TOWN returned to form with a bang last weekend as Mark Cooper’s 3-6-1 formation helped raise the performance of our on-loan Chelsea midfielder John Swift.

Since Swift’s arrival he has seemed to divide opinion with fans and I can see why Chelsea have sent him down the M4 and into the hands of Mark Cooper and his team.

I would always prefer Swindon to play two strikers up front when you play at home, but the manager’s tactics paid off and gave Swift a chance to impress in his preferred position, playing just behind the striker.

He is superb at running with the ball, and taking on opponents, but he has admitted himself he needs to learn when to find that key pass and needs to become a lot stronger when taking on defenders.

After a few years of playing in the academy for Chelsea, the 19-year-old wouldn’t have come across many Football League defenders, the type who like to see how high he can kick a player instead of the ball.

This is why I’m pleased to see Town giving young players from the Premier League a stage to perform and learn their trade.

It’s great to see former Town loanee Ryan Mason now starting on a weekly basis in the Spurs first team, and making the starting XI in the recent League Cup final.

It’s something Swindon have always prided themselves in, as they helped develop both James Milner and Michael Carrick in their young careers.

It wouldn’t surprise me to see Jack Stephens follow in Mason’s footsteps in the Premier League and play a role in Southampton’s first team next season after his superb campaign for Town in both defence and midfield.

Sometimes it is frustrating to see players move up the ladder while we continue to watch Town in League One.

But it is vital for the progression of English football to let players learn in the Football League before hopefully making it in the Premier League.

I understand that you need to blend a mix of experience and youth to create a successful team.

But I will always enjoy seeing potential stars of the future, and Town playing a role in their development.