Cobblers FanStand: Back to square one for Cobblers
Cobblers V Southend United, football action. Southend scoring a goal.
Dayn Freeman: So, just when we all thought that it was safe to go back into the water, and there just might be a small chink of light at the end of a very long tunnel, what happens?
Back to square one apparently, with one of the worst performances under Aidy Boothroyd’s reign.
Had Saturday afternoon’s shambles continued for another 10 minutes or so, then the Sixfields crowd would certainly have experienced the Shrewsbury factor all over again.
So what on earth is going wrong with this team that over the last few matches gave the impression that the corner had been turned, with some vastly improved performances?
Answer, how long’s a piece of string? Leading Southend at half-time, the Town capsized big time in the last 10 to 15 minutes with such a lethargic display it became an embarrassment to witness.
I thought that AB had plugged a few defensive holes, but how wrong can I be, with the supply of crosses going into the Cobblers box in the last half hour or so, more regular than the starlings gorging themselves on my bird table during this cold snap!
Southend were effectively scoring at will in the final 10 minutes.
So, let’s all take a break, stand back, and look a the far bigger picture that has put this club so close to non-League football.
Yes, I will still protract the issue that AB is still clearing up the mess that was left by Gary Johnson, and we all realise that Rome was not built in a day, so agreeably it will take time to sort this debacle out and get the Town moving in the right direction.
But, and this is a massive but, time is running out!
AB has only 20 games to turn this whole ship around, and after his first seven games in charge and only one win, it’s not rocket science to see where the Town will be come May 5.
So why, with the finance that again has been wonderfully supported by the Cardoza family, a squad of players of whom a small percentage are useful, wonderful support from the hardcore claret diehards, good facilities that possibly some league one outfits would appreciate, are we in this terrible situation?
Yes, I do seem to be repeating myself, and the reason why is because I genuinely cannot see an answer, a solution, a reason, a pattern, a thought or any concrete structure that will save this club from non-League football.
We are odds-on with all the major bookmakers to be relegated, and after all my years of watching and supporting this great club, I cannot argue against that.
It saddens me greatly that come early May the final nail will be hammered into the coffin of Northampton Town Football Club, in existence since 1897, but now for the first time in their glorious history, moving into the unknown. Yes, we can all pray for miracles, but time is so short, and Barnet, who are our visitors this Saturday, will fancy their chances very strongly to take home all three points, and if that happens, then the first nail is well and truly hammered in!
Keep strong, keep the support and never give up ‘till the Fat Lady sings’, but more importantly, let’s all face the truth!
Lee Wade
I think I’ve been in denial these last few weeks and I’m not talking about the long Egyptian river.
I have been feeling positive about Aidy Boothroyd turning things around and masterminding the victories to propel us up the league, and not really considering the fact that we are in a relegation dogfight.
Well I think I’m starting to realise that we really are in the thick of a battle to avoid the dreaded drop into the world of non-league football. A world that would be very difficult to adjust to and to get out of.
I have seen enough positive signs under AB to suggest we will be okay, but without stating the blindingly obvious we need to string together some results.
Have we got that in us?
This club has been in a rut since March last year.
A club that goes 18 games without a win one season and then one win in 15 games the following season is ripe for the drop. Performances have improved immeasurably under AB but we now need to get more wins on the board.
We need to narrow the gap on the the likes of Hereford, Barnet, Bradford and get as many teams in the mix as possible.
Saturday’s game with Barnet probably falls under the must-win umbrella.
However this game alone will not decide our fate.
Looking at the upcoming fixtures we have some more winnable looking games, and by the time we go to Crawley on February 18 the table could look a whole lot different.
We have to take it one game at a time though, starting with Barnet. And if we battle hard, rough them up a bit, defend for 95 minutes, get our attacking players on the ball and get a slice of luck and some more favourable refereeing decisions, we can beat them and take more confidence into the next game.
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Comments
There are 6 comments to this article
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lady muck
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 10:57 AMLook at all the ex-League teams in BS Prem...getting in is easy. Getting out......
MK Cobbler
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 08:13 AMIt is very clear that many of the starting 11 are not good enough. AB needs another 'keeper and centre back as an urgent priority. Unconvinced about Johnson in midfield. 20 games on paper and more than enough points available to get up the table but soon it will be 10 and where will we be then?
PATTCOBB2
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 08:51 PMI honestly feel like there's a "Conference next year won't be too bad" stream running through the club including fans and players. Well I can assure everyone it wil be. The worrying thing is that the players have plenty of effort but they just are not good enough.
Marvo
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 05:52 PMDestiny? Fate? What will be will be. I'm afraid that's what it will come down to. I've been watching football long enough now to know that sometimes the gods turn against you and when that happens there's not a lot you can do about it, just ride it out and hope things turn. We haven't gone back to square one, we never left there in the first place. The players confidence is shot, they have conceded late goals and lost games so many times now it's expected. You can see it in their body language, you can see it in the faces of the supporters. We all knew what was the likely outcome once Southend equalised and lets be honest, it had been coming for most of the second half. HOWEVER at 2-2 the Shrimpers keeper made a great save from a Jacobs free kick. He never got close to the Harding free kick that hit the inside of the left hand post at such an angle that it went out for a goalkick on the other side of the goal. Berahino was a whisker away from converting another Jacobs crossshot and then to rub salt in the wound the goalkeeper got away with a real howler when completely missing the ball when trying to clear only to turn and see the ball roll the wrongside of the post. We could have been 6-2 up and had it been us at the top of the table and Southend fighting for their very existance then I guess we would have been. But that's not how it works, in football or in life. We have to persevere, we have to hope the tide turns, we have to build back our shattered confidence. We are quite capable of beating Barnet but that doesn't mean we will. Maybe it's just our turn?
.~* JEZ *~.
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 04:46 PMMr Sod eh? Just remember the old fable, "The harder I work the luckier I get"
Ictis
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 02:58 PMI think we should start expecting losses & draws from all the games we think are winnable & surprisingly good results against teams we've given up hope of getting for any points from. The Cobblers are often contrary, also it points to the team confidence thing. Pressure off & they play without the fear as they expect nothing, pressure on & it's out the window goes the the composure for the full 90 minutes. It's certainly true that Mr. Sod visits the teams at the bottom, what can go wrong goes wrong. Whereas other teams higher up the league ride out the errors Cobs errors end in goals against. Let's not forget in years gone by relegation wasn't considered until the last part of the season, not January! 20 games is enough, continually acting like the sky is going to fall in doesn't help anybody least of all team spirit. Also, there are so many ex league players & clubs with a ' league' team structure in 'non-league' football now that regarding it as un-enjoyable hoofball is foolish. It's proved a good forge for a number of clubs, forcing coaching back into the equation of improvement, rather than go out to try & buy success. Improve what you've got ateam of polished quartz lumps & the odd gem (Jacobs-like) often do better than one full of expensive rubies & that's because of coaching, not money.
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