Harrogate vs Swindon Matchday Thread & Buildup

[DV]

Well, we'll see. You're saying the good run was a blip then?

I don’t think anyone is saying the good run was a blip

…but…I think the point is - we haven’t gone from being a poor team to a brilliant team over night. This isn’t a top 7 team. Probably not even a top half team.

Realistically this isn’t a team that was going to motor on winning games from now until the end of the season making a late play off surge.

We have an ok team. One that until mid December had been poorly managed. We’ve moved on from that, deservedly so but I don’t think we should get carried away with how far we’ve moved on because games like today’s will still happen to us.

[adje]

The point is you do not have to be brilliant to get in the top 7 of this league. I'm not saying,or never have said that it will happen but it's very short sighted to say it can't happen and certainly this single result today does not signify anything one way or another,which was my point

[Batch]

It's one less game against a weaker team with which to claw back a probable 11 point gap to the playoffs once the games even out.

Of course it reduces the odds.

We need 34 points from 42 available on current averages to reach the required minimum 72 points.

[No Longer Posh Red]

Should have been in front in the first half, but didn’t make the most of being on top.
Second half started slowly & conceded a bit of a soft goal & probably could have conceded another from a free header.
We had opportunities, especially the late chance for Harry but just couldn’t force one in.
Probably should have got a point, but not sure we did enough to win.

Just having Indian Tapas in Town before heading back to the hotel

[RobertT]

The point is you do not have to be brilliant to get in the top 7 of this league. I'm not saying,or never have said that it will happen but it's very short sighted to say it can't happen and certainly this single result today does not signify anything one way or another,which was my point

This squad reminds me very much of the one under Flitcroft and before Wellens - built to compete in this league, rudimentary and do OK results wise, while often being less than pretty on the eye.  Effective without being able to really push into the top seven.  Holloway has done a decent job, simplifying the game for them, but they are still lacking enough quality.  It's sad that we now see that as a positive.  Finishing lower than third should feel like under performance for STFC.  Still, it could be a lot worse, so we can take the positives.

[Batch]

Indeed. Holloway has done a great job under the circumstances

[Jimmy Quinn]

Need to offer him a longer contract

[TheDukeOfBanbury]

In control first half without testing Harrogate.
Second half poor although Smith could have rescued a point.

Highlight of the day meeting Wobbly Bob.
What a legend. Now I can put a name to a face.

[Bob's Orange]

Highlight of the game was the chant 'Swindon's a shithole, we want to stay here'.

Smith could have salvaged a late point, good save by Belshaw but we were pretty poor second half. First half we shaded it without creating a lot.

Didn't meet Wobbly Bob, mores the pity.

[Nomoreheroes]

So, Hall felt his hamstring. Thought he played well today, but, you can’t have someone who plays so infrequently taking a wage.

[McGurk's Missus]

Teams tend to improve somewhat in January and then tail off in Feb and even March. This probably will happen with Town. League safety secured, some players likely have unannounced contracts secured {here and elsewhere}. Welcome to bottom third of the bottom division bottomocrity

Match was a bit of a foggy squib and somewhat an afterthought. At least I don't have to worry about train strikes preventing me from getting to Wembley in May now

Had a lovely Heritage Fillet steak supper at Tannin Level post-match. Few beers and stopped off at the York Tap for a couple on the way home. Had tried to contact several TEF folk who were at the match, to no avail

Didn't meet WB unfortunately. BO didn't reply to my text {or romantic offer of dinner on here}
I'll have to join one of the prestigious and notorious WhatsApp groups next time

I do hope LL managed to find somewhere to watch the match with his DNA. He's on the Cape don't you know? Nothing False about that

[tans]

So, Hall felt his hamstring. Thought he played well today, but, you can’t have someone who plays so infrequently taking a wage.

One would imagine its a very high wage too!

[Family at War]

Was a mad signing was injury prone before he signed and a blatant waste of a wage!

[Bob1978]

Can’t see him getting another pro club next season

[iParadise]

He was one of the players i was convinced we'd try and offload in January.

When we signed him i was a bit worried about his injury record but i thought if we could keep him fit he'd be levels above. Oddly enough though, when he has been fit, he's been rubbish, considering he's played his whole career in the Championship. He's got to be the highest paid payer at the club too, hasn't he?