COLUMN: Crawley Town on Saturday is the first true test of the new Swindon Town identity

Rock-bottom Crawley Town does not, on paper, look like a daunting prospect, but Total Sport's reporter Benjamin Wills thinks it could be a season-defining match for Swindon Town.

Before a ball was even kicked, we all knew the 2017-18 campaign is going to be a pivotal one for Swindon.

Ever since chairman Lee Power took control of the club in November 2013, Town have been a side built on young players, with the majority a mixture of Premier League academy kids on loan and non-league talent, with a philosophy of passing football.

The four seasons since have been mixed. Eighth, a play-off final, and 16th were the first three finishes, but last campaign the 'Swindon Way' fell by the wayside and the Robins were relegated.

What followed this summer was a complete sea change. Luke Williams, who had been a part of the coaching setup for all four seasons and was promoted to Head Coach in early 2016, was sacked and replaced by the more 'old school' David Flitcroft.

To quote the most recent excellent GW Reds banner: Time For A New Chapter. 

Flitcroft, some by choice and more by other clubs poaching them, saw 10 contracted players leave the club, including club captain Nathan Thompson, and has replaced them with 12 more (at the time of writing).

Personnel is not the only thing Flitcroft has changed, but the club identity too, with the words 'work ethic' being typed multiple times by any Swindon-based journalist doing Flitcroft quote pieces. 

It makes a nice change from last season where "lack of mental strength" was the main phrase of choice around SN1 and early results have shown that too, as Town have won two away matches already this season, half the amount last season's squad managed all campaign. 

We are still in August, and so this is unfair to say, but Swindon's home form has, so far at least, left something to be desired. It will not be overly concerning yet, however being winless in the first two matches at the County Ground will rankle with Flitcroft, and the fans who also got no home pre-season friendly this summer.

Back-to-back home matches against Crawley Town and Barnet should be the fixture list equivalent of an open goal for Swindon, especially the former, considering they are currently bottom of the Football League, pointless, and have only scored one league goal.

But such a fixture would worry many a Town fan in seasons past of a potential banana skin - a side who camped behind the ball to stifle a free-flowing Swindon side.

Flitcroft's new-look outfit need to show true, promotion-worthy credentials on Saturday and beyond so they, and the club's fans, only have to endure one season in the Football League's basement division.