What Swindon Town need to do this summer: Part Two

Swindon Town have a big summer ahead of them under new manager Mike Flynn if he is to turn the team into promotion challengers next season. Total Sport’s Joe Acklam looks at the work that needs to be done during the close season.

Having organised the players Swindon already have at the club; in this second part we will be looking at what needs to be added to that group to make sure this upcoming season is different to the last.

This article will be looking at goalkeepers and defenders, with midfielders and forwards coming in the third part.

Goalkeeper

The obvious starting point in signing discussions is between the posts as at present Swindon do not have a senior goalkeeper and will in all likelihood need to sign two over the summer to allow Conor Brann to develop out on loan.

The obvious link here is Lewis Ward, who spent the second half of last season training with Swindon and did a very good job as the second choice to Jojo Wollacott during 2021/22 and if he reprises that role next season then that would make a lot of sense.

Ward is an excellent shot stopper and loves a good penalty save on TV, but is extremely limited with his passing and kicking and ultimately is not well rounded enough to be the outright first choice.

My personal preference would have been Max Harris, who is out-of-contract with Cheltenham Town and spent last season with Bath City, where he followed in the footsteps of Max O’Leary, Luke Southwood, and Jojo Wollacott in excelling himself on loan at Twerton Park.

Harris showed great command of his area, spectacular shot stopping ability, and strong distribution during his time in National League South, although it would appear that he is set to extend his contract with Cheltenham and so Town would have to act fast to convince him to change his mind.

A lot of fans have said that they would prefer that Swindon get off the merry-go-round of loan goalkeepers, but I am not sure that I agree with this logic as if someone comes in and performs then they will likely leave the following summer anyway, as was shown with Wollacott.

Steve Mildenhall has shown himself to be very adept at choosing ‘keepers over the past four seasons, with the superb seven in League One the only blemish on his record, and even that bunch included Mark Travers and Wollacott.

Therefore, whatever route he decides to go down is probably the best option, whether he plucks another youth team goalkeeper out of obscurity like Steven Benda and Sol Brynn, or a permanent option like Wollacott.

As I have no way of knowing which academy goalkeepers are good, let alone going to be available to Swindon, I can offer no suggestion on that front, but a strong permanent option could be 23-year-old Nathan Bishop, who is out-of-contract with Manchester United after three years, although they have an option to extend that deal for another year.

The England under-20 international was a highly touted prospect at Southend United before joining the Red Devils and kept 15 clean sheets on loan at Mansfield as they made the play-off final in 2021/22, but has spent this season playing in the youth team at Old Trafford.

Ultimately, I am on board with whoever Mildenhall decides is the best option.

Centre Back

As part of Flynn’s back three, we are searching for two centre backs, one to start on the right side of the back three next to Tom Clayton and Frazer Blake-Tracy, and another to provide back-up.

Beginning with the starter, I am looking very much in the mould of the departing Mathieu Baudry, who paired the ability to do the defensive dirty work with calmness on the ball.

Swindon need to be looking for someone to mirror the work that Blake-Tracy does on the left side, a player that can reduce their great weakness to crosses and set pieces.

Their ball-playing ability is not of the utmost importance as although Flynn said he wants to continue with a passing-style, they will be playing next to better ball progressors and so will only need competency in this area.

The romantic option for this spot would be Nathan Thompson as he checks a lot of the boxes here, the question would be whether he is ready to drop down to League Two, and another free agent option could be Sam McClelland, who impressed me playing on the right of a back three for Barrow this season.

The other defender would be a cover option who can help as a mentor to the likes of Clayton and Harrison Minturn, in the mould of Michael Bostwick, who has just left Stevenage.

Bostwick could act as a closer for Town, coming on late in narrow games to prevent the many collapses which plagued Jody Morris’ time in charge, the fact he is 35 is unlikely to deter Flynn as he signed 41-year-old Peter Clarke for Walsall last summer.

Left Wing-back

As discussed in the first part, Swindon are presently well stocked at wing-back, but it would be wise to find a more reliable option on the left due to the injury histories of the current incumbents Ellis Iandolo and Reece Devine.

Both have showed they have the talent to fill this role, but if neither can be trusted to be fit then this is an area that should be looked at.

One key problem Swindon had last season was that when the opposition managed to restrict Remeao Hutton, then there was not enough danger from elsewhere.

Austin made clear last season that when the ball is in the box then he can do the rest, so another touchline hugging wing-back who can get up and down the flank and deliver from the left has to be the profile that Town are looking at.

One player who looks like a statistical match for Hutton is Liverpool youngster Adam Lewis, who at the age of 23 has already played at Amiens, Plymouth, Livingston, and Newport.

He might not have played the number of games he would have wanted for the Exiles last season, starting 18 times, but he wracked up four assists in that time, as well as getting 1.4 key passes per 90 and averaging 1.4 crosses per 90 according to WhoScored, which puts him virtually on par with Hutton (1.5 key passes and 1.4 crosses).

Lewis’ contract runs out at Anfield this summer and could be a strong addition of a player who would not expect to start every game but has shown he has the attacking output to contribute from out wide.