Swindon Town v Sutton United pre match drivel and matchday thread 23/24

[Processed Beats]

RHM’s goal was so good. There’s a real diamond of a player in there, just need to get him consistent

You can tell what he was so highly thought of at Villa. Just got to hope he can stay fit for most of the season.

[Peter Venkman]

Charlie went down the tunnel after being subbed against Crawley, no-one mentioned it then.

I noticed he went straight down the tunnel but it was Bodin and Hawes that suggested there was some form of anger shown by Austin, I couldnt really see on iFollow as they panned away from it.

[Kinky Tom]

I watched Charlie head down the tunnel, thought maybe he was irked but then immediately wondered if he wanted to cool down with a splash of water etc, he then came back out with a towel looking absolutly fine. Nothing to see here.

[Mooneyraker]

It was such a fun game yesterday and as long as we keep winning, perhaps it is a moot point but I've been having a think about our defensive conundrum...

I actually think that Dokes and FBT had their poorest games of the season yesterday, particularly Frazer.

For their first goal, Dokes loses the ball miles up the pitch. What is interesting is that he isn't even in shot when they score. He really didn't make any effort to get back.

Poor old Brewitt is basically being asked to play Operation Tethered Goat at the back. I think the reason people pick on his 'marking' is that he is being left with at least two men to mark every time we get turned over.

What is odd is that we don't seem to operate a system where anyone is asked to 'fill in' when Dokes and FBT go charging forward.

McEachran, who was excellent yesterday, definitely sat deeper, but I wonder if the answer is to play two DMs? At the moment our midfield is a sort of 1-1-1 with a DM, CM and then AM. Maybe we should be 2-0-1 if that makes sense? And then that second DM becomes the automatic CB cover.

Clearly Hutton and Uwakwe are never going to drop in if our outside CBs go forwards, and that would slightly defy the point of our system anyway.

It's brilliantly cavalier but I do think some subtle tactical tweak might help us.

[OOH! SHAUN TAYLOR]

I watched Charlie head down the tunnel, thought maybe he was irked but then immediately wondered if he wanted to cool down with a splash of water etc, he then came back out with a towel looking absolutly fine. Nothing to see here.

correct

[Peter Venkman]

I actually think that Dokes and FBT had their poorest games of the season yesterday, particularly Frazer.

I totally agree, possibly FBT's poorest full game for Town IMO.

Poor old Brewitt is basically being asked to play Operation Tethered Goat at the back. I think the reason people pick on his 'marking' is that he is being left with at least two men to mark every time we get turned over.

Absolutely it comes accross like this, he has 90% of the time 2 strikers to mark so is caught in no mans land when teams counter us.

What is odd is that we don't seem to operate a system where anyone is asked to 'fill in' when Dokes and FBT go charging forward.

I raised this very question during the game yesterday, we need just 1 of either Dokes or FBT to go "awandering" at any 1 time with the other being regimented enough to stay back and help Brewitt defensively.

Either that or we have a far more defensive minded midfielder sitting back just in front of Brewitt to aid him, something McEachran/Kinsella/Khan/Cain cannot seem to do.

Its something Kasim used to do very well, as did Grant in his first season with us and something Kinsella was said to be good at, but so far he hasnt been able to do comfortably, albeit he seems to be pema injured too.

It's brilliantly cavalier but I do think some subtle tactical tweak might help us.

100% this, could turn a good side into a great side with some defensive tweaking.

[Peter Venkman]

Swindon have scored more goals(20) in the league than Bradford(5), FGR(5), Doncaster(5) and Harrogate(4) have scored combined and all of those teams have played 7 games vs Swindon 6.

But to counter that.

We are the 7th highest on goals conceded!

[Peter Venkman]

Next Saturday will be a big test. Walsall are handy.

Walsall apparently were very poor for most of the game vs Salford and shoul d have been dead and buried by HT and were battered 1st half by Salford.

surprisingly that was Walsalls first away win of 2023.

[Audrey]

Maybe Cain’s performance yesterday goes a little way to dispelling the myth we haven’t got adequate replacements for regular 1st XI starters. Subs coming on and having an influence is another good pointer.

