The Moonraker · https://themoonraker.news/writers/sam-morshead
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ANALYSIS: Swindon's overall xG for the match was just 0.99, according to FotMob figures. Their open-play xG was just 0.59. That is curiously low for a team with a man advantage. Against 10 men, Swindon produced an effective and efficient enough team performance. Against nine, though, they were diabolical.
02.11.26Matchday
Speaking to the media last week, Holman revealed that he was targeting an early-December return, potentially putting him back in contention several weeks earlier than the timetable outlined by manager Ian Holloway, and initial expectations of the medical department.
29.10.26News
Butterworth, who had previously complained of tightness in the same hamstring, has now been diagnosed with a grade two tear. That's a month and a half, at minimum, for the 27-year-old to sit out.
Munda underwent a scan on the issue on Monday, which revealed that he had not suffered substantial damage to the joint during the victory at Barnet last week.
The Robins spent three months without anyone in the role full-time between March and June, following Jackson Bradley's departure for Barnsley, and they face a race to sort a replacement for Aris Pavlidis.
28.10.26News
Paul Barclay only joined the club in June, with a remit to provide further senior oversight of the club's books. A statement announcing his arrival at the time said he "will play a key role in supporting our development off the pitch".
27.10.26News
ANALYSIS: It was not an occasion for the purists, as both teams' inefficiency with the ball and ineffectiveness in front of goal were exposed in the howling gales and showers, but it was at least a point, and a third game unbeaten, which, after the misery of the previous six weeks, is a stepping stone.
26.10.26Matchday
ANALYSIS: After weeks of watching Swindon Town struggle to score goals, let alone win matches, there was something rather refreshing about seeing the Robins arrive at The Hive with a clear idea of how to hurt their opponents, and then actually do it.
22.10.26Features
Manager Ian Holloway reported on Thursday (October 22) that Palmer looks likely to be back on grass at some point next week. His initial prognosis was a 10-week absence, and that now looks like a timescale which could be beaten.
22.10.26News
The full-back sustained the problem during pre-season in a training ground accident involving Filozofe Mabete, and his recovery was further delayed when he slipped down the stairs at home, just after returning to light training.
EXCLUSIVE: The Robins are concerned they may be without their leader for several weeks, owing to what is believed to be a hamstring problem.
ANALYSIS: Swindon Town produced the sort of performance you'd only believe if you saw it with your own eyes, because according to form, data and narrative, this should have only been one-way traffic. It wasn't.
21.10.26Matchday
The Robins might have hoped for relatively easy progression to the next round, in the hope of generating some on-field success, useful prize money and possibly a route to a big boy in the third round.
19.10.26News
His captain's absence, either in central midfield or as an option in a back three, is a considerable blow for manager Ian Holloway as he looks to pull off an unlikely victory and end Swindon’s eight-match winless run.
ANALYSIS: There was huff, there was puff, and there was just about enough to get a point, but Swindon relied on a fair bit of good fortune, provided primarily by referee Alex Chilowicz. And while they were much more entertaining going forward, the lack of incision in the final third was again strikingly evident.
18.10.26Matchday
SPECIAL REPORT: The Moonraker examines the substance of the club statement, what it says, and what it omits, in an effort to provide context and nuance to an increasingly heated situation.
16.10.26Analysis
Aaron Drinan has scored five of Swindon’s first nine league goals this season. But Holloway says several of the forwards who could take pressure off him are unavailable, leaving the manager short of different ways to lead the attack.
15.10.26News
ANALYSIS: Ian Holloway has laid bare the limits of his current attacking options. But what can Swindon Town do when opponents focus on Aaron Drinan? Do they have the personnel to make changes, and how quickly can they make them if they are to turn their disappointing season around?
15.10.26Features
The Robins have not won in seven matches in all competitions, losing six, and face unbeaten Walsall in League Two on Saturday. The task ahead is hard enough, given the context of what has come before, but a series of fresh fitness concerns threatens to make the challenge somewhat gargantuan.
ANALYSIS: Swindon have scored only twice since the 3-1 victory over Colchester in September. It is a deeply disturbing trend, which ties into several factors: a reduction in clear-cut chances, Aaron Drinan’s return to more normal levels of efficiency, general confidence and a manager under immense scrutiny.
14.10.26Features
Holloway has credit in the bank with Clem Morfuni for the way he turned the team’s fortunes around 18 months ago, but that credit is less evident among supporters.
13.10.26News
ANALYSIS: This was another example of Swindon appearing misaligned, disconnected and generally quite passive. Their opponents were not much better, but generated just enough quality to open up the home side and claim victory. Town simply did not look like scoring.
11.10.26Matchday
SPECIAL REPORT: Of the first 102 matches in the League Two campaign, just 14 have been won by the visiting side. at exactly the same stage of the 2023/24 season, away teams had won 29. A year later, the figure was 28. Last season, travelling teams had won 36.
08.10.26Features
Holloway explained during his pre-match press conference on Thursday that he believes psychological support can help players overcome some of the difficulties they are experiencing.
08.10.26News
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