Swindon v Hartlepool pre match chat and matchday thread

[WEBBERhyde]

Iv seen the club have put 'The swindon way' goal on twitter showing Williams header. 23 passes etc in the build. 3 seconds into that clip there are shouts to go forward and massive groans half way through as a pass went backwards 🤣

I have to bite my lip sometimes, even last night at 2-1 with 10 minutes to go people were shouting forward. we don't need to attack every minute ffs. get it in the corner flag and run the clock down if needed. nothing wrong with game management and we do it away from home superbly

My thoughts exactly. Plenty of “get it forward, cooper” types around me that seriously test my patience.

It seems to be completely lost on people that we point and probe as long as we have to to wait for a space to open up to exploit. We’re going to have to get used to waiting at home, as teams are clearly setting out to make it hard for us to break down. Garner doesn’t want to be losing the ball unnecessarily. We defend by having the ball, and we have the quality to prise teams open eventually. It’s a style that doesn’t create loads of clear cut opportunities, but gets us into threatening positions plenty enough for the law of averages (and the quality players we have) to do the rest.

The fact that Pools hit the bar from us trying to lump it forward, and then scored from a rash goal kick (that McKirdy had already started sulking about before it left Wollacotts boot), should be enough for people to click on to that…but no.

The fact that we’re not charging all in every single attack isn’t good enough for some people…so people moan, they get frustrated and pressure the players to “get it forward”, so they force balls that aren’t on, lose the ball after over committing and are on the back foot.

Admittedly yesterday (and too often at home) we’ve looked a bit porous when we have had to defend, even in numbers. I do think in this league though, you can get away with giving most teams a few opportunities, purely because the quality isn’t there for teams to capitalise enough on the chances they do get, you just need to try and limit the chances you do give them (and have the best of the opportunities). Hence why the preference, I think, is to keep the ball as a priority.

I’ve always said it, you don’t need to be good in league 2 to get promoted…you just need to be less shit than most.

[Nomoreheroes]

O think the bit I don't like is when we don't 'probe'. At 2-1 we were attacking and there were passes forward or sideways that Gladwin could have made, but he passed it back to the GK from 1/2 way in their half. All that did was invite pressure onto us. There were lots of other ways to waste time, without giving Hartlepool a chance.

I referred to it a couple of times as fanning around with the ball. Passing should be done with purpose. No problem with probing, but sometime we can try to be a bit too casual.

[Frigby Daser]

I think that type of misunderstanding about our play is far outweighed by those that appreciate it. Even early this season, when it was passing without purpose (or at least, no actual output) the crowd was generally patient. It’s not rocket science to work out what the plan is. Odimayo said it in his interview last night - switch play, get them chasing, knacker them out, then hit them.

[NotHarryAgombar]

I enjoyed last night - journey back after the game and busy today- I haven’t read back.
I thought overall we were the better team, and deserved to win, although rode our luck a couple of times. Hartlepool a
So passed the ball around and it was a good game to watch.
Conroy’s goal saving tackle after 20 mins the highlight of the first half - superb.
Three excellent goals - highlighted the ball retention and build up play does have a purpose rather than just being “tippy tappy” as some deride it. KKH should have scored in stoppage time when through, but that was a superb break.
Some good performances through the team - Conroy, Reed, KKH, Iandolo (although overshot a few crosses) Payne and Simpson. Williams my man of the match - he is so positive on the ball, always looks to drive forward.
I would fine McKirdy for his booking- having been spoken to a couple of minutes before for dissent, he committed an obvious foul, then clearly after the whistle he kicks the ball away (into the net) - these silly bookings can cost a suspension (he has just come back from one of those).
Garner has built a good team here - and deserves credit for doing so.

[WEBBERhyde]

O think the bit I don't like is when we don't 'probe'. At 2-1 we were attacking and there were passes forward or sideways that Gladwin could have made, but he passed it back to the GK from 1/2 way in their half. All that did was invite pressure onto us. There were lots of other ways to waste time, without giving Hartlepool a chance.

I referred to it a couple of times as fanning around with the ball. Passing should be done with purpose. No problem with probing, but sometime we can try to be a bit too casual.

Definitely get the frustration with that Gladwin pass. I assume it must be a tactic of some sort that’s drilled in to them, might be designed to try and lure the oppo out a bit to create more space. It was a very odd pass to make otherwise.

It was a fairly isolated incident though. Again, it must be just part of the process and on percentage terms, it’s working.

[AMayesIng]

My thoughts exactly. Plenty of “get it forward, cooper” types around me that seriously test my patience.

It seems to be completely lost on people that we point and probe as long as we have to to wait for a space to open up to exploit. We’re going to have to get used to waiting at home, as teams are clearly setting out to make it hard for us to break down. Garner doesn’t want to be losing the ball unnecessarily. We defend by having the ball, and we have the quality to prise teams open eventually. It’s a style that doesn’t create loads of clear cut opportunities, but gets us into threatening positions plenty enough for the law of averages (and the quality players we have) to do the rest.

