Flitcroft

[sir windon]

Seeing as there would be an outside chance of making the play offs with a monkey in charge in this division, does any one genuinely believe we can make the top 3 with Flitcroft at the helm?.Can any one think of any reason not to replace him?

[Audrey]

He recruited OK up front but with absolutely nothing to back it up in midfield or at the back.

My mind was made up when he came out with the ‘what happens between the 2 18 yard boxes isn’t that important’.

He’s a cretinous throw back to the dark ages. We all know he wasn’t first, or even second, choice in the summer.

[1989Monkey]

I don’t even think he has recruited ok upfront. Paid over double what he had to for Woolery, mullin isn’t a scorer. Smith could be bery good at this level but we don’t play to his style.

No creativity and defensively a shambles now. Something has to change. Lose next week and we could quite easily make it 8 in a row

[Sir red ken]

I have no faith in LP recruiting a good manager. His track record is poor in this department, even worse I feel Alan Mac will be the next victim because who else would take the job.

[tans]

Alan Mac is far too intelligent to take the managers job

[DV]

I guess we could replace him if there is a better option out there.

Anyway, shouldn’t we be walking this league with our budget? Players and Managers don’t really matter. Remember last time when we steamrolled this division. All credit to the budget; manager did Fuck all - can’t even remember who it was...

[Matchworn Shirts]

I think we all knew that the new manager had a huge job on his hands to rebuild after last seasons' fiasco, and that it is not an overnight job to do so, thus taking time.
I have no problem giving Flitcroft time, as you cannot change overnight, if we could see improvement/glimmers of promise. The problem being is I cannot, it is a very poor league in which we are slightly above average

[Batch]

it doesn't take much extra to go from average to contenders.

the question is can you see Flitcroft doing that (in January) given his tactical approach to the game ?

I think he should be given the chance, but I've got big doubts

[Barnard]

Our tactical approach doesn't seem to involve the Central Midfield pairing being involved in anything more than breaking up play, with any attacking threat coming from out wide. So what do we do? Take the best ball player and crosser of the ball in the squad, the player that was actually influencing games from the full back position, and move him into the centre of midfield where he is, at best, anonymous.

We persist with the 'hoof' when we don't have the players available to make that work, presumably in the hope that one will go over the opposition Centre half and Woolery/Anderson will get onto it?

The side actually has some pace in it up front, but we don't seem to have any idea of how to release that pace.

From my perspective, the recruitment has been poor, with too many similar players in the squad. The tactics and team selection seem ineffective and sometimes baffling and the fight that was there in the first few games at home has gone, or at least there was no evidence of it last night.

I don't think Flitcroft can/will change it and therefore it's time for a replacement.  

[ferret]

Our tactical approach doesn't seem to involve the Central Midfield pairing being involved in anything more than breaking up play, with any attacking threat coming from out wide. So what do we do? Take the best ball player and crosser of the ball in the squad, the player that was actually influencing games from the full back position, and move him into the centre of midfield where he is, at best, anonymous.

That's the biggest issue of the lot for me. Whether it's through ignorance or stubbornness, the refusal to accept that switching Taylor and Iandolo around has been a total failure is really worrying.

Power used to play to a decent level, and watches most of our games. This must also have crossed his mind.

[Power to people]

That's the biggest issue of the lot for me. Whether it's through ignorance or stubbornness, the refusal to accept that switching Taylor and Iandolo around has been a total failure is really worrying.

Power used to play to a decent level, and watches most of our games. This must also have crossed his mind.

I'd agree on this totally Taylor was one of our best weapon's and in midfield he is wasted at full back he was making things work and I think the defence was better.

There is no style to play either if we want to play long ball fine, if we want to play direct fine, if we want to play a bit and then launch it fine, but all I'm seeing is kick the ball and hope someone might get to it and increasingly it is getting more scrappy.

