Who should be Swindon Town's main striker?

A weekend trip to MK Dons could see Swindon Town play with their 7th number nine of the season. But who should be the clubs main striker? Total Sport Swindon’s Ryan Walker gives his analysis.

Starting the season with a strike force consisting of Fulham loanee Elijah Adebayo, Marc Richards, and the then-injured Kaiyne Woolery, Swindon Town manager Richie Wellens now finds himself faced with a completely opposite scenario as a busy January transfer window saw two extra forward players arrive at SN1. 

But with Swindon Town faced with a trip to playoff placed MK Dons in there next League Two fixture this upcoming Saturday, the question now arises as to who should be Swindon’s main striker? We give our verdict in our player-by-player analysis below.

Kaiyne Woolery

After joining Swindon Town from Wigan Athletic for a fee of £350,000 in the 17/18 season, the Englishman has gone on to score just seven goals from thirty-one appearances. Having so far endured a Swindon career plagued by injury, Woolery is yet to prove to be the destructive attacker that Town fans thought he would be.

A solid run of recent games has seen Woolery become a regular under Wellens albeit often occupying the wing. However, many still believe that the 23-year-old’s best position is through the middle.  Last scoring in Swindon’s 2-1 home win over Newport County nine games ago, Woolery has failed to reach his best despite showing glimpses of talent. 

Unlikely to get a run of games playing as the teams central striker but looks set to continue featuring on the wings. 

Marc Richards

At the age of 36, Richards has provided Swindon with three goals this season and has become a frequent starter for the Robins since the turn of the year. 

With his career reaching its end, Richards has had to adapt his game with him no longer being able to rely on pace, instead having to work on holding play up and threaten with his height from set pieces. 
A poor goalscoring return highlighted Richards as a player likely to depart the County Ground in the recent transfer window, but team manager Wellens obviously believes that the veteran attacker still has a crucial part to play in the remainder of the current league campaign. 

Ben House

Arriving on a loan deal from Reading until the end of the season in January, Ben House has been limited to making appearances from the bench with the striker yet to get his first start for the club.

A proven attacking threat at Under-23’s level, House has so far bagged eleven goals for Readings youth side with many of the management staff at his parent club impressed by the Scotland Under-20 international. 

Providing the assist for Jak McCourt’s stoppage-time winner against Macclesfield in a recent match is the only significant contribution House has been able to make but he needs more minutes if he is to prove his potential. 

Wellens will have his reasons for not playing the youngster more frequently but he could be given his opportunity against MK Dons at the weekend. 

Theo Robinson

Making himself Swindon Town’s final January signing after arriving on deadline day in a loan deal until the end of the season from Southend United, Robinson will be relishing the chance to make his debut against MK Dons at the weekend. 

Having already featured for twelve different clubs during a professional career spanning back to 2006, and having gained experience in every professional league of English football, even earning three Premier League minutes for Watford in 2007, the former Jamaican international certainly brings with him the career experience that Wellens wanted within his side.

A career’s tally of 99 goals including 5 for Southend in League One this season proves how effective a striker Robinson can be and with Wellens keen to add more goals to his Swindon side it would be no surprise should Town’s latest addition feature at the weekend as he aims to make himself the clubs first-choice striker. 

Scott Twine 

Coming through Swindon Town’s youth system, 19-year-old Scott Twine has enjoyed a career-best season in a senior Robin’s shirt making 19 appearances and scoring two goals.

 Regularly making his appearances from the bench, Twine has made the most of the opportunities given to him and has drawn praise from both Wellens and STFC fans alike. 

Bursting speed and with a bountiful of tricks at his disposal, Twine makes himself a threat to opposition defenders whenever possible and his willingness to shoot on goal offers Wellens a different option through the middle. He is likely to remain a bit-part player for the remainder of the current season but strong performances make him a player with a bright future at the club.