Tyler Starks ~~ Reign on the Pitch ~~

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Robins add veterans and depth as January transfer window ends

Swindon Town (14-8-7) 50 Points
Seven in nPower League 1

Fitness has been problematic for the Swindon Town side that has limped their way through the closing of 2013, between that and their numerous FA Cup replays, they are not doing too well for themselves. Including a skid from fourth to Seventh and outside of the playoff zone and well outside the Automatic qualifiers. Leading Starks to open the check book and send out a few players.

The Robins have now loaned out several youth players, Akwal (GK), Hammill (CM), Kennedy (LB), Ponsdesserre (CB) and Balchan (LM) were all sent to other teams to gain valuable experience, with the team calling up several youth players to add some much needed depth and fresh legs to a tiring squad. Including with their youth signings, they would pull together a transfer signing of Ngoyi, the 25 year old Centerfielder is expected to find himself in the First XI for every fixture. In the back to aid a young and developing group they allowed Lamas to be transferred out bringing in Zambrotta, the aging veteran at 36 years old is only expected to hang around a year or two more before retiring. Yet his expertise and knowledge of the game will do huge for a young defeder corp feature Devera and two youth gems, Tuffuor and Salawu, both at 17 years old see themselves splitting time in the top XI.

Going (1-2-2) in November with losses against Notts County and Exeter started the downward slide, with the end of November bringing about the first replay for the Swindon Town side after drawing 1-1 against Sheffield. Following their blowout loss against Liverpool eliminating them from the League Cup, would open up a (2-1-2) month that also saw them lose to a Bradford City squad that is fighting just to stay out of the relegation zone with a 0-1 defeat which left Swindon Fans embarrassed and Starks was being questioned. After all this team was a projected second place finisher.

January had several games for a side that would need to play six games through three rounds, drawing against the nPower championship side, Bury battling out to a 1-1 draw, which led to their replay and slipping past in the 117th minute with a 2-1 score from a Kone goal. Two days later they would find themselves facing a rested Leeds United squad, instead of having a whole week off they would only get two days. the middle of the table side nearly pushed Swindon Town to their breaking point until a 82nd minute goal forced yet another draw at 1-1. With February just starting, Swindon Town would knock off the Tranmere Rovers 2-0 to pick up three points and hope to start climbing back up. Five points separate Swindon Town from fourth place, and they are thirteen points away from the top spot.

Starting XI
(GK) Liao - 58
(RB) Zambrotta - 75
(RCB) Tuffuor - 64
(LCB) Kowalczyk - 71
(LB) Devera - 67
(RCM) Fernandez - 71
(LCM) Ngoyi - 71
(RM) Ros - 69
(LM) Ramos - 72
(RS) Kone - 78
(LS) Gabilondo - 68

Notable Reserves
Elliot Benyon (ST) - 66
Calve (LM) - 61
Salawu (CB) - 64
Esposito (CM) - 62
Flint (CB) - 61
Esajas (LM) - 63

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Robins shock Leeds United

An uneventful 40 minutes of the first half ticked by with a 0-0 deadlock, but namely in the final minute was when sparks began to fly. A frustrated Tuffour would make a bad tackle in the box and set up with a penalty kick, one that would be kicked just past Liao and his outstretched hand hitting the top left corner of the net. To make things worse, from the kickoff, the ball would be intercepted with Leeds charging up the pitch knocking in a second goal all in the 45 minute, turning it from 0-0 to 0-2 all in 'the same minute'.

The Robins looked deflated but after the intermission they would come out opening up a clinic on the opposition, with their subs coming in to bring on some fresh legs. The young, Esposito would kick in a shot from outside the penalty box. The ball would deflect off Lonergan's finger tips, bouncing off the post and into the goal. 1-2, the goal coming from an unexpected source. Yet the momentum sent a surge of energy. In a tustle for the ball on the edge of the penalty box, Kone would kick the ball up over a pile of bodies and take a hard shot knocking it in with ease. 2-2.

