Swindon Town FC v Oxford United FC - Official Matchday Thread - edited...

[pewshamrobin]

Just on todays showing:
De Vita lightweight get rid or use sparing as a sub. Smith didnt contribute enough in midfield - Ferry should be a definite starter with mccormack. Devera looked out of his depth - we need another decent centre half to play with flint.
Clarke looks like he will be good, should have scored the chance put on a plate for him in 2nd half.
After we stopped playing hoofball we looked decent playing passing football .... but we need to put convert more of the chances we had and stop conceding goals on set pieces. Give PDC time to gel the team, but we need to start winning soon to get the season started.

[Coca Fola]

Worse feeling than Wembley.

[janaage]

I've just seen the goal again on Sky and I can see why people have blamed Smith for their winner.  The ball should have been dealt with by the keeper, before it got to Constable.

Having said that he saved well in the closing minutes to deny the bloke his hat trick.

I'm absolutely gutted at losing at home to them, not something I ever want to experience again.  I waited behind after the match noticed PDC stood on the half way line watching the scum celebrating.

As I feared our players just weren't prepared to fight for the club, whereas their lot were.  Caddis and Ferry were the exceptions here, although Ferry was no way near motm.  Clarke faded towards the end but looks good. 

De Vita should get no where near the first team, he offers absolutely nothing.  The dutch winger, positionally, was poor, the spaniard looked more of a complete player.

[Coca Fola]

Oh and Phil Smith has lost what little respect he had from me. Both goals hit fault, should have got to both crosses. Embarassing day really. 38 years of history down the drain. Was gonna go to Shrewsbury but not now. I'm only going to City on Wednesday because I've already got my ticket. Pathetic.

[Nemo]

Result a crushing disappointment, performance not that bad. Get Comazzi in for Devera, start Gabilondo and Connell and we have a decent side.

[Bewster]

First game this season and for what its worth I left the ground feeling quite positive - although gutted and pissed off that we lost to the pox.

I thought we were by far the better team - just gave them 2 very soft goals. Positives included Clarke, Flint, Kennedy, Garibaldi and the work rate of the team. Another day we have won easily.

I thought De Vita was poor and this showed when Kerrouche came on - he looked lively and has obvious ability - pity he had to go off again.  Devera look a bit of a liability and his marking of Cunstable was very poor.  J Smith held onto the ball for too long and had a bit of a crab/sideways thing going on. Ferry showed some good touches but failed to create anything tangible. Easyjet didn't come wide enough and failed to go for the return on several occaisions. Richtie went missing for spells in the second half.

So overall a marked improvement on last season and I think once the team is settled that will make a big difference.

[reeves4england]

I thought Smith was decent enough - think it's harsh to blame him for either of the goals... especially the first for which he had no chance (Coca-Fola, I'm looking at you)

Defensively we were ok in general. As others have said, it was set-pieces which undid us and there was one man to blame...

Ritchie was much better tha previous games, Ferry gave us something different even if it weasn't his best performance, Smith put some tackles in but McCormack should come back in, Esajas was ok but Gabilondo looked very good when he came on, so deserves to start next week.

Clarke looks like a great signing, shame about the missed sitter but there's a lot of promise going forward. Oh, and of course I have to agree that Connell should start next week.

On the whole I'm not as disappointed as I expected I'd be. We played well for the first time this season, and based purely on today you'd have to say we could well pick up more points than Oxford this year. If they are seen as play-off contenders then there's definitely hope going forward.

[Bewster]

Devera GOAL SIDE, GOAL FUCKING SIDE

I was thinking the very same as they took the freekick

[Samdy Gray]

Anyone else see the Oxford fan get a shoeing in the Arkells after they scored their first? Made me smile.

[RJack]

I'll probably get shouted down for this, but I feel nowhere near as pissed off as I did after Cheltenham.
Last week we were poor and beaten by a poor team.
This week we dominated the game and showed that we have the potential to do good things in this league.
(Also I don't know any Oxford fans which makes it somewhat easier to live with)

I think that most of the previous posters on this thread since the match have summed up the highs and lows pretty well.
I couldn't believe some of the texts being read out on Radio Swindon and wondered if they had been watching the same game as me.
Clarke looked good but was knackered in last 20 mins or so - if Kerrouche had not been crocked he (Clarke) would prob have been substituted.
It's always tricky when a team plays 10 behind the ball and we did well to create some decent chances.
Ferry must retain his place in the team and I didn't think J Smith was too bad, though McCormack should come back in when fit.
Weak link definitely down our left side with Kennedy & Devera and Oxford noticed this by directing most of their attacks that way.

I pretty much agree with everything you've written Cheltred tbh.  Like you said had Kerrouche not got injured Clarke would have gone off he did look knackered. With a bit more training he'll be a handful for us.

Definitely agree most of their attacks came down the left on Kennedy & Devera.  Devera did improve in the 2nd half but by then it was too late.  I think the 2nd goal was unlucky Smith went to clear it & it hit Constable and went in.

We need to be more clinical in front of goal too, we put in some decent crosses but we never had the players in the right place in fact i think some got in the way of each other truthfully.  Some of our set pieces we took were woeful.

I agree we need a Centreback & Leftback but another big Centre Forward like Magera won't go amiss in this league. 

Gabrilondo looked good when he came on and was quite a handful, reminded me a bit of Grazioli

The most worrying thing for me is the injury list, Comazzi, McCormack, Ciobocchi & now Kerrouche.

[reeves4england]

I was thinking the very same as they took the freekick

Half the Town End was shouting "Goal side". Couldn't believe it.

[Bewster]

Can anybody give a definate answer to the offside decision that got PDC sent off ?? I can't be 100% but unless someone saw something I didn't it wasn't offside - even Phil King sat behind me was shaking his head.

[reeves4england]

Can anybody give a definate answer to the offside decision that got PDC sent off ?? I can't be 100% but unless someone saw something I didn't it wasn't offside - even Phil King sat behind me was shaking his head.

The way I saw it was that somebody else (Smith?) was offside and Clarke ran through from a very much onside position.

[Gnasher]

Can anybody give a definate answer to the offside decision that got PDC sent off ?? I can't be 100% but unless someone saw something I didn't it wasn't offside - even Phil King sat behind me was shaking his head.

It went from one end (when their player fell over looking for a foul) to the other so fast that I missed it!

[Coca Fola]

Anyone else see the Oxford fan get a shoeing in the Arkells after they scored their first? Made me smile.

Best bit of the day.