Swindons Towns (h) 20/10/2020 K/O 19:45

[everbrite]

Good call Wadey, I really enjoyed the first half then Curle has an aneurism and brings Smith on, who i never want to see in claret again, this handed all the momentum to Swindle, how they didn’t equalise I don’t know.
We have to play Rose and Benny up front and if Adams is injured Marshall HAS to start.

Have a look at Swindons Forum as that will give you the answer!

[everbrite]

He spilled the ball because he took a boot in the face!

The ref had blown up immediately and I thought the guys foot was dangerously high - the ball was in Mitchells hands nano secs before the guy attempted to kick the ball. Definite foul!

[Jim Hall Fixit]

Great 3 pts and a very encouraging 1st half performance.
Overall I think the good outweighed the bad so the world looks better tonight.
As for Smith and Horsfall - we’ve got plenty of forward options so we can afford to give Smudger a spell on the bench to help him build back his confidence. Not so easy with Horsfall. If you want to play 3 CBS you need at least 5 reliable lads that can play there - I’m not sure we can manage 2!

[everbrite]

After the first half today and actually seeing us play some good attacking football, do we really want a big lump and a return to hoof ball!

Benny will do ! Think we are lacking a decent big lump up front as when under pressure we need an outlet. Yes or No?

[Ragdoll Cobbler]

Enjoyable first half where we looked very threatening...although they had some decent openings too.

Game completely changed with the half time substitution of Benny for Smith...

If it was tactical it certainly didn't work...Chuks would have given us the platform to continue playing the same way but we resorted to lumping it up to Smith who could not hold up play (bar last minute or two where he held it in the corner)

I know Smith has had some personal issues recently but he's simply not good enough for this level atm

Still we'll take the points and hopefully go into the Charlton game with the same mindset as we had in the first half, but this time for 90 minutes.

[Winslow Lee]

Benny will do ! Think we are lacking a decent big lump up front as when under pressure we need an outlet. Yes or No?

I think the problem is as soon as you have that big lump in the team the easy option for anyone when they get the ball deep is just to play it long all the time and not just as an occasional outlet when under pressure.

[guest3264]

If the two half's were reversed people would be more upbeat.

It was great to see us impose our play in the first half, with Sowerby, Missilou and Adams taking a touch and then feeding Benny and Rose. Second half it was the usual KC trait of trying to negate the opposition and we stopped taking a touch in midfield.
Mitchell seems to have softer hands than Arnold and took some awkward balls that bounced low just in front of him.
Benny (or Chuk) and Rose starting Saturday with Marshall replacing Adams if injured.

Ist half imposing mentallity NOT the negating 2nd half mentallity!

Over to KC.

[1HorshamCobbler]

As I said at the start of the season Smith is unlikely to get more than 5 goals this season, he may have some personal issues and that’s unfortunate but it was apparent last season that he wasn’t  good enough. Hopefully Saturday and last night we’re some green shoots and I thought we might do ok given their depleted squad but I think we should exercise some caution:

Defence still not good enough although Bolger did well last night, why did we end up with Korboa doing Hoskins job?

Not convinced Mitchell is better than Arnold, came for a couple of balls last night and didn’t get either, Arnold was punished on Saturday, Mitchell got away with it.

Missolou should have played Saturday and hopefully Curle keeps him in the team.

Ashley Seal for me the jury is out, still seen nothing aside from some strength, hopefully he comes good

Swindon were not very good, Charlton will be a different test.

[guest1269]

As I said at the start of the season Smith is unlikely to get more than 5 goals this season, he may have some personal issues and that’s unfortunate but it was apparent last season that he wasn’t  good enough. Hopefully Saturday and last night we’re some green shoots and I thought we might do ok given their depleted squad but I think we should exercise some caution:

Defence still not good enough although Bolger did well last night, why did we end up with Korboa doing Hoskins job?

Not convinced Mitchell is better than Arnold, came for a couple of balls last night and didn’t get either, Arnold was punished on Saturday, Mitchell got away with it.

Missolou should have played Saturday and hopefully Curle keeps him in the team.

Ashley Seal for me the jury is out, still seen nothing aside from some strength, hopefully he comes good

Swindon were not very good, Charlton will be a different test.

Good balanced view - I would just add, if fit Marshall should either start or get a good 45 mins alternating with a tiring Adams

[1HorshamCobbler]

Agree, think Marshall showed some intelligent play to help see out the game and is one of our most skilful players. He can pass a ball which some of our players struggle to do effectively

[Baldy]

I don't know what everyone's worried about. This game's just the start of our rise up the table. Fact! Without a doubt!

I thank you.

[guest2995]

A vital 3 points against a team that are at our level in this division .
Have we the confidence to play the better teams with the first half attacking options ? We look so much a better side when we look to pass and play.
As for Smith - he is a National League footballer at best but when he doesn’t bother to close down or chase then he deserves the abuse he gets .

[Mysterious Curle]

As I said at the start of the season Smith is unlikely to get more than 5 goals this season, he may have some personal issues and that’s unfortunate but it was apparent last season that he wasn’t  good enough. Hopefully Saturday and last night we’re some green shoots and I thought we might do ok given their depleted squad but I think we should exercise some caution:

Defence still not good enough although Bolger did well last night, why did we end up with Korboa doing Hoskins job?

