Four league matches have brought two wins, one draw and one defeat, giving Town seven points from a possible 12. It is still far too early to draw conclusions about where Swindon might finish. But there have already been promising signs from Holloway’s new-look squad.
The manager believes there is significantly more to come as his players continue to settle at the County Ground.
“I’ve been in football a long, long time, and what I’m seeing, day in, day out, is a level above where we should be,” Holloway said.
“The talent that I’m seeing in front of me every day is very, very close to some of the clubs that I’ve worked for before. So I’m really excited.”
Despite that confidence, Holloway is making no guarantees about what his side can achieve.
“I can’t guarantee results,” he said. “I wish I could, but I think you’ll get value for money by watching my team and how they’re going to fight for you and how they’re going to work for you.”
Aaron Drinan has provided Town with a strong attacking foundation after signing a new contract keeping him at the club until 2030.
The striker has scored twice in the opening four league fixtures and had opportunities to add to that tally against Port Vale.
His long-term commitment also reflects Holloway’s ambition to retain important players and build a squad capable of competing.
Town recruited 15 new players over the summer, strengthening virtually every area of the squad. Anthony Munda has been among those to impress, while Mitch Clark’s long throws have provided another attacking threat.
Such significant turnover inevitably means players need time to develop an understanding of each other’s games.
“Do they know each other yet? No, they don’t,” Holloway said. “That’s a huge thing to work on.”
That lack of familiarity has been evident during an opening spell in which Town have sometimes impressed but also shown there is considerable work still to do. The defeat against Oldham provided perhaps the clearest example of those shortcomings.
But Holloway was encouraged by the response in the following match, when Town produced the aggressive performance he wants to see regularly.
“That was as good as we played since I’ve been here, in my opinion,” he said.
“We were aggressive. We got around people. We made it hard for them. We made it almost impossible for them, and we could have had four or five, six goals.”
He added:
“We passed it when we needed to. We went long when we needed to. We tackled when we needed to. We fought for it when we needed to.”
Producing that level of performance consistently is now one of the major challenges facing Holloway and his players. Injuries have also complicated the opening weeks, forcing the manager to change personnel and occasionally ask players to perform unfamiliar roles.
Several players were doubtful after Tuesday night’s match, while others are continuing their return towards full fitness. If those players return successfully, the size of Holloway’s squad could eventually prove important during the demanding latter stages of the season.
“We all know that we ran out of steam, and the strength in depth wasn’t good enough,” he said.
“Hopefully, we can prove to be stronger.”
One of the most encouraging individual developments has been the emergence of Louis Millard. The young Kenyan forward demonstrated pace and confidence on Tuesday night before producing a composed finish in Town’s 3-1 victory.
He has already made an impression on supporters at the County Ground, while Holloway wants the youngster to play with freedom and “cause havoc”.
“As long as he enjoys himself and he’s chasing like that, he’s going to be an absolute total utter headache for anybody who’s playing against him,” he said.
“He just needs to be him, and the fans love him like that.”
“He’s one of our own.”
Holloway has not yet settled on exactly how Millard will be used as the season develops. He could provide competition for Drinan, play alongside him or continue to offer an explosive option from the bench, with Holloway describing him as “a wonderful card to have in your top pocket”.
There remain plenty of reasons for caution after only four league matches. Town have injuries to manage and a substantially rebuilt squad still developing the understanding needed to produce consistent performances.
Our sports reporter Ian Howard said:
“There is a lot to be optimistic and hopeful about. There are clear areas for improvement, particularly the strength of the back line, but I’m quietly confident we will see improvements in strength, confidence and results as we move into winter.”
But there is attacking quality, increased depth and young talent capable of challenging more established players. There have also been encouraging glimpses of the energetic and aggressive football Holloway wants his team to play.
“If some of my lads can do what they did the other evening, in the way that they did it again on Saturday, then people might start to believe that we might have a real chance,” he said.
After the disappointment of last season, nobody at the County Ground will be getting carried away with the early signs. But seven points from the opening four matches, coupled with flashes of exciting football, provide grounds for optimism about what Holloway’s rebuilt side could become.
For supporters yet to see the new-look team in action, the manager’s message is simple.
“If you haven’t got anything to do on Saturday, get yourself down here. I think it’s well worth it.”
