BROWN WANTS SWINDON PLAYERS TO GIVE HIM A SELECTION HEADACHE

PHIL BROWN explained how his players need to give him a ‘selection headache’ following Swindon Town’s victory over Newport County last night. TotalSport Swindon’s Ryan Walker spoke to the manager following the action.

A centre-back partnership of loanee signings Sid Nelson and Luke Woolfenden has seen Swindon keep two consecutive clean sheets from their last two matches. And when questioned on the youth of his defence, Brown admitted he was delighted with the performance of his young defenders. 

“It was a very young back four with an experienced old man behind them of course,” said Brown.

“That youth was aided and abetted with Matty Taylor on Saturday and one of the young lads [Kyle Knoyle] showed his rashness as younger players sometimes do and got sent off,” he added.

“We came up with this two-game match plan as opposed to just one game.

“We’ll try to play in the same way that we did tonight on Saturday and hopefully it will be the same result,” he said.

“I was delighted with the youth of the back four keeping a clean sheet and there’s a lot to admire about the different characters.

“Sid Nelson is a totally different character to Joe Romanski, who is different to Luke Woolfenden.

“Hats off to the lads for keeping a clean sheet and there were things to like about how we played tonight,” said Brown.

A total of five changes from Swindon’s league victory at the weekend saw Brown re-shuffle his pack as Town earned their first win of the tournament. And the manager stated that on Tuesday’s performance some players have increased their chances of playing against Bury on Saturday.

“Luke McCormick has come into the side when we’ve got an international goalkeeper away on duty and has done really well,” stated Brown.

“He’s come in for two games and has managed to keep two clean sheets which is a magnificent return for him.

“They weren’t two easy games either and Newport are a decent side.

“Squads are important and the depth of the squad is really important as well,” he added.

“I can call on the likes of Toumani [Diagouraga], James Dunne, and Ellis Iandolo as a midfield three to replace the three that started on Saturday.

“The competition for places is key to any success we are going to have, and the changing room is strong at the moment following our recent results,” he said.

“I don’t want an easy ride, I want my door to be getting banged down on a Monday morning with players asking why they didn’t play at the weekend,” added the manager.

Starting another match in the number nine shirt, Elijah Adebayo won the resulting penalty that saw Swindon claim the victory. But on analysis of recent performances, Brown explained how impressed he has been by the 20-year-olds performances this season. 

“Elijah has got stature. He’s a tall player and can move as well,” stated Brown.

“He can play in the four-three-three system in any one of the positions which puts a little bit less pressure on the nine.

“I thought Rico [Marc Richards] was going to make the number nine his position this year but then he got himself injured and Elijah stakes a claim for that position,” he added.

“I’ve still got Kaiyne Woolery to come back from injury and hopefully he’ll be back on the training ground at some stage in the next couple of weeks.

“The only way to keep your place as a striker is to bang a couple of goals in and that’s what Elijah has done,” he said.

“Elijah responded well after being left out the starting team and I thought his performance tonight was one of grit and determination.

“If you make my job easier then I’ll drop you, the answer is make my job harder so that I can’t drop you,” said Brown