Round and Roundabout in Swindown...don

[anagain]

For some reason I have a very common habit of typing down every time I write Swindon. I hope it's not premonition. I wanted to do strikethrough for down (to make the joke better) but I can't do that in the title, it seems. You'll have to pretend the joke is funny.

 

Introduction

I don't think Swindon is only famous for it's roundabout, but it's certainly well known for it. In actual fact, Swindon is old, being in the Domesday Book as Suindune. I believe the Harkonens were disposed of shortly after though.

The town straddles the M4 in northern Wiltshire; a county famous for sheep and neolithic people.

Swindon Town are the town's chief cultural export; a club famous for having spent a season in the Premier League under John Gorman. Gorman had taken over from Glenn Hoddle, but without Eileen Drewery the Robins were destined for the drop.

Swindon have never been close to reaching the Premier League again and start the 2023-2024 season in League Two, a league the club have been in since suffering relegation from League One in 2022.

In the real world, Swindon appointed Michael Flyyn as manager in May 2023. Flynn told the media he wanted to get the club "back where it belongs". Flynn was sacked halfway through the season and the club finally finished 19th. With Charlie Austin up front, the club probably hoped to do better. In fact, Austin had said the club should aim for promotion at the end of the 2022-2023 season.

Also in the real world, there has been some scandal associated with Swindon and their Australian businessman owner, Clem Morfuni. In FM24 he's lovely though.

 

Nid Rikson

In the FM24 world, Swindon haven't appointed Flynn. They have instead opted for a rookie manager that had a good career as a hard working midfielder in the Football League. Nid Rikson is a Bournemouth fan; a fact that may anger some Bournemouth fans. There's always been a bit of a rivalry between the two clubs and to this day some Bournemouth fans like to see Swindon struggle.

Nid proudly wears his Swindon Town hoodie...

It's unclear if the players rate Nid and there is a strong case of 'whatever' from the dressing room. Getting Charlie Austin on side will be key for Nid.

The fans remain quietly optimistic...I hope.

Time will tell if Nid's Swindon career will be a success. Management can be a daunting gig for the rookie.

 

Some Disclaimers

I am a Bournemouth fan, but I never really hated Swindon. I don't think the rivalry has really had any bearing for the past 10 years, or so, in which Bournemouth have flourished and Swindon remain in the lowest reaches of the Football League.

I managed Swindon once before in FM. I wrote about it here. I believe I had started at Eastleigh, impressed and gained the Swindon job. I think I ended up at Blackburn in that save. I'd enjoyed my time at Swindon then.

I've struggled to get in to FM24. I tried a number of saves last year but ended up having a 5 month break from the game. With the end of the English season close I seem to have a desire to play the game. I wanted to tell my story here but I don't want it to diminish my interest in my save. Writing is something I enjoy, and that's why I'm here, but I'm going to post less and try to get through the save a bit quicker. Expect to see me for four or five updates per season.

This isn't a Swindon story but a rookie manager wanting to prove himself story. Expect me to take new jobs if I'm offered them. To be quite honest, I wanted to get the Brisbane Roar job when I started this save. They didn't want me though. I didn't want to set my experience too high to try and force it that I got the job. Nid is not a former international and never played at the top level.

Unlike Swindon.

 

Introduction to Swindon Town - Season 2023-2024

I join a club that will probably struggle to keep its best players. In fact, I lost my standout ball winning midfielder just a few days in to the job. Saidou Khan being snapped up by League One Peterborough.

Saidou Khan

There was also a startling lack of quality at centre back when I joined. Key defender Tom Clayton could be out for 3 months.

Tom Clayton

This was the first thing I set about rectifying and ended up bringing in two young centre backs on loan. Owen Bevan joins us from Bournemouth and Tom Wilson-Brown joins from Leicester.

Owen Bevan

Tom Wilson-Brown

 

In midfield I realy need a replacement for Khan but finding such a player was proving hard. Tom Brewitt is having to fill in for now, but he loves a yellow. What ball winning midfielder doesn't?

Tom Brewitt

I will introduce more players as the season progresses, but the key man in midfield in the early days of our season has been Ronan Darcy. Three assists from his first two games is a great start.

Ronan Darcy

 

There is a well known name that I have mentioned a few times and he has to be our star name. Charlie Austin is our captain and this is his second season at Swindon in this, his second spell at the club. Charlie is no speed merchant, at 34, but my hope is he can knock a few goals in.

Charlie Austin

 

I am a short way in to the new season and we're unbeaten to date. We had a fantastic result in our last pre-season friendly. ON my first day at the club I'd been told we'd be playing Manchester City in a friendly. "Hardly a way to instill confidence", I'd said.

I needn't have worried as we secured a fantastic 2-2 draw with the English champions. We ended up taking a lot of confidence in to our first league game, away at Colchester United, and earned a hard fought 3-2 win over the Us.

Second up, in a busy first week, was the first round of the EFL Cup and a tough tie against Pompey and Fratton Park. The confidence was still flowing, seemingly, as we secured a fantastic 2-1 win. Charlie Austin banged in a penalty to secure the win. Pompey may well feel aggrieved to have conceded the penalty but I don't think they can complain about the result. They had a lot of the ball but didn't do a lot with it. Our on loan keeper, Murphy Mahoney, has a had a great start to the season, making some key saves, and he kept Pompey at bay.

He should be Irish with a name like that though.

Murphy Mahoney

 

As a rookie manager I wanted some experience in the coaching team. I certainly got that as the club signed Peter Reid as Technical Director. I also managed to get the experience of Richard O'Kelly as my assistant and Any Kalinis as fitness coach (he's not well known, but he has experience). To round things out we have acquired Darren Huckerby as a coach, and tough man, Guy Branston, will be scouting for us.

 

I'll come back and continue the story around the time the transfer window closes.

 

 

 

[Ronaldo Beckham]

Swindon is a great fallen giant save. I will be interested in seeing how this goes for you.

 

[corinthiano]

Lived in Swindon a few years so will be following. The magic roundabout was on the way to work from where I first lived and I remember the first times driving through it and going out at the wrong exit without having a clue how I got there 

[anagain]

Chapter 2: Pleasant Beginnings

I said I'd come back just after the transfer window, but the truth is it's late and this is my first day of feeling a little better after thee days of a nasty fever. I want to go to bed and as this is the last best chance I'll have to write this before the weekend I thought I'd surprise you a few days early.

There's actually only a West Brom EFL Cup game between me and the window. I think most of my business is done.

Transfers

As a club we are in the unforetunate position of having a tight squad (and by that I mean smallish and very injured) and a negative transfer budget. This fact has killed three transfers already. For some reason, FM allows a sign on fee to come out of general finances but not agents fees.

Only one more player has left, and he's a youngster out on loan. So that's the outgoings covered.

Now the incomings. I've already discussed our two new central defensive recruits and I am pleased to say that Owen Bevan and Tom Wilson-Brown have settled in really well. Tom is just 18 and has a goal and an average rating of just over 7.

The other trouble position is central midfield. We have been alarmingly short here since the day I arrived. You'll think it bizarre that the young player I allowed to leave on loan was a midfielder, but trust me he wasn't ready for the first team. We also lost Saidou Khan and Tom Brewitt has been covering in our more defensive minded midfielder role. Tom has done great, but he's a defender at heart.

I mentioned three transfers already having been killed, and, yes, they were all midfielders. In the end I lumped for another loanee and a lad who had been here on trial but was not my first choice.

Jacob Davenport is a midfielder who started at Manchester City and has played as high as the Championship, but he seems to have struggled for game time in the last few years. Perhaps Jacob is one of those players who shows early promise only for it to fade. Jacob played well on his debut.

Jacob Davenport

Last in the door is another loanee from AFC Bournemouth, Jack Wadham. I can't make up my mind if Jack is a ball winner or a flair player. His physicals are not the greatest but much else that matters for a ball winner is thereabouts. There are gaps in his play making game too. Jack played his debut as a playmaker and we struggled to get over the line, and West Brom would certainly test if Jack can win balls.

Jack Wadham

You know plans are so often thrown in the air by freak injuries? Well my keeper with the remarkably Irish sounding name, Murphy...from Reading, had been delivering rather good performances all season, to date. My defence looked comfortable with him. Then he broke his arm. Murph's understandy (sadly, not Lewis) doesn't instill the same confidence. Conor Brann is 20 and I'd love to be able to give the lad a chance, but when you see our start you'll understand why I wanted to find better back up for Murph's possible two months out.

My hopeful replacement has not arrived yet, in fact the deal hasn't even been agreed, but...

 

NO. I'm not tempting fate.

 

So...The Season So Far?

We're unbeaten in League Two.

Charlie Austin has five goals

We're top of the league

 

I shouldn't get ahead of myself. It's only four games but I am very surprised at how well we're playing.

We started with comfortable wins over Crewe and Forest Green with the standout man still being Ronan Darcy on the right. Tyrese Shade is another player I'd like to point out, plying his trade on the opposite flank to Ronan. I like to see Tyrese sit narrower and utilise space that my ball winner might occupy were he more adventurous. Our wing back then bombs down the left and plays very attacking. What has been pleasing is how many times Tyrese has found himself getting on to crosses to head home...like and old fashioned centre half.