The fact that Pools hit the bar from us trying to lump it forward, and then scored from a rash goal kick (that McKirdy had already started sulking about before it left Wollacotts boot), should be enough for people to click on to that…but no.

The fact that we’re not charging all in every single attack isn’t good enough for some people…so people moan, they get frustrated and pressure the players to “get it forward”, so they force balls that aren’t on, lose the ball after over committing and are on the back foot.

Admittedly yesterday (and too often at home) we’ve looked a bit porous when we have had to defend, even in numbers. I do think in this league though, you can get away with giving most teams a few opportunities, purely because the quality isn’t there for teams to capitalise enough on the chances they do get, you just need to try and limit the chances you do give them (and have the best of the opportunities). Hence why the preference, I think, is to keep the ball as a priority.

I’ve always said it, you don’t need to be good in league 2 to get promoted…you just need to be less shit than most.

Exactly this, put much better than I could. Hard to explain it, but you just felt that Tuesday nights 'Play it around at the back' had a plan, a purpose and that something might happen. Compare with previous versions, which seemed to be 'Play it around at the back until we either lose it or get bored and lump it forward'.

The porous defence for me starts in midfield; there were 2 occasions where a HPool player ran, unchallenged, from inside his own half to the edge of our box. To my untrained eye it looks like we play 352 when attacking and 532 when defending; the problem is that when defending the wing backs are still very wide so we have a 3 man midfield (and a fairly 'creative/small' 3 men at that). Solutions, dunno, maybe the wing backs need to push infield a bit more when we dont have the ball. Or, hate to say it, but a certain A Grant as DM? But then does that spoil the attacking plan?

Having said all that, we will all have opinions but I think Graner has done a great job and we need to continue to trust in him. Just remember where we were last season, or pre season. Onwards and Upwards, .

[Ƭ̵̬̊: The Artist Formerly Known as CWIG]

What I love most about the "Get it forward!" mob is that the minute a long ball is played and it comes to nothing, it's followed with "Get it down!" from the same people without a hint of irony.

[RedRag]

I enjoyed last night - journey back after the game and busy today- I haven’t read back.
....I would fine McKirdy for his booking- having been spoken to a couple of minutes before for dissent, he committed an obvious foul, then clearly after the whistle he kicks the ball away (into the net) - these silly bookings can cost a suspension (he has just come back from one of those)....

I was actually fearful he would be brandished two yellows and sent off.  1 for the obvious foul and 1 for kicking the ball away into the net afterwards.  They happened almost in a single sequence but a red would have been technically justified. 

However McKirdy is ironically at his most distracting when he plays on the edge.  As well as the Ref, he puts opponents on edge and when that's in the final third, it often sort of works for him and his teammates who are familiar with his ways.

So Garner needs to have a word, for sure.  McKirdy could grow as a player if he could combine his edge with more control.  But he is who he is and it's a fine balance.

[Posh Red]

What I love most about the "Get it forward!" mob is that the minute a long ball is played and it comes to nothing, it's followed with "Get it down!" from the same people without a hint of irony.

We usually say quite loudly “well that didn’t work did it” after a long ball up field inevitably doesn’t work

[Peter Venkman]

So Garner needs to have a word, for sure.  McKirdy could grow as a player if he could combine his edge with more control.  But he is who he is and it's a fine balance.

This is why Port Vale freed him last season, Clarke said he couldnt manage him, I think its part and parcel of his game and he won't change now.

We will have to carefully manage him in games, hes volatile but thats why hes the player he is, take that edge away and he probably won't be half the player he is.

Like a modern day Robin Friday. You take the good with the bad.

[RedRag]

Or, hate to say it, but a certain A Grant as DM? But then does that spoil the attacking plan?

Interesting points generally inc. about Grant.

I love Granty's tackling and holding and falling over and super-pro shithousery.  He can slow a game down better than anyone.  Going back to the season before last, he was also v. positive offensively.  Quick to distribute and often very intelligently even if never flash. I see him as an ideal player to bring on for the last 20' or so when we have a lead and we're not absolutely dominant.  

Lyden however came on and performed a similar function very effectively on Tuesday night.  Happy to trust Garner's judgement.

[Batch]

talking of tackling, I saw Gladwin make two consecutive tackles in Tuesday 😲

He's a ball lover not a fighter

[Nomoreheroes]

I was looking admiringly at their right winger, Luke Molyneux. Just read that he's on loan from Sunderland

Thought he looked threatening down the right, stuck to the wing and played some excellent precision crosses..

Only 23 years old.

So there are players out there

[Nomoreheroes]

talking of tackling, I saw Gladwin make two consecutive tackles in Tuesday 😲

He's a ball lover not a fighter

Two slide tackles in less than a minute too!

[Bob's Orange]

I was looking admiringly at their right winger, Luke Molyneux. Just read that he's on loan from Sunderland

Thought he looked threatening down the right, stuck to the wing and played some excellent precision crosses..

Only 23 years old.

So there are players out there

Yeah he stood out for them in my eyes also. Was always fearful when running at our defence and was unlucky with a shot in the first half that went just wide.