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WHAT WE LEARNED: Rochdale AFC (4) Swindon (4)

Swindon Town threw away two leads to only take a point after a thrilling 4-4 draw against Rochdale AFC to fall eight points off the play-off places. Total Sport’s Joe Acklam looks at what lessons can be learned from the match.

Here are the lessons that can be learned from Swindon’s valiant draw with the O’s.

1. The problem with set pieces is getting out of hand.

This is going to be a deep dive this week, as without looking into it properly I can’t work out what has happened. Prior to Leyton Orient, Swindon had conceded eight goals from set pieces, which would put them joint-fifth in League Two. All of a sudden they have conceded 12 and are the seventh worst team. The zonal marking has worked very well all season and has been a strength not a weakness up until three weeks ago. Now it is a major issue and at a cursory glance I cannot tell what has changed.

2. Swindon are awful at keeping possession.

The set pieces are the obvious thing that keeps hampering Swindon, but the biggest issue with this team is how they keep the ball. Jonny Williams spoke about their inability to sustain attacks on Thursday and he was absolutely right. Town have the highest average possession in the league, but for a team with that record and with so many technical players, they are awful at keeping the ball. This is not about passing in their own half, they do that a lot, but at 2-0 up what was needed was for Swindon to keep the ball in the Rochdale half and suck the life out of them. Instead, the first time they did this for any prolonged period was in the 53rd minute. At no point when they had a comfortable lead were they able to move the ball into midfield and force Dale backwards, and this helped Rochdale to regain composure and confidence and ultimately get back in the game.

3. The defensive line was far too deep.

Another key issue is that without the ball, Swindon drop too deep when they have a lead. At 2-0, Swindon pressed a bit, but mostly allowed Rochdale to keep the ball and get forward as Town dropped off too much. A team in Rochdale’s league position who are 2-0 down would have rock bottom confidence and Swindon have become quite good at pressing of late. If Swindon pushed up and gave Rochdale less time on the ball, then they might well have folded. Instead, they were allowed touches on the ball and to play themselves back into the game. They then proceeded to do the same at 4-3, having got back in front by pushing up. If Jody Morris is telling his team to do these things and they aren’t then that is a massive problem, and if they are being told to do these things then you have to question the strategy.

4. Tyrese Shade is improving greatly.

I think it is best if there is at least one positive in here. I have liked Shade all season as I think he is a fun player, but he is starting to have a much larger impact on games. Having come off the bench twice in Swindon’s last two games, he has got a goal and two assists (I choose to give him the third goal) after working his way back from injury. In the four games before his injury he got a goal and an assist and he came off the bench in two of those matches. Earlier in the season, he was a player who would do some exciting things but would often be on the periphery of matches. But since Christmas he has been becoming more influential and making things happen. There is still a way to go for him to show this will be a consistent thing, but he is starting to come good on the potential that his physical tools give him.

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Swindon Town FC

Swindon Town Football Club

STFC are Swindon's top football team, based at The County Ground Stadium.

The County Ground, County Road, Swindon, Wiltshire , SN1 2ED

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