Preseason 23/24

[ThreeDrawsMentality]

Completely the wrong thread for this, but it's where most of this kind of chat is happening. Came across a voting thread this morning of what would you prefer Swindon being: Community ran team or billionaires play toy, and felt quite surprised that results of the vote so far were 60% community and 40% for billionaire.

Can't help but feel that some of those who voted for community ran are also those bemoaning lack of investment in the team and infrastructure.

[Mooneyraker]

I think that’s because we are currently being run as neither.

A “rich” (not that rich) owner who has promised all the usual guff, Championship aspirations, stadium development, promotion budgets etc, yet in reality is running it like a volunteer backed community club without a pot to piss in. He set expectations, including “I’m not Lee Power” before surrounding himself with that individual’s former acolytes, and has systematically failed to meet them.

I’d be much happier being a genuine, honest, drugs-money-launderer-free community run club with limited aspirations past a nice day out and a passable team.

[Bob's Orange]

Noticed one of our content providers have gone full Arsenal Fan TV mode too which is just adding to this observation.

Is that Fools Rush in? I wonder if that's either 'parody' or doing it for the clicks.

[Batch]

I honestly think that the denouement of the Power era turned everyone a bit mad. You have the people who saw it coming and the people who failed to see it coming and both sets are irredeemably damaged by the whole sordid saga, particularly as we had a chance at greatness dashed by Black pulling the plug just prior to make the whole thing seem even worse.

I'll happily admit (and it'll be obvious) that my mindset is damaged and the default is "waiting for the inevitable to happen" - i.e. it all to go wrong.

it's definitely the wrong way to think, but I can't help it. I've been conditioned over the years.

I don't think I'm alone.

I hoped Clem would be a reset, but it hasn't. Having people formerly of dubious character around really hasn't helped though that may have changed.

in short as a fan base I think we need some success and stability and something to believe in. Clem may provide that in time, but as is the modern way patience is short

[Mooneyraker]

Yup. I’m that guy too. Will always cheer the team on the pitch but when it comes to the club I’m just waiting for disaster, which isn’t helpful.

[Peter Venkman]

In the City friendly, the first 60 mins of our actual first team yesterday we matched City almost player for player, only being 2-1 down at the change. We pressed high and looked threatening in attack, Charlie and RHM linked up well, Charlie kept trying to get Hutton involved but Huttons deliveries were poor.

Khan was usual Khan, half he did very well and half he was awful and gave the ball away cheaply.

McEachran looked eager and passed well and had a decent game.

Kemp didnt get massively involved but he hit a few great through passes to RHM and the LWB trialist but had one shot and it was very high from distance. Promising.

Mahoney looked a decent stopper, made 2 superb saves to stop definate goals, his kicking is not that great and he doesnt command his area much, looks on a par with Brynn to me.

Brewitt looked poor, constantly gave the ball away and made mistakes at the back, but going forwards he made a few good passes.

Lavinier looked decent on the ball but like Hutton defending is not his strong point and looked lost at CB at times caught way out of position defensively.

Hutton, see Lavinier! decent going forwards even though his crosses were poor but very poor defensively.

LWB trialist (Pearson I believe) for me he looked eager and can tackle and run, would be better if he was a left footer but I didnt think he looked too bad even if some posters disagree.

Charlie sat around the box and made a few good passes setting up RHM and Hutton a few times, can still pick out a pass but had little service, great 1-2 to set up RHM's goal.

RHM looked fast, skillfull and very eager to run, was probably my MotM.

The subs that came on.

Ward, looked lost and although not at fault for the goals I think he should have done better with several of them.

Shade, his only contribution was gifting them a goal, otherwise he was not involved despite playing against a much younger team.

Darcy, lots of poor passes and moaning, didnt have any impact on the game.

Cain, see Darcy.

Wakeling, he wanted the ball but rarely got it, when he did have it he created a few problems but his finishing wa spoor with him missing 2 very good chances.

Dworzak, put in a couple of very good crosses that would have been ideal for Austin but otherwise didnt contribute too much.

Minturn looks like he has bulked up a bit and was decent on the ball but still like Brewitt makes a couple of silly mistakes that often are capitalised on, he was caught in possession a few times and a loan would do him the world of good IMO.

[Bob's Orange]

I think the Eastleigh and the Plymouth friendly are the ones where we see our starting XI get proper minutes in the tank. They've had 45 minutes against Swansea and 60 against Bristol City and now I think Flynn will look to get minutes into the first XI and subs. Given the injuries to Clayton and Devine, I think we need to get the defensive recruits in before Eastleigh ideally to give them 2 pre-season games to get up to speed.

