Swindon Town look for solution to Clarke-Tafazolli reliance

After a dull opening day, Saturday was far better from Swindon. The match went largely to their script, as their pressing play disrupted a Cheltenham Town team that seemed lacking in decisive quality, and they used those moments to be ruthless. The excellent Anthony Munda’s determined work in midfield allowed Aaron Drinan to exploit the space, and then it was Louis Millard’s chasing a ball right into the corner that won the throw-in for the second.

Defensively, it was another very solid display, with only Ryan Broom’s moment of magic breaching their walls. One quality that defines the starting back four of Mitch Clark, Stephan Negru, Tafazolli, and Billy Kirkman is tenacity. Each one of them sticks to their task like a dog biting down on a bone, preventing attackers from getting through by force of will as much as anything else.

For an hour, Cheltenham were largely kept at arm’s length, with their only two shots on target coming from the kind of Joe Tomlinson potshots that Swindon fans will remember well. Steve Cotterill’s side had some territory, but very rarely looked like they were going to do anything of note.

Then, sticking to the plan that had been set out ahead of kick-off, Clarke and Tafazolli were removed after an hour, shifting the game.

One hour into the match, Swindon led the stat sheet on xG and shots on target, but Clarke’s second goal was the last time that an effort was sent in Wyll Stanway’s direction. In the first 60 minutes of the match, Cheltenham had six shots at goal; in the final 30 minutes, they had eight.

Ryan Tafazolli organises the Swindon Town defence (Image: Andy Crook)

It would be unfair to suggest that Town collapsed without the two wise, old oak trees holding them up, as Negru and Kaelan Majejodunmi performed admirably in the middle of the defence. Part of the late campaign from Cotterill’s charges was a natural change in game state as one team has to go for broke at 2-0 down and one does not need to risk as much, but the switch was evident when those two went off.

The reason that this was especially notable is because of what happened last season. Ian Holloway spoke about the need for more people like Clarke and Tafazolli almost as much as he spoke about not having Finley Munroe any more or what life is really about. The suggestion was always that the injuries to them hamstrung the whole team, as they lost their support system and struggled to fly on their own.

Ryan Tafazolli goes to help out during the latter stages against Cheltenham Town (Image: Andy Crook)

The team that finished the game featured Connor Ripley, Ollie Palmer, and Tom Nichols aged over 30 and Louis Millard and Anthony Munda who are teenagers. It was a very young side having to go without the two pillars of the team, from both an aggression and leadership perspective.

Holloway had hoped to make the team less dependent on those two this year, aware of the injury struggles they have had and will likely continue to have at this stage of their careers. The ruthless aggression has probably been covered, as Negru and Majekodunmi seem to revel in putting their heads through things, but whether or not the organisation is the same without them remains to be seen.

In this first test, Swindon survived without the pair, and the situation should be improving by the week as their fitness improves, and the likes of James Ball are coming back. But a lot more will be needed to get rid of that lingering feeling that missing them leaves a team of Robins without their Batman.