Tyrese Shade

Up next was what turned out to be our toughest game to date, away to the Hollywood stars of Wrexham. We were deemed underdogs but went home with a point. It was a shaky fixture though and it left us looking a little nervy for the visit of Crawley a week later. An own goal and a Tom Wilson-Brown header saved our bacon there.

 

And that all leaves us joint top with Stockport County.

 

Not something I can grumble about. It's been a good start to my career.

I'll probably come back as we reach the end of October. I said about five yearly updates previous, but at the speed I play I'd have to turn to page 5 of this forum to find my thread...

 

EDIT: Okay, the tiktok link didn't work. I hate tiktok. Murph, you know what you have to do.

Edited May 15 by anagain

[anagain]

Chapter 3: Still Looking Good But A Few Hiccups

We ended up going eight games unbeaten at the start of the League Two season, with our only loss in that time a 2-3 defeat to West Brom in the EFL Cup. We were 2-1 up in that game too and it took a 90th minute goal to send West Brom through.

September was a great month, but for one hiccup. It helped that we played a series of games against teams struggling in the lower half and despatched Doncaster, Sutton and Walsall before we had our first disappointment all the way north in Morecambe. We didn't let the disppointment of Morecambe affect us as we beat a better performing Grimsby 4-2 at home a week later.

The only other match in September was a win over Palace U21s in our opening EFL Trophy match.

I found myself switching the formation around a bit in September. The primary aim of this was to find room for Ronan Darcy and George McEachran. McEachran has played regularly for us this season but sitting in midfield is not his best role. I pushed George up the pitch and gave him free reign to be his creative best  in a position just behind the sole strike option of Charlie Austin. George was partnered by Ronan Darcy in a very agressive shadow striker role. McEachran would end up with two goals in the month.

 

October was much the same as September. We started with an excellent 3-2 win over Notts County, in a topsy turvy game, before a frustrating 2-2 draw with Bradford. We'd been 2-0 up against Bradford and conceded twice late in the game. We were looking complacent and a 1-1 draw with Crawley, in the EFL Trophy, emphasised that fact. We just weren't firing like we had been at the start of the season. I was still tinkering with the formation, trying to fit in my best players without resorting to a back three. That formation would make it much easier to fit my players in to their best positions, but I wasn't sure my defence had enough depth to cope.

We needed some comfortable wins. Well, we got the wins, although the first was far from comfortable. We beat Salford 1-0, despite Tom Brewitt getting a second yellow and taking an early shower. We then beat Gillingham in what was finally a comfortable game. We had 21 shots and 11 on target against the Gills, Wakeling and McEachran getting the goals.

I hoped we'd kick back on again in our next game, against Franchise, but we put in one of our worst performances to lose 2-3. MK carved us open easy as pie in the second half and only a late Adeloye goal made the result respectful.

The woe continued against Newport, in what is billed as a local rivalry. I'd relegated Charlie Austin to the bench for the first time and given Adeloye a start, after some good sub appearances. We were definitely on top but we didn't look like converting any of our chances. With about 25 minutes left I decided enough was enough and reverted back to the 4-4-2 that had started the season so well. On came Charlie Austin and the veteran answered my dallying with formation with gusto, knocking in a brace to give us the win. Charlie might as well have said to me, "don't ever not start me again".

I'll find ways to fit players in to the team from now on.

Despite my concerns this month, I can't argue with 13 points from 18.

As we head in to November, we find ourselves second in League, but only on goal difference. So much better than I ever thought we'd be doing.

 

Transfer News

Do you remember that I mentioned a final possible signing before the window slammed shut? The keeper, to provide more secure back up to the injured Mahoney?

Well, my first choice accepted the move, but we have some negative transfer fund issues and the transfer ended up being cancelled. Because I couldn't be sure about having a transfer accepted I opted for another loanee. I turned, again, to my beloved Cherries and Cameron Plain joined us on loan. Cam did okay, for a deputy, but Mahoney is the better keeper and came straight back in after Cam's 8 games.

 

We start the FA Cup in November and have another tough tie against Bradford. I'd like for us to reach the Third Round and get a big team. Right now I'm more worried about the game that follows the FA Cup tie. It's a top of the table clash as we welcome Stockport. Winning that would send a message.

[anagain]

Chapter 4: The Ups and Downs of Football Management

We have reached the new year and our form has become very patchy. Defensively we're a mess and not a single defender can find any form. November was a dreadful month, with one good win a brief highlight. December was nearly as bad, but for two good wins sandwiched in between awful team displays. Some of the goals we are conceding hurt so bad mentally.

November began by seeing us booted out of the FA Cup with a loss at Bradford. It was only towards the end of the match did we show any real passion and we grabbed a late consolation.

After that disappointment we entered the usual busy run of fixtures that the EFL likes to throw at teams, with three fixtures in a week. We lost 1-3 to top of the league Stockport in an infuriatingly inept display before giving a reasonable effort in losing 0-1 to League One Cheltenham in the EFL Trophy. That result still saw us through to the second round, as group runners-up.

The last game of that mid-November busy spell was one of the few occaisons in the last two months in which we've turned up, and when we do turn up we put teams to the sword. We destroyed Harrogate with a scintillating first half display and ended up 4-1 winners. Of course, it was back to normal a week later as we lost 0-1 to Mansfield, before we would have to be happy with a point at Accrington to end the month.

December started with a tough game at League One Peterborough in the EFL Trophy and we went away with a 0-1 defeat but a reasonable effort. The game must have put us on a high as we went to Wimbledon and showed our true colours by winning 3-1.

What followed next was two soul destroying efforts home to Barrow and then away to Tranmere. Both games saw us 0-3 down at half time. We fought back somewhat well against Barrow but Tranmere really showed us how to pay football. That 1-4 loss had me calling the team in for a talking to and I told the lads that we still had a good season going and not to let recent results drag us down.

My words must have had some effect as we stuffed the Hollywood boys of Wrexham 5-2. It was, however, a short resurgence as we put in two of the worst defensive displays I have seen all season to lose 2-3 to Forest Green and 1-3 to Crawley on New Year's Day. I had been waiting for Tom Clayton to come back and become the rock in our defence since my first day here. When he did come back, against Wrexham, he was our worst player, and his two displays against Forest Green and Crawley made me wonder what I was thinking when I labelled him as our star defender. Charlie Austin was another player that was poor in both those new year straddling games. The veteran striker had been excellent against Wrexham, but his general form has been poor since injury.

Defence is a huge worry going forward, but I really don't think there's much I can do in the incoming transfer window to fix it. Perhaps the training pitch is the only option I have there.

We have slid right down the league table to 6th now. What was looking too good to be true, back at the season's start, is looking now frustrating. We've shown we're better than this, so why can't we keep a clean sheet?

 

We have signed a new keeper after Murphy Mahoney returned to QPR and the Championship side were unwilling to loan him out again. Jack newman is a player my scouts have been suggesting to me and whom is out of contract at the end of the season. He's joined us on loan until the end of the season and this is a chance to have a good look at whether he's a potential signing.

I think the signing of out of contract players is our best bet for next season. With the club's negative transfer fund right now it is a challenge to know what I can offer players right now if I try to sign them. I will try my best to improve our defence, of course. In fact, a scout suggestion has just come about. Fingers crossed.

 

Okay, time to try and turn this poor form around and win some games. We want to be back up the table.

 

 

[Sheriff7]

Welcome back. 

[anagain]

2 hours ago, Sheriff7 said:

Welcome back. 

Thanks. It's not perfect, if I'm entirely honest. I'm working hard to enjoy it.

The players in my team ain't helping, but I just had one of those matches that are what FM is all about.

[anagain]

Chapter 5: Working Hard To Get Back To Our Best

Firstly, an apology that I forgot to post a table in the last update.

But...onto the football. When I left you we were really struggling to win games, having just lost 1-3 to Crawley. That form continued throughout January and we'd almost dropped to outside the play offs at one point. I think the only thing that saved us that fate was that we managed to pick up draws in January, rather than just flat out lose games.

We drew with Colchester in a game in which we were outplayed, despite taking the lead via Charlie Austin, and then scored a late equaliser to rescue a point at Crewe. At the end of January we lost a second time to Tranmere, although only 0-1 this time, before a later Charlie Austin goal secured us a 2-2 draw with Bradford. I like to think that game against Bradford, a topsy turvy and entertaining affair, turned our fortunes around. February would be a lot better for us.

Injury Woes

The end of January was not without huge turmoil though. Remember I signed a young keeper named Jack Newman? Well, Jack injured his arm in the 78th minute of the Bradford game and had to be replaced with Conor Brann. Cameron Plain had just returned to Bournemouth and the Premier League team were unwilling to loan him back. Come midweek and I didn't even have Conor Brann, as he injured his arm in training. With the transfer window close to closing I put in a bid for another loan signing and we managed to get Joe Rose on loan for the rest of the season from Norwich.

