DAN THE FAN: Cohesion is missing in squad

Swindon Town’s current style of play was introduced to the club by Mark Cooper and Lee Power, and has been questioned in the past, but that fell on deaf ears as we won game after game.

But on Saturday the voices around the ground that had raised those questions in the past were out in force.

As one sideway pass followed a pass to the goalkeeper, then to a midfielder, and back to the keeper, you get the picture.

Even the architect of the system, Mark Cooper, bemoaned the amount of needless play at the back between his players.

Last season I personality enjoyed our style of play as it entertained and worked well with our squad, but this season its taken longer for this group of players to adapt to this system.

One reason is because I don’t think the manager yet knows his best eleven or even the formation to play them in.

Once that’s been established in the coming weeks, we should see a more confident and assured Town side that resembles a top six side.

Alongside that frustration, there was a sense of unfamiliarity in the side.

Within this group of players you can see the makings of a good, possibly great team, but something seems missing, something that even the richest side in the world can’t buy.

Last season you could see on and off the pitch that the squad were a close group, a lot of the team made friendships that continue to this day.

All fans and professionals know a team spirit and camaraderie within a squad is essential if you are going to win anything in the game.

Last year the BBC showed the brilliant true story of Neil Baldwin, a circus clown with a unique outlook on life that was hired by Swindon Town royalty Lou Macari to be kitman at Stoke City.

Macari didn’t give him the job because he was good at doing the washing, but he could see his personality would become vital for team morale, someone who lifted the tension, and he was right, as Neil played a huge role in their success.

After he retired from management, Macari remarked that Neil Baldwin was “the best signing I ever made”.

I don’t know if there is a lack of togetherness or morale at Town at the moment, it’s an uneducated guess from someone who watches from the stands, but from my view, they look a disjointed side.

Which is something that will improve week by week as they get to know each other’s games and personalities.

Whatever the reason may be for the poor performances over the last couple of weeks, let’s hope Town makes them a distant memory as they easily brush aside Colchester Utd this weekend at the County Ground.

Follow me on Twitter @danwjonson

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