AFTER suffering their 20th League One defeat of the season on Tuesday, Swindon Town now find themselves seven points adrift of safety, and going by previous seasons, their hopes of pulling off the great escape look dead and buried.

Looking back on the past 10 seasons in the third tier, the average number of points needed to survive is 49, Town currently have 36.

Meaning Luke Williams’ side need a minimum of 13 points from a possible 24 available with eight games remaining.

That’s four more wins, and a couple of draws to take us over the 50-point mark.

However, to earn our previous four league wins, it took 19 games.

Even if we manage to achieve these results, we’re relying on other teams to slip up and allow us to sneak past out of danger.

So, considering all the facts, in reality Town needs to start preparing for life in League Two next season.

And that has to start with the man in charge - Williams.

Whenever I’ve heard Williams speak, he’s always come across as a genuine, nice guy, who loves the game, and has done everything in his power to be a success at Swindon.

In the past, he has been a success, as with Mark Cooper, he helped Town to a League One play-off final, but ever since becoming the man in charge, it’s not worked out.

But with him signing a five-year contract just a year ago, I can’t see chairman Lee Power sacking him and paying off the rest of his deal.

Meaning at the end of the season, Power has to demote Williams back to a first-team coach and bring in a manager.

Not a head coach, but a real, proper manager, and then leave him alone to do his job.

The ideal situation would be a fresh start for everyone, including the owner, but with that situation unlikely, a change in management would be the first step in Town gaining promotion at the first time of asking next season.