Four loan keepers in a season, and five keepers used overall isn't too bad. Is it? One of my summer priorities is to find a permanent first choice keeper. I had made an offer to sign former Bournemouth youth keeper Jordan Holmes, but the Aussie chose Northampton Town.

The Turnaround

Did Joe Rose change our form or was it that late draw against Bradford? You could say it was a change in form of Ronan Darcy. I went for a dramatic change of formation towards the end of January. We'd switched to a back three with the arrival of some new defenders in the window. Before we go on it's about time I introduced our new arrivals.

Ben Heneghan started his career at Everton but he has never played a minute of football above League One in England. Ben did play 41 games for Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership though. I really believed that Ben was a big upgrade at the time. I'll spoil things a little by saying he would turn out to be so.

I also bought in a player many of you will recognise by name. He is 37 and his physicals are gone, but Scott Dann has played at the highest level and can be a key player for us. He only wanted £675 a week too.

It wasn't Scott Dann that got us playing well again. He played the first few games after signing but he was dreadful and I dropped him after the Bradford game. Scott was playing in the middle of a back three. We had two wing backs getting forward and two advanced midfielders behind Charlie Austin. Tom Brewitt was very angry when I signed Ben Heneghan, thinking he'd lose his place in the team, but he'd become our main man in the midfield ball winning department. Tom dropped a little deeper, partnered by a segundo volante.

Injuries had forced my hand and I'd gone for Tyrese Shade at right wing back and Jake Cain in the role of segundo volante. George McEachran was our enganche (his best role) and Ronan Darcy was a shadow striker. And it was Ronan who had his best match in months against Newport at the start of February. We took a 2-0 lead against relegation threatened Newport before the Welshmen agonisingly pulled it back to 2-2 in the 83rd minute. I was furious but Ronan Darcy completed a hattrick a minute later to give us our first win in seven games.

The Newport game was an epic way to get back to winning ways and our next game, home to Salford was even better. It was a crazy game in which we went 3-0 up through Darcy, Cain and Heneghan within about 20 minutes. Somehow we then found ourselves level at 3-3 by half time. I didn't really know what to say at half time, so just told the lads we should be winning and to make it so. Jake Cain made me a very happing man by banging one in from the edge of the D in the 70th minute.

Two wins in a row! And we didn't stop there.

We beat bottom bottom of the pile Gillingham with a comforatble 3-0 win and then squeezed out a cracking 1-0 against promotion challengers MK Dons.

Stockport were next though and they were comfortably top of the league. We went 1-0 up but then Frazer Blake-Tracy got himself sent off and we lost 1-2. We didn't want to get in to a losing run again and the lads again made me happy with a 2-1 win against a Harrogate team knocking on the door of the play offs.

He'd done well this season, but Frazer was the villain against Stockport, getting a red card

 

There are ten games to go and we find ourselves in the middle of a tight bunch of five teams battling for second.

These are our final ten games:

It's a very nice run in, with only Wimbledon and Grimsby in the top seven. Surely it's in our hands.

 

I'll come back after the ten.

 

[anagain]

Chapter 6: It's Never Easy, Is It?

So...ten games to go. Can we achieve promotion and take the rewards for our fantastic start to the season?

We started with three wins in a row, following on from the deserved win over Harrogate. Mansfield were easily dispatched, 3-0 at their place, and then Scott Dann scored his first goal for us as we beat Accrington 2-0 at the County Ground. The third game was much closer and another game in which we blew a lead before half time. Doncaster scored twice in three minutes just before the break. Tyrese Shade was the hero for us with a goal on 86 minutes to give us the win.

Tyrese Shade has been sensational since I switched him to the right back position

 

Things took a turn at the end of the month. First we nearly blew it at relegation threatened Walsall, with Ronan Darcy the man that got us a lucky late goals this time. It was just a 3-3 draw though. We then ended March with a 1-2 defeat at home to Notts County. We were truly dreadful in this game.

Promotion was still ours to lose. Surely we could get enough points from the final five games of a long season.

Wimbledon would be the tough game. The Dons were still chasing that last promotion spot after being one of the best teams for a long period midway through the season. They'd found it tough the past few weeks, but who hadn't? The other Dons, of Milton Keynes, had been on a steady rise up the league all season after a poor start and Colchester United had made a late surge to be one of the favourites for promotion. Crewe, Grimsby and Salford had been there or there abouts much of the season. All three could make a late push but surely their best hope was a play off spot. Grimsby would be one of our opponents and I did honestly fear that match.

 

5️⃣Five Games To Go

Sutton United, away, Monday 1st April 2024

We started on the front foot in South London, Charlie Austin doing what he does best and scoring twice in the first half. The second half was a nervy affair and we let Sutton back in to the game in the 76th minute. We shut up shop and managed to hold on.

One down.

 

4️⃣Four Games To Go

Barrow, away, Saturday 6th April 2024

We got off to a flier up on the Cumbrian coast, with Ronan Darcy there to capitalise on an error by the Barrow keeper and head in to an empty net. Ten minutes later it all collapsed on us. Barrow flung the proverbial kitchen sink at us and we didn't cope. It was a poor performance and we lost 1-2 when we really needed to win. It may just have meant the end to our hopes of catching Stockport.

I was not a happy manager.

 

3️⃣Three Games To Go

AFC Wimbledon, home, Saturday 13th April 2024

This was the game I had feared the most, against a team that had been excellent for so long. As I've said, the Dons would be determined to get back in that promotion zone and make the elap up to League One.

We couldn't have started worse. Al-Hamadi was fed by a defence splitting ball and he slotted past Joe Rose to put the Dons one up. I demanded a reaction and got it. Frazer Blake-Tracy has had a mixed season. When our left wing back is good he is unplayable, but he will be the first to admit he is inconsistent. With this in mind, to see Frazer turn inside, beat two men and fire in to the roof of the net had me open mouthed. Game on again. Only three minutes played.

You could say we turned it on after that. Showed what we had in our lockers. Darcy, 2-1. Austin, 3-1. Cain, with one of the best free kicks you'll see, 4-1. Ricky Aguiar, 5-1.

Ricky is one of the few players I haven't mentioned yet, but he's a player that likes to come on give us a boost. He is one of those invaluable squad players.

 

We demolished the Dons. The wombles of Wimbledon would have dishevelled fans to clear from the Common that night.

 

2️⃣Two Games To Go

Grimsby Town, away, Saturday 20th August 2024

If we could win this game we were guaranteed to go up. We'd secured our play off spot in the demolition of the Dons and now we just needed to repeat that performance and beat Grimsby to go up.

It was a day to forget. Charlie Austin gave us the lead in the first half but we never showed up after the break and two late goals gave Grimsby the win.

We would have to win our final game to be sure. It's just painful to be a football manager.

 

1️⃣The Final Game

Morecambe, home, Saturday 27th April 2024

For the fourth game in a row we could secure a feat by winning the game. Against Barrow and Wimbledon it had been to ensure a play off place. Against Grimsby and Morecambe it would be to secure promotion. I gathered the lads together before the game and told them it was a simple fact of win this game and we'd be playing League One football next season. We deserved this. We'd been one of the best teams all season.

 

⚽7 mins: McEachran! 1-0 Swindon! Shade puts the ball into the middle of the box and McEachran is there to slot home.

😒9 mins: Disaster for the Robins as Jovon Makama rises above everyone to level the scores. Rikson is furious on the bench. He seems to be asking what the defence were doing.

🍊HT: It's 1-1. AFC Wimbledon are 2-0 up against Walsall and are going up as it stands. Swindon need to do better with the ball in the final third.

⚽73 mins: Jacob Wakeling! A change of fortunes for Swindon after a change of formation from the manager. Rikson pushed the entire team forward a bit to try and force some better attacking action. It pays off as Wakeling is the first to react to Heneghan's header in to the box. That is Wakeling's first goal since January 1st. Timely!

There's a good player in Jacob Wakeling, but he lost his place when we switched to one up top. He scored a crucial goal here, but could we hold on?

 

⚽78 mins: Another goal for Swindon! It's Tyrese Shade! Shade is playing up the pitch now, his wing back position having been filled by Hutton. It's Hutton that provides the assist, too, with a great ball in to the box that Shade punces on. It's 3-1 and surely Swindon are going up!

😬80 mins: Rikson sits back down again, slumping in his seat. Poor defending from the boys in red as JJ McKiernan is completely unmarked in the box and powers a header past Joe Rose. Nails are being bitten all around the County Ground.

Rikson is up again and shouting instructions to pack the midfield, play it careful and focus on your jobs.

Wimbledon are 3-0. One more goal for Morecambe and it's play offs for Swindon.

🙈90 mins: Fans can't watch. Some of the Swindon faithful have their heads in their hands. Morecambe are pressuring Rose's goal. Rikson looks like a man tormented.

There will be 7 minutes added on. An audible groan echoes around the County Ground. Morecambe are sending their keeper forward for a corner. He gets his had to the ball and it's narrowly past the upright.

🎉90 +7 minutes: Rikson is pacing, but he's applauding every lose ball won by his lads. It's a throw...but there's the whistle.

