tickets not getting renewed here.  :badmood:

Oh and the 2 players just stood there for that second goal should be ashamed of themslves just stood there watching him stab it in. I think it was Ellis and Hutton, ironically our most experienced players on the pitch

I’d really love to know how the model chooses the right pieces of the puzzle rather than just mashing together a load of talent who don’t belong together in a team. Anybody with an ounce of knowledge on League 2 knows that you go up by having a spine of a team that includes a big (preferably experienced) centre half and a ball winning midfielder. We have neither

I guess either way the point was the same, but if he was talking about now it could imply slight frustation at what's happened - but given we don't know that's not worth considering.

I can absolutely see we need to sell to keep afloat. I'm sure everyone can.

Where I struggle is limiting ourselves to only one type of player - sometimes you have to accept a 26-30 year old might be best for the job, but we might not make money on him.

Is that an unreasonable thing? Can we no longer afford to do that?

Yeah the mantra isn't wrong at all and it's all on the implementation. Personally, it's a model I prefer as well, just needs 2/3 more experienced heads to balance it out better.

Do we have scouts anymore?

Isn't this Hutton's second full season in the EFL? Is 1 1/2 season experienced now?

We are never going to agree on this :)

Of course we do. Which is why the recruitment isn't all down to Sandro. Its not clear who recruited who and in what order.

Maybe getting deals actually done is down to Ralph, but I've no idea.

Bound to be some mistakes, and TBF it wasn't/isn't far off the playoffs - the last 4 games have killed us a bit.

Needs some tweaking to re-address balance is all.

And competent people in key positions of course.

Competence isn't binary though, people can improve at things with the right support and training - just as we see people on the pitch do all the time. The need for an experienced head seems to be just as true behind the scenes as on the pitch.

About time Morris was relived from his duties.

I think the jury is still out rather, albeit it is a little concerning that Mad Gav seemed to be able to change the structure a bit and get them playing yet under Morris they seem to have just drifted back to the style under SL.

What i do suspect is that if say Bircham had got the gig and then lost his first three games there would be much less suggestion of him not being to blame and giving him time and much more berating of him for being useless and the board for choosing an inexperienced academy style manager.

Again no one’s said that, Morris needs to get through this season and then build a proper team next season. None of this is on Morris, he’s been sold a pup currently.

I just said it.
It’s us that been sold the pup.

Did we give Lindsey as long as 3 games before we judged him? Nope.
Morris has had his time.

In what way was he sold a pup? Considering the time the appointment took he had plenty of time to watch us play and research who was in the squad before he signed on the bottom line.

I'm far from saying he should go anywhere, but he is getting a very easy ride from many keen to lump blame elsewhere.

Mid February and the season is basically over.
Behind the scenes there are still uncertainties undercurrents and negative vibrations. Maybe these feelings are all unfounded however they are still there.
Really can't understand why this continues to happen at Swindon. Should be such a successful and stable football club.
Just can't understand why it's not.

Without going all conspiratorial Hutton has been minging since after the transfer window slammed shut. It's almost like he has downed tools as he didn't get a move he wanted and has turned into a sulky so and so. He needs to pull his finger out.

I was at the game - we sat in the home Main stand - I thought we were on top first half, and until 70 mins I thought we.d see it out. The real problem was the lack of real options to close the game out on the bench.
Macechran had to come off (a good debut for someone who hasn’t played for a while), Cain should have replaced him not Darcy , Jephcott came to the bench for a gel shortly before being substituted- and Wakeling’s pace to get in behind a side pushing forward and leaving gaps was a good option at that stage - he had two chances and forced saves at 1-0 - which if he had scored or someone knocked in the rebound on one we would have won the game.
Austin also came over to the bench shortly before he came off (this has happened at home too - I think they trust him to say when he’s “done” - running out of steam) - the issue was nobody to win headers in his place - I might have “gone the Sheridan way” and put on Minturn up there (or put him at CB , FBT at LB and pushed Ellis up alongside Wakeling.
Their first goal was a clear foul on Brynn - the attacker jumps at him, leading with forearm or elbow.
Once they equalised the winner felt inevitable.
We need some of the injured players back quickly.

Quite right, the vultures were out for Lindsey by his third game...  :D

There’s a lot of things he wouldn’t have seen until he was on the training ground like player fitness and what not. Also some of the players were sold after he agreed to join and then there’s the player incomings that failed to materialise to replace those outgoings.

