Swindon v Exeter pre match chat and matchday thread

[Quagmire]

Williams was fucking awful today, he spends fee time much time rolling around too. He hasn’t been half as good as I expected him to be.

[theakston2k]

East should be cover for Lyden and Reed. Perhaps also brought on to pack midfield and close out games.

Thing is Garner had the opportunity to do that today and instead brought on Iandolo and thought a midfield of him, Williams and Gladwin would be enough to see out the match. No other manager on the planet would have tried what Garner did today, some of his decisions are just baffling.

[Frigby Daser]

And I might be wrong, but Davison didn’t look like he had to go off. He was still charging about. We missed him when he went off. Barry offered very little indeed. One trick pony - get the ball in the left channel, cut back, shoot. He’ll score a few that way, but he does it every time.

[Batch]

re: Williams - thought he was very good up to the last few games. Definitely dipped in form

[LucienSanchez]

I don’t enjoy going to the CG at the moment, and judging by the atmosphere, I’m not alone. I’m not averse to patient possession football, but too often our defence and keeper are left to unlock teams on their own; other than Reed, a lot of the times our midfield hide. So often our back five are left looking up field to a line of five “attackers” making little effort to get open. It shows so much at throw ins.

Player-wise, Williams has to do better. For an international player (albeit only Wales ) he goes missing too often, has zero pace, and goes over too easily. I’m also concerned that Barry might be rubbish for us. McKirdy wasteful again, Gladwin inconsistent and slow. Cooper and O’Brien decent again. Jojo made a great save, but then flapped when he should have caught one, stayed rooted to his line on occasion, and should have done better with the goal. Davison looked good at holding it up and linking play, not sure he’s had a decent goal scoring opportunity. No way Iandolo should come on as the base midfielder instead of East.

[Quagmire]

I also don’t think it’s a coincidence we only have 1 win in the 7 games we’ve been without Payne.

[RobertT]

I don't have an issue with the need to take off Davison - if he has a tight hamstring you do not want to risk him missing multiple games.  The issue with that change is we have nobody to replace him and he is already not a good enough replacement for Simpson.  I know we have a tight budget, but why sign Barry?  If we can only afford one player, you sign a back-up or better player for the central role given we have a few who can play the buzzing around type player.  I'm not dismissing Barry, not seen enough, but his signing is a poor choice when you see our weaknesses/gaps.

Williams needs to be told he is not an Armadillo or Possum - stop fucking rolling up into a ball when a player comes near you.  Win the free kick by all means, but a few times he is still curled up in a ball and we are playing on.

Did Iandolo get used in that role earlier this season to poor effect, or maybe it was last?  I seem to remember him playing the holding role and being exposed.  He was like a ghost without the ball - didn't do anything bad as such, just didn't provide any sort of barrier.

Overall, we appear to have dropped a level through the Transfer window.  Garner is steadfastly sticking to the project and principles - it's not going to change.  Today is part of a process, not a defeat.  He will be the type of person who will look back on their career and remember all the players he improved, that went on to greater things.  Not the sort of person who looks back fondly on that 3-2 win dragged out of certain defeat once upon a time.  That's fine - he has a role in football, and as I keep on harping on about, it's likely above this level.  I can't lose much sleep about it - he is going to be our Manager by the end of this season.  The players are good enough to be in the hunt, so even if we lose the plot we probably still hang around in mid table.

I do wonder if he is so stuck on this he can't even be forced to adjust?  Chief Exec could easily have a word in the ear and let him know that things needs changing-up and see if he reacts to that, or just says fuck off, this is the way I do things.

[Batch]

I also don’t think it’s a coincidence we only have 1 win in the 7 games we’ve been without Payne.

interesting stat!

[JoeMezz]

I also don’t think it’s a coincidence we only have 1 win in the 7 games we’ve been without Payne.

It’s very noticeable.

[Crozzer]

I also don’t think it’s a coincidence we only have 1 win in the 7 games we’ve been without Payne.

Not helped by losing Reed for two games.  Payne and Reed are key in getting back on track.

[Frigby Daser]

Today is part of a process, not a defeat.  He will be the type of person who will look back on their career and remember all the players he improved, that went on to greater things.  Not the sort of person who looks back fondly on that 3-2 win dragged out of certain defeat once upon a time.

Nail on the head.

[TheDukeOfBanbury]

An inexperienced academy manager with an inexperienced team.
Game Management sadly lacking once again. You could read the script.
Midfield weak as piss and don’t have a physical presence.
Tomlinson good, back line as most games not bad but get fuck all protection from the Midfield with nothing on the bench to change it.
Missing massively an experienced physical presence in midfield. But don’t worry “the group” and the “project” are developing.
Very disappointed once again.

[theakston2k]

An inexperienced academy manager with an inexperienced team.
Game Management sadly lacking once again. You could read the script.
Midfield weak as piss and don’t have a physical presence.
Tomlinson good, back line as most games not bad but get fuck all protection from the Midfield with nothing on the bench to change it.
Missing massively an experienced physical presence in midfield. But don’t worry “the group” and the “project” are developing.
Very disappointed once again.

It’s telling that even you are starting to get disillusioned with it all. The club really need to take note as all the goodwill could ebb away and it will become a wasted opportunity.

[RobertT]

An inexperienced academy manager with an inexperienced team.
Game Management sadly lacking once again. You could read the script.
Midfield weak as piss and don’t have a physical presence.
Tomlinson good, back line as most games not bad but get fuck all protection from the Midfield with nothing on the bench to change it.
Missing massively an experienced physical presence in midfield. But don’t worry “the group” and the “project” are developing.
Very disappointed once again.

That midfield comment relates to my view on how we play without possession.  Teams very rarely are forced out of possession via a few midfield battling tackles, or getting in their faces.  We rely on the other team making a mistake or defenders getting on top of their man once it reaches that level.  It's just far too polite as teams progress through us.  The defenders, as a group, look OK right now - but there is nothing in front of them.

[ChalkyWhiteIsGod]

The most worrying thing is, Garner makes the same mistakes over and over again and shows no sign of acknowledging them, let alone correcting them.

I don't think game management is even part of his ethos.