Swindon Town v FGR pre match chat and matchday thread

[Robinz]

As for Kemp ... knowing how poor the club is currently, why would you want to stay and risk your career here ?
Also Charlie Austin has become a liability and surely he is aware of this himself. Give it away Charlie.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

Just back. Good to meet Sippo and Sippo Junior! Glad the tickets didn’t go to waste.

Both Young and Kemp took their shirts off at the final whistle and gave them to someone in the front of the DRS - bad sign.

First half was shite. Second half was entertainingly shite! Some getting on Minturn’s back but if it wasn’t for him brilliantly bringing the ball out of defence to set up Shade to then set up Kemp for the winning goal we may have lost that.


Shade was very good for the second game in a row. Kemp is just class at this level - 2 diamonds among a turd of a game.

Lost count of the number of times the ball bounced over players’ heads - would have thought with all the rain the pitch would have been spongy.

Officials, again, were well below the required standard. The ref, twice, pulled the game back for free kicks when each side had an advantage. Special mention to the Lino on the Arkells side - missed so many offsides in the first half and one in the second that let Young free on goal.

Ward was very vocal throughout - barking at his defenders.

Flynn needs the boot purely for being unable to fashion a working defence.

[Nomoreheroes]

Hatswell:
- Didn't look a penalty. Fair play to Ward in making a crucial save (and the save before the penalty)
- Pleased with Ward. He's been working hard behind the scenes
- Pleased for the group. Gives them something to cling on to when things haven't been going our way
- Performance was good. First half we looked to get 2 vs 1 against their full backs
- Kemp can turn a half chance into a goal. Was especially pleased with the second, as it had been worked on in training
- They are a more physical and robust team who are fighting for their lives. They have some good players
- Massive positives
- We were great going forward
- We have to have that bit of confidence to get a result at Crawley
- FGR were brave in leaving 3 up. They have to do that to try to survive
- We knew they would put pressure on our back line. 'We have been teaching them to cope with that all season'
- Kokolo has been ill. Rang in sick the day before yesterday. Didnt want to risk the rest of the group
- Christmas period is a real slog. Four games in 9 games. No chance to rest players.
- Window coming open soon. There are things being talked about behind the scenes
- Crawley and Colchester: Another 2 games in a week. Have to stick together and show fight
- We were due this tonight
- Kemp: When you have a player like that you have to find the pieces around him to make him even better. He is so clever at getting in spaces. He doesn't miss very often and he's the one that can unlock teams. An absolute pleasure working with him. Whether he stays or goes, whatever he does in his career. I will always be grateful for what he does week in, week out because he's a top lad and a top pro.

[Frigby Daser]

Ward, superb. Confident handling and completely bossed his box and a pen save,albeit a crap spot kick.Kemp brilliant for 70 minutes. Young worked his bollocks off. Brewitt giving 100+% as always,Hutton quality second half. Kinsella consistently good throughout and Shade continuing from Tuesday a real menace but honestly and it hurts to say it but Austin should not be starting games.

Reflects my view of the match too. Of course we made errors. There’s zero confidence in the side, but I think some on here are blind to the brighter aspects of what we do now. Understandable after the time we’ve had - but there were positives to take away, most notably Shade’s form. Kemp has been a pleasure to watch but the shirt being given away at the end suggests that may be it. The same for Young.

We needed that. FGR looked desperately poor - more so given the talented players and depth that they have. We could only dream to bring an experienced striker off the bench, and Lavinier (even if Shade skinned him for the winner).

Now, my gripe- I cannot get my head around Flynn’s tactics. None of the midfield 3 were there to take the ball from the defence. It had to be Khan or Kinsella, but the gap between the back 3 and them was huge. I just couldn’t see what the pattern of play was meant to be. But even worse was injury time, when we persisted with Hutton and Shade pushed high and wide. Why are we not dropping into a defensive shape? Flat 5 and hold it. The midfield shield the 5. It’s simple. I’d love to ask Flynn the question because it’s absolutely bonkers. Dealt a bad hand resource wise, but his inability to get the players into a basic defensive shape when it is needed is perplexing for a man that was a holding midfielder, with an assistant that was a centre back.

Aside from that, it was great fun.

