Swindon Town v Doncaster Rovers Matchday Thread

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

8 out of yesterday’s starting 11 only had about 250 league appearances between them. Only Iandolo, Williams and Austin have any substantial experience behind them.

Add in Khan, Brennan, Lavinier, RHM and, obviously, our youngsters, it lays bare the sheer lack of EFL experience.

Surely, Morris - or any manager - must see the need for more experienced players. He must know we’ll never get promoted using the present model. Hopefully, part of him accepting the job was he has a more hands-on role in recruitment.

[Legends-Lounge]

8 out of yesterday’s starting 11 only had about 250 league appearances between them. Only Iandolo, Williams and Austin have any substantial experience behind them.

Add in Khan, Brennan, Lavinier, RHM and, obviously, our youngsters, it lays bare the sheer lack of EFL experience.

Surely, Morris - or any manager - must see the need for more experienced players. He must know we’ll never get promoted using the present model. Hopefully, part of him accepting the job was he has a more hands-on role in recruitment.

Your last paragraph might partially explain the time it took to get his signature? And on that topic, did I hear late into the second half of yesterday’s radio comms a mention by either AG or AH that Brand is at the club?

[The Million Pound Man]

did I hear late into the second half of yesterday’s radio comms a mention by either AG or AH that Brand is at the club?

No he's not. Listen back to JM post match on BBC Wilts... he's massively pissed off with the situation hence people suggesting he may walk.

Still, at least we're doing God's work in Karachi.

[RJack]

Brand was there yesterday but was up in the stands

[NotHarryAgombar]

I meant to add the referee was poor too - how do the officials not see through the situation where a player goes down, rolls around a couple of times, looks up - sees no sign of a card for the tackler and so rolls again, card comes out, player makes a recovery like Lazarus. Maybe the NHS should get a supply of yellow cards to help people get better more quickly.
That happened on both Town bookings yesterday.

[STFC_Manc]

When Morris first came in he said high pressing football and mixing up styles. Reading between the lines I think he’s hinted that the players weren’t at the fitness levels he wants when they joined and to be fair the Gillingham game proved that with 3/4 players cramping up. Maybe yesterdays performance was a consequence of harder training and heavy legs, they seemed to lack energy and gave the ball away countless times with little or no pressure. When Morris joined I said to my old man we may lose the first few while the players get fitter, which is what’s happened so far. Do agree with all comments though recruitment in January was poor and very stupid to lose MacDonald and not replace him (FWIW the spurs lad may have been good but the defence would have still lacked experience).

I was having the same thoughts on the way we played may be down to harder training, which would hopefully improve with time, do we have enough time left in the season though.

[Nemo]

At the risk of going full spreadsheet, thought there was something interesting in the WhoScored player ratings/stats - they have Dylan Kadji as our best player yesterday by some distance (only player rated above 7). Raised an eyebrow but his defensive stats are actually low key impressive: 5 tackles, 3 interceptions. Interceptions in particular aren't something we've been very good at this season - only MacDonald, Brennan and Reed average 1 a game or better.

He did give the ball away a few times, but it's an interesting one, bit better at breaking up opposition play than I saw on the day. Worth keeping an eye on.

[JoeMezz]

I was having the same thoughts on the way we played may be down to harder training, which would hopefully improve with time, do we have enough time left in the season though.

Perhaps not but similar could develop as we did under Wellens. Come in half a season in, work out what you like / don’t like and sort it out in the summer for a title charge next year. If we went up in current state we’d get battered next year which seems kind of pointless. Obviously want us to go up but maybe next year might be the better time for it

[Wobbly Bob]

Useless managerial stat time.
Since Gorman I think that only Roy Evans & possibly Iffy managed to lose their first two games in charge.

Mighty oaks from small acorns & all that, so it's important to keep the faith.

Finishing in the a play off position is not out of the question and that should still be the aim.

Having Khan, Lavinier, Shade, Tomlinson & RHM available again will both improve the quality and provide some different options.
Lavinier in particular might be worth a gamble to see what he can do further up the pitch.

It would be very disappointing to end up outside the top the seven.
Having said that I'd trade the remainder of the season being written off* in return for automatic promotion next and consolidation in 2024-25.

*This means Morris getting the breathing room to learn the trade, improve the players, develop the preferred style of play, improve the infrastructure as he sees fit and getting the backing in the summer.

[Jimmy HaveHave]

We also have to give Morris time to adapt as he will be used to working with players that are more technically gifted.

[Batch]

Anyway, didn't really give the opposition the credit they deserved

They may be 'limited' but aren't most teams in this league one way or another.