SWINDON ARE GOING UP! THE ROBINS ARE BACK IN LEAGUE TWO!

Rikson has his head in his hands and the fans are on the pitch! What a season. Rikson's first and he's guided the pre-season mid table destined team to promotion. I think Rikson will need more than coffee though.

 

Yep, we did it. I thought we'd blown it. I really did. We have a young side and nerves were on an edge that final month. How we beat Wimbledon 5-1 is beyond me right now...but here comes the champers, so who cares?

I can't believe how tight that league was. Why does FM love to do that? When you do well you know that all the promotion favourites are going to do well.

 

Stockport are champions...and they deserved it. MK Dons go up with us. It's non league football for Gillingham, and a return back to the National League for Newport. Wimbledon, Colchester, Crewe and Grimsby will contest the play offs.

 

We beat the club goals by three seasons!

And get a nice boost to our wage budget...plus we finally have some transfer funds.

"We are going up, say we are going up!"

 

I have a summer to get through now. Not sure when I'll be back, but expect new faces.

I want a goalkeeper we actually own. I want some reliable defenders we own. They're the two biggest needs. An archetypal tough man in the middle of the park is also a big want.

Wish me luck!

 

 

[anagain]

2023-2024 Season Review - EFL League Two - Finished 3rd (promoted)

2023-2024 - Swindon Player Stats

 

[anagain]

The World

 

 

 

 

Harrison Minturn, on loan from Swindon to Barnet, scored the winning penalty for Barnet. Harrison actually played 12 games for us before January but I wanted him to get regular football after Dann and Heneghan signed.

 

 

 

Bad news to finish...

[Sheriff7]

Congrats for the promotion! English lower divisions looks endless to me with so many games.

Edited June 13 by Sheriff7

[anagain]

18 hours ago, Sheriff7 said:

Congrats for the promotion! English lower divisions looks endless to me with so many games.

Thanks. They do take a long time, and I do like leagues with less games. I often find myself returning to England though.

[anagain]

Season 2024-2025 - EFL League One

Chapter One: Pre-Season and Building a Team to Stay Up

It's been a long two months of trying to get us a ready for a league campaign in which we must be one of the favourites for the drop. Losing Charlie Austin ended up being the biggest concern. I've spent many frustrating hours watching a succession of triallists fail to really hit the net. There is one exception to that, and we'll come to him in a later update. He won't lead the line for us until after the first match of the season, a match which just happens to be tomorrow, in Shrewsbury.

And, yes, we are predicted 23rd of 24, but two players are listed in the Key Players for the coming season. One of those is Tyrese Shade and another is one you'll have to keep reading for.

 

Transfers

We have been busy. A recent press conference brought up that we had made eight transfers. We have to be ready because this season will not be a walk in the park. I'm going to do something different than I normally would and reveal the ins and outs first. Then we'll discuss the players.

Three young players went out on loan before the season change date. I also won't discuss Gary Ward as he's a young goalkeeper I brought in because we had none in the U18s.

 

Myles Hippolyte

Myles joins us on a free transfer from Stockport County. Myles didn't play during County's League Two winning campaign but he was a regular the season before. Myles is a well rounded footballer, and that is why I signed him. Myles can play anywhere down the left and also in the middle of the park. He will be a valuable asset this season. I just lurve utility players.

 

Joe Rose

If you've been reading then I am sure you'll recognise the name. Joe was the fifth (I think) keeper that we signed on loan last season and he stayed between the sticks for much of our promotion run in. I was impressed and so Joe comes in to be our second choice keeper this season. That is all he wanted. Joe is young and there's plenty of time for him to impress.

 

Alfie Pond

Alfie is a great signing for us, on loan from Wolves, because he is a well accepted defensive prospect. There is work to do on Alfie's technicals but he is a lad with great determination and fitness.

 

Nick Tzanev

Goalkeeper is a position I was adamant of being desperate to fill at the end of last season. Nick is a keeper who made 44 appearances for promoted AFC Wimbledon last season. He may have been let go because he needed a work permit, and Nick is in fact using one of our ESC Work Permit places. Nick is a keeper with a great command over his area, although we may have to do some work on his distribution. Nick had some great performances in pre-season, being one of the few players who really impressed me prior to the season's start.

 

Toure Williams

Toure is a bit of a gamble, I must confess, after being released by Bournemouth. Toure is one for the future and he looks to be heading out on loan for this season.

 

Noor Husin

Noor joins us on a free after presumably asking to leave National League Southend. For me, Noor is a midfield hard man that I will most likely utilise in a role in which he can burst forward in to attack, and he is much better than a National League player. Noor was another of the better performing players in pre-season.

 

Sivert Gussiås

And finally a player I paid money for. I'm just still not sure it was the right move. We shall see. Sivert is Norwegian that I paid a fee of £90k (£120k) to capture from KÍ of the Faeroes. Sivert is an out and out forward player, either wide or through the centre and I plan to utilise him behind the striker or as the striker. Sivert is a well rounded player that doesn't really stand out in any particular area, though he has a good shot on him. I really hope that Sivert can solve my concerns over our strike force.

 

Ethan Robson

I have wanted a reall hard working and hard tackling midfield man who can sit deep and break up attacks and I've struggled to find the perfect man. Ethan came to us on trial late in pre-season and he impressed me in the minutes he played. I decided to take a gamble as his wages aren't the lowest, but I hope he can make that position his own.

I hope he can emulate a very well remembered, and similarly named, tough tackler for England.

Also, EThan is the other name on the list of Key Players for League Two this season.

 

That probably won't be it for ins, with one more signing very likely to happen. This one signing will be my biggest and could either be a huge risk or a great pay off. He won't be here before game one.

 

The outs are mostly loans of youngsters but one name will stand out. Ronan Darcy and Remeao Hutton have really stressed their desire to leave Swindon, and I don't really want players in my team if they're not commited to the cause. I offered both players up for transfer and Dundee United came in with a loan offer for Ronan. It gets his wages off the books so it will suffice for now. Ronan wanted to move to a bigger club I wonder if the Scottish Championship counts.

There is likely to be some loans before the end of the transfer window. I have already had Jacob Davenport come to me with concern that his place would be taken by Ethan Robson. I told him I could not just ignore players that would improve the team. He wasn't satisfied. What I didn't tell Jacob is that he never has really performed well enough for my liking. Do players ever listen?

 

Swindon Town Squad for 2024-2025

 

Concerns and Squad Depth

I still wonder if we have enough firepower but I do think I'm happy with depth now. There is always going to be a concern over keepers with the luck we had last season (or because FM24 seems to love to be break keeper's arms) but I think Tzanev and Rose are good enough. There was a keeper I wanted but QPR wouldn't let him go.

Frazer Blake-Tracy has spent more time on the left of central defence in pre-season and I have been utilising Tyrese Shade in an inverted role at left wingback. He gets forward ahead of the ball winner and I think it is a role that could work well for us. On the right Hutton is out of favour with me. He didn't play well in pre-season and Marcel Lavinier seems ready and willing to make the right wingback role his. If there is one position we are short of depth at it is the right wingback role. We're fine at centre back, if a little inexperienced. My one question is to wonder how much football a 37 year old Scott Dann will get this season.

In midfield I am very happy and we have a range of options.

We have options in forward roles, but I will again echo that I am still concerned about firepower. We could also easily swith to wide roles, but I've never found us too successful with that formation. Of course there may be a need to adapt as the season progresses.

There is a chance that Ricky Aguiar could go out on loan, especially if our new arrival arrives.

 

Right, let's play some football. Back after some games. Here's the first batch of fixtures and the board wants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 15 by anagain

[Sheriff7]

Good luck!I wish you s great season in the new division. 

[anagain]

Chapter 1.5: A Quick Transfer Update

I have spent some real money in an effort to really boost our strike options. We still have a bit of a mixture of players who like to play just behind a striker, but they can all have a go at being our front man.

This signing takes our wage budget close to maximum, but if the board give you money then why not spend it? If it keeps us in this division then it's even more worth it.

I think you'll know this name.

 

Bradley Dack

Bradley is a player that has scored goals in the Championship, but Blackburn released the 30 year old in 2023 and he has spent a season without a club before being recommended by my scouts. Bradley's best position is probably just behind the striker, but I see no reason not to play him up front with a role that will see him drop deeper. I might even ask Bradley and Sivert Gussias to swap positions on the park and see how that goes.

 

I forgot to mention this in my pre-season write up, but there was a shock in the Euros.

 

[anagain]

Chapter 3: All Set For A Relegation Battle

This has been a while coming, I know. I only seem to find real time to play at weekends.

After what I thought was a good start for us, we have found ourselves drawn in to a fight. September was a very gruelling month in which we struggled to find a performance, but August had been quite the start to our League One campaign.

But, first...

Transfer Window Update

The window slammed shut on us on the first day of September with me umming and aahing about whether our squad was good enough. I would have liekd a new wing back and a new striker, but no one my scouts were recommended were, in my opinion, enough of an upgrade.

