Mycampusplug
SO SAD: Swindon in Crisis! County’s Shocking Squad Depth Exposed in Devastating Blow
NEWPORT County AFC had another Saturday night of navel-gazing after a second successive League Two nightmare.
The Exiles headed to Swindon with the intention of reacting strongly to their 4-1 loss to Port Vale but instead produced a performance that was worse.
With the fixture kicking off early at 12.30pm for Sky Sports, it was game over before 1pm after a nightmare start for County.
Kabongo Tshimanga got things going in the fourth minute, Paul Glatzel headed in a second after 18 and Matt Baker put into his own net under pressure in the 21st.
Any slim hopes of making a game of it were ended before half-time cuppas with Wales Under-21s international Joel Cotterill finishing just before the break on the rebound from a terrific Nick Townsend save.
It was a game that had shades of Walsall away last season, when County were the side to enjoy themselves to get the job done early.
The second half was a non-event with these talking points shaped by the shambolic first 45…
OUTFOUGHT AND LETHARGIC
The pledge to avoid kneejerk reactions until October was seriously tested in Swindon, so abject was this performance that it’s only natural to be alarmed.
County were given a drubbing by a side who are unlikely to be among the leading sides in the division once it settles down.
They were second best all over the park and not only were there serious weaknesses in defence but they produced just one moment of note in attack.
That proved to be a turning point with Aaron Wildig, who had been found by a terrific Courtney Baker-Richardson pass, denied by a superb block just seconds before the hosts scored their second.
at the training ground.
Jardim has options in the attacking positions but those individuals are currently being hamstrung by the lack of availability at the back.
County are badly missing James Clarke but it was always a risk to go into the season with the other central defensive players given that the co-captain turns 35 in November and has played 26 and 32 games in the last two seasons.
Kyle Jameson will be back from suspension in Barrow and he needs a strong autumn after up and down displays then a daft dismissal.
Jenkins’ recruitment drive brought in big numbers but there is a lack of experience and quality, and whether the free agent market could address that is highly debatable.
The Exiles are as vulnerable under Jardim as they were when Graham Coughlan was calling the shots; they are a good side when the first team are fit but the lack of depth can be brutally exposed.
