Swindon Town FC v Oldham Athletic AFC Official Matchday Thread

[welshred]

Benson would have filled his boots today!

[Bumpkin]

Benson would have filled his boots today!

Probably.  At this rate we'll finish outside the top 6

[Flashheart]

We're fourth, yes. But Sheff U have 2 games in hand on us, Brentford have 1 and are above us. Doncaster are 4 points ahead. Plus we have to play Donny and Sheff U away, and can't beat relegation candidates at home.

I'm not a negative person. I'm usually the last person to give up hope. But overall a top two finish looks highly unlikely now.

In a normal season you'd be bang on the money.

However, this is not a normal season. Going by our away form we will win the next 3, or at least get 7 points. I have found myself this season wishing we could play away every game.

Other teams at the top are also very erratic in their performances.

[Flashheart]

Arse.

Pretty much sums it up

[Not that Nice If I'm Honest]

In lighter news, Parrett does indeed take Macawners.

I thought the "Tore André Flo" - "Norwegian Blue" gag deserved a better response to be honest

[ghanimah]

We're fourth, yes. But Sheff U have 2 games in hand on us, Brentford have 1 and are above us. Doncaster are 4 points ahead. Plus we have to play Donny and Sheff U away, and can't beat relegation candidates at home.

I'm not a negative person. I'm usually the last person to give up hope. But overall a top two finish looks highly unlikely now.

Exactly...drawing games we should be easily winning particularly at home is normally a sure sign we end up in the play-offs. We're simply not ruthless enough to go up via autos.

[nochee]

Shooting practice needs to be a priority tomorrow. Preferably against a goal the size of a dustbin

[joteddyred]

Booing at the final whistle. Shame.

I didn't join in, but to be fair, we haven't won at home since January and have dropped 13 points of the last 18 at home.  The failure to convert chances and beat teams at the lower end of the table when we're at home is pathetic.  People are understanderbly losing patience.

Our home form has effectively killed any auto hopes.

Too many players without the passion and commitment there used to be. Not good enough.

[Flashheart]

Sheff U have a potential 6 points over us with their 2 games in hand. That's not good.

Their form is very sketchy though.

[Bogus Dave]

Spurs players looked good. Parret looks a bit Ritchie-ish in the way he plays, and Luongo in the second half made some brilliant breaks.

Alan Mccormack did that thing he does where he forgets he's playing a game of football, focuses on trying to better his opposite number and invariably loses. Frustrating.

[sonicyouth]

I didn't join in, but to be fair, we haven't won at home since January and have dropped 13 points of the last 18 at home.  The failure to convert chances and beat teams at the lower end of the table when we're at home is pathetic.  People are understanderbly losing patience.

Our home form has effectively killed any auto hopes.

Too many players without the passion and commitment there used to be. Not good enough.

People need to engage their brains and think back to the last time we were in this division.

Who would have taken play-offs at the start of the season?

[kerry red]

Just got back in and I'm still shaking my head.

We're not missing chances, we're missing sitters.

Roberts 1st half was worse a miss, if possible, than the one he smacked against the post at Brentford. Truly shocking.

Rooney could have had 4 - again not half chances, but cherry-topped certs.

The play-offs it is, and with the 3 Spurs players looking more than useful, I'd feel confident of at least a Wembley visit.

Bornmuff and Blades for the 2 autos with Swindon, Doncaster, Brentford and Walsall for the play-offs.

Tranmere are shot - as are Yeovil.

[ronnie21]

Another disappointing frustrating performance.  Had enough chances to win 6-1.  Williams mised three, Rooney could have had a hat trick and I think it was five good chances for Collins.  Cannot say the goalie saved them, it was just us missed them.  Macca badly at fault for their goal but it had been coming.  Our distribution from the back was poor, just a big hoof or a head up in the air.  Wes is going through a dodgy spell so it could be there is little confidence in the back four.  The Spurs players all looked useful, although I am not sure how they would stand up to the rough and tumble of this league every week, but their skills showed through and Parrett has a good cross and corner in him.

[STFCforeigner]

People need to engage their brains and think back to the last time we were in this division.

Who would have taken play-offs at the start of the season?

Agreed. Still frustrating when we're so close though

[Batch]

Didn't hear the booing from the DRS.

Quick summary, I still think 4-5-1 gives us plenty of the ball but not enough threat. Early on we looked good, but mid first half it got a bit raggedy. The Spurs players, firstly not sure why De Vita isn't involved ahead of them. But they did OK. Parrett was the better of the two in my eyes despite the other one winning MoM, he had a good dead ball kick and looked willing. Byrne looked composed when he came on but was never put under pressure.

Williams was a bit frustrating. But asking him to play the lone gunman role is a bit, well, a bit baffling to be honest.

Second half, when we switched it to 4-4-2 they scored! McCormack got wrong side of his man at a throw in, and they scored the simplest of goals - cross, tap in.

But we did look threatening and Collins and Rooney were guilty of missing guilt edged chances. The latter redeemed himself with the best overhead kick in the Town End since Fallon.

All in all just another repeat of the Notts County game. And while you can never say never the odds of winning at both Donny and Sheff U are fairly low - something I think we now need to do. Add in 4 more points from the last two games and it would have been oh so different.