Post-Match Thread and Ratings Northampton Town 3-1 Southend United

Barling Magna said:

[QUOTE He is a good manager, but his character has always rubbed certain of our supporters up the wrong way.Yes, I agree, although I think he seems rather depressed now and disenchanted with the players he's brought in. He's relied on their Premiership experience and they have by and large let him down. I would urge him to put his faith in Wabo and maybe one or two more of the youngsters. Use White and Timlin as the experienced heads because they both give 100%. He needs to shake himself down, take a look in the mirror and convince himself that this is the job that he wants and that he'll enjoy the challenge of keeping us in the division. He also needs to be very careful indeed who he gets to join us in the January window. Brown IS a good manager at this level, but can he rekindle the fire......?

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rigsby said:

For those that would like to escape some of the other threads for a little light relief.... here goes.

The omens weren't good after last weeks events and after a some change of plans, cars and other hurdles, including no full monty in the Attic we did make it to TFI Fridays (Its close to their ground) in good time. So our mood went up a few levels.

Most agreed with the side the only debate was could Timlin have started but it was a positive selection. Opening moments were even. Until they had a free-kick. If you remember last season the ref spotted a foul that never was and red carded JD. Well this season in almost the same place the ref doesn't see John-Jo- the-Tool haul down Turner. After its bundled off the line, young Harry smashes it against one of their lads and I think JJT gets the finest of touches to add to our list of bizarre, especially first goals, to concede this season.

At this point the main group of the younger lads behind our goal immediately turn on Brown but it was obviously coming. Not sure how a Brown out banner inspires your own team as they jog out, in fact there are a few amongst them, like Wordsworth, who don't need any excuse to have a day off.

That said and with very little encouragement the team did rally themselves and win a penalty. I have seen it on the TV and it looks a bit 50/50. But from behind the goal there was a clear space and there lad was never going to win the ball so it ended up looking like a head butt. If you notice their players know full well its pen. Their keeper kept saying and pointing to Demi that he knew where it was going (keepers left). Demi sends him the wrong way and there was a nice professional moment when after the celebrations Demi jogged over, smile and says something and the keeper gave a thumbs up.

From then on we had our best spell. If there Is one thing I have learnt from watching L1, it is this. No team dominates any game for 90 minutes, so when you do have a good 20, you have to make it count. We of course often don't. There were the usual three big sins......Overpassing in the final 3rd.....Not enough quality on the final ball....Failing to test the keeper with a shot on target.

Second half had barely begun before they get that pen. Coker should have easily cleared the ball but as he often does he would rather play his own team mate in trouble than have a precious pass completion stat go against him.

At this stage I was walking back to my seat so was right near the action. The Northampton 'boys' gather down in that corner so when I saw the foul and with the roar of their crowd and a lino furiously waving, I was convinced I'd heard a whistle. Harry has come in for stick for yesterdays performance but I can't see what he dome wrong. He just stands his ground.....Certainly doesn't stick a leg out, grab the player or even step in his way for some old fashioned obstruction. No matter the ref gave it and perhaps there was a touch of I'd better even it up.

Ox made a good effort but it was struck hard enough. From then on they got on top. Our weak area was of course the mid-field. Apart from the obvious man missing the Dru /Woody combo struggled. Dru played more defensive as did Woody but without to much of the defensive bit. So rather than one attacking one covering we had two men in no mans land. Kightly showed some nice touches but again overcomplicated things. Yes some of those cute disguised balls fool the defence....the problem is, they fool our forwards at the same time.

I thought it was correct option to bring on Timlin and McG as we were simple not going to create anything if you cant keep or win possession anywhere in Mid-field. Obviously some our fans needed no excuse and were enjoying singing along with their lot 'sacked in the morning' etc.

If your wondering why they broke so easy and the likes of Turner were nowhere to be seen while another ex scored the 3rd....Well we had a free-kick in a good area and what do we do.....Well go on youtube and watch that Bury game where Lenny does the tackle of the season at the start. Same player makes a mess of it, only this time there is no Lenny to cover.

Game management by so called professional players....2-1 down late in the game and with your CB who is actually a threat in their box and you do that.....First offence should be a fine of 2 weeks wages....Second offence the culprit should be forced to run the gauntlet.....with every player, including down to under 8's at the club, forced to take part.

