Opposing Views: Swindon Town
Four Swindon fans are unsure how their club will be fare this season – for them. it all depends on who stays and who goes…
About Opposing Views: Before each first-team game, OVF regular REP will bring you the views of the opposition with one or more supporters answering our questions. This time it’s the turn of Swindon…
How do you expect your team to do this season?
If we can strengthen up front over the next couple of weeks then I think we could be on course for a similar season to last year…
JAYBOX325 – Play offs.
LAMBOURN RED – If you asked this question four weeks ago most Swindon fans would have said lower half but a few signings a couple of decent performances against West Brom and Liverpool in pre-season and then the destruction of Bradford last Saturday has certainly raised expectations. If we can strengthen up front over the next couple of weeks then I think we could be on course for a similar season to last year. Fourth again!
BOB’S ORANGE – Difficult to tell given the player turnover. As a pessimist I’ll go 14th.
SUTTON RED – Depends entirely on who comes and who stays. If we lose Byrne, Kasim , and Smith and don’t get as good in then we’ll be bothering the bottom four. If we keep those and add two or three, then we’ll be up the top end again. I think with our chairmen the latter is the more likely at this time.
Who should we watch out for?
It’s not a surprise but Nathan Byrne is a livewire and started with a hat trick…
JAYBOX325 – Byrne and Robert.
LAMBOURN RED – It’s not a surprise but Nathan Byrne is a livewire and started with a hat trick, also Kevin Stewart in midfield looks a good acquisition.
BOB’S ORANGE – It’s got to be Nathan Byrne after his opening day hat-trick. He switched from wing-back to number 10 and is going to give a lot of defences heartache this season.
SUTTON RED – Byrne and Obika.
How’s the manager doing?
I think there is a split in the fan-base over Cooper – some have never taken to him as he is not a big name…
JAYBOX325 – I’m impressed by the quality, but not quantity.
LAMBOURN RED – I think there is a split in the fan-base over Cooper – some have never taken to him as he is not a big name but I think he has done a great job since coming in as an unknown quantity. In terms of signings I don’t think he has much if any say in transfers, that is all done by the chairman who has some great contacts in football.
BOB’S ORANGE – Goes about his business quietly and we can’t really complain given he took us into the play-offs last season. Not sure he makes the signings, but so far it’s difficult to tell given we’ve only played one game. Frenchman Fabian Robert could be a gem of a signing.
SUTTON RED – I like him, blunt and to the point and now seems to be using other tactical formations other than 3-5-2, which is a bonus, as we got rumbled, the tail end of last season. Not sure who does the signings, my guess is a mix of manager and chairmen, whoever it is though they can certainly spot the good ‘uns.
Thoughts on the board?
We’re debt free, have a new training ground coming, and an ethos that ensures stability…
JAYBOX325 – It’s not ideal. The club seem to want a bad relationship with a lot of our fans.
LAMBOURN RED – Again Lee Power splits the fan-base some just don’t trust the guy but his track record since coming in has been nothing short of a miracle in terms of reducing debt, wage bill and getting the club on an even keel in just two years after the period of turmoil we had have had for many years. He has not done himself any favours with the whole local media ban but the local paper have been less than helpful over the past two years with negative sensational headlines which are mostly non stories.
BOB’S ORANGE – Lee Power seems to be shrewd and have contacts in the game. We are looking to buy a good training facility which sounds like he is thinking long term. We are bringing in young players for nothing and making good profit on them, something a skint League One side has to do in this day and age.
SUTTON RED – Bar the press thing all good. We’re debt free, have a new training ground coming, and an ethos that ensures stability, but we all know here, there’s always something coming that will bite and bite bad!
How will Vale do this season?
I think Vale will do better than last year in what is a weaker league…
JAYBOX325 – 8th/9th.
LAMBOURN RED – I think Vale will do better than last year in what is a weaker league I would say around tenth.
BOB’S ORANGE – Mid-table.
SUTTON RED – Reading between the lines, I think your chairman has pulled in the purse strings as well, not sure about who you bought in, but the loss of Pope would hurt most teams. I suspect you’ll stay up, but don’t expect you to figure near the top this season
A score prediction?
JAYBOX325 – 3-1 with Obika, Robert and Branco the scorers.
LAMBOURN RED – Both teams will score we have an inability to keep a clean sheet but at home I would expect us score. 3 – 1 with Obika, Byrne and Stewart for us.
BOB’S ORANGE – 3-1 (Robert, Byrne, Obika – Moore for Vale).
SUTTON RED – I haven’t even looked if it’s home or away, but either way we seem to have the hoodoo over you last few years. If we’re at home, 2-0 to us, if we’re away 2-2 draw. Can’t see anyone other than Byrne or Obika scoring at the moment.