How Di Canio’s desire for width can leave Swindon outnumbered in central midfield, by Alex Cooke. “It’s 10% about the formation and 90% about the players. If you have the best ones and they do their jobs, then they can pretty much play any way you want them to.” Harry Redknapp might be one of Paolo Di Canio’s former managers
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His arrival was met with excitement, but as of yet, it hasn’t worked out for Lukas Magera. Consequently, he has returned to his old club Banik Ostrava on loan. Rosie MacGillivray looks at his long-term future at the County Ground. One goal in eight starts from the one-time Czech international striker paints a bleak picture. Although, that bleak picture fails to mention
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He can play 50 passes in less than 90 minutes and knits defence and attack but lately illness has deprived Town of Simon Ferry in full flow, Alex Cooke looks at what we have been missing. “Less energy, more quality”. That was Paolo Di Canio’s opinion of what Simon Ferry brought from the bench to Swindon versus Shrewsbury on Tuesday.
Read moreWith a third of the season remaining and the 5th May finishing line in sight, each side in League Two will face differing strengths of opponents in the run-in. The difficulty of fixtures remaining will play a key role in deciding where the title goes, which team mounts the inevitable late surge into the Play-Offs or who drops into non-league obscurity. So with
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He fired Swindon to Wembley but Swindon’s number 17 has only scored 8 times this season from 30 appearances. But does Alan Connell offer more than goals? By Alex Cooke. Alan Connell is the perfect centre forward. He might not always look like one but if you read through the statistics behind the striker’s performance against Wigan it is hard
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Swindon’s wingers are always cutting in instead of crossing from the by-line, Alex Cooke looks at seven reasons why. ‘Why doesn’t Matt Ritchie go down the line?’ ‘What is Ritchie doing crossing from there?’ ‘Why won’t he pass?’ You can hear the questions in the stands, read them on the forums and scroll quickly past them on Twitter. For a player
Read moreWith more than half of the League Two campaign behind us it’s time to dust off our projected points table. Based on projecting the existing home and away points won of each club forward to the end of the season, this table gives a points and goal difference indication of each team’s potential points return come May. It’s neck and neck between Southend and
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Paolo Di Canio has changed him from a midfielder to a defender, but playing at the back has allowed McCormack to change the way Swindon play, writes Alex Cooke. It took an injury to get Alan McCormack’s Swindon Town career going: not an injury to him, but to Oliver Risser. For the Namibian had been deployed as an emergency centre
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He might be a favourite of Paolo Di Canio’s but Oliver Risser hasn’t impressed everyone at the Country Ground. Alex Cooke looks at the statistics behind the midfielder’s contribution. Oliver Risser won just two tackles against Huddersfield over 90 minutes*. In the recent FA Cup tie, the midfielder went into four challenges but only came away with the ball twice.
Read moreBack a few weeks ago I was asked if I collected statistics on the number of points won by each player in League Two. Not only are these available, statistics are held covering when a player takes to the field or not selected. As a result a comparison can be made on points won when in and out of the
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The Washbag 