We did add one new face to the squad. One of my chief worries in the early weeks of the season was our defence. I was pelased with the signing of Alfie Pond, but the lad was struggling to adapt to the pressures of first team football. Sure, Alfie had had some good moments but he looked nervy. I decided to bring in an experienced defender that may be able to take Alfie under his wing. We turned to Dan Sweeney, a player who had become a lower EFL stalwart after spending many of his early seasons in non league. Dan is a big presence at the back, a man who will be hard to beat in the air.

 

As I said, we had a good first month, losing just the once. That was to a rampant Oxford United, running away with things at the top of the division. Oxford are good and we really didn't compete. We did however earn good draws against Shrewsbury, Portsmouth and Exeter. We also got a great win at home to newly relegated Plymouth, with Wakeling and Cain getting late goals to stun the green army.

We lasted just one round in the ELF Cup, losing to a good Hull team. That wasn't a disgrace.

 

September started great as we had a great win over Chelsea's U21 squad in the EFL Trophy. We had stunned a team that included Malo Gusto with three goals inside the first 15 minutes. I was disappointed as we then sat back too much and allowed Chelsea two goals. I asked for a bit more in the second half and it resulted in a tight contested decided by a late Ethan Robson thunderbolt.

September in League One was a tormenting affair. In many ways it may have all come down to Remeao Hutton. The wing back had wanted to leave but it turned out that no club wanted him. If they had wanted him they could not afford his wages. This was the well known 'player thinks he is better than he is' situation at play. The problem was that many of my squad felt that Remeao deserved a move away and there was a certain disharmony in the dressing room.

Up front, my new signings had no clicked. Gussias and Dack both had moments of magic but the general form was poor. We lost three games in a row after that Chelsea win, being pummeled by Fleetwood, MK Dons and Reading. The Fleetwood game hurt the most, with the northerners languishing at the bottom with just a point. I think only Jake Cain really impressed me in that run of games.

We'd been sticking to the the wing back formation that we had ended last season with. I was rotating Gussias and Dack behind a lone striker and, like I say, they had their moments, but were generally uninspiring. After the Reading game I decided enough was enough. I wasn't getting results from my wing backs either. Hutton was still my best wing back, but he both wanted to leave and was injured. Remeao actually told the press that he realised much had been done to make a move happen but he was still annoyed he hadn't got his move. No, you just weren't good enough, you numpty.

It was time to alter things in a way that might get the best out of at least one of my new forward players. I would abandon the back three and wing backs and have my wide men further forward, cutting in to support a lone striker and advanced midfielder. Call it a 4-5-1, if you like.

I was left wondering why I'd not switched earlier. Gussias played a blinder, scoring one great goal and putting a second on a plate for Adeloye. We gained our first three points in a month with a great 2-1 win at Stevenage. It meant we ended September just outside the relegation zone when we could so easily have been in it.

 

Hopefully we can keep this change of form going throughout October, although I accept it's early days. Most of all, I just want to see Dack firing. I've paid enough for him that I need to see better.

Jake Cain has been probably our best performer in the first two months. I was impressed with Frazer Blake-Tracy on the left of our back three too. I've moved Frazer back to left back now, because no one seems able to match his performances there. I'll include a profile of Jake Cain with his form just to prove my previous point. Jake is still young ad is getting much better.

Here's the next two month's fixtures. If I can't find more time to play I may be back sooner.

[anagain]

Chapter 4: League One is Hectic

What turned out being a long two months started great before tailing off a little at the end. Some good form in October pushed us up the table before we stagnated a little in November. We'd carried on with the formation change and Bradley Dack and Sivert Gussias came alive before both sufering injuries. They weren't our only injuries, and we have found ourselves short of numbers as we head in to December.

Our October record ended with 11 points from 15. A poor draw with Wycombe started things off before a cup win (more on that in a minute) kicked us into gear and we secured three great wins in a row. We beat Burton 3-2, despite a late, late showing from the Brewers, Charlton were dispatched by a single goal and we knocked relegated Preston down a level with a 2-0 win at the County Ground. We ended October with the usual poor showing against a relegation threatened team when we face Orient. Tomi Adeloye rescued us a point in the 92nd minute here.

The cup win came in our second group match of the EFL Trophy and a remarkably high scoring game in Cambridge. An incredibly back and forth first half ended 3-3 but we showed our class in the second half, going on to win 5-3. The man of the moment was Bradley Dack, shopwing his class with hattrick he finished off in the 96th minute. The win secured our qualification to the second round of the cup.

 

Bradley Dack's hattrick had been followed by a goal in his next game before he tailed off a little, despite playing well. Sivert Gussias and then Tomi Adeloye took over the scoring mantle and we were indeed scoring in ever single game. We continued that scoring form in the first game of December in the FA Cup at Tranmere. Things started badly as we lost Bradley Dack to injury in the 16th minute. Tomi Adeloye replaced him and the striker showed me his worth to the squad as he helped to secure a stunning 4-0 win in the Wirral. Tomi got himself a brace and Husin and Gussias tidied things up in the second half.

We would face Bristol Rovers in the Second Round, later in November.

 

We had been rising up the table, being as high as 12th at one point, but the next two games in November brought us back down to Earth a little. Peterborough were challenging at the top and Stockport had continue their rampant form of last season, when they lifted the League Two title, in the early months of the new season.

Peterborough were just too good for us and secured a 4-2 win. I felt we did ourselves proud though. I thought we had actually beaten Stockport when Jake Cain and George McEachran scored in the 81st and 83rd minutes to put us 3-2 up, but Kyle Wooton hit back just two minutes later and we settled for a good 3-3 draw.

We next finished off the group stage of the EFL Trophy with a disappointing 1-3 loss to Bristol Rovers. We just weren't on it from minute one, but we did still secure top spot in our group. We would get Brentford U21s in the Second Round in a tie that will kick off December.

 

The end of November came in frantic fashion, with a game every three or four days. We lost Sivert Gussias in the first of these games, a stunning 3-1 victory over Barnsley, and would see Jacob Wakeling and Tomi Adeloye get knocks before the end of the month. Miles Obodo had come in from the U18s before also getting injured. Add in an international break for our Caribbean players and the tiredness created by so many games, and we faced a pressured end to the month. We wouldn't be beaten though, earning a 1-1 draw with AFC Wimbledon, in a battle that has become a regular one for us now, and then 2-2 in Carlisle. I wasn't happy with that last result. Carlisle have been struggling since the first game and we had found ourselves 2-0 up before caving to late pressure.

I want to talk about the Barnsley game and mention something that we don't see too much. A hattrick from a defensive midfielder. That man of the moment was Ethan Robson, a man that I honestly believe has chaged our team. I can nor underestimate the benefit of having a solid man protecting the back four, but Ethan showed he can do it up the pitch too. Ethan's first goal came as he found himself in ample space in the box and Tomi Adeloye put in a cute little ball to find Ethan. Ethan's second was a dominant header from a corner but I did wonder where he would find his third. That third would end up being handed to Ethan on a silver platter when we got a penalty in the 62nd minute. There was no doubt Ethan would take it and he slotted it home emphatically to tidy up a hattrick that I'm sure we'll never forget.

The next great moment would come in the last game of November, and an FA Cup Second Round tie at home to Bristol Rovers. Rovers were top of League Two and had beaten us just two weeks weeks ago in the EFL Trophy. All the talk before the game was that we would lose. My board even said a defeat was expected. It wasn't to be though. We blew our nearby rivals away with a dominant display that would earn us hopefully a plum tie in the Third Round.

What was even better was the scorer of our third goal. It was a coming of age moment for a youngster at the club. Botan Ameen was brought on to the bench because of all the injuries we were suffering to attackers. We lost Sivert Gussias to another injury in this game and when Tomi Adeloye got a knock late on I decided to give Botan a chance. We were 2-0 up at this point.

Just a few minutes after he came on, Botan found himself with the ball in acres of space on the right of the box. He could have passed to a more senior member of the squad but ran at goal and let lose a cracking shot that found the back of the net for his first senior goal. It was a lovely moment.

I'm not sure if Botan will eer be a super star, but he proved he had no fear against Rovers.

 

 

We end November, and go into the equally busy Christmas period in 13th place in League One. We can't be disappointed to find ourself halfway to the magical 50 point mark.

 

There was one bit of Transfer News in November with Jacob Davenport securing a move to Burton for £36k. Jacob had not been happy with his game time and he'd not seen eye to eye with me when I told him my thoughts. With his contract running out I was happy to accept the money. He will join Burton in January.

 

To finish I have news of the FA Cup. Stuart Pearce kindly gives us some info on the players that will come face to face when we meet...

Fulham.

Not as big as I'd have hoped, with Fulham now Championship, but maybe we can deliver a shock and get a bigger boy in round four.

Look at this tie though. Go Fylde.

And a good one for Jacob Davenport, if he can get straight in the Burton team.

 

A lot of games in December and January, and a transfer window in which I need to strengthen. This mini injury crisis has seen us suffer and I want to look for players that can give us depth. They need not be the greatest players, and they'll need to be happy with being squad players. Surely £7k in wages is enough for at least two or three back ups.