With the game at a draw in the 80th minute, Leeds utilized their reserves but it wouldn't do much as the newly aggressive Swindon Town side that brought their defenders up for striking purposes had their defender, Kowalczyk knock in a slicing shot past the goal minder. 3-2, as the team erupted. It was the 84th minute and the team had just put in their upset bid.

A Leeds run in the 87th minute would be killed just outside of the penalty box with Zambrotta booting the ball out to safety quelling the threat as the Swindon Town side would dribble the ball to kill the clock eliminating the Championship side. "They are overachievers out on the pitch. They play with passion that is hard to surpass. We couldn't match up." Spoke a disappointed Clayton, the captain for Leeds.

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Swindon Town knocks off QPR in replay blowout

The Robins have made themselves a scary opponent to face in tournament play after their dismantling of QPR in their 4-1 victory, with Kone leading the way with 2 goals, both coming off headers, one on a cross and the other on the corner. Lander Gabilondo opened up the flood gates by scoring in the first five minutes, from outside the penalty box whipping a shot past QPR's keeper, Kenny for the 1-0 lead. The Robins went up 3-0 at the half way point and never looked back. Subbing out key players to rest and bringing in youth, they would only yield one goal to Helguson who weaved through the defense and scored from inside the penalty box.

The first matchup just two days prior was a 2-2 draw, with Swindon Town giving up the lead in the final ten minutes unable to close out the victory. Up 2-1, the defense was far too lax and got beat giving up a late goal. Leading up to the blow out victory. Swindon Town was the favored side and they proved to be as such, as they continue their shocking path carving their way through FA Cup opponents.

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David slays Goliath : Swindon Town upset Chelsea

Two minutes in, young goal tender Liao had already surrendered a goal to a talented Chelsea side. 88 minutes later, that was the only goal surrendered as Swindon Town barely slips past Chelsea. The win can be accounted to several things, an outstanding performance from a truely fit squad, Torres missing a pair of shots on net that could've easily been goals and a penalty kick that would bounce off the post (leading to a Torres missed shot on a wide open net).

Kone would once again score a pair of goals, including the go ahead goal while inside the penalty box, battling for possession he would fire off a shot nearly horizontal to the goal, somehow it would hit the top iron and then bounce in. The 2-1 lead would hold through the second half. The squad really out performed themselves and were helped by a very off day for a normally dominant Torres. Kone was given man of the match honors with Liao close behind.

No Chelsea received a rating better than goaltender Courtois with a 6.6, no other player surpassing even 6, with the offensive unit of Mata, Fernando Torres and Di Maria sitting in the fives, with Di Maria having a horrible 4.9. Esajas has been known to surpass his limitations and play above expectations and would dial in another performance that would help stifle attacks and keep the ball with Swindon Town.

Swindon Town advances to the semifinals, Kone with two more goals further separates himself from the rest of the competition. Now having dialed in nine goals, the next closest coming from Stoke City's Jerome (5). Swindon Town will face the Wolverhampton Wanderers in the seminfinals, after Wolverhampton upset Liverpool in a replay match.

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Robins only lose one in two months!
Swindon Town Robins (19-11-9) - 68 Points
Fifth in nPower League 1

No one has been playing better football than Swindon Town through Feburary and March, with only one loss this team is closing out the season on a high note, with so few games remaining, to not suffer a loss in thirty-eight days is a great number to carry, with their fixture against Chesterfield Football Club ending in a 2-1 decision in favor of the FC. Kone sits at second in the league in goals scored hitting the net 19 times.

Cho-Yun Liao has made huge strides this season, the eighteen year old goal tender from the People's Republic of China has been huge with a big performance against Chelsea being the most notable of his performances. Kofi Tuffuor has been starting ever since being signed out of the Youth Academy and has been improving on the pitch, becoming a footballer to watch for in the closing month.

