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nacceptable, pathetic, useless, inept, complacent, embarrassing, rubbish, disgraceful, shocking and shambolic: just some of the words used by fans on bulletin boards to describe Swindon’s 5-0 defeat against League Two side, Cheltenham Town, in the first round of the FA Cup. It was certainly an inept Swindon performance as can be seen from the highlights below. At least the Cheltenham commentator enjoyed himself.
Losing 5-0 to a side in the
league below is certainly a kick in the goolies and very disappointing, but, as
ever, in the immediate aftermath of such a defeat, overwhelmed by emotion, the
result is blown out of proportion. Swindon Town are currently third place in League One, topping its
possession charts and play some of the most adventurous, eye-catching football
in the league. For the players to
perform in such a manner on a regular basis they cannot be weak, lethargic and
shirk responsibility. The Swindon
players do not ‘lack spirit’ or ‘desire’. Naïve at times, yes – almost an inevitability given that the average age
of the first team is not much more than 22 - but spineless capitulators, no. One chap on the Swindon Town Evening Advertiser
said that Swindon need more ‘Shaun Taylor* types’ by which he means whole
hearted, no-nonsense players. I
generally disagree, although Shaun Taylor would improve Swindon’s cohesiveness
defensively and add aerial robustness. I’d rather, as per the current position, have a team packed full of
skilful, technically accomplished players.
Swindon had a very bad day as
they did this time last year when they lost 4-0 away to Conference side
Macclesfield Town in the first round of the FA Cup. A superficial analysis might suggest that
Swindon underestimate (perhaps subconsciously) teams from the lower echelons
and don’t play with their usual focus or determination. This might be true, in part, but to draw
definitive conclusions from two games would be hasty and half-baked.
Swindon did not lose to
Cheltenham because Mark Cooper took the game lightly. No doubt instructed by Lee Power that a run in
the FA Cup was rather important to earn a few quid, he picked his first choice
XI minus striker Michael Smith. It was a
line-up that ought to have beaten Cheltenham fairly comfortably and that
probably would do so on most occasions.
Swindon began the game in a
bright manner, but went behind against the run of play when a long punt, once
again, caught out Swindon’s high defensive line for Cheltenham’s opener. Ten minutes later, Swindon’s captain, Nathan
Thompson, was sent off for a professional foul in a ‘last man’ situation, in
exactly the same manner as his previous two red cards this season. Nathan
Thompson is an excellent player and will be abundantly aware that receiving
three red cards after just a third of the way through the season is a bit of a
problem. The dismissals stem from
Swindon’s expansive style and Nathan Thompson’s over eagerness. In all likelihood, he will now be suspended
for three games. As one of the most
important players in the side, the suspension is a big blow. It will hurt Swindon more than the 5-0 defeat. Swindon will now probably be without Kasim,
Luongo and Nathan Thompson against League One table toppers, Bristol City, and will
do very well to avoid defeat.
Anyway, back to the Cheltenham
game. One-nil down and playing with ten
men, Swindon were, perhaps, too gung-ho in their efforts to equalise, leaving
themselves very exposed to the Cheltenham counter-attack. Still, most of the goals they went on to
concede were inept, almost comically so. Defensively, Swindon have been improving, and hopefully the poor display
stemmed principally from playing with ten men and playing with too much abandon. Still, it’s a reminder that Swindon, for all
their positive qualities, are, at times, naïve and defensively disjointed. They are a good side, but there is plenty of
work to do if they are to sustain their promotion challenge. Ultimately, promoted sides do not tend to lose
5-0 against technically inferior opponents. I hope the result does not temper Swindon’s possession based game and
does not impact upon the players’ confidence unduly.
Some fans have called for the
Club to refund the travelling Swindon supporters for the display. Such views are utterly infantile, giving
credence to the notion that no football fan should ever be disappointed or
suffer (of course relatively speaking). Using
a performance pricing logic, perhaps fans who watched Swindon beat Sheffield United
5-2 should have to pay double the price for being so thoroughly entertained? Any takers? Thought not.
* Shaun Taylor was a left footed
centre back and Swindon’s club captain for several seasons. He was not quick or technically assured, but fairly
good positionally and excellent ‘in the air’. In Swindon’s promotion season he scored 13 goals. He had no regard for his safety and would
readily dive through ‘a sea of boots’ in the penalty area.
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