MARK Cooper’s appointment seems to have divided opinion, with some backing the new man to succeed and others disappointed that the club has gone for the ‘cheap option’ and fearing for our League One survival.

When Cooper’s name was mentioned I winced at the idea but after watching Town this season, I have started to come round.

At the moment I’m still not totally convinced he is the right man for the job.

But it’s essential people don’t get on his back and make his job more difficult.

To win over some of the doubters he needs to show he’s his own man, not the mouthpiece for the board or just a ‘yes’ man – as some people have suggested.

Before moving into the Championship with Peterborough, Cooper had successful spells at Tamworth and Kettering, but since 2010 his career has stalled.

Let’s hope it gets back on track again at Swindon Town.

Meanwhile in the background, Nile Ranger is settling into life at the County Ground.

Normally, signing a player of Ranger’s calibre would bring an instant lift, but with the former Newcastle striker having well-documented issues off the pitch, it’s hard to trust him making it to next May at the club.

It was great to see Darren Ward sign a new deal at Town, which will see him taking up a coaching role at some point in the future.

Despite his short tenure alongside Tommy Miller at Town last season you can tell he has a level-headed approach to the game.

I can see him becoming a talented manager when he feels ready to make that step.

Town welcome Gillingham to the County Ground on Saturday in a huge game for both clubs after average starts to the season.

A win would be the perfect start to Cooper’s full-time reign. Then we make the trip to face Queen’s Park Rangers in the Capital One Cup, and line-up against a name from the clubs recent past.

When Charlie Austin was included in his first Town game in 2009, surely not in his wildest dreams could he have imagined how his football career would have blossomed, first with Burnley and now with QPR, in such a short amount of time.

His fantastic natural talent sets him apart as one of the best strikers seen in the famous Town shirt.

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