Panagiotis Kone is the clear captain of the squad and at 26 years of age he is still improving. Kone has been a leader of the squad through their tournament bouts and during league play keeping things alive and elevating his play when the need arises. Across all competitions the Robins have been in, he is responsible for 35 goals and 11 assists this season, he is playing at a super star caliber.

The road ahead will not get any easier with two upcoming matches against top of the table teams, they will end the season with four of five being in the middle or bottom of the table which should allow them to coast to the playoff for the final promotion spot. Swindon Town sits 13 points away from an automatic bid and 16 points from first, unless there is an unheard of massive collapse among the three teams ahead of them, they will be hoping for a good showing in the playoff for the final spot.

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Cinderella story grinds to a half in Semis

Defeating Chelsea in a historic upset, Swindon Town came into this game with a fire underneath them and the eyes of a nation upon them. The pressure would be too much as Swindon Town falls 0-1 to Wolverhampton. Liao only had four shots on net letting one in, the one that decided this one. The Robins ripped off 11 shots on net, including three in one possession. Man of the match and net minder, Hennessey would pull in all of them earning a perfect 10 rating while the fans watched in awe as the clean sheet was done in one of the most difficult ways a team could manage.

Kofi Tuffour continues to slump, rating under 6 in yet another game, with youngster Salawu, earning the highest total in his short time coming in relief of veteran Zambrotta who came off exhausted. Kone deadly throughout this entire tournament was held to no goals on five attempts. "They held the middle of the field meaning a lot of our shots were poorly executed or coming outside of the penalty box. Our crosses were coming in off target.. their defenders wrecked havoc on our attack." Spoke Starks after the interview.

The loss albeit disappointing allows the Robins to put all their focus on earning a promotion to the nPower Champions League, it would be their second consecutive promotion with some followers concerned that rising too fast will hurt the team. Watch the Robins next year, they are young and only getting better.

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Swindon Town eliminated : 0-1 AGG

The two matches went a combined 210 minutes without a goal, the initial showing ending in a 0-0 draw, with the final match ending with a 0-0 draw through extra time. It would be a clutch showing by the Barnsley side to boost them up past Swindon Town, winning the shoot out 3-1, Barnsley missed one shot, Liao surrendering three. Kone missed his shot wide of the net and Gabilondo slipped on the attempt missing net on the kick. Youngster Calve would be the final nail in the Robins season when his shot on net would be deflected by the netminder

"It's disappointing to say the least. This team went through adversity throughout the season. It's tough to have nothing at all to show for it." Spoke a deflated Tyler Starks in a post game interview. Starks is in a lot of circles being a favorite for multiple positions on the global level, with a preseason contract goal of promotion, the manager might find himself on the hot seat or looking for a new job the time next season rolls around.

The Robins season had it's ups and downs, making it to the Quarter Finals of the Carling Cup, the Semifinals of the FA Cup, they were however stunned in the first round of the Johnstone Paint tournament with an opening round loss in penalty kicks. They brought in an influx of young talent and this team is full of talent, Starks would love to bring this team back for what should be a dominant season next year with many already hailing the Robins as an early favorite withholding any major transfers that may cripple the squad.

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Empty for time being

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Swindon Town set for 2014 Campaign

Transfer Window news

Bought Players:
Vilsvik (LB) - 25 - SIF - 3,800,000 Euros
Fran Carnicer (CM) - 23 - FA
Braafheid (LB) - 31 - 750,000 Euros

Sold Players:
Legittimo (LB) - Mjallby AIF - 550,000 Euros
Lander Gabilondo (RW) - Notts County FC - 750,000 Euros
Ponsdesserre (CB) - Millwall - 220,000 Euros
Lanzano (GK) - Lyngby BK - 170,000 Euros
Akwal (GK) - 450,000 Euros
Ros (CM) - Hibernian Edinburgh - 775,000 Euros
Benyon (ST) - VAFC - 600,000 Euros
Kennedy (LB) - Bristol City - 70,000 Euros
Esajas (LM) - S****horpe United AC - 150,000 Euros

