Swindon Town Declares Interest in Having A Reliable Striker

Head coach of Swindon Town Mark Kennedy has stated that he hopes to bring in striker Kabongo Tshimanga from Peterborough United on a loan for the upcoming campaign.

This past weekend, the former Lincoln City manager’s Swindon team earned a draw against League Two newcomers Chesterfield by relying on a goal from their lone on-target attempt. Ironically, Tshimanga rose to prominence with Chesterfield prior to moving to Posh.

Kennedy said that Swindon had attempted to sign the 27-year-old, who in just 53 games for the Spireities between 2021 and 2023, scored 33 goals.

“We would be thrilled to have him,” Kennedy, a former League Two coach at Macclesfield, stated. “I don’t see the point in hiding that; we would like to bring him in if we could.”

We must be among those who are observing him because he has a fantastic goal scoring record and has brought in a sizable sum of money.

Like any good attackers, we are 100% in for him if he is available. I have no idea what has transpired there, and it is none of my business. We truly enjoy him as a person.

The interest is not new per se; reporter Pete O’Rourke previously revealed the Robins were considering a loan deal for the midfielder. However, Kennedy’s confirmation—he leads his team against Crawley in the League Cup tonight evening—is the first of its kind.

As is usual for players heading into their last season with Posh, the striker is on the transfer list at London Road. Tshimanga, who has made 325 senior appearances and scored 138 goals, has recently battled with form. During his 20 games on loan at Fleetwood last season, he only managed two goals. He has not scored in 13 appearances for Posh. In a second loan stint towards the end of the season, he did, however, score four goals in six games for Boreham Wood as they attempted to stay in the National League.

A player simply cannot step up sometimes. Ricky Miller of the National League is a prime example of a player who excels at the fifth tier but is unable to move above. Britt Assombalonga and Dwight Gayle are two outstanding examples in the Championship. That entire group of strikers has come through Peterborough.

The strange one is Tshimanga. Despite having all the necessary skills—pace, slight strength, and an excellent eye for goal—he has not been successful in the Football League. He has excelled at the bottom of the pyramid, exhibiting prolific tendencies at Oxford City, Boreham Wood, and Boston, but he hasn’t performed well in the EFL.

Kennedy’s claim that Tshimanga has a “great goalscoring record” is arbitrary because, for the most part, those goals have come from a division or two below Swindon’s current position. Additionally, any striker will struggle to score goals if Kennedy’s teams continue to provide low xG, as they did at Lincoln and in his first game at Swindon.