So after the week we have just had that game was always going to be tuff. We didn't play well going forward and its obvious we will be looking to address that situation this week.

For what its worth if I was chairman I would not be looking to spend any money this January regardless of who is managing the team. That would be much better spent in the summer because there will be others I would not be looking to keep in my club. No I don't think we will go down but we certainly need to freshen things up.

Yes we made an honourable decision not to have loanees in and give our young lads a chance. Which was a decision that was overwhelmingly called for and backed by the fans......Now is the time due to a multitude of reasons to bring in at least 3 lads that can play comfortably at this level immediately......I would look to shop as high as possible and do a deal where against the normal SUFC protocol, I would guarantee a striker and a mid-fielder, even two of them a starting place because there is not one of the outfield players after the departure of Lenny who could argue with that.....If they did they can train with the under 18's until their release in the summer.

Now we do have a man who could arrange that sort of deal but due to the current outrage by some of our fans that will be a difficult task ahead. Still lets all chill out, enjoy a Sunday roast with the family and save some venom because there will be more news in the next week... Which will I'm sure anger some, disappoint others and bring bundles of joy to a few.

Yours in honest faith as always....Rigsby.
.

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rigsby said:

For those that would like to escape some of the other threads for a little light relief.... here goes.

The omens weren't good after last weeks events and after a some change of plans, cars and other hurdles, including no full monty in the Attic we did make it to TFI Fridays (Its close to their ground) in good time. So our mood went up a few levels.

Most agreed with the side the only debate was could Timlin have started but it was a positive selection. Opening moments were even. Until they had a free-kick. If you remember last season the ref spotted a foul that never was and red carded JD. Well this season in almost the same place the ref doesn't see John-Jo- the-Tool haul down Turner. After its bundled off the line, young Harry smashes it against one of their lads and I think JJT gets the finest of touches to add to our list of bizarre, especially first goals, to concede this season.

At this point the main group of the younger lads behind our goal immediately turn on Brown but it was obviously coming. Not sure how a Brown out banner inspires your own team as they jog out, in fact there are a few amongst them, like Wordsworth, who don't need any excuse to have a day off.

That said and with very little encouragement the team did rally themselves and win a penalty. I have seen it on the TV and it looks a bit 50/50. But from behind the goal there was a clear space and there lad was never going to win the ball so it ended up looking like a head butt. If you notice their players know full well its pen. Their keeper kept saying and pointing to Demi that he knew where it was going (keepers left). Demi sends him the wrong way and there was a nice professional moment when after the celebrations Demi jogged over, smile and says something and the keeper gave a thumbs up.

From then on we had our best spell. If there Is one thing I have learnt from watching L1, it is this. No team dominates any game for 90 minutes, so when you do have a good 20, you have to make it count. We of course often don't. There were the usual three big sins......Overpassing in the final 3rd.....Not enough quality on the final ball....Failing to test the keeper with a shot on target.

Second half had barely begun before they get that pen. Coker should have easily cleared the ball but as he often does he would rather play his own team mate in trouble than have a precious pass completion stat go against him.

At this stage I was walking back to my seat so was right near the action. The Northampton 'boys' gather down in that corner so when I saw the foul and with the roar of their crowd and a lino furiously waving, I was convinced I'd heard a whistle. Harry has come in for stick for yesterdays performance but I can't see what he dome wrong. He just stands his ground.....Certainly doesn't stick a leg out, grab the player or even step in his way for some old fashioned obstruction. No matter the ref gave it and perhaps there was a touch of I'd better even it up.

Ox made a good effort but it was struck hard enough. From then on they got on top. Our weak area was of course the mid-field. Apart from the obvious man missing the Dru /Woody combo struggled. Dru played more defensive as did Woody but without to much of the defensive bit. So rather than one attacking one covering we had two men in no mans land. Kightly showed some nice touches but again overcomplicated things. Yes some of those cute disguised balls fool the defence....the problem is, they fool our forwards at the same time.

I thought it was correct option to bring on Timlin and McG as we were simple not going to create anything if you cant keep or win possession anywhere in Mid-field. Obviously some our fans needed no excuse and were enjoying singing along with their lot 'sacked in the morning' etc.

If your wondering why they broke so easy and the likes of Turner were nowhere to be seen while another ex scored the 3rd....Well we had a free-kick in a good area and what do we do.....Well go on youtube and watch that Bury game where Lenny does the tackle of the season at the start. Same player makes a mess of it, only this time there is no Lenny to cover.