Loaned Players
Hammill (CM) - Hereford - 51 OVR
Surma (LW) - Wellington - 59 OVR
Flint (CB) - Lemans FC - 62 OVR

Youth Academy

Chris Thompson (ST) - USA - 43/53 - 66/84
Dale James (LM) - England - 49/59 - 69/83
Jack Baptiste (LB/CB/RB/LM) - England - 39/51 - 68/90
Jomar Ado (CM) - South Africa - 47/49 - 72/78
Jon Cortez (ST/CM/RW/RM) - USA - 46/60 - 64/84
Kevin N'Gog (GK) - France - 53/57 - 79/85
Nathan McCarty (CM) - USA - 49/59 - 73/87
Paul Forshaw (CM) - England - 54/64 - 74/90
Rhett Cohen (CM/CB/RM/ST) - England - 42/56 - 67/91

Starting XI
Formation : 4-5-1

(GK) Liao - 18 - China PR - 61 OVR
(RB) Kowalczyk - 29 - Poland - 71 OVR
(RCB) Tuffuor - 18 - South Africa - 66 OVR
(LCB) Vilsvik - 25 - Germany - 77 OVR
(LB) Braafheid - 31 - Netherlands - 73 OVR
(RM) Ngoyi - 26 - DR Congo - 71 OVR
(CM) Calve - 17 - France - 63 OVR
(LM) Zhu - 16 - Chian PR - 66 OVR
(RAM) Fernandez - 21 - Spain - 73 OVR
(LAM) Omar Ramos - 26 - Spain - 72 OVR
(ST) Kone - 27 - Greece - 78 OVR

With the evolution of the Swindon Town side into a yearly contender and a hotbed of anticipation that has what looks to be another terrific season about to unfold before fans of the side. Liao developed terrific over the past season and as such surpassed Lanzano and allowed him to be sold off for a little extra budget, with an outstanding offer for Lander Gabilondo and Elliot Benyon having been sold prior to that, Starks changed his formations to be a one striker with his midfielders getting involved in scoring opportunities.

Kofi Tuffour had a solid season last year and should continue developing at a terrific pace, with fellow youngster Zhu fitting into the starting 11, Zhu will be playing out of position in the midfield, yet he fits in better there than on the bench. Salawu and Cairns will also see sizable amounts of playing time with youngster Fran Carnicer who was scooped up as a free agent playing a decent role. Esposito out of Canada should also make a decent splash at the midfielder position.

Swindon Town has no depth at striking and their best finisher by far is Kone, if he gets hurt this team may need to evolve into one that seeks victorys through 1-0 encounters. Swindon Town has the youth but with last years scouting forays tempting into the defensive waters, this team will need to find some youth at the midfield and striking positions to be able to revert back to a traditional English 4-4-2 formation that they utilized last season.

"This side has the full possibility of taking the #1 spot in the league this season, with anything less than a promotion being an absolute failure. I take the responsibility for our loss in the playoffs squarely for not designing and countering what the opposing gaffer put on the pitch. None the less, the year was a good opportunity to find out the strengths and weaknesses of this team and I believe we have one of if not the best starting XI in the entire league." Spoke Starks in a media day prior to the opening game of the League 1 fixture.

Swindon Town would go 1-1-2 in their friendlies, admittedly they were playing all of their young talent and didn't have several of their players available to even play those games wanting to save their stars for the regular season. Thus far into the season, Swindon Town is undefeated in League 1 play, 3-0-0 with 9 points, tied with only Sheffield and Exeter City as the only undefeateds, Exeter is in third due to a tie, yet this season could be a true dog fight at the top.