 

[anagain]

Chapter 5: Doing The Unbelieveable

I've come back a bit earlier. There's been so many games in December, and there's just as many in January. With the world's problems, the internet might not be here by the time I finish January.

 

December has been incredible for us and, as you can probably grasp from the title, we're massively defying expectations. I'm going to spoiler things and say we've lost just once since I was last here.

First up was the ELF Trophy second round against Brentford U21s. I rotated quite a bit but we still managed to inflict a 1-0 defeat upon the youngsters of Brentford. Alfie Pond got the goal and it has marked a huge improvement in form for the lad.

We have Sutton United in the next round and I really am starting to think we could go all the way in this cup.

 

In League One we got December up and running with a trip to Loftus Road to face newly relegated QPR. I thought we might get the result that everyone was predicting when Rangers opened the scoring shortly before half time, but we turned the tables in sensational style after the break. A piledriver from Noor Husin and an easy finish for Tomi Adeloye, after excellent work by Jacob Wakeling on the touchline, secured us a great three points. Sadly, we couldn't capitalise as we suffered a poor 0-1 defeat whgen we welcomed Port Vale to the County Ground just a few days later.

What happened next was that we started a sensational run of goalscoring freedom in a currently six match unbeaten run.

It began with a nervy 3-2 win over Lincoln. THis is another game in which we stormed to a 3-0 lead only to let the opposition come back to 3-2. Lincoln got their second in the 91st minute and I wouldn't need nail clippers later that day. Dan Sweeney got his first Swindon goal in a much more comfortable 3-1 win home to Carlisle next, with Bradley Dack back from injury and slotting home a penalty. It wouldn't last for Dack. He picked up another injury a few games later and will be out until February.

We welcomed Stevenage next and blew them off the park, romping to a 5-0 lead before they got a consolation. Dan Sweeney got his second in two games. My centre backs have the scoring touch because Alfie Pond also scored again to take his season's total to five.

The form of my centre back partnership actually caused a rift in the squad this month. Ben Heneghan's form has been poor this season. He has started ten games but not really performed in any of those games. For that reason he hasn't been playing. Midway through January he asked for more playing time and I had to say no. A few days later I was invited to speak with a few members of my team because they felt Ben deserved more game time. I told them he hadn't earnt it and they left unhappy. I admit I'd lost my temper and had told them I picked the team and I wouldn't have my management undermined by players. Ben Heneghan went to the press and I transfer listed him. I told the press, who came knocking, that I didn't want players who caused disruption and didn't want to be here. Ironically, Ben and the problem players all cheered up once he got promised a move.

Back to the football, and we lost the midas touch in our next game as we limped to a 1-0 win in Wycombe, but found it again with two 3-1 wins either side of new year, first against struggling Burton and then away to a good Barnsley side. I actually had rotated heavily for the Barnsley game because we're due to play Fulham a few days after. We were up to 7th in League One before that Barnsley game and I was happy to sacrifice a result there to have my best players for the Fulham game. The back ups did great, and Botan Ameen got himself another goal. My backroom team don't really rate Botan but I'm considering renewing his contract simply for the reason that he scores every time I play him.

The even better news is that that win over Barnsley saw us jump them in to the play off places. We were odds on for relegation and 2025 sees us in the League One play off places!

 

We're spreading the goals about this season. Not one player has reached double figures yet. Here's anyone with three or more goals.

 

One player has left us on day one of the transfer window. Jacob Davenport hasn't been happy since Ethan Robson joined us and he has joined Burton Albion for £36k. He actually scored on his debut. Good luck to him. Jacob was never a star for us but he was good solid back up. I hope he doesn't bear a grudge.

 

January is going to be another long month. I need to get more back up players in the transfer window because I regularly find myself short of options in midfield. With Davenport gone that's going to be even more of an issue. We also have two cup games this coming week and then another five League One games. Things calm down a little from February onwards.

 

 

 

[danyates8]

That run in December is supremely impressive given the tough nature of the fixture scheduling, congrats

[anagain]

Chapter 6: Keeping It Going

January was yet another busy month in which we kept up the winning ways and strengthened for the final run in. We're out of one cup but remaining defiant in another. Transfers happened throughout the month and rather than have a seperate section, I'll run through the month as it happened.

First up for a  new year was our FA Cup tie with Fulham, and it was pleasing that we gave our illustrious opponents a good game. Fulham were a team packed with stars such as Sean Longstaff, Bernd Leno and Anthony Elanga (on loan from United) and they made the early running, notching up a two goal lead within half an hour. We battled well in the second half and got a late goal back, but it sadly wasn't to be enough. We had to make do with the Third Round.

Another cup game followed right after. A Southern Third Round tie in the EFL Trophy game in which we welcomed Sutton United. We also demolished the League Two team with goals from Cain, Adeloye (twice), Gussias and Wakeling. We would face Derby Country in the Quarter Final. Derby are in our division but we're yet to face them, although the first game will take place early February and just a few days after our EFL Trophy tie.

 

We made our first signing of the January window before the next game. I wanted more depth on the wings, and preferably a left footed player who could fill a back up role for Jakob Wakeling as an inside forward on the right. The man that came in is Jack Payne, on a free, after his Charlton Athletic contract expired in the summer. Jack is happy to play a back up role and he can fill in in a number of other positions.

 

Jack was straight on the bench for our trip to Preston. North End are one of a number of teams that are having a middling season despite predictions that they would challenge. I still expected a tough game but the lads turned on the style to record a great 2-0 win with goals from Adeloye and McEachran. It probably should have even been more than two as we had the lion's share of the game.

A day after the Preston game we welcomed our second signing of the window, and a player I had had my eye on since we were in League Two. As well as depth on the wings I needed to strengthen in the middle of the park. Toure Williams (the young lad we signed from Bournemouth in the summer) had turned down the offer of renewing his loan spell in Oz and we'd also be getting Ricky Aguiar back. Neither were going to be able to replace an Ethan Robson or Noor Husin, who had both been playing a lot of football, though. So, can I please introduce you to 21 year old Scot, Alex Bannon. Alex has been at Queen's Park all his career and he's a well rounded and determined youngster with good tackling and a good work rate. Alex can only get better.

 

Alex Bannon would slot straight into the team a day later, as we welcomed Charlton. Alex played alongside Ethan Robson, in the role usually taken by Noor Husin, and he would be given free rein to bomb forward from midfield. Alex had a great game and even got an assist for one of Sivert Gussias' two goals in a good 2-1 win. Charlton really tested our goal but found Nik Tzanev in blistering form between our sticks.

We suffered our first league loss in a month next game in a tricky tie against promotion pushing Exeter City. I'm not ashamed to say that were clearly second best in this game against Gary Caldwell's Grecians. Caldwell would go on to be poached by Cardiff City a few days after this game. Tomi Adeloye grabbed his 14th goal of the season right at the end of the first half, but a goal in either half would give Exeter the win.

We had a break of a week after the Exeter game; our first real break in over a month. It must have done us good as we got straight back to winning ways in Milton Keynes, with a great 3-1 victory over a team that we had had some great battles with since I took over at Swindon. Sivert Gussias filled in up front and got another two goals to take his season's tally to 13. Many of these goals have come from Sivert's head.

That ended the league games for January, our fixture with Fleetwood having been moved for our EFL Trophy game with Derby. As January ticked in to February we would find ourselves in 6th in League One. I'm astounded that we are there, but now the task is to keep the form going until the end of April.

 

There was of course one game left in January, and the small matter of an EFL Trophy Quarter Final against Derby. It would turn out to be a cracker of a game too. There were some great goals in what ended up a 2-2 stalemate in normal time, including a first of the season from Marcel Lavinier as he found himself in on goal following Noor Husin's lovely lobbed ball. Sivert Gussias had gotten his 14th of the season to put us 1-0 up in the first half. And, yes, it was another header.

Sadly, we really weren't at the races after the break and conceded two Derby goals to take the game to penalties. It could have been worse only for Alfie May to be a foot offside when he banged in what he had thought was a winner for Derby.

Louie Sibley missed the second penalty for Derby and all it eventually needed was Dan Sweeney to tuck away our fifth penalty, which he did, to send us to a semi-final.

We'll play Plymouth in that semi.

 

There is just some transfer news to finish up January then.

Ben Heneghan left, and we got a whopping £200k for him, as he joined Forest Green. Miles Obodo, who has played a bit part this season, has joined Sutton in a loan deal. I'm not sure if Miles will ever make it here and a few months at Sutton will help make my mind up as to whether he has a future.

There is one final transfer, and one that happened late on deadline day. I had been casting admiring glances at the talent of Zak Gilsenan since my scouts first brought him to my attention near the end of 2024. Blackburn never had him loan listed though. When George McEachran went off injured near the end of the Derby game I decided I could do with another all round player to supplement what was a tiring season for my whole squad.

Blackburn agreed to loan, although it would end up being costlier because I didn't want to be limited to playing Zak as a left inside winger. I do think Zak is worth the £2,600 in wages and £11.75k a month fee though. Zak's Blackburn contract expires in July too. I think I will be aiming to make him our player full time.