There doesn't seem to be any/much joined up thinking at all does there. If we are going to do this moneyball type system there HAS to be people who have experience of the football side who is going to understand how to build a balanced squad of players so that Jody Morris can properly implement his chosen style/styles of play. Currently it's absolutely scattergun. The release of MacDonald not to be replaced is absolutely unforgiveable and it's totally derailed the season.

Clem needs to have a long hard look at what is happening and get it sorted. I wonder if Chorley would come back if certain individuals were given their jotters.

So, does anyone know exactly why Macdonald was so keen to get out of Dodge?

One thing that strikes me, looking at our whos who on the website vs other clubs, both successful and unsuccessful,  is that we literally have a couple of people (officially) listed. Theres no concept of a Board of Directors, maybe that needs to change if we're to progress.

Even if the ownership do have the best intentions its probably not unfair to say theres a lack of football knowhow at a senior level. Perhaps they need to find some bodies with experience in the industry to steer things.


Clem- a business man with an interest in football, former associate of Lee Power.

Zav- a convicted money launderer and former associate of Lee Power. Potentially failed the Fit and Proper test- unknown.

Rob Angus- lifelong town fan, good bloke no doubt. Previously a senior manager at Nationwide and Vice chair of the supporters trust. No experience in the football industry.


and thats it. that is the entire Boardroom and Senior Management department.




and then further down the chain we have Sandro, whos credentials and footballing experience are questionable.

Exactly my point.
Morris Out.

Or why we were keen to ship him out

16 games to go? Season over? Many people were saying that last season with 8 games to go. A full squad and we are capable of making the play offs in my opinion. That is of course if Morris proves to be as good as many fans expected him to be.

I think its like a choose your own adventure story, you just choose your rumour/pluck something out of thin air to suit your narrative. I'm going for he left in disgust when he realised that Shandy drowns kittens*.




* Note I don't really believe this, but is as evidenced as the majority of things being noted as 'fact' on this and other threads.

He left because the fans wanted him out because hE cAnT pAsS tHe BaLl.

A lot of you fuckers didn’t even rate him two weeks ago.

His reputation does seem to have rather morphed from Harry Maguire to Sergio Ramos over the last fortnight.

I think you are right NotHarryAgombar, its easy to lose sight of the positives and had we had everyone available for the bench it may have been fine.

So at least we improved.  The frustration of 'nil points' and the damage it may have done is well covered.

RHM has one more game out, Shade, Lavinier and Tomlinson can't get fit quick enough. Its unfortunate that out perceived 'better depth in the squad this year' isn't really true - but some of that is down to bad luck (Baudry, Devine).

.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wRhtnSLhrO8

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KSMY-5yft-o

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rgy0xhumJxk

There are always rumours though. We mostly never know if they are based in fact or the 6th pint of lager.

Havent read back and im not going to.

Three points up for grabs at a poor Sutton and we fucking blew it.

First goal was a foul on Brynn but they had been knocking for a while, so no real complaints.

Better than Saturday but still panic stations at the back. New lad impressed me but i reckon if MacDonald was at the back, we might of at least got a draw last night.

If there is ever a game to show Sandro over and over again as a lesson in fourth tier Football versus his 'model' then this was it.

Lightweight, tippy tappy...overwhelmed, out fought and lose.

For me the season has gone. We need a stonking run and i cant see it happening.

The appointment of 'the obvious choice' has fucked us royally and a replacement who so far looks to be more of the same without wins. Add the awful January transfer window and the wheels have defo flown off.

Its depressing.

Was the other way around for what it is worth

Garner had much better options though at this stage last season. there are 3 or 4 players who finished that game last night who should be nowhere near this team

Cost cutting?

Bad for our passing stats?

Not only him,Gladders and Reed both had their fair share of criticism this season

Lindsey had all of preseason, although I can't tell when you're being sarcastic.

May well be one of the 'difficult conversation' players.

So did Morris have a conversation with Hutton about him not being sold, do we know why?

If Chorley left because Clem wanted to bring Sandro in then I truly question Clems sanity let alone his decision making.

All the noise suggests that Angus forced the move by being disruptive once he knew what clubs were interested, no doubt being one of the higher earners made the termination of contract more pallateble to the club as they probably knew they had a less costly replacement in the building, and then it all went to shit.


I don't think i have seen anyone stating that he was a brilliant player, just that his experience was exactly what we needed last night.  In this case, the rumoured replacement wouldn't have necessarily helped in last nights game unless he has a wise football head on young shoulders, which for a CB is rare.

