OPINION: Swindon Town end-of-season school report

A long, but not long enough, season that ended with Swindon's relegation has drawn to a close and Total Sport's Benjamin Wills has graded the 2016-17 squad's efforts from 'F' to 'A'.

Lawrence Vigouroux - A

It is a sad, but true, fact of football that if a goalkeeper wins the player-of-the-season award, the campaign has not gone well.

That is taking nothing away from Lawrence Vigouroux, however.

Swindon's relegation from League One was confirmed in the penultimate game of the season, but if Town had a weaker goalkeeper than Vigouroux, they would have gone long before that.

Eyebrows were raised when the former loanee was brought to the club on a permanent deal last summer, but Vigouroux shushed the doubters like he shushed the travelling Coventry fans on the opening day of the season - 12 months on and Swindon fans are terrified of losing him.

Will Henry - B

The 2016-17 season will not live long in the memory of any Swindon supporter, on a positive note, anyway.

What it might go down as later down the line though, is the year that Will Henry arrived.

The 18-year-old academy goalkeeper made the EFL Trophy relevant for one night only by saving three of four penalties in a shoot-out win over Oxford in what was a great evening for him and his mum.

He made three league appearances too, at home to Bury and Sheffield United as well as the away match at Charlton on the last day of the season. He made a costly error in the Sheffield game, but he is young, learning and may just be a key man for Swindon in the not-too-distant future.

Nathan Thompson - C

It was not a good season for Swindon, and it was not a season for Nathan Thompson on a personal level, either.

The skipper had his usual battles with injury, however, when on the pitch, he was his usual composed self at the heart of Swindon's defence. 

This looks to have been Thompson's last season at Swindon though, and him waving goodbye to supporters after the game that confirmed Town's relegation is a sad last image for a club legend.

Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill - F

It feels like a long time since Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill was tipped to follow in the footsteps of Ashley Cole at Arsenal.

Unfair perhaps given that he is a defender, but 'BOO' has been involved in as many high-profile off-field issues as he has scored goals for Swindon - two.

Last season, he Periscoped himself doing laughing gas with Drissa Traore and Jeremy Balmy and this year he was one of four players named in an internal discipline issue that led to Luke Williams questioning their commitment.

That, backed up with poor showings on the pitch, gets you a maligned status.

Conor Thomas - D

Thomas has been Swindon's Mr.Versatile, being deployed all over the place, from his usual centre midfield, to centre back, right-back and even left midfield.

His finest moment to date was his late, late goal against Millwall which gave Swindon hope, and should have meant more than it eventually did.

Anton Rodgers - E

Anton Rodgers has never been a fan favourite at the County Ground and, with his contract out of date in July, he will probably never be one either.

He did score a goal-of-the-season contender in a surprise win against Bradford this season though with a fantastic free-kick, so he has that.

Jamie Sendles-White - C

What might have been. Both for Swindon's season and Jamie Sendles-White's.

Sendles-White only featured in five league matches for the Robins, two of which they won and one they drew as the campaign started brightly.

Then he ruptured his ACL in the home defeat to Bury and his season was ended and Swindon's began to derail. 

Is it exagerration or delusion to suggest Swindon might have survived had Sendles-White not got injured? Maybe. But it is a valid question to rhetorically ask.

Michael Doughty - C

Michael Doughty was recalled from his loan by parent club in QPR, but still ended the season as Swindon's joint-fourth top scorer with three goals in all competitions.

Doughty started the season like a house on fire, and was involved in every single Swindon goal, by goal or assist, up until a Jon Obika goal against Bury on September 17.

He was diagnosed with appendicities soon after though, which ruled him out of action for a number of months, and was not quite the same player on his return. In January he went back to QPR, but has struggled for game time at Loftus Road.

Ben Gladwin - D

When Doughty went back to QPR from Swindon, Ben Gladwin came back to Swindon from QPR.

Gladwin, who was a key member in Swindon's Wembley final year of 2015, was back for his third spell at the club after re-joining towards the end of last season, and helped keep Town up.

The 24-year-old never really got going this time around though, two great goals against Bolton and Sheffield United aside. 

Yaser Kasim - F

Yaser Kasim's commitment to the cause has been questioned since February of 2015 when he returned from the Asia Cup with his native Iraq.

This season though, with the Baghdad-born midfielder out of contract in the summer, the patience finally ran out.

He scored an 86th-minute winner to get Swindon's campaign off to the perfect start, but his season peaked in that moment. Luke Williams, the reason Kasim signed for Swindon, announced as early as February that he would probably be leaving at the end of the season, and we barely saw him since.