You can decide yourself, but I know he fills a number of roles, and that is the type of player I do like.

 

All that is left for me to do is post February's fixtures and announce I'll be back when I'm back.

 

As I am sure I have said before, I don't get a lot of time to play FM midweek. I've also struggled to really get into FM this year and I must admit to still having to push myself to really enjoy this game. I don't feel like I'm really trying and yet I'm sailing up the leagues.

I also got back in No Man's Sky this past week, with the game's new update, and I am rather enjoying that.

I'm sure I'll be back though.

 

 

Edited July 26 by anagain

[anagain]

Chapter 7: The Cream Always Rises To The Top

With the transfer window out of the way the season's run in began. It would end up being a February that saw us lose key players but also saw us dominant and exceeding hopes beyond even what we had achieved to date.

It wasn't plain sailing, of course. We were rescued against Reading by Bradley Dack's two late goals and then scraped a narrow 1-0 win against a good Derby side. Remeao Hutton got that goal with a lovely cushioned volley finish at the back post. Only a few first teamers haven't scored now this season. We really do get goals from everywhere on the pitch.

Leyton Orient represented what I thought would be an easier game for us, languishing down near the bottom as they were, but it again took late goals to secure the win. We'd been 1-0 up for most of the match, after Sivert Gussias scored again. We didn't make it two until the 92nd minute and Orient pulled one back immediately. That second was again scored by Gussias and he got his hattrick to secure the win in the 99th minute. That third followed a lovely through ball from Alex Bannon to set Sivert up with a shot he couldn't miss.

Peterborough were up next, and the Posh have been promotion contenders from day one. I expected a tough game and got it. It didn't help when we lost Alfie Pond in midweek and Wakeling in the first half, and the game was stuck at a nil-nil stalemate at the break. We came out the strongest in the second half and got the opener through Cain, as the midfielder slotted home after a great touch on the edge of the box had put him one on one with the keeper. Peterborough had to step up a gear after that, but the blame for their late equaliser will have to come down to Nik Tzanev. He failed to grab a high ball and Jake Young was left with an easy finish. We would have to be content with a 1-1 draw.

Fleetwood were easily dispatched in the next game. We had a slow start and it was 1-1 at the break. I didn't go easy on the lads in the dressing room and must have said the right things as we stormed out of the gates. We barely gave Fleetwood an inch in the second half an Jack Payne scored his first goals for the club with a stunning hattrick. Gussias got the fourth of our goals but it could be his last of the season with the Norwegian injuring himself in training in midweek. There's a lot of games in this league and the run has been hard on a lot of legs and rotation is a must. Sivert could make it back for the last month of games in April. He is now on 15 goals for the season, and grabbed himself a bonus in February, so let's hope he does get back.

We had two tough games to finish the month. Shrewsbury (chasing a play off spot) and Stockport (a club that have always proven tough opposition) with key players either missing or needing rests. Pond was not back, but Harrison Minturn (update below) had been playing very well since returning from his loan spell at Harrogate. Dack and Tomi Adeloye were back in the squad after injury. It was Dack that came on after the break to secure the win against the Shrews with two calmly taken close finishes. You might call them two 'tap ins', although one was with his head. They all count, and as they gave us a great 2-0 win I'm not complaining.

 

I've left it till late, but we actually went top of League One after the Fleetwood game. The Shrews win cemented our place at the top. Oxford United lost to Derby and then Peterborough, who could have gone back to top spot, lost 7-0 at Wimbledon as we played our last match of the month. We drew that game against Stockport, and probably should have lost ourselves. It took a late Noor Husin goal to rescue a point for us in a match in which we didn't play well. The end of season run is a nervous one, but thank god it wasn't a losing 7-0 nerves.

 

 

A wonderful 15 goals scored in February, and top of the pile with eight games left. Not in my wildest dreams di I see us being here. After the opening two months I saw a real struggle on our hands.

 

We still have a cup semi-final to play in March that could lead to a final. It's against Plymouth, who we actually play in League One just a week prior. There could be ten more games. I'll post all of them and see if I get them done a bit quicker than I've gotten February done.

 

 

 

[anagain]

Chapter 8: Over-Confidence Bites Us In The Ass

 

March was not the greatest month of our season. We went out at the semi-final stage of the cup and got a spanking that could have sent morals off a cliff. There was also a new selection of youth at the club this month, but we'll come to that later.

We began March by following on from the trend started at the end of February, with two draws. The Port Vale game was a late rescue job. We'd been 2-0 down by just past the half hour mark and looked out of it for most of the game. Tomi Adeloye got one back from the spot, in the 85th minute, but then up stepped Noor Husin to blast a pearler in in the 90th minute. We got away with that one.

Up next was the tough double header against Plymouth. In the league game we were probably the better team for most of the match, but allowed Plymouth to level late and on to see us travel home with just a point. By this stage we'd fallen back down to third place and we'd have a battl;e on to win this league...or even to see us stay in the play offs.

I still wanted to win the EFL Trophy and went with a strong side home to Plymouth. We welcomed Alfie Pond and Remeao Hutton back from injury but this would be the second game in a row where we'd have to make do without Nik Tzanev after our antipodean keeper broke his hand against Vale. To cut a long story short, we never got going and Plymouth dumped us out of the cup with a lone goal.

 

Our morale had taken another hit with that defeat but up next were current league leaders Oxford United in what is billed as the A420 derby. We'd already lost 3-1 to the Us earlier in the season and the media were heavily tipping a repeat. My board said they'd be happy with a draw but the fans obviously wanted a win against a local rival.

We shocked everyone by making the early running. Tomi Adeloye scored twice in the first 9 minutes and the media were calling the proceedings an embarassment for Oxford. Then disaster struck and a cross rebounded off Dan Sweeney and beyond the flailing grasp of Joe Rose. By half time it was 3-2 to the hosts and, looking back, I can see that my player's heads dropped. What happened in the second half will haunt my dreams for the rest of my career.

We were still in the dressing room until the 76th minute. Five goals in 16 awful second half minutes did for us. We were 8-2 down before we even realised it. Yes...EIGHT. My defence was all over the park. Were it a boxing match we'd have been out for the count.

We managed to get some sembalance of pride back with two late goals (and a hattrick for Adeloye), but it will still go down as a humiliating result.

 

We had a nice break of nearly two weeks then, but more injuries, including Tyrese Shade injured whilst playing for St Kitts and Nevis and Reece Devine pulling ligaments in a short spell on the pitch in a youth triallists match, You couldn't make it up.

Our performances in March had been poor and I challenged the lads to do better when Portsmouth visited at the end of the month. I was most disappointed with the form of Ethan Robson. Ethan had been such a revelation for us, in the 'rock in midfield' role he'd fitted so nicely in to, but his game has not been good enough of late.

Ethan wouldn't actually last the whole of the Portsmouth game, going off with a knock, but the lads listened to me and we stormed to a 4-0 win. Dan Sweeney's third goal was perhaps my highlight of the match. His header was saved but Dan was first to react to the deflection and he prodded the ball home from close range. To have my main central defensive partnership on nine goals between them for the season has perhaps been a highlight of this campaign for me.

 

So, we have dropped back down to third, two points behind Oxford United and Peterborough. Derby and Barnsley are five points behind us and the first team outside of the play offs, Exeter are eight behind us. To be honest, if we lose a play off spot now we want kicking. The real question is whether we can secure automatic promotion in the last four games.

 

Swindon Town - The Next Generation

I was pleasantly impressed with the lads that my head of youth presented to me on a midweek morning in late April. There some talented young lads that could go far. I won't bother you with all their names, but here are the three highest rated talents by the coaches of our youth setup.

Many are saying that Charlie Freegard could be one of the best players produced by this club, and he's a local lad. Billy Gould is from just up the road in Cheltenham and is a slightly less determined Freegard. Don Howes is a determined centre back from nearby Royal Wooton Bassett. Don has some work to do on key areas but can be an asset for us.

We have not signed everyone that was presented at the trial day, but there are definitely possibilities that could continue to impress. I'll keep an eye on the youth games.

 

Good luck to them all.

But back to the first team, and four games left. There's some tough games too. Derby are a big team at this level, QPR have been on a trememdous run that has seen them escape from deep in relegation trouble, and AFC Wimbledon know how to beat us. I won't discount Lincoln from being able to beat us either.

 

All I do know is we need four Portsmouth-performances and not four Oxford-performances!

Can we do it? Tune back in later to find out.

 

 

 

 

[anagain]

Chapter 9: It's Still Not Going Well, But We End On A High

This has been a tough end of season, and, although I only have one other season to go on, it seems to be the norm. We struggled at the end of our League Two campaign, and eventually snuck over the line.

We've already been over what a luckless month March was, and April was almost as bad. We just didn't manage to concede eight in a game though.

A tough start to April began with a trip to Derby. The Rams were pushing hard for a play off spot and, after a goalless first half, they started the second the best team with a goal within a minute. We regrouped and got the equaliser before again falling behind not long after. On came Sivert Gussias, on his return from injury, and the Norwegian popped up at the back post to slot home a late, late equaliser. I didn't actually see the goal. I was trying to get a couple of games in after work and nodded off in the second half. Woke up to find we'd equalised. You get tired qhen you get old.

