Northampton Town: Boss Aidy satisfied with start
Cobblers V Crewe Alexandra. Arron Davies, Adebayo Akinfenwa and Saido Berahino celebrating Akinfenwa's goal.
AIDY BOOTHROYD saluted the Cobblers for giving him ‘their all’ in his first game in charge at the club.
For a gallery of photos from the game click Cobblers Vs Crew
Town drew 1-1 with Crewe Alexandra at Sixfields, with Adebayo Akinfenwa bagging his eighth goal of the season in a much-improved performance.
The result edges the club a point further away from the npower League Two bottom two – with the gap now four points – but extends their winless streak to 10 games.
Boothroyd was pleased with the first-half display of his new team, which saw the side play an uptempo pressing game, and although he conceded they faded after the interval, he was pleased with their overall commitment.
“When a new manager comes in, and it doesn’t matter who it is, there is always a little lift,” he said. “But the players have shown me they can do it for 45 minutes.
“Next we’ve got to get them to do it for an hour, then we’ll get it for 90 minutes and then we’ll start getting it for two or three games, that’s the plan.
“It is going to take time and we’ve got some tough games coming up, and then we’ll get to January and maybe make some changes. But the players gave their all on Saturday and that is all any manager can ask for so that was really positive.”
Boothroyd made some eye-catching changes to the team, with John Johnson employed as a holding central midfielder in a 4-3-3 formation and 16-year-old scholar Lewis Hornby named among the substitutes.
The most obvious change effected by the new man in charge, though, was a noticeable improvement in the team’s energy levels, even if they did flag in the second half.
Boothroyd has told supporters such commitment is a cornerstone of his coaching philosophy.
“Everybody wants to see effort and if I was paying to watch a game I’d want to see that as well,” he said. “If somebody was throwing one in and not working hard then I’d be disappointed, but my teams have always worked hard.
“I expect everybody to work hard whether they play well or not. Everybody can run and that’s a prerequisite that I’ve always demanded. If a player doesn’t give me that then they won’t play.”
Email to a friend
Print this page- BREAKING NEWS: Tributes paid to Niamh Curry as brave five-year-old loses battle against cancer
- BREAKING NEWS: Pensioner dies after collision at Northampton shopping centre
- Man tied to tree and beaten on Northampton Racecourse
- BREAKING NEWS: Woman’s body found after ‘suicide’ in Northampton hotel room
- BREAKING NEWS: Seven-year-old boy dies following house fire in Northamptonshire
- Staff strike at Northampton school over academy plans forces closure
- Northampton binmen at ‘breaking point’
- Saints’ stadium plans get support as long as traffic issues solved
- Eastern European pupils helping school standards across Northampton
- Exclusive: PM David Cameron says Northamptonshire Police Commissioner role is “a big job for a big local figure”
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northampton
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 2 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
mygate10
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 04:21 PMnice to hear a manager make positive comments about his team. keep up the good work, safty here we come!!!!!
manicred
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 10:01 AMA much improved performance from the whole team produced a well deserved point. Crewe probably edged the second half and were worth their equaliser - under the previous regime we would then have probably conceded at least two more so overall a positive start for Aidy Boothroyd and for that we should be grateful. Fingers crossed for next Saturday at Oxford - another point there and that would give us the confidence to overcome hardworking Burton Albion on Boxing Day.
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.