Jon Obika - B

It was another difficult year plagued with injury for the talented, but painfully underused Obika.

Even so, he got six goals, the joint-highest for a Swindon player in all competitions and, with all of them coming in the league, he is the club's outright domestic scorer.

Obika looks set to say goodbye to Swindon after three years of service and just over 100 games this summer.

Johnny Goddard - D

With Swindon having somewhat of a penchant for developing non-league talent, it made perfect sense for them to swoop for Goddard in the summer - he scored 17 league goals from midfield for Woking in the National League the season prior.

It was a big, two-division jump for Goddard and he could not bring his scoring prowess to the County Ground, as he has just three goals in Swindon red so far, and one of them was a penalty.

A year of developing is now behind him and he has a chance to be revatalised in League Two.

James Brophy - D

Like much of the current squad, James Brophy had to overcome difficult times this season.

For prolonged periods, Brophy suffered from breathing difficulties that affected his performances and his game time. Add the discipline debacle into that and you have got a topsy-turvy season.

Brophy is one of very few Swindon players contracted for next season, and will be hoping to properly kick on in League Two.

Ellis Iandolo - D

Young midfielder Ellis Iandolo did not get as much as football as last season - six league appearances compared to 12 the season prior, but did notch his first Swindon Town goal.

It may have gone ignored, considering the EFL Trophy was snubbed by thousands but the 19-year-old opened his Town account with a rasping finish against Luton.

Tom Smith - C

Tom Smith's loan switch to fellow Lee Power-owned club Waterford was met with condemnation.

While much of the criticism was hyperbolic, with Smith coming down with a nasty case of Miles Storey syndrome, the concerns were genuine.

In his limited pitch time the ginger midfielder impressed, and even put a magnificent shift in as left-back on one occasion.

Jordan Stewart - E

Jordan Stewart has had no end of problems during his two-year Swindon tenure.

Homesickness was followed by a loan to Grimsby, and then serious injury this season with the occasional County Ground cameo now and again.

He was then involved in the lack of fight accusation from Williams with Vigouroux, Ormonde-Ottewill and Brophy, and that seemed to be the final straw for the Northern Irishman.

Like Rodgers though, he scored a right humdinger, against QPR in the League Cup.

Islam Feruz - F

A signing born out of necessity, but Islam Feruz's time was not fair on any party involved.

Feruz arrived in a deal that involved him, Fankaty Dabo and Charlie Colkett all joining from Chelsea on loan and striker Feruz was thrown straight into the team when he was needed, and made four appearances, but failed to score.

Then last season's star striker Nicky Ajose became available on loan and Swindon swooped. Rohan Ince's aquisition on the same day took Swindon's loan quota up to seven and two players had to bite the bullet. Feruz was not seen again until the curtain came down on Swindon's season at the Valley.

Nicky Ajose - C

Speaking of Ajose. The returning forward brought about hopes of a survival charge as his 24 goals pretty much single-handedly kept the club up less than a year earlier.

Ajose did not quite manage it this year, although he did get five goals in his 15 games, but on far too many occasions he was left isolated by a lack of service.

Darnell Furlong - C

Unlike Doughty, Darnell Furlong has been getting regular football while back at QPR, and with good reason.

During his half-season at Swindon, Furlong was everything Swindon wanted from their wing-backs that they originally built their formation around.

Busy going forward and just as capable with his defensive duties, he was a big loss when QPR ordered him to come home and he is establishing himself as a more than capable Championship level right-back.

Charlie Colkett - C

If any of the 2016-17 alumni could be desribed as 'Marmite', Charlie Colkett would get that dubious honour.

The flashy midfielder is not every fan's cup of tea, as he is not the sort of player you want, or need, in a relegation battle, he is more suited to a top-of-the-table team who dominates the opposition.

That said, the highly-rated Chelsea loanee pulled off some terrific Hollywood passes and his one goal for the club was a cracker, typical of him.

Fankaty Dabo - C

Fankaty Dabo was more than probably the best of the Chelsea loanee trio, he is certainly the one Town fans would love to make a permanent switch to Swindon in the summer.

It helps that his contract at Stamford Bridge is up but his arrival immediately signified that he was Swindon's strongest full-back following Furlong's farewell.

Plus, Dabo scored his one and only Swindon goal in the derby against Oxford, that's a sure-fire way to get yourself remembered around here.