Game management by so called professional players....2-1 down late in the game and with your CB who is actually a threat in their box and you do that.....First offence should be a fine of 2 weeks wages....Second offence the culprit should be forced to run the gauntlet.....with every player, including down to under 8's at the club, forced to take part.

So after the week we have just had that game was always going to be tuff. We didn't play well going forward and its obvious we will be looking to address that situation this week.

For what its worth if I was chairman I would not be looking to spend any money this January regardless of who is managing the team. That would be much better spent in the summer because there will be others I would not be looking to keep in my club. No I don't think we will go down but we certainly need to freshen things up.

Yes we made an honourable decision not to have loanees in and give our young lads a chance. Which was a decision that was overwhelmingly called for and backed by the fans......Now is the time due to a multitude of reasons to bring in at least 3 lads that can play comfortably at this level immediately......I would look to shop as high as possible and do a deal where against the normal SUFC protocol, I would guarantee a striker and a mid-fielder, even two of them a starting place because there is not one of the outfield players after the departure of Lenny who could argue with that.....If they did they can train with the under 18's until their release in the summer.

Now we do have a man who could arrange that sort of deal but due to the current outrage by some of our fans that will be a difficult task ahead. Still lets all chill out, enjoy a Sunday roast with the family and save some venom because there will be more news in the next week... Which will I'm sure anger some, disappoint others and bring bundles of joy to a few.

Yours in honest faith as always....Rigsby.
.

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mfurok said:

What the majority of Blues fans who were at the game probably didn't see (I was on the half way line) was that the Tool should definitely have been sent off very early in the game for deliberately kicking Demitriou on the back of the leg right by the touch line when they were attacking. That would have made it a very different game.

Interestingly JD exacted his revenge on the Tool shortly afterwards and avoided a certain booking, probably because the referee had by then realised his error.

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LBBlue said:

Exactly as Glenn Pennyfather saw it - and said so in the commentary.
Both penalties looked joke decisions.

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mfurok said:

From my angle ours looked a definite penalty as the defender appeared to unnecessarily barge SM off the ball.

For their penalty it looked to be their attacker throwing himself at Harry and I was amazed at the decision.

Again, small margins.

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mfurok said:

Spot on re their penalty, the Coker analysis, the substitutions and your previous comments about the pitch hindering our ability to borrow promising youngsters.

Re the loanees, all of the Cobblers fans I spoke to were concerned about the number of loanees in their team. They were concerned that the loanees wouldn't be too bothered if Northampton were relegated because they wouldn't be there next season.

What the majority of Blues fans who were at the game probably didn't see (I was on the half way line) was that the Tool should definitely have been sent off very early in the game for deliberately kicking Demitriou on the back of the leg right by the touch line when they were attacking. That would have made it a very different game.

Interestingly JD exacted his revenge on the Tool shortly afterwards and avoided a certain booking, probably because the referee had by then realised his error.

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greyerfox said:

This could be Another Surrey Shrimper style tour of the rail network from Diss to Northampton via Euston (was that OBL on the train from Euston?) but I will save you that.

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greyerfox said:

Until Dru was withdrawn, PB spent much of the time bellowing his trademark bark at the lad, much to the amusement of the home crowd. But it is right to say that Dru's first touch was off, but then so much of our play fell well below the standards which the watching RM must have been dreaming of when he allowed PB to bring in certain players in the summer.

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mfurok said:

Spot on re their penalty, the Coker analysis, the substitutions and your previous comments about the pitch hindering our ability to borrow promising youngsters.

Re the loanees, all of the Cobblers fans I spoke to were concerned about the number of loanees in their team. They were concerned that the loanees wouldn't be too bothered if Northampton were relegated because they wouldn't be there next season.

What the majority of Blues fans who were at the game probably didn't see (I was on the half way line) was that the Tool should definitely have been sent off very early in the game for deliberately kicking Demitriou on the back of the leg right by the touch line when they were attacking. That would have made it a very different game.

Interestingly JD exacted his revenge on the Tool shortly afterwards and avoided a certain booking, probably because the referee had by then realised his error.

Click to expand...

LBBlue said:

Exactly as Glenn Pennyfather saw it - and said so in the commentary.
Both penalties looked joke decisions.

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