In the opening match of the League Cup, Barnsley Football Club tried to stun the Robins managing to force a draw in the 83rd minute at a 3-3 game, with the extra time yielding no results, it would goto penalty kicks, which also needed extra attempts. The initial results being 3-3, getting down to the sixth kick, which bounced off the crossbar for Barnsley. When Calve came up he tapped the ball into the left corner of the net, the youth swarmed by teammates as the Robins adance.

They would not get so lucky in the Johnstone Paint Trophy opening match, where Rochdale AFC forced a draw and would win 2-1 in penalty kicks, eliminating the Robins who for consecutive years after winning the tournament were unable to escape the first fixture. "It's disappointing but there isnt much we can do. Our hearts weren't in the game, we need to focus on continuing to win in League 2 and establishing ourselfs as one of the best clubs in League 1." Spoke Starks.

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Kone and Esposito lead Robins in extra time rout of Hull City
Swindon Town 4
Hull City 2 ET
Man of the Match: P.Kone (LS) - SWI

Hull City held the lead for 48 minutes, with Swindon Town never holding the lead in regulation, yet only three minutes into overtime the Robins saw a glimmer of hope after a beautiful save, Ngoyi pulled in the rebound and sliced in a kick past the keeper who was on the ground. Ngoyi would be sent off with his second yellow card in this contest only minutes later yet his impact was none the less huge. To add salt to the wound, Esposito knocked in a goal on an assist from Kone to give them a two point lead in the 115th minute lead securing the victory for the Robins who didn't show many signs of life.

The offense has been dead all season, with Kone being the lone lifeline this team has, youth striker Luc Plizga has been underpreforming and may of lost his job to Adam Esposito who rated at a 9.5, with a goal and an assist his impact was very heavily felt. Along with some key dribbles and defensive plays he made his presence felt. The canadian native has been turning heads and will only get better especially if Starks moves him to the Starting XI.

Kofi Tuffour left the game to be replaced by Soloman Salawu, after dribbling the ball and collapsing to the pitch writhing in pain. In a contest that required every little ounce of energy that every player on the pitch had, Tuffour will be the one feeling it the most, with the intial diagnosis being a torn muscle in his calf with a projected time of recovery set at three months, he will miss a bulk of the season a disappointing collapse after the club sold veteran Joe Devera and was hoping to see Tuffour develop even further this season. Soloman Salawu and Adam Cairns will rotate in his vacant position or Zhu may move full time back to defense instead of playing a deep midfielder as he had throughout the season.

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League Cup
Swindon Town 1
Nottingham Forest 2 ET

Man of the match, Notthingham Forest's Goal tender, Camp is the main man on the pitch today, despite an average showing on both sides of the pitch, Camp was the one who kept his team in this game. On the opposite side, Liao was an absolute disappointment. Only making two saves and letting in a pair of goals, both of which were easily savable knocked his side from the contest. "It's disappointing, you go out every game to win and today I didn't play as well as I should've. We will need to look forward to the FA Cup, to make our impact than." Spoke Liao when questioned about his performance.

The Robins aren't having a terrible season when it comes to league play, yet this is a rather early departure as the Robins continue their struggles in tournament play. On the positive side, the risks of injury or carding along with reduced fatigue will allow Swindon Town to focus on the nPower League 1 as they seek their promotion.

Swindon town despite their high expectations sit at fourth, not a terrible spot to be, yet losses against bottom of the table sides, they sit at 26 points, just seven points from the top spot they held two months ago. A 2-1-2 September, after opening on a 3-0-1 knocked them down to reality with their issues, namely in the goal scoring column, Kone is virtually the only player that is a threat to score on a daily basis, something that Starks will need to look at improving upon as the next transfer window comes around. Plizga is still raw and isn't ready to start consistently in League 2.

The Robins would get through October on a 3-1-2 month, with a disappointing loss to Northampton which was at the bottom of the table at the time of the fixture. They closed out the month at 1-1-1 after starting 2-0-1. Starks was even quoted as saying that this season, "Could potentially be my final season as a manger of the Robins, I feel as if we are nearing an end of my time here and I need to look abroad for new positions elsewhere." Amidst growing concern that this team isn't mentally prepared for fixtures despite Starks vocal nature.

