Hasselbaink wary of 'fluent and free' Oldham, but expects Cobblers to create chances

Jimmy floyd Hasselbaink is expecting a '˜fluent and free' Oldham Athletic to cause the Cobblers problems when the two teams meet at Boundary Park on Saturday.
Cobblers boss Jimmy Floyd HasselbainkCobblers boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Cobblers boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

But the Town boss believes the way the Latics play will also offer his team the chance to wreak some attacking havoc of their own.

The Cobblers travel to Greater Manchester knowing a win will see them move to a point behind their 18th-placed hosts, and despite the fact his team is on a five-match winless and scoreless run, Hasselbaink is staying positive.

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Oldham is a team that is very fluent and unorthodox,” said the Cobblers boss.

“They don’t have a set way, they play very fluent and free, and that gives a big problem, where we have to be right with our organisation and with our platform.

“Then on the other hand, that gives you an opportunity when the other team is like that, there are little holes you have to explore and try to hurt them in those situations. We will be looking at those things.”

The Cobblers are currently third bottom in league one, having not won or scored since November 11.

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Anxiety is growing among the club’s followers, particularly about the lack of goals in the team, and although Hasselbaink is conscious of the team’s precarious position, he is staying calm.

“Of course you are looking at the table, and you are conscious of where you are, and it is hard work,” said the Town manager. “But we need to improve, we need to try to stop these kind of spells and be more consistent in the good things.

“We need to carry on with good habits, and are too up and down at the moment. We need to try to stay level for a longer time, and from that level to try to improve.

“It is all about little steps, and if we do that we should be fine.

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“The league is tight, but I think if you look at all of the clubs everybody is very close to each other, and it’s the little details that win matches.

“We have to make sure we get the little details right, and if we do that as a team then we will have every chance of winning football matches.”