Sean Murray - C

When director of football Tim Sherwood was appointed in November he was, among other things, put in charge of January incomings.

Sean Murray's departure to Colchester on a free transfer in the winter window suggested he had a large say in outgoings, too, as Sherwood never seemed to warm to the man signed from Watford.

That was despite Murray scoring, albeit via a deflection, in Sherwood's first game in charge at home Charlton. Murray officially netted against Northampton before that and generally looked lively.

He may come back to bite Town when they face off with Colchester next season.

Jesse Starkey - N/A

It is quite hard to grade a player that, until the final day, had not played a single minute.

Starkey signed on the January window deadline day on an 18-month deal but, despite Swindon's peril, he never got a game until there was nothing riding on it.

Will he make an impact on League Two next season in his first and only contracted full season at the County Ground? Let's hope so, otherwise, what was the point?

Nathan Delfouneso - E

From the outset, it was clear that Nathan Delfouneso arrived at Swindon as a fixer-upper job.

The former England U21 international signed on a free transfer on a one-year deal with an option to extend as Town saw the opportunity to get him scoring again before sending him on his way for a profit.

Only three goals in all competitions, one in the league, arrived though, and he left for Blackpool in January. 

Rohan Ince - A

Rohan Ince arrived on loan from Brighton in January and was a contender for the player-of-the-season award. That tells you all you need to know about his impact, and Swindon's season.

Ince was Swindon's, and arguably League One's, answer to N'Golo Kante. Dominating midfields, leaving crumpled players on their backside and, at times, showing more fight and desire than the other nine outfield men on the pitch combined.

Albion have been promoted to the Premier League, which may see Ince's time in Sussex come to an end, but his next club is getting one hell of a player, it is such a shame that team will not be the Robins.

Jermaine Hylton - F

A move, and a player, that showed so much promise, but delivered very little.

Hylton arrived in Wiltshire in 2015 after notching 45 goals in 54 games for Redditch United but, in his two years in League One he scored just once, two seasons ago.

This season he was loaned out to National League outfit Guiseley, and impressed. So much so that Swindon brought him back early but, despite showing glimpses of promise off the bench, Hylton never got the much-needed goal.

Then he went home after being told he was not in the squad after travelling to Northampton and was not in the 18 much forthwith.

Dion Conroy - A

A second January signing who made a good influence on Town followers in three months was defender, Dion Conroy.

A cry of 'who?' emanated from more than a few keyboards when ex-Aldershot loanee Conroy penned a two-and-a-half-year deal from Chelsea in the New Year, but those messageboard aficionados soon changed their tune.

Conroy quickly became a fan favourite with his combative defensive duties and now everyone is looking forward to seeing him boss League Two attackers.

Bradley Barry - D

Brad Barry was voted the players' player-of-the-season last year but did not quite have as good a campaign this time around.

He stood up to the occasion now and again, especially in the latter part of the season when he deputised for captain Thompson, but more often had to battle with first Furlong and then Dabo for a spot in the team.

Lloyd Jones - C

Centre back Jones excelled in the first half of the season when he was one of just three loanees, but when two left and got replaced by six more, he regularly found himself at home on a matchday.

When he was on the pitch, he was brilliant, being the old-school defender that Swindon fans have not seen too much of in recent years, with the philosophy being one of possession-based football.

Raphael Rossi-Branco - D

The much-maligned Branco had an improved year for Swindon, with a smorgasboard of central defensive partners.

Incidents like Bristol Rovers at home are sadly never too far away for the 26-year-old Brazilian though.

Despite being more consistent for a positive reason in recent months, scoring an own goal and giving away a penalty inside a minute in a derby is going to get you remembered for the wrong reasons.

Luke Norris - D

Replacing Ajose's goals was always going to be tough. But, unfortunately for Luke Norris, he was one of the men drafted in by Power to carry the burden.

The £150,000 buy from Gillingham, who signed a three-year contract, had a slow start to his Swindon career, with his first goal not coming until November, which makes it easy to forget he is the joint-top club scorer in all competitions this season.

Only four came in the league though, which is a significant decrease on Ajose's last season tally, and is even below Ajose's total from this season when the Charlton loanee only arrived in January.

Jordan Young - N/A

Swindon was abuzz when Jordan Young burst onto the scene towards the end of 2015-16 but the Scotland U15 international was barely seen this season.

He came on as a late sub against Coventry on the opening day and rattled the crossbar, and started at Chesterfield the following week, but that was it from him.

Young's contract runs for another two years yet though, so he has more than enough time to get more minutes.