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Swindon plays transfer window quiet

Swindon Town has solidified themselves at the third spot on the table with 57 points through the middle of February. After a 2-2-1 November that included a victory over Leyton-Orient, the Swindon Town side remained in the thick of the playoff race but snagging one of the top spots from Coventry would take more than draws. Kone continues to lead the League in goals scored with 18 thus far.

December saw Swindon Town skyrocket up, with a 4-1-0 month that included a five game win streak stretching back to the Leyton-Orient victory and would pick up points in six consecutive matches, a great showing for a team that is hoping to elevate their play to the Championship league. Their lone draw coming against none other than Leyton-Orient whom they started their win streak against. They would hold onto the third spot heading into 2015.

With a 2-1-1 opening month and their elimination from the FA Cup with a 2-1 loss to Queens Park Rangers who managed to hold off the upset bid, they would suffer their only loss of the month with a 2-1 decision to Bradford City that effectively ended their nearly two month streak of scoring points. Their only game heading into February that has been completed was the fixture against Northampton where they would get back on their feet with a 2-0 victory with Kone responsible for both goals.

Braffheid would be ejected with a red card, but largely this team is not impacted by injuries and should look to take advantage of their next match against Scuthorpe, the team they are tied with at 57 points. A win here could elevate them to a 3 point lead over Scuthorpe and a 7 point lead over the next lowest team, a situation that Tyler Starks would love.

"A win is the only acceptable outcome. A draw and we stay tied. We need to pull away and catching one of the top two teams would be great. We are ten points out of the top of the table, it's not impossible but if we at least hold onto the third spot, our pathway to promotion is much more navigable. " Spoke Starks.

Note: Scuthorpe is spelled wrong intentionally to prevent it being filtered as inappropriate.

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Swindon Town closes out season on fire and secures automatic promotion

With 97 points to their claim, tying Coventry for the title the Robins will be promoted next season to the championship league. The struggles for the Robins were abundant. Including going the final two months of their push without Marc Quigley who was allowed by the physio to play in the final fixture of the season, a 3-1 decision against Barnsley Football Club that secured the promotion bid and somehow brought the Robins into a draw with the leaders who led by double digits just a few months ago.

Tyler Starks has done a terrific job managing, sliding players in and allowing youth talent abroad on loans to keep the team firing on all cylinders. Never missing a beat with injuries and multiple suspensions due to cardings, the Robins trudged onward. Carving their way through the final months of their season. As the final whistle blew on the pitch, the players swarmed the pitch in celebration of a truely dazzling season.

Stress was an understatement this season, with Manager Tyler Starks even claiming he may be done managing the Swindon Town side after this season. If that's true, the calls for his services would be abundant. He is a very hot commodity for bringing about the rebirth of the Robins, revitalizing the team with youth talent and bringing in star players to make this team truely dominant.

Starks managed to do so with transfer budgets and wage budgets well below the other top competitors, developing a lot of talent in house with a few expensive purchases to close up the gaps where the youngsters couldn't fill in. He might've retooled nearly the entire roster, but only a few years ago, they were playing in the lowest level of the nPower league system and weren't even a top of the table team. Now they are heading to the championship league and are keeping their eyes on the prize.

Kone was man of the year in a non-contest. Not only for the club but for the league. He led the league with most goals, assists and barely ever missed a game. The cardings for the striker were kept to a minimum, always serving as a catalyst for this teams offense to flow through and turning bad possessions into scoring ones, he earned the honor. He has been fantastic for Starks in Swindon Town.

Chao Zhu and Fran Carnicer both youth talents brought in while scouted under the Starks regime, found a spot in the starting rotation and despite their youth wouldn't miss a beat. With Zhu ending the season with a 7.7 form, and Carnicer with a 7.4, both were truely fantastic and brought about a lot of excitement for now and in the future. If Swindon Town continues their climb, they could easily not have to worry about higher clubs poaching their star talent.

