The Squad List (2024/25 Edition)

[Batch]

So why have we loaned him out then if he’s not going to play anywhere, may as well have stuck him in the u18s if he was still eligible. I mean this does open up wider questions about our loan system because we have players going to the lower levels and still not getting any game time. Our players are not being developed in any capacity if they’re not getting game time on loan

Perhaps we've over estimated or the loaning club has under estimated their ability. They can only go on what they see in training.

It's a meritocracy as it should be - I hate the thought of loans having to play.

If we don't send them out then we'll never see I suppose. Maybe if a couple don't work out for the same one we have an answer

[Peter Venkman]

Talking of the kids I am hearing some very good things about Joseph Owiti who is scoring a fair few goals for the U18s this season, tall and fairly quick striker from Kenya.

Hopefully we have a bit of a gem on our books with him.

[DV]

So why have we loaned him out then if he’s not going to play anywhere, may as well have stuck him in the u18s if he was still eligible. I mean this does open up wider questions about our loan system because we have players going to the lower levels and still not getting any game time. Our players are not being developed in any capacity if they’re not getting game time on loan

I assume, rightly or wrongly Holloway has absolutely no plans on using or keeping Hart beyond this season & we’ve managed to get someone to pay 100% of wages - which we’ve used else where…

…out of sight, out of mind for all intense & purposes. No interest.

We’ve all done it on football manager right?

[TheSwindonianManSTFC]

Perhaps we've over estimated or the loaning club has under estimated their ability. They can only go on what they see in training.

It's a meritocracy as it should be - I hate the thought of loans having to play.

If we don't send them out then we'll never see I suppose. Maybe if a couple don't work out for the same one we have an answer

Yes no doubt it should be a meritocracy, the issue is this isn’t limited to one just player who’s not playing at the loan club, there seems to be 2/3 of them and some of them at Supermarine which is tier 8 and four levels below us. If they can’t get into that team then what future do they have with us. It does seem there’s quite the disparity with the quality of academy output e.g. Ameen, McGregor. We have also seemed to release players from our academy who are now playing regular football in the national league. So maybe the right decisions haven’t been made there either.

[TheSwindonianManSTFC]

I assume, rightly or wrongly Holloway has absolutely no plans on using or keeping Hart beyond this season & we’ve managed to get someone to pay 100% of wages - which we’ve used else where…

…out of sight, out of mind for all intense & purposes. No interest.

We’ve all done it on football manager right?

Well, I can certainly attest to have done that on Football Manager 

[Anonymous77]

We have also seemed to release players from our academy who are now playing regular football in the national league. So maybe the right decisions haven’t been made there either.

Yep agreed. Evans, Hart, Brown and McGregor offered 2 year pro’s whilst Hubbard was released and within just over a year Hubbard is playing 2 leagues higher than Brown and Evans whilst Hart can’t get a game. Albeit Evans seems promising however he is in the 7th tier.

[iParadise]

Jaxon Brown's development's very odd. He looked alright when he came into the side last season and he also featured 21 times in the NSL. He wasn't even in the squad for Hashtag yesterday. Injured? But it's not a promising sign anyway. 

Hubbard always looked a level above whenever i saw him for the u18s.

[Boydy]

Apologies if this has been discussed already on here, but I saw that we have been able to bring in additional players due to the long term injuries to Smith and Minturn. The challenge is going to be when they are fit (Smith more than Mino) because then we are potentially challenging the wage cap rules - at least I think i saw SM post something about that on twitter.

Sam mentioned the club are looking at a clause in the SCMP rules that states the club don't have to include a players salary if he's permanently unfit to play. Which both players would potential fall under depending on the exact wording. Then they won't need to worry about it until next summer. And Smith is out of contract end of this season so it will depend on how he does getting back from this injury and if he can prove his fitness.
To be honest if I was Smith right now I'd be sweating on my future. He'll be 31 by the end of season, will probably still not be fit enough to even get on the grass for training for several more months & Palmer is already signed up to next season.
Not a good position to be in for him at all.

[Boydy]

Yep agreed. Evans, Hart, Brown and McGregor offered 2 year pro’s whilst Hubbard was released and within just over a year Hubbard is playing 2 leagues higher than Brown and Evans whilst Hart can’t get a game. Albeit Evans seems promising however he is in the 7th tier.

It was mentioned somewhere Hubbard was released due to his size. We're not the first club who've had to make that choice and players have then gone on to have a decent career elsewhere.
We've had plenty of players here down the years who fell into the too small for their original club category. In fact I think we had a loanee in the last few seasons who'd been released by one club for it and by the time we had him he was 6' plus.

I think an under 21s or reserve side would help a little bit in being given longer to look at some of these kids but to be honest some players will just slip through the cracks and the vast majority of those with potential never realise it.

[Jimmy Quinn]

It will be interesting to see what they do with Jake Tabor as he’s getting nowhere the first team squad for the foreseeable future and at 22 he needs to play games.

[Boydy]

Tabor definitely feels like one we need to get out on loan. I do think one of Bath, Chippenham or Salisbury would be good shouts as he can continue to train here most days as well then.

[iParadise]

I think Weston or bath would be perfect for Tabor. Chippenham are struggling at the moment so I’m not sure that would be a good move. I’m sure there would be a load of takers at NLS/N. He definitely needs to bulk up a bit though.

[Audrey]

📈 Top scorers in the #EFL this season:

14⚽️: Coventry, HUDDERSFIELD, Swindon
13⚽️: Grimsby
12⚽️: Stockport, Bromley, Franchise, Notts County

[Anonymous77]

International break over, Knight-Lebel and Murphy both expected to report for training tomorrow. Murphy played 84 minutes on Thursday in a 2-1 win over Moldova u21’s followed up with 12 minutes last night in a 1-0 win over Andorra u21’s. Knight-Lebel was an unused sub in both games.

[Power to people]

I see the Club have announced that Mino has had an ACL op, but I assume that means that Smith doesn't need one, which case surely that means he will be back fit quicker, so maybe fit for the run in around April or is that optimistic on these type of injuries, assume Mino will be out for 1 year + needing an op ?