Ian Holloway has described himself as a “dead man walking” if Swindon Town’s form does not turn around, with the manager speaking frankly about the problems facing the League Two club.
Swindon sit 12th in the table with three victories from eight league games this season and are winless in their past three. They travel to Rochdale on Saturday without a win on the road all season, having taken 10 of their 11 points at home and just one away. Holloway, who took over almost two years ago, said that away form needs to change.
“Dead. Man. Walking. That’s how it feels, but deep down I know a lot more than that, don’t I?” Holloway told BBC Radio Wiltshire. “I know what I’ve done, I know where I am, I know the problems I’ve got here, I’ve tried to explain them openly and honestly to everybody.”
The manager said the team needs more backing, with 13 players out injured, which equates to almost half of the squad. Holloway added that he has “never seen” an injury crisis like the one the club is enduring at the moment.
Captain Ollie Clarke, Matty Virtue and Paul Glatzel are the latest to join the list ahead of the trip to Rochdale. Swindon are already without Joe Snowdon, Ryan Tafazolli, Ollie Palmer, Gavin Kilkenny, Jaylan Pearman, Harry Smith and Fletcher Holman, while Mitch Clark is still serving a suspension after being sent off against York and Sam Inwood is away on international duty.
Holloway said Louis Millard is fit, which would make it 13 players out if he is not. “He trained yesterday and he looked fit but his shoulder is still very sore. If he’s not fit, then we’ve only got 15,” he said.
Midfielder Ben Middlemass is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines and will need surgery on a cartilage issue, with Holloway expecting him to be out for a minimum of eight weeks, a spell he said “could be 20 weeks”. The nature of full-back Joel McGregor’s injury is unknown, as he is still to see a specialist.
With many players expected to be out long-term, Holloway said the situation is putting undue pressure on those still within the playing squad. “This injury crisis – and it is a crisis – [I’ve] never seen anything like it because the nature of their injuries is going to make it hard for them to get back, as they weren’t fit anyway because they’ve missed pre-season,” he said. “Now the ones that we did have who were vulnerable, we’re having to ask too much from them.”
Holloway said his players “need some help”. “For them to have a chance, boy oh boy, don’t we need something to go right immediately,” he said. “If it doesn’t I’ll be cheering them on and then I’m not sure how many more will. I believe they need some help right now and that’s what I’m trying to do. I have to stand up for what I think my team needs, deserves and should have anyway. I’m sorry we haven’t won every game. We’ve got 11 points on the board, we wanted a lot more. We’ve got 10 at home, one away and the away form needs to change.”