Swindon Town: Season analysis so far

A mixed start to the season has seen Swindon Town struggle to live up to expectations as Phil Brown and his squad chase promotion back to League One football. But what do you make of STFC’s opening performances to their league campaign? TotalSport Swindon’s Ryan Walker gives his analysis.

Nine games played, four wins, three draws, and two losses have Swindon Town sitting just outside the playoff spots in ninth position on fifteen points. But after securing arguably their best win of the season so far earning a three-nil away victory at Yeovil over the weekend, the platform is now firmly in place for the Wiltshire club to push on as they seek to return to the third tier of British football.

A start to the season to rival the divisions best saw Swindon secure one of the club’s greatest comebacks on the opening day of the season. Two Michael Doughty additional time penalties saw Town come from 1-2 down to beat Macclesfield 3-2 at The County Ground and get their campaign off to a winning start.

The sides first loss of the season came just a week later away to Lincoln City, but there was a general consensus of positivity amongst Town fans as Brown’s squad continued to play attractive football that was threatening with high goal scoring potential.

Michael Doughty had started the season in the form that Swindon had hoped for from their star signing scoring three goals from the sides opening two games. But defeat against local rivals Forest Green in the first round of the Carabao Cup put a dampener on team spirits as the club failed to kick-start a much-craved cup run.

Another comeback home victory mid-way through August against Tranmere Rovers provided further evidence of Town’s attacking style of football. However, in contrast, three consecutive draws against Crawley, Forest Green, and MK Dons in which Swindon conceded four goals and received two red cards highlighted the squad’s defensive frailties and lack of discipline.

Elijah Adebayo managed to get his first goal of the season against Tranmere, and the 20=year-old striker has been on a great run of form since, with four goals to his name already this season. When played through the middle and the ball is played into his feet Adebayo is a big threat to opposing defences. But when Swindon decide to play aerial balls up to the attacker, he too often struggles to make a significant impact when going forward.

Despite mixed results, there are a lot of positives to take from the SN1 clubs start to the season. Swindon Town has, for the majority of matches, played quick, fluid, attacking football that injects excitement into games for the fans, something rarely seen under Flitcroft’s management. Whilst, Phil Brown has managed to create a jubilant team spirit within the Swindon camp with every player believing in his blueprints for promotion.

Similarly, Doughty and Adebayo have managed to establish themselves as two of the most formidable attackers in the league, however, there is some concern that Swindon struggles to operate when Doughty is absent from the side. This was most evident in Town’s home loss to Bury in which Swindon were poor throughout as their midfield was overrun as defeat ended their unbeaten run at The County Ground this season.

Whilst there is strength in attack, Town’s vulnerability in defence has been lamented by fans and journalists alike. Conceding fourteen goals already this season makes for poor reading and doesn’t represent the form of a title-chasing side, however, with a centre-back partnership of Luke Woolfenden and Sid Nelson having kept three clean sheets from the sides last four fixtures, Brown appears to have finally implemented a successful defensive strategy in his side.

This season has been anything but easy for Swindon Town as the Robins strive for promotion from the doldrums of English League football’s lowest tier. But after a difficult start, things finally appear to be on the up. There is no doubt that Phil Brown is the right person to take the club forward and hopefully, this will be a season to remember for all the right reasons for the red and white team.