Not convinced Mitchell is better than Arnold, came for a couple of balls last night and didn’t get either, Arnold was punished on Saturday, Mitchell got away with it.

Missolou should have played Saturday and hopefully Curle keeps him in the team.

Ashley Seal for me the jury is out, still seen nothing aside from some strength, hopefully he comes good

Swindon were not very good, Charlton will be a different test.

Agreed, although I thought Bolger had a good game. Harriman was also solid. Horsfall looked Sunday League level and he is miles ahead of Racic!

None are anywhere near the level of Goode, Turnbull or Wharton.

Mitchell and Arnold have both looked shaky. Neither are an improvement on Cornell.

CM we look a lot stronger, Missolou and Sowerby look good additions.

Rose also looks good, but the rest of the strike force look less effective than 18 year old Chuck. Warburton is the only one that's shown something this season... Any of Oliver, Williams or Morton would walk into this team.

Recruitment has been hit and miss. Housekeeping has been very good (excluding the Nuttall debate!).

[threeinabed]

None are anywhere near the level of Goode, Turnbull or Wharton.

Mitchell and Arnold have both looked shaky. Neither are an improvement on Cornell.

just checked, and all of them are one level above turnbull, and for a fraction of the salary i would think.

arnold was brought in as first choice last year, and was in that shirt at the end of the season when it mattered most, so its irrelevant to say he isnt an improvement on cornell...................but for arguments sake, whilst we have a hole in our arses, he will be better than cornell.

[Mysterious Curle]

just checked, and all of them are one level above turnbull, and for a fraction of the salary i would think.

arnold was brought in as first choice last year, and was in that shirt at the end of the season when it mattered most, so its irrelevant to say he isnt an improvement on cornell...................but for arguments sake, whilst we have a hole in our arses, he will be better than cornell.

As I said, housekeeping has been good this summer.

It looks on paper that we have significantly reduced the wage bill.

It’s just unfortunate that last years 5th choice striker is now our 2nd choice and our back up goalie is now 1st choice etc.

You ultimately get what you pay for.

[Knockingonabit]

Prefer Mitchell in goal but still wishing for a Bunn or Welch. Looks more and more likely that Korboa is a real find whilst Sowerby and Missolou are well up to standard nor should we overlook Harrimans quietly efficient contribution either. Not much doubt any more that either Benny or Chucky should partner Rose up front.

Meanwhile Racic, Bolger and Horsfall make me nervous, to say the very least.

[BackOfTheNet]

Prefer Mitchell in goal but still wishing for a Bunn or Welch. Looks more and more likely that Korboa is a real find whilst Sowerby and Missolou are well up to standard nor should we overlook Harrimans quietly efficient contribution either. Not much doubt any more that either Benny or Chucky should partner Rose up front.

Meanwhile Racic, Bolger and Horsfall make me nervous, to say the very least.

I agree with all that - although while I've been critical of Bolger in previous games I thought he had a good game last night. He's no Goode (or Turnbull or Wharton for that matter) but he could turn out to be a decent signing and to be fair, he's probably been caught out of position a few times by trying to cover for those playing alongside him! That's one of the problems in watching games on iFollow rather than in the flesh - the camera largely follows the ball so you get to see a lot less of the off-the-ball positioning that goes on.

Racic does look sh1t though - I'm so disappointed by him after some of the rave reviews he was getting from Brentford fans at the time we signed him.

[Irchy cob]

I agree with all that - although while I've been critical of Bolger in previous games I thought he had a good game last night. He's no Goode (or Turnbull or Wharton for that matter) but he could turn out to be a decent signing and to be fair, he's probably been caught out of position a few times by trying to cover for those playing alongside him! That's one of the problems in watching games on iFollow rather than in the flesh - the camera largely follows the ball so you get to see a lot less of the off-the-ball positioning that goes on.

Racic does look sh1t though - I'm so disappointed by him after some of the rave reviews he was getting from Brentford fans at the time we signed him.

I totally agree with this, it’s obvious that a combination of things happened at half time that completely changed the game - Ashley-Seal going off, us dropping deep, sowerby not getting on the ball as much, Swindon upping their game - but when you’re not there in person it’s very difficult to get a full picture tactically.

[guest2934]

Promising first half so plenty to be cheerful about. Early days.

[Monkey]

How many should you have scored Richie?

"The way they play, they go long, they hope for second balls and they break the game up and that gives them something to hold onto, but to be honest we should have scored seven or eight tonight.

"We didn't hit the target with one-on-ones and when we did it was straight at the goalkeeper. We looked in a rush to get our shots off.

"We should have had six or seven, I really believe that. Even in the first half-hour when we I didn't think we played well, we still countered them and could have scored a few goals.

"We were brilliant tonight - brilliant - in the middle of the pitch but inside their box we didn't take our chances and then we let too many balls bounce in our box and it bounces very high on this pitch. But we should have scored five or six."

Keep talking and you might be saying you were lucky to get 1.