And can't realistically be dropped as we don't really have any replacement RWBs currently do we?

Think i seen Chorley is now at Southampton. Clem didn't choose him instead Chorley left the club of his own choice

So you're being facetious. Do you not see that Lindsey had a say in the players coming in, had all of preseason with the players and stuck with tactics that wasn't working for far too long?

Nothing clever about imitating reactions to Scott Lindsey at all when any fucking idiot can see they're totally different.

Lavinier when fit

Its all relative to who replaces him, isn't it? When its fucking no one because the clubs admin doesn't get the paperwork in on his replacement, that is the problem. The problem isn't fans that weren't bothered if it left PROVIDED HE IS REPLACED.

Its like you've lost any sense of context or nuance and just leap to mock any negative word. Its fucking weird.

I missed out the word currently, but yes I would be tempted to drop Hutton and replace him with Lavinier when he's fit enough.

No, it isn’t relative to who replaced him.
You won’t get many CBs as good as MacDonald at this level. We were never going to be able to replace him with anyone better. If people thought we could, more fool them.
We’ve replaced him with FBT - who isn’t as good & doesn’t have the same strengths.

You don't need to replace him with a player as good if his head has gone and he is being disruptive to make it the right move, you just need to replace him with someone half decent......or replace him with a living breathing person and not absolutely nobody. FBT was here already.

I seem to have missed the MacDonald man of the match threads.  :sherlock:

There's plenty of FBT mom threads.

But again where is it evidenced that the fuck up was down to Swindon, all the stories I have seen suggest it as a fuck up on both parts, being generally vague as to what actually happened, yet its now apparently fact that it was down to our admin.

Fuck me the club is in a mess, but the amount of, at best conjecture, being presented as fact on here to talk down the club recently is peculiar.

We already had FBT too. Net -1

So lets say we had to sell MacD. Just go with it. The replacement is massive.
We had the untried Spurs youngster lined up. Could be a world beater but same MO as ever. Is that good enough? Are we saying FBT (23 games for Peterborough, 7 for Burton) is the definition of experienced?

McEachran is currently six votes from overtaking MacDonald's season vote tally in 75 minutes.

Obviously it's not that simple, but Chalky is right - the problem is not having a replacement of any sort, not deciding to cut our losses on MacDonald.

FBT was bought in to replace MacDonald. Quite literally he’s playing in his position at CB.
We bought Tomlinson in to play LB but he’s injured.



FBT is a good left back, not denying that.
Just because our fans aren’t voting for MacDonald or just because he isn’t the stand out player every week does not mean he isn’t (wasnt) doing a sterling job in our defence

Yeah, I'd say I prefer FBT, personally.

The issue is lacking another experienced person.

And I suppose we're blaming Chelsea for Ed Brand too, who still isn't officially here. There is one common demonstrator in all these problems and its us, Swindon Town.

The MOM votes on here are irrelevant really. If you take actual statistics, by my calculations MacDonald started 17 times and we conceded 14 goals. Since his last 90 minutes played - the 5-0 win over Grimsby we've played 4 times and conceded 9.

Because we didn't replace him! If that Spurs CB signed it would be him and Clayton at CB and FBT playing Left Back.

A player we already had is playing in his position.....because we didn't replace said player.

FBT is a better player than MacDonald,including at CH in my opinion. Although that is probably not the point people are trying to get across. I do think Tomlinson would be playing left back even if we'd signed the Spurs guy

Then what did we sign another left back for?

It’s clear the plan was get rid of MacDonald, shift FBT inside and put Tomlinson in at Left back.
Spurs lad was just another young punt who we would have tried to have bought in even if MacDonald hadn’t left.

FBT is playing CB. He’s replaced MacDonald in the formation.

That's fair, but there's also the period he was injured to look at (between Newport at home in October and the last game without him vs Wimbledon in December). In that period, we played 10, conceded 10 with three clean sheets. That's not really representative of a defence falling apart.

It's already a tedious argument, and I do think that MacDonald leaving leaves us weaker at the back. He just wasn't Gordon Greer, and wasn't irreplaceable - we just didn't replace him.

As for FBT replacing MacDonald - they started as the central back pairing *together* in four of MacDonald's last five games for Town - in the last game vs Grimsby Brennan started and FBT moved back to left back.

Wasn’t a hard decision to make, not going and staying overnight. By Christ I’m glad I didn’t go though.

Indeed, I think that's a good conclusion Nemo.

