OPINION: What is success for Swindon Town this season?

Placed into the hot seat as the new Swindon Town Head Coach with just over two weeks until the first ball of the 21/22 League Two season was kicked, Ben Garner had one of the EFL’s most difficult jobs on his hands as he looked to rebuild a club under new owner Clem Morfuni. But as we approach the end of October, what expectation can be placed on Swindon Town this season? Total Sport Swindon’s Ryan Walker gives his analysis.

Ben Garner arrived at Swindon Town with a point to prove. His debut managerial position at Bristol Rovers had ended in disarray as he was shown the door in Bristol to make way for current Rovers boss Joey Barton, and he took the reigns at Swindon with the club under new ownership, just seven permanent players, and a disgruntled fanbase that had seen Town dismally relegated from League One. 

Since the start of the season, Swindon have transformed themselves from relegation fodder to promotion-chasing hopefuls, having secured six victories and five draws to take them to third in the league standings, with the club still unbeaten away from home.

A frantic transfer window for the Robins made harder by a transfer embargo saw a catalogue of potential arrive in Swindon with international players such as Wales’ Jonny Williams signing on the dotted line, and a wealth of highly-regarded youth prospects in Aston Villa’s Kaine Kesler-Hayden and Brentford’s Alex Gilbert joining Swindon on season-long loan deals.

But despite exciting times off the pitch with new owner Clem Morfuni becoming a fan-favourite as he promised to give Swindon fans their club back, many were left worrying about how the summer disruption would impact the team on the pitch.

A new Head Coach at a club always has a difficult job in getting a team up to speed and successfully imposing their style of play on players. A new Head Coach arriving at a club with a new owner, a wealth of new players, and in a new division, makes for an almost impossible set of circumstances to achieve success. 

However, the Mourinho-mentored Ben Garner is exceeding even the loftiest expectations, having assembled a squad and backroom staff that are on course for promotion. So what is a fair expectation to put on Swindon Town this season given their recent form?

If you ask Ben Garner then he will tell you the aim remains the same as what it was at the start of the season: stay in the league. But speak to fans and journalists around the club and they will tell you that after 13 games and with Swindon just four points behind league-leaders Forest Green Rovers, promotion is now the aim.

Indifferent home form has seen Swindon win just once from six attempts at the County Ground, drawing three times, and losing twice. However, on the road Town are in impressive form, unbeaten and drawing just twice, whilst recently beating in-form Forest Green Rovers and Sutton United.

The expectation from the start of the season has now changed. Swindon players are up to speed after missing out on a proper pre-season and there can be no more excuses about the difficult circumstances coming into this season. 

Ben Garner and Ben Chorley have recruited extremely well with Swindon now having ability amongst their ranks that many clubs in the fourth division could only dream of, and more pressure is justifiably being heaped on the Robins.

Success at the start of the season was avoiding relegation. Achievable success now is automatic promotion to League One. Acceptable success is making the play-offs.

Garner is quickly proving himself as a top coach. At just 41-years-old he has exceptional knowledge of the game and is improving players week in, week out, just look at the improvement in Harry McKirdy for example and the abundance of international call-ups within his squad.

All of these factors make Swindon a dangerous League Two outfit, who should be targeting promotion at the first time of asking. The question now, is can Ben Garner lead this Swindon Town side to a promotion-winning season against the odds? I certainly think so.