Wigan horror show was one abject performance too many for Keith Curle

In the end, it was one abject performance too many that ultimately signalled the end of Keith Curle's 28-month reign as Cobblers manager.

The 57-year-old was relieved of his duties by chairman Kelvin Thomas on Wednesday afternoon, just hours after Town were beaten in hopelessly inept fashion at home to relegation rivals Wigan Athletic.

Curle departs Northampton with the club languishing 23rd in League One having collected just one win across their last 10 league matches and seemingly on a one-way street back to the fourth tier.

The pressure was mounting, fans were angry and Thomas felt the need to take decisive and drastic action, appointing Jon Brady on a caretaker basis with support from club legends Ian Sampson and Marc Richards.

Why has Thomas made this decision now? As ever, there were many factors to consider. But beyond poor results and the lowly league position, there must have been two things of particular concern for Town's hierarchy: the stark lack of goals, and the alarming regularity of those so-called unacceptable and inexcusable performances which were beginning to tot up on Curle's watch.

The struggles in front of goal have been well-documented and it was something Thomas referenced in his reasons for taking this decision.

Town are the lowest scorers in the division with just 20 goals from 26 games and it's not as if they are missing a hatful of chances every week. They are not even creating those chances in the first place and that has always been a major worry.

Cobblers scored only three goals in seven games in October, then managed three in six games in December and are currently on a run of one in six. They have also failed to score in nine of their 13 home matches this season. If anything it is getting worse, not better, and that's all despite Curle recruiting his top targets in January, although admittedly he has not had much time to work with them.

Fans can accept a relegation battle. In fact, it was to be somewhat expected this season given the circumstances. Most fans can also tolerate and understand the need to play pragmatic football providing it brings results and there are promises of better things to come.

Unfortunately for Curle, he landed on that dreaded and often fatal combination: poor results and poor football and that was his ultimate undoing at the Cobblers.

And what was it with those utterly indefensible performances? We're not just talking off days and disappointing defeats here, it was the occasional horror show that almost always meant one step forward was followed by three back.

You thought it couldn’t get any worse than their FA Cup humiliation at the hands of non-league Oxford City, but only a month later they were spanked 4-0 by then out-of-form Oxford United, prompting Curle to hold a 90-minute dressing room inquest.

Four days later, his side were thumped by the same margin on home soil, with Lincoln City this time profiting from Northampton’s generosity.

To his credit, Curle followed it with better performances and encouraging results, taking four points from games against Sunderland and Gillingham and earning plaudits for improved displays on the road to Lincoln, Fleetwood and Accrington.

But then came Tuesday's alarming home loss to Wigan, their fourth truly abject display in the space of four months and, in some ways, the worst of the lot.

This was a big game at a big time against terribly out-of-form opposition who were missing key players and, supposedly, low on confidence having lost back-to-back matches to fellow relegation rivals.

You could tell that on the night, too. It was not as if Wigan rolled up at the PTS and took the game by the scruff of the neck. They created a very early chance for Will Keane but never really looked like scoring thereafter, that was until they were gifted the winner.

Three crucial and potentially decisive points were there for the taking.

And yet right from the get-go, Town were woefully out-of-sorts. They never imposed themselves on the contest and never tried take the game to their visitors. They were disjointed and cautious and did not manage a single shot on target across the 90 minutes, allowing Wigan to keep just their fifth clean sheet of the campaign.

When Curle spoke afterwards, having kept his players in the dressing room for an hour, he lamented their lack of 'fight' and inability to do the 'basics'. Whilst that is true, it was far from the only problem.

Their play was devoid of any cohesion or structure. Going direct or playing long can be effective, as Town have proven at times over the last 18 months, but you still need your players to sing from the same hymn sheet.

There were times on Tuesday when Town's midfield was playing in a different postcode to the two front men. Ryan Edmondson and Danny Rose worked hard and ran the channels but the service into them was non-existent.

Shaun McWilliams and Jack Sowerby were outnumbered and overrun in the middle, which meant Cobblers could never get any control of the game and often resorted to firing long, aimless balls forward. Even when Bryn Morris and Ryan Watson were introduced at half-time, the same problem persisted. A change of shape was required. Yet it never came.

It was surprising that Curle veered away from 4-3-3 when it worked so impressively at Lincoln. Yes, the loss of Mickel Miller changed things somewhat, but Town had a pleasing balance to their play and the midfield trio of Morris, McWilliams and Sowerby worked nicely. In every game since, Curle started with three at the back.

That stubbornness frustrated supporters and it all came to a head on Tuesday with a performance that provided the straw to break the camel's back for many, including Thomas. Within 24 hours, Curle's departure had been confirmed.

But whilst the news will please the majority of supporters, it is also a great shame.

Curle handled himself with class and dignity throughout his time at Northampton and he leaves behind many fond memories, from a thrilling FA Cup run to last summer's spectacular play-off success that earned him his first promotion as a manager.

Let us not forget the position Northampton were in when Curle took over, either. The club had been in freefall, just coming off a relegation and lying 22nd in League Two on a run of one win in 12 games.

He stabilised things, slashed the wage bill and then of course delivered that famous night at Wembley. At a time when many were struggling with everyday life, those 90 wonderful minutes counted for an awful lot. Thanks for the memories, KC!