ROBINS’ chief Mark Cooper will not let a couple of off-colour performances cloud his players’ thinking about their positive start to the season.

In last weekend’s fixture at Bradford – and on Tuesday night against Oldham – Town did not enjoy the amount of ball they had in their previous games this season and, as a consequence, the performance was not as fluid.

However four points from one away game and one at the County Ground, in four days, is not to be sniffed at but the manner of those performances was not what Swindon fans, players or staff have come to expect.

Cooper acknowledged his team have not been hitting the heights of before the international break, but is adamant that his players see them as part of a bigger picture.

This, he thinks, will allow his side to return to the form that saw them dominate games back in August.

“I don’t think we’ve got to lose sight of the fact of how we’ve done so far,” said the Town boss.

“I don’t want to make it into a big thing. You are allowed to play not so well sometimes. It’s impossible to play at the top of your game every time you play.

“We’ve had little bit of a dip and it’s important that we don’t make too much of a big thing about it and put in the players’ head ‘you’ve played badly’ and put them off their stride.

“We’re going to try and relax with them and I’m sure on Saturday they’ll be back to the levels they have been.”

n Don’t miss our two-page preview of the Sheffield United match: Pages 34-35