A point was better than our recent form, other than the good win over Pompey, suggested, but we'd have QPR next, and the Londoners had been in scintillating form at the season's end. Rangers had been in deep relegation trouble for a long time but had surged out of the bottom four with some great form. That form continued, too, as they beat us 2-1 at the County Ground. We didn't deserve anything.

The same was true when we travelled to SW London to face Wimbledon. Although we had some good spells we were second best on the day and the Dons celebrated a 2-1 win. That result ended any chance we had of automatic promotion too. We were assured of a play off spot though.

For the last game of the main phase of the league I wanted to see a much better performance from the lads. We would end with a home tie against Lincoln and I told the lads how much I expected from then, and in no uncertain terms. The first half was poor, but Tzanev saved a a Lincoln penalty to keep it 0-0 at the break. Reiterating my pre-match words I was finally happy to see some real energy from my boys in the last 45 minutes of the season, save the play offs. We really showed what we had in the second half and romped to a 2-0 win over the Imps. Zak Gilsenan got his first goal for the club, and hopefully that will give the young man a boost going in to the play offs. Zak has struggled a little.

 

A win to end the league phase will hopefully give us a boost to belief as we await the play offs. I'll take fourth place though. I certainly never expected that position. I'd have been happy with 14th.

 

I just thought I would add this report and do the play offs in a seperate chapter. We won't have Frazer Blake-Tracy for the play offs. Our long term left back broke his arm against Wimbledon. We haven't even had official announcement that we'll probably face Barnsley yet. The EFL seem to like to build the tension.

Can we win promotion the alternative way? Come back to find out.

 

EDIT:

Edited August 17 by anagain

[anagain]

Chapter 10: The Finale

So, we'd done ourselves proud, defied expectations and reached the play offs for League One. Two matches against Barnsley and, if we can beat the Tykes over two legs, a trip to Wembley.

 

2024-2025 League One Play Off Semi-Final - First Leg - Barnsley FC vs Swindon Town (Oakwell, 6th May 2025)

We were only really missing Frazer Blake-Tracy for our trip up north, though we had a few players lacking in match fitness and Alfie Pond had a slight knock before the match. It was our usual 4-2-1-3 with instructions to stay rigid and hit our opponents on the break. This is the formation that had worked so well all season, and taken us from relegation favourites to almost being promoted automatically. My wing backs had liberty to get forward and interchange with my wide players, and Alex Bannon could get forward and attack when we had the ball, and Alex (our January recruit from Queens Park) had shown a real flourish for this role over the last few months. The only thing missing had been a goal.

Barnsley came out of the blocks in a sprint and it was they who took the lead in the 10th minute. It was a speculative effort from the edge of the box from Conor McCarthy that hit Reece Devine and took a massive deflection to avoid the reach of Nik Tzanev. The ball hit the cross bar and rebounded down over the line. It's fair to say that Barnsley had been on top but that goal was still hard to take.

I urged my lads on from the touchline, keen to ensure their heads didn't drop, and we started to find our feet in the game. I got just rewards in the 33rd minute, once more via the head of Sivert Gussias. It came about from magnificent play on the right by Remeao Hutton. He beat his man and put in a peach of a cross for Sivert. Game on.

We were by far the better team in the second half and never really gave Barnsley a look in. We defended superbly and hit the Tykes on the break regularly. It only took ten minutes to find our second though. It started with more wonderful work from Hutton and a cut back to the edge of the box that found Jake Cain. Cain's fizzer hit the back of the net. We saw the game out assuredly and would take a 2-1 lead back to Swindon.

Please ignore that it says Gussias DLF and Gilsenan IF on the line ups in the images in this chapter. I tend to make changes depending on personnel. That is default that I haven't changed. Gussias is usually AF and Dack F9. Gilsenan is the slightly less attacking IW on Support. I have match plans, but I tend to keep them in my head rather than use the tools. I'm old fashioned.

 

2024-2025 League One Play Off Semi-Final - Second Leg - Swindon Town vs Barnsley FC (County Ground, 9th May 2025)

You'd think taking a 2-1 lead in to the home leg of our play off semi-final would give us some confidence, but I could feel the nerves in our dressing room. Our tactical approach favours playing away and we knew Barnsley had the ability to turn the tie around.

My only change on the pitch was Marcel Lavinier coming in for Reece Devine. Reece had been unlucky with the deflection for Barnsley's goal, but he'd also looked nervy. There was a little more freedom for Bannon, but I ultimately decided to keep things tighter and cling on to our lead. If we could break and get a third goal, then so be it.

We did! It was Marcel Lavinier, new in to the side that got our goal. Marcel broke in to the box and let lose a left foot shot that rebounded back to him. He dutifully tucked away the second effort, saluting me for my faith in him. That goal was less than 20 minutes in and we began to look nervy as the half wore on. Barnsley were having the better of the ball, but weren't turning it in to clear cut chances.

I didn't like the way things were going though. At half time I pushed the lads to up their performance and not allow complacency to creep in. My inside forwards were not performing (although admittedly Wakeling had take a knock) and both were culled to be replaced by Bradley Dack and Jack Payne. Gussias would move out left and Dack would be up front. It fixed things for about ten minutes and then Barnsley got a lift. A corner rebounded about the box like a pinball and Liam Kitching put the loose ball in the back of the net with an elaborate and gymnastic finish.

We were starting to show the dreaded complacency and I'd had enough by the 70th minute. There'd only been three days between fixtures and Robson and Gussias were replaced by Brewitt and Husin. I'll call it my master stroke because it was Husin who got the match winner in the 83rd minute. Some lovely passing around the opponent's box to find space and Husin banged one in from 20 yards to pretty much send us to Wembley!

 

In the other semi-final, Stockport met Derby and our fellow promotionists (is that a word?) from last season won the first leg 3-2. In Derby, County managed to secure a 0-0 draw to book their Wembley place.

It was the least ideal outcome. We'd never done well against Stockport.

We would have to set that record right.

 

2024-2025 League One Play Off Final - Second Leg - Stockport County vs Swindon Town (Wembley, 17th May 2025)

I decided to go with the team that had seen off Barnsley in Swindon. We'd had a week to prepare and the lads were eager to get out there and play on the Wembley turf. I kept things our usual rigid in the first half but it was Stockport who never really showed up for the first 45. We had chances but were really failing to turn attacking possession into good efforts on goal.

The match turned on its head in the second half though. Stockport were rampant, David Horseman obviously having asked for more. Our bogey team were attacking relentlessly and they got reward for good football in the 66th minute. It was a beautiful defence piercing ball from Charlie Savage that found Isaac Olaofe (County's top scorer with 33) made no mistake in striking past Tzanev.

Wakeling must have taken a slight knock after the break and I'd replaced him with Dack shortly before their goal. It makes no difference mentioning it now because I don't think it influenced their goal. Gilsenan and Gusias were not performing and they were next to be replaced in the 73rd minute, as we desperately sort a way back in to the tie. On came Cain and Payne, and Cain would play wide left. He had it in him.

Our subs actually gave us a chance in the game. Payne got our equaliser in the 77th minute, a cracking finish from the edge of the box, and I thought we could push on to get a winner.

Stockport had other ideas. Charlie Savage tucked home a cross from close range, as my defence slept, just two minutes after our equaliser and Kaide Gordon's cut inside and solo strike made it 3-1 with five minutes left.

I sacrificed all thought of defending and pushed players forward, Hippolyte replacing Robson. We pulled one back in the 93rd minute via substitute two. Jack Payne completed some magnificent work down the right and put in a great ball that found Jake Cain on the far post. We had three minutes left. Could we do the impossible and find an equaliser?

No.

Isaac Olaofe punished us again, scoring his 35th of the season. It came just a minute after Cain's goal. A ball over the top found Olaofe in space because our defence had pushed right up. He slotted past Nik Tzanev to send Stockport to the Championship.

 

The sad truth is that my lads hadn't really performed on their big day, but I didn't have the heart to lay in to them. They knew their faults. We'd defied the odds to make it to Wembley. Nobody said we'd finish fourth in League One. Certainly not me.

I congratulated Stockport on a job well done because I'm a gracious man. Sometimes.

We'll get our revenge on County one day.

 

In all honesty, I hate that team. The digital version have been a bogey team of mine in possibly two other Football Manager saves throughout the years. I can just never beat the gits!

One day, County!

 

League One again, it is.

I've been enjoying the save a bit more of late and may try and get at least one more season in. Maybe I'll manage two. No promises though. I don't just play FM. I've been enjoying No Man's Sky and some Europa Universalis 4 of late. That last season took me two months.

If truths were to be told, I would saying that if I'd gone up I'd definitely be carrying on. I'm half tempted to take a break between now and FM25. I'll make up my mind in the next few days. I've gotten my money's worth from FM24 now, after a slow start to the game.

If it does end here, I hope I've entertained some people.