SWINDON TOWN vs COLCHESTER UTD - matchday thread

[DV]

Well in 2 of the mentioned seasons, we changed manager and still went down, in 08/09 we changed manager and just about stayed up.  Given the model set out by Power, there seems to me to be no point in panicking and changing direction, what is needed is a better focus on improving what we've got...better fitness, better game awareness and more commitment.

I'd also argue that Powers model has no relevance which division we are in.
If he can continue to turn profit and get loan players would he even care whether it's L1 or L2?

[@mwooly63]

I'd also argue that Powers model has no relevance which division we are in.
If he can continue to turn profit and get loan players would he even care whether it's L1 or L2?

I would expect a lower league would mean a drop in attendance therefore an even lower budget.
Other than that no

[Skinny Pete]

I suppose the argument is whether Power's method (heavy reliance on loans) is best for Power but not best, long term, for the club.

Does having 4/5 loanees in every squad be more of a benefit in reducing the wage bill or a hindrance by reducing the chance of playing Swindon-contracted players who could command a fee in the future.

[Reg Smeeton]

The elephant in the room for the Power model is the court hearing trying to outlaw transfer fees and loans. Should the judges find in favour of the players and agents, then the model is fucked and presumably Power sells up.

[DV]

I suppose the argument is whether Power's method (heavy reliance on loans) is best for Power but not best, long term, for the club.

Does having 4/5 loanees in every squad be more of a benefit in reducing the wage bill or a hindrance by reducing the chance of playing Swindon-contracted players who could command a fee in the future.

Personally, I see no on pitch success with our current model.

Anytime we get a good team together it will get broken up - either with loans returning or players being sold. We will have to start from scratch pretty much every season. Then once we get everyone settled in - it's all change again.

Already this season has changed. Clearly we were set up to let Nathan Bynre be our attacking threat. A month into the season he's gone and we've got to come up with a new game plan.

[Skinny Pete]

TBF, I would be amazed if the club thought they would hang on to Byrne or even wanted to with the possibility of missing out on a big fee.

Nobody can deny that Power has brought in players most of us were creaming ourselves about at the time.

It just seems now that those players don't really fit in with the formation we prefer to play. The only logical conclusion to that us that the formation much change.

[Reg Smeeton]

Personally, I see no on pitch success with our current model.

Anytime we get a good team together it will get broken up - either with loans returning or players being sold. We will have to start from scratch pretty much every season. Then once we get everyone settled in - it's all change again.

Already this season has changed. Clearly we were set up to let Nathan Bynre be our attacking threat. A month into the season he's gone and we've got to come up with a new game plan.

But we've had a couple of decent seasons using the model.  What doesn't seem to have happened yet in this season, but may do in January, is the spending of a fee to get something like an Obika, Michael Smith, Byrne, Luongo type of player.

The only fee, being the 50K to Glentoran for Stewart. Byrne was always likely to go, which is why Stewart was flagged up as his replacement.

[Batch]

The elephant in the room for the Power model is the court hearing trying to outlaw transfer fees and loans. Should the judges find in favour of the players and agents, then the model is fucked and presumably Power sells up.

pretty much every lower league team is fucked if all forms of transfer fees go.

[herthab]

Personally, I see no on pitch success with our current model.

Anytime we get a good team together it will get broken up - either with loans returning or players being sold. We will have to start from scratch pretty much every season. Then once we get everyone settled in - it's all change again.

Already this season has changed. Clearly we were set up to let Nathan Bynre be our attacking threat. A month into the season he's gone and we've got to come up with a new game plan.

Byrne's sale has nothing to do with Power's 'model'. Unless we can get some other moneybags mug like Black we need to sell players, just like nearly every football club.

Most fans seem to veer from stupidly optimistic, to stupidly pessimistic on an almost weekly basis. Power's model got us our highest placing in the league for fucking years last season, I'm not saying it's my ideal (I'd prefer a Russian ogliarch, or Suadi Prince) but I struggle to see a viable alternative while we're in league one. Power has been pretty open about his ambitions: success on the pitch, leading to promotion which in turn will make the club a more attractive proposition for investors. Meaning he makes some money. I've got no problem with that.
 What I don't understand is the same people who accuse Cooper of being a puppet, with no control of tactics, selection, recruitment, or anything else, are he same ones who blame him when things are going well and suggest he's lost the dressing room! Talk about having you cake and eating it!
 It was shit yesterday. And it was shit last week. Things need to change, either with tactics or personnel, but I'll leave the wrist slashing for a while yet.

[BruceChatwin]

I didn't think we were that bad yesterday, though we were clearly not a coherent, well-organised team.

I do still think some of the disjointedness is down to the team effectively being in pre-season with so many new players.

Cooper does, however, need to take responsibility for trying to crowbar them all into positions where they clearly don't belong. 

I thought, with all the pacy players we've been going for this summer, there might have been a cogent, long-term plan in place to develop a new style of play. So far, however, it's mostly looked like a bewildering parody of last year.

It should go without saying, that Cooper needs to find the tactics that best suits the new players, not suit the new players to last year's tactics.

Yesterday, though an improved performance, seemed a bit of a retrograde step in that regard.

[Skinny Pete]

Yesterday was, indeed, better - but only in an attacking sense.

We were just as piss poor at defending as we have been for 2 years - and that is what is making me question Cooper/Williams.

They've had a long time to sort it but are incapable of doing so.

[normy]

Were Barry and BOO available for selection yesterday, as well as Brophy?  I was hoping that two out of the three would play, as it seemed obvious.  I can't work out why it didn't happen, or whether it would have made any difference. It would probably have eliminated the very bad start when the back three were very exposed at times. Doesn't Cooper think they're good enough to start, despite our awful defensive record? ? 

[FormerlyPlymRed]

We were shit yesterday but still believe with players we have we should be in/around play offs. Lose the next 2 against struggling sides then we could have a long season ahead.

[@mwooly63]

As mentioned above.
If you don't have the personnel to fit the style, then change the style to fit the personnel we do have.
No brainer really but Cooper seems unwilling or unable to veer from the chosen style path.
With all the pace we have esp upfront ,you think a few balls over the top would at the very least push the oppositions back line towards their own goal to counter it.
Freeing up midfield space.

But what do I know
Next two games are crucial to halt the slide however he changes it.

[THE FLASH]

Well in 2 of the mentioned seasons, we changed manager and still went down, in 08/09 we changed manager and just about stayed up.  Given the model set out by Power, there seems to me to be no point in panicking and changing direction, what is needed is a better focus on improving what we've got...better fitness, better game awareness and more commitment.

With Reg.
Only desperado managers will come here and work under the Power model.
I'm sure that's why Kmac fucked off.
It's September.... Cooper has the luxury of time to get it right.