“People I trust” - Swindon Town: Ian Holloway factor will be key in January | OneFootball

Swindon Town FC manager Ian Holloway has promised to leverage his vast network of contacts to help bring in the right players this January.

Changes in the backroom staff at Swindon Town have meant that manager Ian Holloway will be taking the lead during the upcoming January transfer window, as he hopes to bring in some experience as his team continues to struggle near the foot of League Two – despite two wins in a row allaying immediate anxiety within the fan base.

Jamie Russell, Town's Head of Football who was promoted to the post back in July 2023, is on his way to Salford City, where he will be replacing Chris Casper as Sporting Director.

Russell initially worked on recruitment alongside Michael Flynn and was involved in the running of the academy, but recent struggles on the field have led some fans to question whether Russell's decision-making in the transfer market was up to scratch for a side with one of the biggest budgets in the League.

Ian Holloway to lead transfer dealings

It seems as though Town, for the moment anyway, have no plans to replace Russell. It seems the board has decided to hand the keys of the coffer to Holloway, whose vast experience in the Football League and extensive list of contacts could come in handy this January.

Chairman Clem Morfani, who is under real pressure from fans due to the running of the club and lacklustre performances on the pitch this season, has stated that he believes Holloway's experience and the management team in place is more than enough to get the club through what is surely one of its most important transfer windows since its relegation to League Two back in 2021, according to the Swindon Advertiser.

Ian Holloway's transfer promise

Holloway himself, in his usual tone of comedic eccentricity, highlighted the significance of the upcoming window and the implications it will have for the rest of the season.

Crucially, he has publicly promised to leverage his vast network of contacts to make sure Town bring in the right players to help them secure their position in the Football League.

He said to the Swindon Advertiser: “Imagine the contacts that I have got with agents and at other football clubs. They are sending me lists and lists and lists of players coming from all around the world and the stats to show it.

"I am passing that over to people who I have worked with for years who know exactly what I want because I have already told them. The scouting network that I have had for years, I am asking them to come down a couple of notches to see if they can look at these people for me and help me with that.

"That is happening right now. We are in the process of identifying individuals. They will do that for me and show me the best players that they think I would like – and they better all be available as otherwise I will kill them. I haven’t got time to run down any foxholes and not find a rabbit.”

Hope for Swindon Town push up the table in 2025

Recent victories against Fleetwood Town and Wycombe Wanderers, in the Vertu Trophy, have calmed the nerves among a fan base becoming more and more irate at the club's performances.

Holloway's tactical simplification seems to have steadied the ship, and with experienced players like Ollie Clarke back in the side, there may yet be hope for a real push up the table in the new year. If the manager is able to bring in the right profiles, there is no reason why the team can't ensure its league survival.