David Prutton - Old Friends

I met up with Former Forest and Leeds midfielder David Prutton after the Swindon game last weekend - a very nice and very genuine guy.

One thing he mentioned that surprised me was the fact that while he’d been talking to clubs in the summer, he had been really impressed with Andy Scott the Brentford manager he scored against in the 40th minute.

“I spoke to Andy in the summer and he’s got a lot of very progressive and good ideas. My agent knows him and so I spoke to him a couple of times about Brentford and what they had to offer. I just thought it wasn’t the right time to go there plus I was really impressed with what Danny had done last year.

I’ve also got a couple of very close friends here in David Lucas and Jonathan Douglas and you don’t often get the chance to play with people you’re good mates with. I’m not just here for sentimental reasons though, they’re both very good players and you want t surround yourselves with good players if you can. I’ve played in teams where I haven’t had that and it’s very hard work.

For example David is one of the best keepers I’ve seen as a reaction shot stopper and he showed that with a save from our defender Sean Morrison against Brentford..

Another reason I joined Swindon was that Danny Wilson likes to get the ball down and play. Sometimes he wants you to play in areas you wouldn’t think of which isn’t always the way, but he’s got a lot of good ideas.”

Listening to David talk about the game, it didn’t stretch my imagination too far to see him working in the broadcast media at some point in the future. He has a quick sense of humour, but also talks well about the game – certainly easier on the ear than Robbie Savage was on 606 as I drove home!

“It’s only three games in and you can’t get too carried away. It’s got the makings of a team that can do something. We need to keep having belief and make sure the fans keep making lots of noise. Football’s a different beast nowadays.

Swindon Town 1 Brentford 1 – Still Searching

My clipping from this morning's copy of The Sun - left - and the same match in The News of the World (links to both papers can be found below) 

A score draw in this one, but neither manager will have had a sleepless Saturday night.

Both Danny Wilson and Brentford boss Andy Scott have brought in a few new faces in the summer and so it will take time for them to gel with their new teammates as they both search for their first win. But Scott saw his team chalk up their first point of the season and Wilson must have been encouraged by the marked improvement on Swindon’s first home game of the season – a 2-1 reverse to Brighton.

Brentford took the lead after Robin’s full back Michael Rose failed to connect properly with a header back to keeper David Lucas and striker Charlie MacDonald nipped in the score from a tight angle in the 8th minute. It was a bread and butter goal for someone of MacDonald’s experience, but the 29 year old took it well nevertheless. He said afterwards:

“That’s precisely the reason why you always need to stay sharp on a football pitch. Precisely for occasions like that.”

MacDonald hasn’t set himself any targets this season, but said:

“I’ve done well in the last two and so I’m just looking for more of the same.”

Rose was left with his face buried in the grass - presumably wishing it would swallow him up - but it was just one of those clangers that you see at every level of football from time to time. However, all the more embarrassing if you're a pro.

For the next 30 minutes Rose looked slightly shaky, but then redeemed himself with a hand in David Prutton’s equaliser.

In the 40th minute the former Stockport full back who signed in the summer, launched a long throw to the near post, Sean Morrison headed a looping ball across the face of goal and former Leeds and Forest Prutton nodded in from about two yards for his first Swindon goal.

It was noticeable that while Prutton celebrated with his some of his teammates, Morrison and a couple of the other lads ran over to Rose to pat him on the back.

Morrison himself was immense on Saturday and must have given Wilson food for thought.

The Swindon manager had already stated his intention to try and bring in an established central defender to replace former skipper Gordon Greer - who left for Brighton in the summer -  but Morrison certainly staked his claim with a man of the match performance.

However, Morrison 19, has a cool head on his young shoulders. He told me after the game:

“This was my first start since about March and I think I’ve learned a lot in the last year or so. I went out on loan and probably didn’t appreciate what was happening and what it was for, but I’m not the sort of person to throw his toys out of the pram if he doesn’t get picked. Obviously I want to start as many games as I can and I’m ready whenever the gaffer wants me, but I’m only 19 and so I have time on my side and I’ll continue learning.”

Links to The News of the World football website: www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/football/

And The Sun’s football website: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football

Swindon Town 1 Brighton & Hove Albion 2 – Glass Spider

New signings David Prutton and Thomas Dossevi get Swindon's season underway

There were so many cobwebs on the County Ground pitch yesterday it must have been an arachnophobe’s worst nightmare.

Despite all that’s said about pre-season games being good for building up sharpness and fitness, the opening day fixture is very often an anti-climax and I’ve found that it usually takes most players a game or two to dust themselves down and get into the swing of things.

Last year, for example, Swindon were stuffed by five goals on the opening day and still made it to the play-off final while eventual champions Norwich had seven put past them in an early fixture.

It’s far too early to make any rash judgments and there’s no need for Danny Wilson to panic just yet. As he pointed out after the game:

“It was disappointing, but I’m too long in the tooth to over-react. It’ll get better though, but there’s plenty of work to be done.”

Personally, I don’t think the Swindon fans will over-react (well apart from the usual mindless minority you find at most clubs). Wilson and his players earned themselves some time and a lot of respect after last year’s run to Wembley. Having said that, I wouldn’t be surprised if they practice passing a fair bit in the coming week. I lost count of the number of hospital balls played by Swindon yesterday afternoon. At one point I wondered whether they had all fallen out with each other at the pre-match lunch.

Several new boys were on show in red.

Thomas Dossevi partnered Charlie Austin up front and, although Austin got his customary goal in the 80th minute (see video below), Dossevi struggled and was substituted at half time. According to Wilson the Togo striker “was shell shocked” after the rough service handed to him by the Brighton boys. Wilson wasn’t whinging and pointed out that it was something the lad “would have to get used to”.

Charlie Austin opens his (and Swindon's) account for the season

David Prutton partnered Jonathan Douglas in midfield and I was surprised that Simon Ferry started on the bench given the understanding he developed with Douglas last season.

Former Forest and Leeds midfielder Prutton put in the effort, but it didn’t quite happen for him on his debut. However, he’s been around too long to let one game bother him. I’m sure that the competition for midfield places will be an interesting one this term and it’ll be fascinating to see whether – as Wilson must hope – it benefits the club.

Fellow debutant Michael Rose looked comfortable at right back and it was the former Stockport man’s free kick that led to Austin’s first of the season.

The remaining new face, David Ball who is on loan from Manchester City, seemed to grow in confidence as the game wore on. Ball reminded me of Danny Ward who played for Swindon on loan last season. Ward started off quietly, but ended up as a key member of the starting eleven at Wembley.

I was sorry to see Sean Morrison on the bench as well yesterday, but both Scott Cuthbert and Lecsinel Jean-Francois played well in the centre of defence and so like Ferry, Morrison will need to bide his time.

Brighton’s boss Gus Poyet couldn’t believe his luck after the game and admitted:

“It was a strange game. I think we played better against Swindon last year and we didn’t get anything. It was a good start though.”

Matt Sparrow scored a brace in his debut following a summer move from Scunthorpe and it was no surprise to anyone when Poyet describe him as “a very happy boy”. His first goal in particular was stunning strike that flew in off the inside of the post from 20 yards and left keeper Phil Smith with no chance.

Sparrow spent eleven years at Scunthorpe and told me that Gus Poyet was the main reason he decided to move to Brighton. Keeper Casper Ankergren also cited Poyet as the reason he turned down lucrative deals in Turkey to join the Seagulls and you have to wonder whether the Poyet factor might see them fighting at the top of the table come next May ... but like I say, it’s too early to make any judgments at this stage.