Not aimed at you Horlock, but here is a novel idea, perhaps the club could explain the reason and put all of the conjecture to bed - either way, it's not going to change the situation.  Lots of our fans love to look to somebody to hang the blame on - Garner, Lindsey, Sandro, Gladwin, Reed, Zav, Adam Hart, Conroy, Kiely, Clem, MacDonald, the Admin and even Morris when he has only been in the door for 2 weeks and been handed a situation that equals a steaming pile of shit.  The reality is, from what we actually clearly know, the only people that genuinly deserve blame being apportioned over the past few years is Power and Sheridan in my eyes. 

Our fanbase is great at supporting this club in their numbers and financially, not so much in other areas.  As difficult as it is sometimes (lower league football and all that) the quicker the fans realise this, unite and get behind the club, the quicker we are likely to see signs of success on the pitch.

I expect pelters, but i will crawl back under my rock..   :bye:

Tomlinson isn't even fit, which we knew. We were also trying to sign another Centre Back, because that clearly wasn't the plan.

Exactly.

We were not signing FBT to replace MacDonald. That is bullshit. You're not planning to put Clayton and FBT together as two left footed Centre Backs.

It isn't the plan, its clearly makeshift. Clearly. Very fucking clearly.

Then what the fuck have we signed another left back for?
If the plan is to keep FBT at left back.

You think if we signed the Spurs lad he would have gone straight into the XI?

Even if it was aimed at me, I agree with all you say!  :D

Its fair but support isn't unconditional,  (some) fans also want something to get behind and believe in. So its a bit chicken and egg. Diehards will of course be diehards.

In the meantime skepticism will be present. Winning team and people shut up. Same as ever. We'll see if it affects ST sales in due course.

Its too early to judge "the model" in fairness. It seemed to be workable with a bit of tweaking.

Based on who we have fit, you don't!?  :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick:

A reduction of 1000 season ticket sales would lose the club over a quarter of a million £. That’s probably a couple of player sales at this level so that alone undermines the whole model and that’s an entirely possible scenario currently.

Fans want to watch the team going for the best possible outcome every season not sacrificing a few years in hope of building something that might never happen. We’re a football club not an academy and the focus should always be on the here and now.

No, i don’t.

I think even if we’d signed the Spurs lad we would have still played FBT at CB the last two games.
Might have put the Spurs lad into the 3 last night.

But I do believe that was the clubs thinking. MacDonald is gone, Tomlinson is available. We can sign him to play left back and move FBT inside.

Rightly or wrongly, I firmly believe that was the clubs thought process around the MaDonald/FBT/Tomlinson transfers.
I also suspect the idea of FBT at LCB of a back 3 and Tomlinson at LWB entered the discussion to.

Tomlinson himself said it wasn't till around 4pm that he was first called by his agent about us wanting him.

Make of that what you will.

I think its pretty obvious to most people that what you believe is wrong. We had FBT anyway and we're trying to sign another Centre Back.

Us making a last minute signing of an injured left back is clearly something separate and doesn't change that we got rid of MacDonald with the intention of replacing him with an actual Centre Back and then didn't.

You're pretty obviously wrong.

A club with the key decision makers not all pulling in the same direction?

Just read through the after defeat comments and as usual loads of good points made with the general consensus of opinion that  the club is in a total mess both on and off the park due to so many bad decisions being made. How these problems can be overcome is a moot point and I certainly do not have any answers but it is painfully obvious that Clem needs to take a long hard look at the situation.

Watching JM’s interview, he seemed pretty down which is understandable and I am not certain that he realised the problems he has inherited with players being not being at the level he has been used to working with and requiring far more “managerial” input to get into a position that he wants us to be.

As usual only time will tell, but personally I am far more despondent at our current state, even more so than the Sheridactyl days.

😲😲😲

What other clubs at this level and L1 have a DoF that handles all the recruitment ?

I get clubs have DoF or people with similar titles but do they handle all the recruitment like Sandro does ?

I know we are trying the moneyball idea by signing young lads to hopefully improve them and sell on for profit that is fine but surely the manager should have a huge hand in the players that are signed, so he can build a squad and decide which positions he wants more experience for.

Although you get the impression Morris & Brand have not joined for any players to be just pushed onto them.

Sandro needs to go. Get Brand in and let Morris and Brand recruit and have a proper go at it next season.

If Morris goes because we're a fucking shambles and Sandro is still signing players off his spreadsheet in the summer, I'd struggle to face the county ground next season.

This for me...

