Crawley Town v Swindon Town pre match chat and matchday thread

[adje]

Seems to me and forgetting the ‘look where we were etc’ that we have proved to be a far better team in both halves of the season even with the forced changes than we dared hope for. Therefore I suspect we’re all guilty up to a point of building our hopes up that we could escape this shitty league at the first attempt against all the odds. Clearly it is not going to be that cut and dried, aint football a funny old game? Who said that? 🤔

The calorifically challenged xx person (for you younger folks) identifying as a microwave oven has not started to sing yet but is warming up in the wings. The autos may turn out to be a bridge to far but the lottery of the PO’s are there for the taking.

We now have two weeks free of competitive action to train, train, train, get our fitness numbers back up to strength and watch how the other teams fare.
Don’t you just love this game?

You could be right about a "bridge too far" but the same lack of consistency among all the other candidates gives us hope I think

[Bob's Orange]

Not read back yet, my thoughts on Saturday.

I thought for the whole we actually played very well. Like Sutton on Tuesday Crawley were a little patched up and apparently 3 out of their 4 back line were actually midfielders. As with most games this season we started really well and Williams should have scored in the first few minutes. Crawley were chasing shadows and it only seemed a matter of time before we would take the lead. Sadly, as with most of our games this season we conceded an absolutely pathetic goal. To leave their leading scorer unmarked 5 yards in front of goal is unacceptable and is happening far too much. If you look at the replay there isn't a player within about 3 or 4 yards of him. Jojo made another superb stop to keep it at 1-0 but I felt at half time like we would go on to win the game confortably or we would lose 3-0. Crawley were playing us like they were away, allowing us to have the ball, soaking up pressure and looking to break and cease on any mistakes.

We started the second half well, Payne and Williams were beginning to run the show in midfield and the latter played a great ball to Davison, the keeper hesitated and Davison scored superbly. After that, it looked like only one winner. McKirdy had the chance but the keeper (more luck that judgement in my eyes) made an unreal save. After that, McKirdy, who was always involved, started to give the ball away consistently with underhit passes. Not blaming him at all for our defeat but I felt that this gave Crawley a bit of a foothold when it seemed they might buckle. I'm not massively sure if the defence can be blamed completely for their second goal, it was a total fluke that the shot which was blocked went off the post and fell nicely for Nichols to finish.

Even after that we were creating the better chances, how on earth JML never scored is beyond me, got to do better from that position. The third goal was clearly from us pushing for an equaliser but even then Jojo was really unlucky not to save the shot and it to fly out of the reach of Jack Payne. That was never a 3-1 defeat in a million years, on another day we'd have won that game by 3 or 4 ourselves. The first goal was what hurt the most, how can any professional team leave a player so badly unmarked so close to goal? I thought Payne looked somewhere back to his best, Davison had a good game, often working hard to pick the ball up in midfield, and he used it a lot better than he has before. McKirdy flitted in and out, I thought he was almost unplayable early on but then seemed to get sloppy and a lot of his passes went astray. I also thought Williams played well, I just wish he would get on with playing the game more and stop with the gamemanship to win free kicks, referees I think have got wise to him and he needs to use his obvious talent better.

let's look at the positives. We have a 2 week break where we can get all our injured players back as close to match fitness as possible. The players are going to be seething after Saturday and now looking to put everything right for the last few games of the season. We haven't yet had our winning run of games yet this season, Mansfield and Bristol Rovers are surely coming to the end of theirs, we can time ours to take us at least into the play-offs, it's still very much all to play for!

[Bob's Orange]

Anyone else not getting an audio feed during h/t? As soon as I hear Jimmy Bullard my finger moves to switch off the video.

He used to entertain me when I first got into Soccer AM but i'm the same as you, I think he needs a spot of Vagisil to get rid of the irritating cunt. I wonder how today's teenagers and twenty somethings find him?

[Peter Venkman]

He used to entertain me when I first got into Soccer AM but i'm the same as you, I think he needs a spot of Vagisil to get rid of the irritating cunt. I wonder how today's teenagers and twenty somethings find him?

I have heard he speaks very highly of you....

[Posh Red]

He used to entertain me when I first got into Soccer AM but i'm the same as you, I think he needs a spot of Vagisil to get rid of the irritating cunt. I wonder how today's teenagers and twenty somethings find him?

Soccer AM went down the shitter even before Bullard arrived.

[horlock07]

Soccer AM went down the shitter even before Bullard arrived.

About 1998 I recall.

[Peter Venkman]

Soccer AM went down the shitter even before Bullard arrived.

No idea when Bullard started appearing on there but I used to enjoy it until about 2006 when it just went to rat shit and haven't watched it since, pretty much around the time Lovejoy left, whoc I didnt rate but he held the program together.

[Bob's Orange]

No idea when Bullard started appearing on there but I used to enjoy it until about 2006 when it just went to rat shit and haven't watched it since, pretty much around the time Lovejoy left, whoc I didnt rate but he held the program together.

I think I may have given up on it a little before or around then too JJ. I guess it's aimed at a younger audience anyway so there will always be the generations that get bored of it and are replaced by the next one so I'm sure it has a regular following. It must be doing something right it is still being aired!

[horlock07]

Been out of circulation with kids parties etc over the weekend, but just watched the 'highlights'.

Did we have a ceremony after the game to celebrate the number of times we granted them the freedom of out 6 yard box!

[Peter Venkman]

I think I may have given up on it a little before or around then too JJ. I guess it's aimed at a younger audience anyway so there will always be the generations that get bored of it and are replaced by the next one so I'm sure it has a regular following. It must be doing something right it is still being aired!

Yes you are probably right mate about the age range.

Had no idea what Helen Chamberlain was doing now but a little shocked to see her main just is working for the Independent Family Returns Panel for the Home Office. Thats a heck of a change in careers, as for Tim Lovejoy I had no idea he was even still on TV having never watched daytime Sunday TV.

[swindonmaniac]

Soccer AM went down the shitter even before Bullard arrived.

Went downhill after Jutty appeared on there with his football shorts on !.

[Bob's Orange]

Yes you are probably right mate about the age range.

Had no idea what Helen Chamberlain was doing now but a little shocked to see her main just is working for the Independent Family Returns Panel for the Home Office. Thats a heck of a change in careers, as for Tim Lovejoy I had no idea he was even still on TV having never watched daytime Sunday TV.

ha. I occasionally watch a little bit of Sunday Brunch. It's hit and miss but there is a bit of interest for everyone on there. I'm not a massive fan of his, but he has carved out a good career for himself to be fair.

[Legends-Lounge]

You could be right about a "bridge too far" but the same lack of consistency among all the other candidates gives us hope I think

It’s that that kills us…

[Jimmy HaveHave]

ha. I occasionally watch a little bit of Sunday Brunch. It's hit and miss but there is a bit of interest for everyone on there. I'm not a massive fan of his, but he has carved out a good career for himself to be fair.

I've been watching Sunday brunch for years but feel they try too hard these days and it's getting a little boring.

[Bob's Orange]

Went downhill after Jutty appeared on there with his football shorts on !.

That reminds me, was there a stag party or something at the game on Saturday? It looked like there were 11 guys all lined up in full kit wanker garb.