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Five Things We Learned: Swindon 0-1 Bolton
Following Swindon Town’s 1-0 defeat to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon, TotalSport’s Ryan Walker gives his analysis on five things we learned from the encounter.
1) Luke Williams is in the last-chance saloon
For the second season in a row, Swindon have managed just 12 points from their opening 12 games and, considering last year Mark Cooper was sacked following a 2-0 defeat to Millwall on October 17 and Town's next home match is against Rochdale on October 18, Williams could be running out of time.
A possession-based style of football that fans find boring and opposition defences find easy to deal with has seen Williams' time at the helm of the club shadowed by poor decisions and poor football.
The change from coach to manager was never going to be easy, and being a manager is one of the hardest jobs in football. Unfortunately it is a role that Williams has failed to adapt to, and, after reports of a meeting taking place with chairman Lee Power following Saturday’s defeat, it would be no surprise should Williams' managerial career come to a premature end.
2) There is no effective strike partnership
With Jonathan Obika out injured with a knock picked up in training, Saturday afternoon presented Luke Norris and Nathan Delfouneso the perfect opportunity to finally announce themselves in front of a home crowd at the County Ground and show how formidable a partnership the pair could be, however it wasn't to be.
Delfouneso struggled with pace, and Norris' poor first touch regularly let the ball escape his control and it was clear for all to see that Town do not have any effective striking partnership this season.
With Obika set for a spell on the sidelines, it is hard to see where any goals will come from so things might get worse before they get better for Swindon fans.
3) Swindon cannot react
For most of Town's matches this season it would be fair to say that they have not deserved anything after putting in regular lackluster performances, however Saturday afternoon was a different matter entirely.
Bolton were favourites heading into a game that they were expected to win but that did not mean Swindon were going to surrender three points easily.
Fluidity in play, aggression on the ball, and the willingness to take shots saw Town regularly threaten the opposition’s goal, but after going a goal down in the 86th minute through Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill's own goal, Swindon knew they had lost.
Aggression faded and Swindon looked like a team conceded to defeat who were suddenly too scared to take chances. A red card for Raphael Rossi-Branco in the closing moments of the game truly did put the final nail in the coffin.
4) Town need to take more risks with substitutions
1-0 down, four minutes on the clock, two substitutions left, surely your manager would send them on in the hope of getting something from a match that could eventually decide his future at the club?
Williams though decided against this and instead put his faith in the players on the pitch to do the job.
Admittedly, it was not the strongest bench that Swindon have had in recent times, however with the likes of Ellis Iandolo and Tom Smith, an injection of youth may of cause havoc against the weary legs of the Bolton defence.
It is hard to think of previous County Ground managers refusing to make substitutions, and should his contract be terminated it will be decisions like this that Williams will look back on and realise that you have to be ruthless in management.
5) The Robins now have a defensive conundrum
With James Sendles-White, Lloyd Jones, and now Conor Thomas all being ruled out through injuries for a considerable length of time, it is fair to say that Swindon Town have a defensive crisis on their hands.
With Rossi-Branco additionally being suspended for three games it means Williams and his backroom staff will have to figure out a way to play with just one 'real' centre back, Nathan Thompson.
One option will be to abandon the 3-5-2 formation and instead revert to a back four of Thompson and Darnell Furlong being the two centre backs with Ormonde-Ottewill and James Brophy being used on both wings to create width.
Whatever solution Williams comes up with it will be hard to see Swindon form a resolute defence and if more injuries are to come who knows what will happen.
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