The midfield must be the worst we have had, we have decent players that can play wide why not use them to try and get some crosses for smith or Norris.  And I don't get the refusal to give Tom Smith a go to see if he can handle it he may not be better but he cant be worse.

For me I was behind flitcroft but after last night the jury is now retiring for a verdict I am seeing no improvement and judging on last nights performance we will struggle to get close to the top 3 let alone play offs. 

I can see him being given January to get other players in I am just unsure if this is the right thing to do at the moment.

It was always going to be a tough job rebuilding a complete squad but with the players that have been squired they should be enough to get us out of this division.

[Wobbly Bob]

I don’t see how a new manager would get anything more out of this group of players than the current one.

Flitcroft has made noises about other managers in this league benefitting from being given the time to build.

I’d say stick with him, although still not sure if he just a gifted blagger or if he does actually know what he is doing.
Stressing before the game that lots of work had been put in to stop conceding from set pieces and then promptly go and let in two more …… Back to the classroom.
Your Ofsted rating is now satisfactory at best, but you could be heading for special measures if you don’t pull your finger out soon.

The home crowd has been remarkably patient so far, but the reaction after last night’s game was understandable. Won’t be long before Flitcroft is fully in the spotlight if things don’t improve.

I think that the plays offs are still a realistic target, top three starting to look out of range and possibly beyond our capabilities.
Exeter managed it last season with being crap at home and very good away.
A win on Saturday would restore some confidence in this belief, then followed by the dread of another couple of home games.

Colchester just looked like a much more balanced and complete team than we did.
Maybe the result of a manager into his second season, coupled with a very good academy.

Speaking of which, if Power still wants to make a bit of money from developing and selling on young players then why not invest in our own academy and do it that way.
Colchester again. Smallish club, with possibly a budget that reflects that. Cat 2 academy.

Watching Swindon, at home, is becoming a bit of a niche activity.
No chance of new “consumers” being attracted with the current “product” on offer.

Patience is a virtue I’m told and the pubs are open so it’s off to town to get jostled by Christmas shoppers.

[Bob's Orange]

Can’t remember if I dreamt this or not but seemingly we are the only league 2 side that doesn’t have its own training ground.

[kirky69]

At the start of the season I was impressed with what I heard from Flitcroft, he seemed to be an excellent man manager who articulated the collective need for effort, teamwork and desire, which as fans is the absolute minimum you expect from the players. It appeared to be a refreshing change from the uninspiring tippy tappy player developmental approach from his predecessor. At the time his recruitment of largely rugged league 2 journey types with a couple of younger nuggets - woolery and anderson - also seemed spot on. We started the season ok, with impressive results away from home and the 2 very poor home defeats against Barnet and Crawley didn't appear disastrous in the overall scheme of things, particularly as it was a group of new players trying to get to grips with how Flitcroft wanted them to play. Fast forward 2 months and matters have deteriorated to an alarming extent. Confidence is completely drained both on the pitch and in the stands, we have absolutely no pattern of play and he is clearly not getting the best or even close to the best of a squad of players at his disposal, the vast majority of which he recruited. He blames the defending, which is atrocious at present, but we have no creativity whatsoever. Our midfield is non-existent and we are not using what should be our main weapon - pace - at all. We can all see that Dunne and Linganzi aren't creative and Taylor isn't a midfield player so why persist with that option. January will be vital to change things and we need Elsnik back asap but I am increasingly concerned about Flitcrofts ability both tactically and motivationally given how the season has gone so far.

[ferret]

Can’t remember if I dreamt this or not but seemingly we are the only league 2 side that doesn’t have its own training ground.

Power bought that site on the outskirts of Highworth which used to be a golf course, that must have been about 2 years ago now. He made noises about needing planning permission to turn it into a training ground, which seemed highly dubious as filling a few bunkers with grass on an out-of-Town site hardly represents a significant change of use. I’d like to hear his thoughts on the ‘progress’ on this.