Swindon v Stevenage pre match chat and matchday thread

[Flashheart]

For the 1st half hour of the second half I think we looked closer to where we should be. The game was not good overall but nowhere near as bad as some are making out. Comparisons to Flitcroft? - behave. That, and we were playing against a team sitting very deep with all men behind the ball - context and all that. That's also only Stevenage's 2nd loss in the last 7 games.

Regardless, a win's a win and this will hopefully give us a confidence boost. There was one point when we won the ball back in defence and there were 3 of our midfielders stood almost next to each other passing sideways. Why? two of those should have been sprinting forward. My guess is that they were afraid of losing.

[4D]

I think most people want the team to succeed, but in the last 25 years we have had one or two great seasons, a couple of good seasons and the rest forgettable. At the start of the season there's always renewed hope/belief. Swindon always have a habit of quashing that by the Winter.

Flasheart - if a team is sitting so deep how come we have just 8 shots, equal to their tally. We should be peppering their goal, adjust to their set up and not try to walk it in.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

Nail on head there, FH.

It’s the overall lack of confidence that’s done for us lately, preventing players doing what was instinctive earlier in the season.

[Flashheart]

Flasheart - if a team is sitting so deep how come we have just 8 shots, equal to their tally. We should be peppering their goal, adjust to their set up and not try to walk it in.

Come on - you know it doesn't work like that.

[Panda Paws]

I do always support the team until the very end of the match.  Cannot stand the moaning.  I would so rather have Paul's MLS druimming than the sighs and moans and "Get it forwaaards".

BUT

If you go to football to enjoy yourself, may I suggest Anfield or even the Nou Camp may be a happier hunting ground?

Unless your idea of enjoyment is more akin to attending a Smiths or Leonard Cohen concert?

We really do have to squeeze the tube hard to extract any pleasure these days.

The unexpected pleasure and relief of a Doyle 90th min winner didn't exactly come at the conclusion of 90 mins. of "ole's!"

Yours in misery but also hope.

Honestly, I enjoy watching any football. Just as happy watching Watford as I am Hornchurch. Neither matter, compared to STFC though.

I get frustrated, I get disappointed, but I still go because either way I enjoy it. I enjoy the away games with no one there like Col U in the cup where I can sit with my own thoughts and watch a game, and I enjoy away games like Orient where I can go with 12 mates, drink 12 pints, be part of something bigger and generally make a tit of myself.

Yes, I am strange.

[Peter Venkman]

If you go to football to enjoy yourself, may I suggest Anfield or even the Nou Camp may be a happier hunting ground?

Absofuckinglutely, we wont win every game, we wont win playing good football every game, thats lower league football.

Fucking hell I have watched 45 years of it at Swindon and its always been the same, some great, some good, some average but more often than not pretty shit, often bordering on abysmal.

And even then it can fuck up for the big teams at the top, look at Man Utd this season.

Some people are literally their happiest whilst complaining.

Never have truer words ever been posted on this forum.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

Stat on iFollow during the game

Last night’s game was the 100th home game since the PO final.

We’ve won 38. Fucking shameful, that.

[pauld]

Flasheart - if a team is sitting so deep how come we have just 8 shots, equal to their tally. We should be peppering their goal, adjust to their set up and not try to walk it in.

The whole purpose of a team sitting deep is to prevent the opposition getting shots off other than from distance. We possibly could have "peppered their goal" with 40 yard hit-and-hopes, which might have made the stats look better, but who's actual effect would have been to surrender possession cheaply. I'm not suggesting what we did instead was great, it was incredibly frustrating to watch, but I think FH has a point

[Costanza]

Who'd have thought that one relegation and three seasons of League Two football would conjure such a negative stat?

[pauld]

What did people think of DJ yesterday then. It was my first time seeing him play live.

Looked raw but committed to me. Will be interesting to see how/if he develops. Didn't think Woolery shoed a lot yesterday so its good to have a bit of competition for the spot while Anderson is out.

I thought he lifted us, although given he came on for the ineffective (yesterday rather than generally) Woolery, he may have looked bright in comparison

[Batch]

Wonder what the L2 100 game average is?

I don't know if that's massively low even if it feels like it. the fact we've lost 37 is telling though.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

Who'd have thought that one relegation and three seasons of League Two football would conjure such a negative stat?

Makes it even worse being in L2 alongside all the other dross.

[Reg Smeeton]

 As suggested patience was required and rewarded.  A massive result, in the short term.

No good will come of Wellens moaning at the fans.... he needs to  that straight away.  Our fans still turn up in reasoanble numbers for Div 4, especially as we've been poor at the CG for a while including cup games etc.

I get that he's under pressure and it makes you do funny things, but it's part of the job.   How a gaffer can make himself popular is a tricky one.... I'd suggest a basic point would be living and being seen around where you manage.  Wellens gives the impression of being temporary and therefore semi detached.

He should probably have made a bit more of the Donny thing in the summer....

[Peter Venkman]

The whole purpose of a team sitting deep is to prevent the opposition getting shots off other than from distance. We possibly could have "peppered their goal" with 40 yard hit-and-hopes, which might have made the stats look better, but who's actual effect would have been to surrender possession cheaply. I'm not suggesting what we did instead was great, it was incredibly frustrating to watch, but I think FH has a point

Absolutely, we could have had loads of long shots but the only time I was truly frustrated was when Doughty was 20 yards out with a clear shot at goal with nobody between him and the keeper and he passed it sideways. He has a brilliant shot on him but his confidence must have been so bad that he decided if he shot and missed then it wasn't worth the risk.

Yates missed 2 fairly easy chances, ones which if they fell to Doyle he would have done better with and Doyle had one early header straight at their keeper so it could have been better margin with better finishing.

Stevenage finishing was shocking, Parrett missing a couple of clear cut chances and Benda made a couple of very good saves too, he was vying for MoM for me along with Grant and Doyle who were both excellent again. Donohue looks way more solid an option at LB than Fryers or Iandolo but still made a coupel of mistakes, as did the whole of the defence.

For me a win is a win, we mostly controlled the game even if it wasn't pretty to watch, isgrove got more into the game and set up a few good chances after a slow start.

Lets just get back to back wins again and go from there.

[pauld]

I'd suggest a basic point would be living and being seen around where you manage

AFAIK, he is doing just that, living away from his family and in return getting a load of shit rumours from certain elements on Facebook that he's part-time. Thought you were a bit better than to repeat such unsubstantiated smears from the usual suspects who's only joy seems to be hating everything about the club. Unless you know better of course ....