[Peter Venkman]

These are the kind of games Adeloye really needs to try and impress but i think he just doesn't have it does he

I hoped against a non league side he would come good and grab a few goals, also Aguiar should be controlling these games but he isnt either.

I would happily get rid of Adeloye and Aguiar, and I think Flynn is of the same opinion, I think Darcy and Shade both looked near useless yesterday against young opponents when they should be trying hard to impress Flynn. Cain, he had little support in the middle but again a lot of his passing was wayward when he should be dominating against a side with only about 10 1st team games between them (other than Conway who was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch for the last hour).

[Bob's Orange]

I hoped against a non league side he would come good and grab a few goals, also Aguiar should be controlling these games but he isnt either.

I would happily get rid of Adeloye and Aguiar, and I think Flynn is of the same opinion, I think Darcy and Shade both looked near useless yesterday against young opponents when they should be trying hard to impress Flynn. Cain, he had little support in the middle but again a lot of his passing was wayward when he should be dominating against a side with only about 10 1st team games between them (other than Conway who was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch for the last hour).

To be fair I don't really think you can expect Aguiar and Adeloye to do a lot in a predominantly very young Swindon side against a NLN side. I imagine even Charlie would struggle in a team surrounded by kids. Can we read into the fact they were given the trip to Hereford with the kids that they are now in the bomb squad?

[Peter Venkman]

To be fair I don't really think you can expect Aguiar and Adeloye to do a lot in a predominantly very young Swindon side against a NLN side. I imagine even Charlie would struggle in a team surrounded by kids. Can we read into the fact they were given the trip to Hereford with the kids that they are now in the bomb squad?

By that I dont mean that they will win the game on their own, I just mean they should at least show glimpses of quality and look decent, apparently at Hereford they both looked lost and disinterested all game from what I have been told. They should be putting themselves in the shop window at least.

[Bob's Orange]

By that I dont mean that they will win the game on their own, I just mean they should at least show glimpses of quality and look decent, apparently at Hereford they both looked lost and disinterested all game from what I have been told. They should be putting themselves in the shop window at least.

Yeah I understand where you are coming from, but I'm not convinced it works like that. It must be difficult to get motivated in a game like that, but I agree the very minimum they need to do is give their all. Perhaps given how thin our squad is, Flynn asked them to play below their capacity so as not to get injured!

[horlock07]

I hoped against a non league side he would come good and grab a few goals, also Aguiar should be controlling these games but he isnt either.

I would happily get rid of Adeloye and Aguiar, and I think Flynn is of the same opinion, I think Darcy and Shade both looked near useless yesterday against young opponents when they should be trying hard to impress Flynn. Cain, he had little support in the middle but again a lot of his passing was wayward when he should be dominating against a side with only about 10 1st team games between them (other than Conway who was head and shoulders the best player on the pitch for the last hour).

I suspect Flynn will, as much as anything, base any decisions/opinions re Cain on his time at Newport.

As for the rest the friendlies yesterday seem to have been rather a waste of time (bar the first bit at City), the best player in the world would struggle to shine playing with a  load of players that they have never played with before, I do wonder whether the strange format with City was a prerequisite of them agreeing to the friendly in the first place.

[ChalkyWhiteIsGod]

Noticed one of our content providers have gone full Arsenal Fan TV mode too which is just adding to this observation.

Who?

Is he calling people suspects and fams and bloods?

[ThreeDrawsMentality]

Is that Fools Rush in? I wonder if that's either 'parody' or doing it for the clicks.

That's the badger. First thoughts were similar and wondered if it was purely for 'engagement', but seems to be very far down a toxicity rabbit hole now.

[Bob's Orange]

That's the badger. First thoughts were similar and wondered if it was purely for 'engagement', but seems to be very far down a toxicity rabbit hole now.

For a while I've had the belief that you have to be very very careful on Social media. Too much activity and you can get sucked into all kind of weird and wonderful conversations with strangers that go down strange and bewitching paths. I almost never use twitter to converse, partly for those very same reasons. The whole place, whilst absolutely brilliant on the one hand, is an absolute bin fire on the other.

FWIW I quite like the Fools rush in conversation, it's a decent mix of fans of all ages. I always thought Fyfie (I think that's him) was quite level headed and similar in mindset to me, but yeah some of what's being posted does seem unusually negative.