Flitcroft

[ferret]

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.

I don’t buy in to the whole ‘leave ‘Flitters’ alone, no other manager would do any better’ line. Picking players in the right positions wouldn’t be a bad start, and I’d struggle to believe that a respectable lower league manager couldn’t average more than a point per home game over half a season. Home form is always going to be the basis of the atmosphere around the club. I agree that our crowd has been very patient, and I’m not surprised that it turned on the back of yesterday’s second half.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

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.

Agree with the above 100%. Flitcroft talks a very, very good game - He is Premier League level in fact. But the disparity with what he says and the values he espouses and what we are seeing on the pitch is so vast it's almost comical (almost).

If there was any sign whatsoever of any upward curve in terms of progress I would say give him more time but there is none as far as I can see. If I was in Power's position I think I would be pulling the plug now.

[Audrey]

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.

With hindsight it was always going to go 1 of 2 ways. The home form would turn around and we’d storm up the league or the away form would deteriorate and we’d struggle.

Automatics are still very much on if we ditch Flitcroft and recruit wisely in January - I think we all realise the league is, by and large, mundane at best. Failing that, still ditch Flitcroft and start looking to next season with a change of ‘style’.

Anyhoo, the answer is, surprise surprise, DITCH FLITCROFT.

[Bob's Orange]

Who do people genuinely think would take this lot forward? Do we think our current squad of players are good enough to go up? Is our current blip due to confidence? Are players underperforming?

For me sacking Flitcroft seems knee jerk and I can’t see it happening but the current malaise needs to be nipped in the bud, and fast!

[Flashheart]

I've seen enough to think we have the players. We've actually looked quite good at times, until this current poor run started. There was a point I thought we were beginning to click and were looking at getting to, and staying in, the top 3.

Quite what went wrong, or how to fix it, I don't know. I'm hoping those in charge do.

[Peter Venkman]

I agree with FH, when we were on the run of 5 wins on the bounce nobody was calling for Flitcrofts head, yes weren't playing great but we were getting results.

For me the only things that have changed are Taylor going into midfield with Iandolo at LB and I think we really miss Elsniks runs through the middle and Prestons form has dipped a little too.

I still think we need 3 more players in the January window but at times we rip teams apart, but conversely teams also rip us apart.

[4D]

Apart from a couple of blips Swindon have been like this for the last 20 years, why is anyone surprised?

[horlock07]

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.

Its a change of use and thus in planning legal terms it needed planning permission, which was granted in June last year.

I don’t even think he has recruited ok upfront. Paid over double what he had to for Woolery,

I cannot imagine for one second that Flitcroft has any say in what we pay for players, he may identify targets but the financial stuff will all be down to Power.

[Peter Venkman]

We do have some "special" supporters  

Not quite sure why an owner would sack himself.

From the FB fans page.

[Wobbly Bob]

I don’t buy in to the whole ‘leave ‘Flitters’ alone, no other manager would do any better’ line. Picking players in the right positions wouldn’t be a bad start, and I’d struggle to believe that a respectable lower league manager couldn’t average more than a point per home game over half a season. Home form is always going to be the basis of the atmosphere around the club. I agree that our crowd has been very patient, and I’m not surprised that it turned on the back of yesterday’s second half.

I just think that the club needs a period of stability and not yet another managerial change.
Getting rid now would be very harsh and also a tacit admission from Power that he fucked up the appointment.
Don't think it's going to happen just yet, but this losing run needs to be stopped.

Taylor is less of a menace to the team at LB than he is in midfield, but that's a marginal call I reckon.
Was hoping that somebody with his experience would bring a degree of calmness to proceedings, but he is almost Dunnesque when it comes to panic stations when a moving ball comes towards him.
This is so baffling that I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and suggest that he is playing like that under instruction as part of the overall game plan.

Iandolo might yet grow into the LB role, but those around him need to step up and help him through games.
A vocal goalkeeper able to organise those in front of him would be a great asset to have, particularly when the defence is going through this shaky patch.

[Audrey]

My gripe is that there is no forward planning. So we get promoted this season, what then? None of the current players are L1 standard, so it’s start from scratch again. Flitcroft won’t change his ‘style’ which fans obviously don’t like judging by attendances - so what’s the point?

It’s 3 season’s now of almost unwatchable football.

[RobertT]

To counter DV's sarcasm, I will agree with his comments.  Any sensible manager with the budget we have, according to reports, had available should be able to get a team together in this league in with a chance of the play offs at least.

As it happens, that is what we have, a team that is on the edge, looked like it could sniff the top 3 for a bit then after a few games has slid.

So to Flitcroft.

For most of the season so far I have been spouting the same shit - we look awful, it's horrible to watch, we play very long ball on purpose and don't care about the midfield in terms of thinking about the attack.  That all being said, my view was that the investment had been made upfront and in most games our roulette approach to the game would win out, but not by much.  Enough for the play offs - hit it long, hope for the bounce of the ball to one of our better forward players and create a chance or a set piece.

The problem i see in the past few games is that the defensive set-up seems less capable than before - probably due to injuries and moving players around too much.  Taylor to midfield is a huge error of judgement in my opinion and belies a Manager who is in fact below average.  He was god awful when  he played there at the start of the season and at that time I believed he'd never be a useful midfielder ever again, I stand by that.  Then we create a problem in defence by bringing in a youngster who doesn't even play there.  That must create a problem.  Add onto that the constant changing of the front four and you create another problem.  Flitcroft's inability to settle the team is his issue and goes to the problem suggested at Bury - too often wanting to be viewed as in control and a tactical genius.  Constantly putting Norris back in, who he seems personally invested in improving, even when his injury was clearly causing a problem and meaning he was in and out, having to be subbed etc.  The inability to change his decision on the left back slot, the constant in and out of everyone upfront.

To me, it all adds up to a problem in the Manager position, either now, or the future even if he sorts this out.  We can still make the play offs with him as Manager, I am not looking forward to watching whether we get there or not.

[Batch]

We can still make the play offs with him as Manager, I am not looking forward to watching whether we get there or not.

This sums it up for me.

Added in to this was the fact that Newport and Colchester were as awful as we are. it doesn't take much to tip the balance in our favour.

I am not convinced the current squad has enough, but we have a transfer window approaching.

[Reg Smeeton]

To me, it all adds up to a problem in the Manager position, either now, or the future even if he sorts this out.  We can still make the play offs with him as Manager, I am not looking forward to watching whether we get there or not.

All managers do these sort of things; they'll have an idea of their first XI and how they'd like to play and are then undone by events.  Flitters' problem caused by injuries...

Atm we need to start paying a bit of heed to what is happening below us, rather than worrying too much about those above.

[Mother Brown]

This sums it up for me.

Added in to this was the fact that Newport and Colchester were as awful as we are. it doesn't take much to tip the balance in our favour.

I am not convinced the current squad has enough, but we have a transfer window approaching.

But Newport and Colchester being "as awful as we are" . . managed to beat us.