Where will Swindon Town finish in League Two this season?

Swindon come into this season off the back of the unmitigated disaster that was 2023/24. Town were dancing on a volcano right from the off with a style that Michael Flynn claimed wasn’t Kamikaze but certainly seemed to give the planes a very slim chance of getting back unscathed with a squad that was short on numbers and ultimately short on talent.

The club haven’t had to think about their Football League mortality for 40 years but the legacy of last season is that you can’t completely rule it out. The sensible footballing steps that have followed TrustSTFC’s open letter make me think that it is unlikely this will be that year as Jamie Russell and Mark Kennedy have put together a side that should have the know-how and quality to navigate those murky waters.

Kennedy simply screams level-headed, not that he would ever go above the necessary amount of decibels, with a style that won’t be letting anyone get ahead of themselves and forget the basics. His time at Lincoln City is hard to draw loads of conclusions from as it was strong without being spectacular. He built a team that was defensively excellent but without always being able to capitalise at the other end and right now it looks like Town could be in for something similar.

The signings fit the philosophy, taking care of the defence first before considering how to produce upfront. With the caveat of needing to stay fit, the defensive signings look very strong with Will Wright having been a standout in pre-season. Rosaire Longelo is an exciting signing on the left in providing some of the attacking guile and most pressingly, being able to stick a cross onto Harry Smith’s head. The focus on experience and physicality will make it feel like watching a ten-year reunion for a show starring children with last season’s squad.

The positive spin of all that looks like: Mixer Mark and his Mountain Men are one of the league’s best defences and through a combination of set pieces and everything clicking in attack they are good enough to compete for playoffs.

The negative version is: injuries mean that a depleted defence isn’t quite strong enough to consistently make up for the lack of attacking dynamism and a slightly joyless season plods to a lowly finish.

The big question will be: have the rumours of their lack of creativity been overstated? Joel Cotterill impressed with his poise and drive from the base of midfield position but he won’t be able to shoulder all of that burden from deep. Paul Glatzel became the face of the franchise in the second half of last season and should hopefully take another step in a team that actually makes sense; perhaps Sean McGurk can turn flashes of brilliance into consistency; is a good high press the best number ten like Jurgen Klopp said; or might the wing-backs getting it in the mixer for Smith be good enough?

The floor has been set by a sturdy backline filled with experience and that will likely on its own get them to where Swindon finished last year. Then from that point, it will all be about the above paragraph.

Soon all of this will end up looking like a horoscope, only getting something right by accident, armchair wisdom that never made sense in the first place. With everything we know now, I will have to go for a finish somewhere in lower mid-table. But I do think this team has got a chance, just a small one, to confound us all.