[Peter Venkman]

Cain impressed me 1st half, went off the boil a bit 2nd half but he did well, he just needs to do it consistantly, took his goal very well.

[Mooneyraker]

I thought Cain started really brightly. Switched the play quickly and passing was crisp. Cracking goal. He's definitely good enough to be in and around the team.

Flynn also seems to be getting a tune out of Shade. He was asked to do a bit of a different job yesterday, basically at LWB and looked much more tactically disciplined. Again, he's looking like a useful bench asset.

[DV]

It was such a fun game yesterday and as long as we keep winning, perhaps it is a moot point but I've been having a think about our defensive conundrum...

I actually think that Dokes and FBT had their poorest games of the season yesterday, particularly Frazer.

For their first goal, Dokes loses the ball miles up the pitch. What is interesting is that he isn't even in shot when they score. He really didn't make any effort to get back.

Poor old Brewitt is basically being asked to play Operation Tethered Goat at the back. I think the reason people pick on his 'marking' is that he is being left with at least two men to mark every time we get turned over.

What is odd is that we don't seem to operate a system where anyone is asked to 'fill in' when Dokes and FBT go charging forward.

McEachran, who was excellent yesterday, definitely sat deeper, but I wonder if the answer is to play two DMs? At the moment our midfield is a sort of 1-1-1 with a DM, CM and then AM. Maybe we should be 2-0-1 if that makes sense? And then that second DM becomes the automatic CB cover.

Clearly Hutton and Uwakwe are never going to drop in if our outside CBs go forwards, and that would slightly defy the point of our system anyway.

It's brilliantly cavalier but I do think some subtle tactical tweak might help us.

Been saying this for weeks now.

Majority of our fans shouting for a commanding, no nonsense centre back to replace Brewitt.
It’s not what we need. Particularly if the CB in question is older, slower and less mobile than Brewitt - he’d be even more exposed.

What we need is a DM that has the nous and physical presence to drop in with Brewitt when Dokes & FBT bomb forward.

…I wonder if when everyone is fit Clayton & Brewitt between the two of them will take the CB & DM role.

[UTR]

Been saying this for weeks now.

Majority of our fans shouting for a commanding, no nonsense centre back to replace Brewitt.
It’s not what we need. Particularly if the CB in question is older, slower and less mobile than Brewitt - he’d be even more exposed.

What we need is a DM that has the nous and physical presence to drop in with Brewitt when Dokes & FBT bomb forward.

…I wonder if when everyone is fit Clayton & Brewitt between the two of them will take the CB & DM role.

Who do you drop out of the midfield for that is my issue there. Khan, McEachran and Kemp is a really well balanced midfield unit, touching that hinders us more I think.

[Legends-Lounge]

Swindon have scored more goals(20) in the league than Bradford(5), FGR(5), Doncaster(5) and Harrogate(4) have scored combined and all of those teams have played 7 games vs Swindon 6.

But to counter that.

We are the 7th highest on goals conceded!

Get an away win at Colchester and we’re top (as it stands today) but of course we don’t play that one until November for some reason.

[Mooneyraker]

Been saying this for weeks now.

Majority of our fans shouting for a commanding, no nonsense centre back to replace Brewitt.
It’s not what we need. Particularly if the CB in question is older, slower and less mobile than Brewitt - he’d be even more exposed.

What we need is a DM that has the nous and physical presence to drop in with Brewitt when Dokes & FBT bomb forward.

…I wonder if when everyone is fit Clayton & Brewitt between the two of them will take the CB & DM role.

Brewitt is also asked to do a fair bit of "Conroy" work, picking the ball up from Mahoney and stroking it around. If we had a brute, I'm not sure they'd be able to do that either.

It's easy to sit here and say 'maybe we'd be better if we had the complete CB instead of Brewitt' but how many of those are there in L2 and within our budget?

I don't see Frazer going in the middle as Clayton doesn't strike me as the guy to play the buccaneering role, so basically we need to see how we look with Clayton in the middle but again, it isn't a role anyone would want if they weren't 100% match fit as it is hell on earth positionally in this system, so that may be a way off.