Firstly I thought they pressed our back line well from goal kicks, it made it hard to play out.

Secondly I thought they held shape and discipline well too. They slipped five into the back line or of possession and seemed to double up on Hutton when they could. He didn't have his best game.

Yes we deserved the goals poorly, but they kept us at arms length pretty much at all times. With a fully fit town squad maybe we'd have pushed them more.

[THE FLASH]

Havent read back.

Sheeeesh!

That was proper dogshit!

I had to wrack my brains to remember when we played so bad (with me witnessing it in the stands)....Williams?

I was prepared to write off Newport as a blip but fuck me that was bad.

Nearly took the lead at the end against the run of play with that free kick.

Conceded two really poor goals from crap defending and it really should of been more.

I do not academy, tip tap football at this level.

67% of the play Saturday, 57% away at Newport and lost both.... against teams that didnt really need to up their game to beat us.

I didnt boo at the end but Charlie should just clap all four sides and walk off, dont engage with it. Harry Kane could of played up front on Saturday and not made a difference.

It does show, however, what Sheridactyl got away with.

IMO the appointment of Lindsey is proving very costly to this football club, Sandros bullshit spin about Lindsey being the obvious choice haunts me.

A season of reasonable expectation is slipping away from us.

I will be there tomorrow night. It can only get better.....surely?

[Batch]

I will be there tomorrow night. It can only get better.....surely?

You've done this long enough to know better.

But also unexpected wins occur all the time. Honestly. We are capable.

[ibelieveinmrreeves]

Perhaps not but similar could develop as we did under Wellens. Come in half a season in, work out what you like / don’t like and sort it out in the summer for a title charge next year. If we went up in current state we’d get battered next year which seems kind of pointless. Obviously want us to go up but maybe next year might be the better time for it

This is how I'm feeling at the moment. It'll take a concerted uptick in form to get back to play off contenders and I'm not sure we have the personnel for that currently.

Also thought that was a top away performance from Doncaster, they hardly put a foot wrong and didn't even need to resort to any dark arts. Second half they weathered our 'storm' (more like an April shower) and got two sucker punch goals. I've not watched them back yet but feel like Brynn should probably have done better at his near post. They kept us at arms length, it was comfortable for them. Great reward for the travelling fans.

[Bob's Orange]

Difficult to know where to start on looking back on Saturday, I felt fairly confident that Jody Morris would get off to a good start, and I dread to think how my 2-1 prediction has affected my top of the table perch in the prediction league!

The good news was that I was joined (metaphorically) by Antony Grant on the Ifollow comms, I enjoyed his musings last time but this time he grated somewhat. You have to give him his due that he watched the game as a fan but it would have been nice to have a bit more of his insight rather than 'Jesus Christ' 'Wake up Wakeling' etc etc as well as the constant focus on the Premier league scores. I suppose that sums up the overall performance that the general was so negative. First half seemed so sluggish, it looked like Doncaster had more zip about them and they moved the ball quicker than us in my eyes. Clayton and Wakeling couldn't seem to do anything right and Hutton's body language didn't look right either. The only positive was that Iandolo and Williams appeared to be working reasonbly well down the left, a couple of neat interchanges, but really that's scaping the barrel, a lot! Oh I forgot Jake Cain hit the bar with a free kick, he certainly looks like he's going to be useful from set pieces.

Second half there seemed to be an upping of levels and Wakeling must have taken the general's points on board as he looked a lot livelier. But despite that, not a lot happened, Doncaster looked comfortable, yet ANOTHER visiting goalkeeper picking up a pay packet for doing next to nothing, the stats say 1 shot on target but I can't remember what that was. The first change came on 78 minutes and did Jeff Cott even touch the ball after that? How on earth did the pitiful Ronan Darcy manage to play the full 90? I know there isn't a lot of options on the bench but surely Aguiar for 30 minutes was worth a go? Austin was frustrated, the crowd booed us off and it was a terrible day at the office.

I personally don't think JM is going to be able to get his ideas across in time to lead us to promotion this season, too many injuries and suspensions and not enough options at the back. On that showing Clayton and FBT doesn't look great, we are desperate for Tomlinson to come in and play. The midfield was pretty shocking as well, Darcy appalling and Kadji has a heavy touch on him, often his second touch is a tackle. Cain up and down. Up front Wakeling is really struggling and I think he might be trying too hard, he needs something good to happen on the pitch soon. And Charlie got bugger all service.

The ghost of Scott Lindsey still looms large, that has to change.