I dont want to watch an Academy.

Me either - but we need to sell to survive. To me this doesn't mean nobody over 24. Maybe a bias that way.

A major tweak is needed.

Ryan Whelan will be providing a Swindon update later

I asked about these rumours of Brand being on a ‘secondment’

I mean, he's going to dispell it, right? Rght?

Its fair to ask the club WTF if this happens I think.

On a what? What have I missed?

This is where I take issue, people keep saying we need to do what we do to be sustainable or to survive. No we don’t.

For me being a sustainable football club is about producing the best possible squad each season within our budget & selling players to fund incremental squad improvements each year. A football club is not about making a profit, it’s about not making a loss.

It is not just focusing on punts & long term development in the hope of a return, that is an academy.

Rumour doing the rounds that Brand is coming on a 9 month secondment, whether thats true or not i dont know. Certainly a strange way of doing things if that is true.

In a funny way, I'm surprised that staff loans haven't happened before now. In a more direct way, I hope that isn't the case.

I mean purely from a financial perspective - outgoings = incoming. Nothing more or less.

Till November would be very odd

I had a text 5 minutes ago saying that about Brand, not that i think it's true. I love the rumours about this club

Maybe we've baulked at the compensation that Chelsea want/are contracted to get and this is a way around it. The guy has been at Chelsea for 15 years so perhaps he's due some kind of severance or something?

I have been saying that the Brand deal is very odd.

I kinda get it, in that if it doesn't work here, he can go back to Chelsea. But for it to be set as 9 months is very odd and doesn't do much to make you think Morris/Brand are long term committed.

Completely agree. I cannot be bothered to watch sideways slow academy football. The most excited I’ve been this season is under Gunning where it was risky but entertaining. I get development for the club to become sustainable, but ultimately the biggest money makers in L2 are strikers and you only score lots of goals if you play attacking expansive football.

That would be one of the weirdest things I've ever heard.

Would make sense why EFL approval would potentially be needed- as not a straight transfer. Potential conflict of interest etc.


Another week, another tinpot development. how low will we go  :(

A point I've made a few times though, is even if development to sell is the aim then Championship and Prem clubs want winners, not players that complete a lot of passed in tippy tappy sideways football. Its shite logic.

Are other league 2 clubs recruiting/selling like us?

In theory I can see how that benefits both parties. We get Brand for X amount of time and Chelsea get him back with 1st team football league experience. No different to a loan for a player.

The reality though is if he would have the same drive to succeed knowing he has Chelsea to fall back on. Also it hardly gives us the right foundations to build on for the long term.

I'm not repeating this rumour to anyone, simply because in my opinion its fucking ludicrous and I do not want to believe that there is any truth to it.

You don't loan Assistant Managers.

I have no inside information at all.
However, I was thinking that most (maybe all) managerial appointments at our level end in either the sack or them being poached by a bigger (or better paying) club.
On that basis, I wondered whether the issue was the haggling over the equivalent of a “sell on clause” for players - ie if Morris / Brand are poached by (say) a championship club, Chelsea get a share in compo for Brand - as oppposed to us paying a fee now.

My first thought, and worry, was it would be a good way for Chelsea to get 4/5 academy players out on loan, to a club who has a coach that they employ.

Isn't the limit only 2 loan players from a single club in a season now?

I may be alone but I couldn't care if Brand comes here or not. Can't seem to get worked up about a No.2

You're not alone  :)

No idea to be honest mate.

I think the rules were changed a few years ago after Watford loaned 8 players from a single Italian club, I am pretty sure its a limit of just 2 loans at any club from a single parent club now. It used to be 4 for domestic loans but that changed around Covid time IIRC.

Jody Morris might care if Brand comes here or not, it potentially could be a deal breaker for him staying as manager or not.

There is also that Brand may be more of a tactition or motivator in the dressing room which could aid us hugely.

I remember in the late 70s early 80s when Bob Smith was in charge he was Wif Tranter as assistant and when he left we were relegated even with Smith still in charge.

Potentially a massive signing IMO.

Couldn’t have put it better myself. From the interviews with JM and CA, they are saying that the ‘boys’ have to learn fast.   We need some older heads who have learnt ! 

Young kids from teams in the higher divisions who have never scraped before are a liability in this league.

The budget is there for those valuable, experienced heads.

Brian Howard - formally of this parish was there on Saturday. As an agent, he was saying to me that he has over 50 players on his books including Scotty Twine. Maybe he can steer someone our way.

