Best performance I've seen from us under Johnson

By some distance.

Swindon came to play football and we out-footballed them. Pity we can't play a team with that approach every week.

Townsend is mental, made a terrible error for their goal and got away with a few more when he rushed off his line but failed to get the ball, although to be fair to the lad he made some good saves late on.

Defence looked far better balanced with Nyatanga back in the centre organising things and a proper left back at left back. Might have been harsh on Roberts, but he'll get plenty more chances and if he's got anything about him, which I believe he has, he'll work even harder in training to regain his place.

Cracking finishes by Wabara and Watkins and plenty of good performances all over the pitch, but the stand out player who rightly won the motm was Hourihane. He could always play football, but now he looks stronger, faster, fitter and sharper. If he carries on playing like that there'll be a lot of interest in him come January. We need a lot of money if we allow him to leave.

Someone will have to explain to me how that wasn't a penalty on Winnall. Haven't seen anything quite so blatant since Gary Neville hacked down Liddell at Old Trafford.

Well done Johnson and Barnsley. More please.

 

At last signs of progress,that's all some of us on here want.
Well Done Lee Jay and to the players for showing some character after going a goal down.
Heads could have easily dropped.

 

To be fair, Townsend did make a couple of vital interceptions when rushing off his line, but he made some dashes off his line that were completely uneccessary. Thankfully he got away with them. Good performance though as you've said.

 

What made the difference today in your view (I wasn't at the game)? Was it just that we were playing a team who play football rather than a team of spoilers which gave us a chance to express ourselves? Or does having Harris on the field make a big difference, and keeping one play-maker in either Crowley or Hourihane?

 

Flipping heck! You've just said everything I wanted to say.
Well played, lads. Great result. Great performance. A couple of great goals, too.

 

2nd half was very good....I thought first half was gash tbh.

Hth

 

Golly gosh I agree with reev. 1st half cack, much improved 2nd half.

 

The difference today was that we stuck to LJ's game plan, personally I think Swindon will finish in the top 4 but today we made them look very average due to our pressing and high line, we totally stifled them and they couldn't cope. Playing a natural left back, a left footed CB and a out and out winger gave the team more of a balance too

 

After the change I thought we were good. Great entertaining game where both us and Swindon could have scored several more. We need to turn in that sort of performance against teams that turn up to play defensively looking for a goal on the break. Poor control from Winnall in the build up to the 'penalty' but still as obvious as you will see,

I'm trying to remember a more eccentric goalkeeping performance for us than that of Townsend today and I can't. Amusing but he wouldn't get anywhere near the team again.

I thought Hourihane like last week was excellent and the best player on the pitch by some distance.

 

Agree with all that.

There'll never be in the history or future of football a more obvious,blatant and more importantly dismissal of a penalty from a great position the ref was in to see it ever imo

 

I thought we were the best team after about 20 minutes tbh when we got a grip on the game. We managed to quieten their number 7 and they just didn't look as dangerous ...

 

3 old blokes behind me saying they hoped Hourihane was injured & that he'd be out for a month when he over stretched late on.

Mental.

 

Thought they played the pretty passing game well enough, but other than that they were pretty poor.
Even at 4-1 down they seemed content trying to walk it in the net. No plan B for Swindon and it will lose them points.


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Was really looking between the lines of your post their offspring checking to see if there was even the slightest glimmer of a praise for the reds but I've failed.

 

Most weeks I log onto the BBS thinking I'll post my thoughts on the game, only to read your summary and decide there's no point, you've already done it for me. But for once, that's not the game I saw today. To me, it doesn't feel like a game we won 4-1, and I don't think we played that well. The players and the manager deserve credit though.

Reading the reaction on here to the team before I walked to the ground, I thought LJ was on a hiding to nothing today. I figured Watkins would play as the lone striker, but wondered why he was the first choice of all the forwards we have to do that. I also couldn't work out why Townsend was in for Davies, because I don't remember Davies doing owt to deserve getting the chop. I was pleased to see Smith in though.

For the first 15 mins, I don't think the players had a bloody clue what the game plan was meant to be. Our lone striker wasn't working hard enough on or off the ball, the 5 man midfield put no pressure on the opposition, and we looked shaky at the back. Ryan Williams looked either pissed or concussed. I thought we were gonna get murdered.

The goalie seemed nervous as hell, and there was zero communication with the back 4, which made his indecision worse. The **** up for the goal seemed inevitable.

But then, we got the break for the goal. Scowen hassled their man, we broke the offside trap, and Watkins finished well having had all month to think about what to do, which could have caused a problem. After that we seemed a bit sharper, a bit more energetic, and got closer to Swindon when they had the ball. But still not particularly threatening.

Fair play to LJ for taking Williams off, it was the right call, and Winnall was much more effective than Watkins at showing for the ball, holding it up, and chasing their defence out of possession. But he should have started that way.

The second half was miles, miles better. We pressed them in their half, won the midfield battle, and put away the chances that fell our way. Winnall was unlucky not to score twice and should have had a penalty. But still we never really committed men forward or even built any pressure.

Was there really much difference in the 2nd half performance today from the 1st half last week, other than we got the breaks and took the chances? I don't think so. But I think we can play better, which is a huge positive. It's a really young side which is learning, and winning (well) on the job is great news.

Lee Johnson is an inexperienced manager too, and I hope he learns from his own mistakes. I don't know the thinking behind playing Townsend today, but I hope Davies is back in nets next week, and I hope that's the last time we see Watkins as the lone front man. With Smith available again, I expect that'll be the case.

You reds.

 

On the other hand, after we hauled Williams off we played well, winning most second balls, causing problems down the wings through Harris and Watkins. Pressed them pretty well and took our chances.

That better?


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I believe it was because Swindon gave us the space to play. They were far more concerned with their own game rather than stopping us and we exploited the space they allowed us well. It was a good game to watch with some very good football from both sides. It's a real pity more games aren't like that, but it's about results not performances so you'll always get teams with 10 men behind the ball and we struggle when they do that.

 

Total agreement. Bit like the Everton match, without the Premier league stars and the noisy crowd.

 

I agree Bob. I also thought Swindon were like a carbon copy of how we've played - lots of neat football but completely pointless and no real threat. I never once felt they were going to score.

 

Having a proper left back made a big difference. One up top works if you get support from both flanks. Nyatanga at left back essentially eliminates that option on the left.