Calderwood blames other factors, not application, for Cardiff thrashing
Colin Calderwood does not agree with the suggestion that a shortage of application was to blame for Saturday's heavy defeat at Cardiff, instead he pointed to a lack of ‘football intelligence’.
That was the accusation from many unhappy Cobblers supporters who saw their team wilt in the Welsh sunshine, but Calderwood believes there were other factors that played a bigger role in the chasm between the sides.
"In terms of distance covered, the game on Saturday was in the top dozen games over the season so that answers that one,” he said. “But in terms of spatial awareness and individual moments where you can run back quicker, you'll find those moments even in games that we have won. Every individual will have a moment or a clip where they don't look 100 per cent on it.
"When we debriefed this morning, there was a moment where we expected Sam Hoskins to run forward but the previous 15 seconds had been him going from the opposition penalty spot, to the edge of our box and then back to pressing the ball again. Someone else should have been there to make the run forward.
"If you go on total distance, Saturday’s game was up there, but the application was not mirrored by football intelligence and technical excellence in enough moments, and that’s when you get worn down. If you then go to sleep in the box and make mistakes, like not following your man or not blocking a shot or not getting back into shape, you fall short. The defending of our box really has to be so, so different because it’s just repeated mistakes.”
Previewing the final two games of the season, against Barnsley tonight and Plymouth on Saturday, Calderwood added: "We'll persevere with everyone in the last two games of the season and we'll have a right go on Tuesday night. We have to show clear improvement and that'll be tough for a lot of the boys. It's a question of our application on Saturday and Tuesday.
"It's a horrible moment but these are moments all players have in their careers. You remember these moments and you sometimes wonder how you got there but I think it's a good soul searching time to flush everything out, roll your sleeves up and start again.
"The attitude, the determination and the application and aggression from the group will get the fans onside wherever you are and wherever you sit in the table and that’s what we need this week.”