With his record of W0 D0 L3 would that be such a bad thing.  ;)

Seriously though if we either can't afford what Chelsea are asking to let Brand go or Chelsea are just refusing to let him go I am not sure what Morris expects the club to do?

My eyes are fucked but who are the 2 stood near the striker for that 2nd goal, is it Ellis and Hutton

Yup, and Brennan was there too

Yeah Brennan is sort of out of view but he is there. I'm not much of a defensive shape expert but seems a bit odd that our two wing backs are defending the cross, I think FBT is out near the crosser but I'm not really sure where Clayton is?

https://youtu.be/0XXeY1MnULA?t=106

Okay so here's the clip, as the cross comes in from their left hand side, our defence has pulled so far across that the furthest rightwards defender (Hutton) is in the centre of our goal - there is nobody at all on the far side of the pitch/back post (#33 is absolutely unmarked on the edge of the six yard box, as is #5 on the back post - the ball doesn't go near them though). Iandolo and Brennan are marking the same man (who doesn't get the ball but does block Brynn's sight), Clayton and FBT have nobody that they are near in a yellow shirt, and are presumably either doing something zonal or just being out of position. The scorer (#8) has peeled off Hutton and not been picked up by Iandolo or Brennan, who are both still wrestling with #35.

I don't know what our plan is, so I can't tell you exactly who has fucked up there, but it sure looks like all of our back 5 have done *something* wrong there.

The defensive shape was poor the last 30 mins, seemed to be a lot of bunching, like kids football at times, so I'm not surprised the marking was a shambles for the 2nd goal.

I think being out of contention more quickly will be better for next season because Morris can experiment a bit or put a plan in place which takes time to perfect, that is assuming we don't flog anyone half decent in the summer again anyway.   

a fair few ooc in the summer tbf

Fine, I’m obviously wrong and we aren’t playing FBT in MacDonalds position at all.
We are just playing FBT & Iandolo at left back & signed Tomlinson to play left back too.

That is certainly one way of thinking about a shameful campaign.   Wish I could live life with that attitude rather than the grumpy middle aged fucker that I am.

Good point mate but I'd just add that we've had about 40 managers since then but,apart from maybe Gus Poyet, I can't think of a particularly influential No.2. Happy to be proved wrong

Well, Cooper was Kevin McDonald's number two and Luke Williams was Cooper, Power (sigh) and Ling's. Noel Hunt seemed to get a lot of credit under Wellens. Think there have been a few more influential than the old "cone gatherer" stuff Mike Walsh used to do for Kingy!

Malcolm Crosby under King, he was ultimately the brains of that double act.

I think the ‘assistant is the brains behind the operation’ is just a football trope that doesn’t have much reasoning behind.

Think fans just use it to reassure themselves when they appoint an assistant manager as a manager.

As the saying goes it's the old 2 heads are better than 1 isn't it? It's difficult to measure the importance of the assistant manager in tangible terms I would have thought. The most famous pairing must have been Clough and Taylor.

https://www.football365.com/news/brian-clough-peter-taylor-and-the-saddest-of-endings

I've absolutely nothing to base this on, but would/could JM have made a better start had we had him and Brand sorted out nice and early without the ongoing frustration of an STFC admin pudding? Allegedly Brand has been on the training ground but there hasn't been anything 'official' and he's not been in the dugouts so far.

I always question the importance of a captain on the pitch as it dosen't seem to work for us.

How are you measuring it though Jimmy? I think naming a Captain is mandatory, it would be interesting to see how performances would change if we didn't have a captain.

I personally think the No.1 & No.2 combo works best when you have some form of "Good Cop, Bad Cop" going on.

You often need some polar elements and qualities between them. Essentially between them, knowing who can give out a bollocking and who can bring a calm approach then duly give it.

The danger could be that whilst they might both be good coaches, Morris and Brand could be too similar to one another. Meaning they may both agree with each other on decisions at the same time but too often. That might sound like a good thing but usually you need differences of opinion to see another angle and apply it. That way the players get the bollocking and chance to reflect on it but also get information to put into practice, apply it on the training ground and take it into the match.

I also reckon Morris and Brand would probably go over Sandro's head, putting to one side his transfer referrals and instead make decisions to sign one or two from Andre Wisdom, George Evans or Efe Ambrose in the summer too  ;)

saint Glenn off Hoddle prolly wouldn't have done so well without John Gorman as his 2i/c

Correct.

We have so few experienced players now, order of captains really picks itself.