[Freeloader]

My backside was on the bacon slicer for 100 minutes. At the end the ref was just waiting to give FGR a penalty after Dokes had earlier pulled back an FGR player through on goal and he had bottled awarding it it.  A high boot without contact used to be "Dangerous Play" with a  indirect free-kick being awarded. My thought going into the penalty was that Ward saves penalties. Will be amazed if Austin starts against the Creepies, does great defensive work but is off the pace. I sincerely hope that MK Dongs need the dosh and that Clem pulls the padlock of his cheque book.

[4D]

Made hard work of that, but at least 3 points towards survival.

[Posh Red]

A much needed win.

The positive crowd will say  - A great win, exciting finish with a last minute penalty save.

The negative bunch will say- Fucks sake we struggled to beat that crap.

Whichever, it’s 3 points and hopefully something to build on at the creepy’s

[Nomoreheroes]

Three points closer to survival!

[4D]

Glad with the win, but to struggle to beat that shite is a worry. Be happy to stay in this league.

[STFC_Manc]

FGR were certainly going for it, with 3 up front at all times, which made it difficult to play our normal style of football. Both attacking teams got the better of the defenses but it was a very good three points, regardless of how we nearly messed it up.

[Freeloader]

FGR have a very good squad with strength in depth and should not be struggling, except they don't play well as a team.  That said, they were totally up for the game fighting tooth and nail for every first and second ball.  They battled hard and probably think they were worth at least a point. Wimbledon at home for their next fixture should be a good pointer regarding how good they are. Deany has them playing long ball, he might have miscalculated, although being 2 up at Newport before the sending off, last game, indicates that they carry a threat.  Their forward line on paper looks very good for League Two, with reinforcements to be expected in january.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Audrey]

Hanging on to beat FGR. What a time to be alive!

You can understand why we capitulate so often in the second half of games. Yesterday, first half, they didn’t really have a sniff and neither did we. Second half huge spaces appeared in our ‘defence’ as we pressed more. Just what Flynn’s game plan is I have no idea. This is why I have little confidence things will improve much even with added reinforcements. If any new defenders are expected to play in a similar fashion as our present defenders it’ll make no difference at all. A fundamental change is needed in how we set up.

[Bob1978]

Both teams clearly out of form confidence but the second half was an entertaining watch. Hopefully this gives us a bit of a boost for the next few games and we start to pick up a bit of form.

[Batch]

  A high boot without contact used to be "Dangerous Play" with a  indirect free-kick being awarded. .

Actually I'm not sure that's true in the area. I remember thinking the same when Jerel Ifil was penalised for a high foot (no contact) with a penalty. Looked it up after and the ref was right after all.

in any case it looks to me like young has tried to knee it away and the FGR player has tried a diving header at his knee! Never a penalty but thankfully justice was served.

Ward had given Flynn a headache now.

[DiV]

Just watched the high(!)lights.

They start with Shade shooting straight at the keeper - so assumed the camera man didn’t set up on time and missed the first 14 seconds.

I think it was Nemo who touched upon where people were when we conceded. In particular Brewitt and Minturn not being in the middle - whilst that observation is not wrong - in their defence (although Nemo wasn’t having a dig) they have both stayed with their men who have both peeled out wide right (for them, left for us) Shade the LWB is absolutely no where to be seen. If he is back there (and I can’t remember what came before their goal so it’s conceivable Shade had attacked and they pumped it long and in that case it’s reasonable he wasn’t back in position) then both Minturn & Brewitt don’t need to go out that way.

This comes back to having two ‘better attacking than defending’ wing backs (Shades attacking player has been good the last few games) but also not having a midfielder who will automatically drop back in to the back line when the three CBs get stretched.

Again it’s a bit square pegs round holes if we ever get to a point where everyone is fit then I’d definitely try putting Brewitt/Clayton/FBT in as a holding midfielder to basically just sit infront of the back 3 and drop in when the opposition come forward. Or if both our wings backs go then can drop to make it a flat back 4.

….which evidently is nothing new is it?


Also, I reckon that might just be the worst penalty decision I’ve ever seen. As far as I can tell Young has kicked the ball maybe a foot off the floor and their player is on his knees - so because of that Young’s foot is close to his head!

I know there weren’t huge numbers but there is literally no appeal from the away fans. The FGR players don’t even appeal - they just play on and shoot well over / wide. Utterly bizarre - imagine if they’d scored and that was Young’s last contribution for Town!