Swindon v Port Vale pre match chat and matchday thread

[singingiiiffy]

Benda

Hunt
Baudry/Reg
Broadbent
Caddis

Grant
Rose

Woolery
DJ/ Doughty
Isgrove

Hope

BENCH
Yoof x5
LMC

This team is very good even without the injured Zeki, Lyden, Anderson. 

[RobertT]

The Pope news is good, he was critical to how Port Vale undid us last time out.

[BambooToTheFuture]

So no white smoke means no Pope, yet we have a renewed sense of Hope.

[Tails]

So no white smoke means no Pope, yet we have a renewed sense of Hope.

Groan!

[BambooToTheFuture]

Groan!

Well at least I'm not running around with my cock out saying it will be very hard to see it end in a good way. Something will be hard but won't be my positivity  

[Peter Venkman]

Port Vale 2 leading scorers are also out for this game now then, Pope on 8 is banned and Taylor on 5 is injured.

Yates and Doyles total of 36 goals between them is 1 goal more than the entire Port Vale team have scored this season.

[Audrey]

So, if Pope was playing he would have scored more than our entire team!

[Flashheart]

So, if Pope was playing he would have scored more than our entire team!

Possibly correct, but somewhat misleading.

[Audrey]

Possibly correct, but somewhat misleading.

I know. I was just trying to wean us off the dynamic duo.

[singingiiiffy]

Edit* players who need to step up the goals

Baudry, REG, Broadbent- we haven't had a cb score so far (Zeki was rb- header from corner)

Isgrove 0
Doughty 0
DJ and Woolery x 2
Hunt 1
Caddis 0
Grant 0
Rose 1

If you had said to me pre-season that by end of Jan Isgrove and Doughty hadn't scored a league goal don't think I would have believed you.

[Audrey]

What we’ve been missing are goals from corners and set pieces. The way we play means nearly all the chances created are going to fall to Doyle/Yates.

Saying that, the others should have chipped in much more

[RobertT]

What we’ve been missing are goals from corners and set pieces. The way we play means nearly all the chances created are going to fall to Doyle/Yates.

Saying that, the others should have chipped in much more

I agree on Set Pieces, would be nice to find a way of getting a few from those.

Not so much on everyone else needing to add.  I think that is an output of the design of the team.  Anderson/DJ have, what, 8 between them from the number 10 spot?

The team is set-up to create for the front two, with Yates being a Brucie Bonus (and half his goals were when playing centrally).  The midfield two rarely are asked to be in the box, in fact, they slot behind the full backs when attacking at times.  Our aim is to overload wide and create for the middle, or breakaway when being pressed.  I've used the 87 Spurs team as a sort of example where Allen got 49 in a season and nobody else got past 8 in the league.  Waddle was on the wing.

[Audrey]

49. Ffs

[Reg Smeeton]

49. Ffs

It's worth pointing out that "only" 33 were in the league.

It's been said before but it matters not who scores as long as someone does, but sharing goals around is a good method, insofar as it lifts the pressure on the front men.

Liverpool show the sort of thing desirable.... pissing the league, 29 from the front 3, 23 from the others.

[NotHarryAgombar]

Now it’s Friday, time to look at tomorrow’s game.
This is the first of 3 in a tough week, and if we pick up 5 or more points from these next 3 games we will be in good shape.
I think 84 points will be enough for top 3 (last year 82 was enough), and  we have 53 with 18 games to go, so 31 needed - 10 wins and a draw or similar (3 draws = 1 win as someone once said), so that is the target, and 5 from these 3 will be handy, not least because it takes points off fellow promotion hopefuls.
Tomorrow will be interesting - I have said before on here that Yates is more critical than Doyle to our game plan because of his all round game, so will be interested to see how Hope can replace  some of that. Glad to see Pope is banned tomorrow, tha will help us a little.
I expect another tight game tomorrow- with a narrow win for the Town.