The Squad List (currently serving 2021-22)

[DiV]

Twine has a decision to make...

IF he gets offers to sign for a Championshio side he is likely only going to be a squad player with the occasional spot on the bench- he is not good enough yet to start in the Championship....

Or he goes to a too half League 1 side where he will make the occasional start probably spend 99% on the bench

Or he stays here and has another year or so development time from where he could be ready for the step up.....

The obvious answer is sign for the championship club and go out on loan to a decent L1 side.

[DiV]

Not that his exact future had much to do with the point I was (trying to) make about our Academy

[Nomoreheroes]

My understanding is that our Academy is built to take players so far, then cash in early, rather than taking players to the next level. We don't have the infrastructure to take the final step. That's why most of our promising youths end up going to Premier league youth set ups very early on. So its not surprising that we don't get many 18/19 year old breaking through to the first team.

The thing this year though is the worry that everyone is potentially being released because of the off field ownership situation. If the owner is only concerned with the club surviving a matter of weeks until he begrudgingly sells to someone he doesnt want to (and for a price that might mean that he will be forced to pay money to people he doesnt want to) then we might be getting rid of some people that 'might' make it in the game. Hindsight might then tell us what a mistake we've made. (I've always been annoyed whenever I see Jutkewicz successfully playing at a higher level as I think we jumped too quick there)

The problem with footballers (being human) is that they develop at different rates and they succeed at some places and not at others. The other considerations for Twine (as well as whether he would get game time) are money and whether his game would improve/stand out/be effective at whatever club offers him a contract.

Swindon 'could' build a team around him in L2 and make him look very good. But I don't think a Championship or League 1 club would. But they could offer him a shed load of money. However, if he had a team built around him in L2 and he improved at the rate that he has in the last 12 months, maybe a Premier league team would come in and offer him 1000 x sheds worth of money.

So, this is his dilemma. Does he stick or twist?
  

[Jimmy HaveHave]

Definitely go to decent championship club and mix with their better players

[Bob's Orange]

I see a handful of our fans reacted to the club sharing a video of Dion Conroy working in the gym after his operation by telling Conroy to Fuck off. One of them was seeking an apology from Dion for some reason.

Again, trying to keep an open mind here, but what did Conroy do last season that has lead to fans behaving in this way? Or are these just morons on twitter looking for attention?

[theakston2k]

Obviously there is no point flogging a dead horse - if a player isn’t up to standard then chances are they will never be.

However, let’s take a look at Scott Twine who is now being peddled as an Academy success story.
A year ago, 95% of our fan base wouldnt have been bothered had he gone. He didn’t look up to standard in L2 as a centre forward.
He goes on loan to Newport and again the large majority of the fan base are meh (and that debate was done to death at the start of the season)
An extra 6 months development, 6 months of regular first team football and a tweak in position and we are desperate for him to come back here (won’t deny that our gash midfield exaggerated this desire)

Now he’s probably off to a Championship club.

Now, for arguments sake if we’d released Twine last season - would he have gone on to prove us wrong? Or would he have ended up in Melksham reserves?....and could any of our other youngsters have a similar career trajectory with a few more years development time and/or regular first team football?

That kind of proves the point though doesn't it, other clubs managers will also know about players and Twine had enough about him to get a loan move to a league 2 club and subsequently has proven himself somewhat. The rest of our youth players struggle to get anything above National League North and South level and even down there don't exactly excel down there.

Unless we are able to scale up our academy to the point where we can compete against the likes of Reading & City's academies and at the same time keep the really promising players then there is always going to be a problem with youth players making it to the first team. It's no slight on the Academy staff as they do a lot of hard work, but if you just don't have the sufficient quality of player to work with then there is always going to be a lack of youth team players stepping up to the first team.  

[Panda Paws]

I see a handful of our fans reacted to the club sharing a video of Dion Conroy working in the gym after his operation by telling Conroy to Fuck off. One of them was seeking an apology from Dion for some reason.

Again, trying to keep an open mind here, but what did Conroy do last season that has lead to fans behaving in this way? Or are these just morons on twitter looking for attention?

I think you've answered your own question there BO! Was actively told not to speak to the press, ostracised from the group and bullied by a toxic boss by the sounds of things.

[theakston2k]

I see a handful of our fans reacted to the club sharing a video of Dion Conroy working in the gym after his operation by telling Conroy to Fuck off. One of them was seeking an apology from Dion for some reason.

Again, trying to keep an open mind here, but what did Conroy do last season that has lead to fans behaving in this way? Or are these just morons on twitter looking for attention?

I'm on the fence with Conroy with regards to whether he's worth persisting with and have no ill will towards him. But at times it has felt like his only focus this season has been using his Instagram account to pedal cars which isn't a great look for a captain in a struggling team and imagine some have taken exception to it.

[Bob's Orange]

I think you've answered your own question there BO! Was actively told not to speak to the press, ostracised from the group and bullied by a toxic boss by the sounds of things.

It does sound that way doesn't it? After Tyler Smith speaking out about Shez and now Conroy putting out his slant on it, what they have said is pretty much as 99% of fans would expect. His management couldn't have been much further from what was needed. Old fashioned bully boy stuff with as much tactical nous as me.

I'm on the fence with Conroy with regards to whether he's worth persisting with and have no ill will towards him. But at times it has felt like his only focus this season has been using his Instagram account to pedal cars which isn't a great look for a captain in a struggling team and imagine some have taken exception to it.

Its the ill will i don't really get to be honest. The guy has come back from horrific injuries and almost certainly they haven't been properly managed. I don't use Instagram so can't really comment on that. Is it like a sideline business he is running? I assume he does it after training/physio etc so surely he is entitled to do whatever the hell he likes?

[Flashheart]

I won't judge any player under Sheridan. (except maybe for Curran).

Conroy is a classy defender, and at DM. He's shown his ability time and time again.

If only he could stay fit we'd have a top L2 defender next season. A half-decent manager would help as well.

[Swindon Please Win]

https://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/news/2021/may/2021-retained-and-released-list/

Well didn't expect this so soon.

[welshred]

Some big outgoings. Anthony Grant, Hope, Broadbent, Caddis and Palmer.

Someone has a very big rebuilding job on their hands.

[theakston2k]

https://www.swindontownfc.co.uk/news/2021/may/2021-retained-and-released-list/

Well didn't expect this so soon.

Wow next season is going to be fun. Surprised to see Parson's has been offered a deal, although the way things are going we'll probably need a load of cheap players and youth teamers to field XI players.

[tans]

I thought Fryers was on a 2 year deal?

No goalkeepers either

[Flashheart]

A shame to see the general go, but he's 34 next month.

And Caddis, of course. Age even catches up with legends.