i think that there is more quality than ever now in this division, and also teams that can potentially come up from the blue square now seem to above the average than of a few years ago, ie york, luton,wrexham,cambridge, mansfield,grimsby,darlington ect....like we have been wondering around this league for a life time and crawley come up and look firm favorites to progress as the likes of wimbledon and oxford who look more rounded teams than us, it is getting very difficult to leave this division, so uncle Rowland really needs to start getting his cheque book out now if we are seriously going to make the effort and leave it!!
The likes of Crawley are getting promoted via a cheque book, if they fail to get promoted it will hurt them badly ad funding will run out, it always does. Gretna, Rushdon & Diamonds, to name but two. Wilely signings and a steady steerage are best but admittedly boring. Then again we got Morgan, Jacobson, Hazell and Richards by not spending money.
I've never shared the assumption that Crawley will win the league. They've started well and I could be wrong but I'm not convinced yet. What makes you say Wimbledon look a more rounded team than us? I haven't seen them but don't see any reason for that to be the case. Nor Oxford come to that - good team, but so are we. Yes they beat us 2-0 when we played poorly but so what, that's one game? Haven't you noticed that we're building a team on firm foundations? A core group of young and improving players (with a youth team geared towards providing more players for the future) supplemented by a mix of mid-20s and more experienced players. That seems well rounded to me and far more likely to generate lasting improvement than flashing the cash and buying whoever. Apart from that, which players would you discard (4 games into the season!) to make room for these expensive purchases? I think we're in good shape. We've proved we can be a very good footballing side and if we can find a way to consistently impose our style on some of the more robust teams in the league, we can make the top 3.
Knowing what a decent cove you are, I take that icon to be a thumbs up. At first glance it looks like a gesture with a different meaning!
shrews should now been honed into a fighting fit team and will have played 9 games by 8th september. plenty of practice, heroic victories in the cup, so the promo run starts today, there may be 1 or 2 awkward games ahead but morale and confidence is everything and the shrews have plenty of both at present. long may it continue. floreat salopia
well It's sunny with some cloud, swindon have brought a large crowd and some very tall players. lots of coppers about. Same team as Tuesdays game. come on you blues!!
i have just warmed the arsenal boards, there may / will be a respose. thanks matster ror the forcast, height of the players and the movements of plod. come on you shrews, floreat salopia, amwythig am byth. bh swindon have b scored
After a poor start and going behind a goal with swindon pressing our players at all opportunites the second half was with town the better team. Two great goals so far and swindon looking poor. Come on the blues!!
i predict town to go one nil down and come back to win 2 -1 ,gornell and morgan attendance will be roughly 5323
well played shrews, gas held at home 0-0 by hereford, millers beat gills, crewe win at argyle, crawley and afc wimbledon hit the buffers. millers extend their lead and are the team to watch. bradford set fire to the basement beating barnet 4-1 so onwards and upwards shrews we have to do away to gills what millers did to them.
We were very poor first half. Swindon closed us down very effectively. GT must have shoved a rocket up their collective bums at half time. They came out with renewed vigour. Yet again Ainsworth made both goals (how many is that this season?) If ever there was a game of 2 halves, this was it. Swindon never threatened once in the second half. Di Canio ranted and raved on the touch line and accused his players of lack of desire. I had forgotten that he was booted out of his last Italian club for forming an alliance with the Ultras and frequently giving Nazi salutes. Not a man to cross.
Di Canio understandably cut a very frustrated figure. Steve Cross said before the game it can be hard for a top level player to understand the limitations of lower league players and there was one moment that really brought that home. Their smaller centre back put an easy defensive header straight into touch by Di Canio and he looked ready to explode. Must be hard to play for him. He has to take responsibility for the ineffective substitutions yesterday - seemed too soon and took the wind out of their sails. Just as Burton had I think they ran out of puff after pressing us so hard early on. Still, not our problem!
Di Canio made a tactical blunder sending those three subs on so early in the second half. If anything, he weakened his own side..