With a 30-7-9 record, this will be a season to be remembered, the second best goal differential in the league, scoring 85 while surrendering only 38 for a positive 47 goal differential second to only league champion Coventry City. Swindon Town would also score the most goals in the league with the second best defense they were a deadly combination. This team will scare teams when they show up in the fixtures next season, but the big question will be.. Tyler Starks, does he stay or does he go?

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Stoke City lures Tyler Starks to the Premier League

Fears of relegation for the Potters has been rampant in reason seasons and with a few key weaknesses at the midfield position that feeling was warranted. Rebirthing the team to be a true competitor in the Premier League is no short task, who else should get it other than the man that brought a club from the gutters of English Football into the level just shy of premier? Offering a wage of 68,000 Euros, Tyler Starks was poached from Swindon Town after a promotion season and revitalizing a tired and aged club that seemed to pride itself in its history rather than current play.

Once again the manager can be expected to bring in a youth movement and than bring in veterans to ease the youth into their stardom. He has a gift of a talent in Shawcross who leads the defense and is among the best talent that the league has to offer. At only 27, he is the captain of now and the future and is clearly a key member of the defense. Piszczek and Woodgate both may be on their ways out, being on the wrong end of thirty years old it would be difficult to hold onto them, with Woodgate at 35 he is clearly going to be the talk of transfers to a championship or lower level squad looking for a one year fix for promotion.

Midfield will undoubtably be what Tyler Starks will eye to fix in the first window with every starter being over thirty, the age is a factor and no player is truely outstanding at this point. They all are servicable starters for a Barclays squad, but servicable does not win titles. Palacios will most likely be a lock for this season with Whelan from Ireland being a potential keeper but their main sources of need, a replacement for Whitehead at Right Middle (33) an Etherington at left middle (33). The aging duo will fall off fast as they fall past their curve.

Jerome is a bright spot and a solid striker native to England, with Walters servicable enough that they may not need to go out of their way to upgrade that position. Neither player is fully outstanding, but Jerome is a physical gifted striker and his skill set is fantastic providing many exciting moments.

With the transfer window around the corner, Tyler Starks will need to be fast to bring in the talent that this team desperately needs. The starters need some work and the depth is virtually non-existant. Starks has his work cut out for him.

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Stoke City Starting XI

5-3-2

(GK) - Asmir Begovic (82) - 28 - Bosnia
(RWB) - Andy Wilkinson (76) - 31 - England
(RCB) - Ryan Shawcross (84) - 27 - England
(CB) - Ezequiel Munoz (81) - 24 - Argentina
(LCB) - Marc Wilson (77) - 27 - Republic of Ireland
(LWB) - Curtis Davies (80) - 30 - England
(RAM) - Thiago (80) - 24 - Spain
(CM) - Fernando Canesin (81) - 23 - Brazil
(LAM) - Matthew Etherington (78) - 34 - England
(RS) - Cameron Jerome (78) - 28 - England
(LS) - Ricardo Fuller (73) - 35 - Jamaica

Tyler Starks managed to trim some of the fat but there are some issues, the team has absolutely no depth at midfielder, with the move from the traditional 4-4-2 to change to a 5-3-2 to make up for a surplus of defending talent. They have the hope of selling a few more players before the window and bringing in a little more talent to even out the depth some more, but that may not be possible. With many far too interested in the younger players which Tyler Starks has been holding onto firmly. There is some depth available in free agency but the talent level is not anything to get excited about.

The defense will have to carry this team, with average talent spread across the pitch, a mid table finish is expected for this squad but don't expect any miracles. Heart can only make up for so much talent. They just don't have enough to be a force just yet. Their opening match against Liver Pool and Chelsea will be a good reminder of that.