The Hotel End

We are in a sorry mess on the pitch brought about by poor recruitment since Chris Wilder left.  We waited for last season's turgid displays to finish in expectation that JED would see the same inadequacies in the squad that we saw week in and week out.  We don't know if the present crop of players are JED's choice or hoisted on him by our invisible Head of Recruitment but whatever the explanation it is not working and we are in for a long hard depressing fight to stay in League 2, this after statements that we have a top half budget and expect to challenge for a play-off position bla, bla, bla.  In our dreams.

Something is badly wrong. How can we place dependency on goals from 2 strikers in their mid 30s and clearly not able to get past a defender yet alone put the ball in the back of the net?  How can we buy a clutch of midfielders none of whom has a tackle in him or the ability to make a telling pass? How can we field a side with such a glaring lack of pace and a complete inability to beat an opposition player with the fall at our player's feet?

What is Graham Carr's role beyond turning up at home matches.  He is most welcome but surely our former successful manager and Chief Scout of Spurs & Newcastle brings some ideas to the table?  But we are told nothing.  I could extend this to other aspects of the club but that would be going off topic connected though they may be.

For some reason the invisible man Melville was milling around the dugouts before the match yesterday - I’ve no idea why as this was the first time I have ever seen him at a match front of house so to speak.

On a training pitch you can play, pass and enjoy a knockabout with freedom and expression. What does this tell you about character when the whistle blows and a boot gets stuck in or a sharp elbow?
It will be the strength of characters that will help sort this out providing this is there. In previous years this is when signings like Jason Taylor, despite his footballing shortcomings, made a difference. Although short of fitness and a very likely yellow card, which was duly delivered and somewhat lucky to be a yellow,was what OToole brings to the party.

A simple game made complicated and that is what we are seeing. I thought Long was passed fit but nowhere yesterday. A central midfield with some talent need to be encouraged to break forward to stretch a defensive line to open opportunities behind if you play the smaller forwards. Floated balls are going nowhere except on the head of a dominant larger centre half.

Please don't expect Pierre to do anything with the ball at his feet except Row Z. He looks terrified of the ball.

A Freudian slip?!!  A fear that I will be writing the same thing this time next season.

How many of these player 'not performing' were brought in before and how many after the Chinese 'investment'. 
How many of those brought in before and given contracts wouldn't have been purchased, with an upgraded version sought, if the Chinese money had been known about from the start?

Poor signings:
Powell - pre-Chinese
Kasim - pre-Chinese
McGugan - post-Chinese (might be harsh but bloke isn't fit!)
Barnett - pre-Chinese

OK signings:
Bowditch - pre-Chinese
Waters - pre-Chinese
Pierre - post-Chinese

Good signings:
Poole - post-Chinese
Taylor - post-Chinese
Grimes - post-Chinese
Crooks - post-Chinese
Ingram - post-Chinese
Smith - pre-Chinese
Long - post-Chinese

Jury's out:
Foley
Coddington
Lobjoit

Think that is everyone, not sure if I've missed someone.

I wouldn't class Bowditch as an OK signing

Good list !
I would say Bowditch is in the poor signing category .
McGugan is in the “jury’s out” until fit , although quite why a pro footballer is that far off the standard is beyond me .
Personally I would put Pierre in the jury’s out category as well. Massive disappointment so far .
There have been no exceptional signings apart from Ingram.

Long has not done enough for me yet, not played enough games for a start. Best of a bad bunch up top though probably.

Jurys still out on Smith for me also.

I think there has been too much chopping and changing for players to establish themselves. Picked one week, dropped the next sometimes not even making the bench. I know injuries haven't helped but we really need to decide our best eleven and play it every week to give it a chance to gel.

Some players probably don't know if they're coming or going at the moment. Reflected in the performances.

That's going to be tough with a clueless manager and an even more clueless and totally disinterested chairman.

I get the impression that you don't like the manager or chairman?  ;D

Serious question do you think either of them are doing a good job.?

Serious reply: from what I can see from here, they are not.
That's judging the manager by the on field results and the chairman on off field progress but we are not aware of what,  if anything, is going on behind the scenes.
Both aspects are a major concern.

TBH it's got nothing to do with liking them although I do struggle with KT as he has a habit of talking down to everyone he meets, I actually think JFH is a we bit incompetent and KT wants out as I was told 6 months ago.

So we have seven good and three OK signings to add to Bucs, Maloney, JJ, McWilliams and Rico, all of whom I think can still do a job played in the right position/formation.
What's gone wrong?

Haha, that was my exact thoughts!

Hi. Having once spent my time travelling all over watching the Cobblers, I find myself now a part-timer and reader of this board. But I find the current mess something to write about.
It seems to me that bringing in two 30something forwards when we already had Richards was just plain dumb. As has been stated we now have an almost totally inept frontline. As for KT's "Mr Magic" in recruiting, well I am way less than impressed. And let it be said that many supporters at the clubs where Graham Carr was scout (man city, Newcastle etc) were very disappointed at his findings.
Sat was only my 2nd game this ssn, McGugan I feel could turn out to be a good player, but to stick him straight in after so long without playing just smacks of desperation.

I have never met KT so cannot comment on the man. I don't even recall hearing him speak!
JFH took over Burton following Gary Rowett when they were in a good place and he only had to continue in the same vein to be a success. QPR was a different proposition, mid table effectively taking over from 'club wrecker' Harry Redknapp and after the initial new manager bounce he struggled to get the best from a squad who were in the PL the previous season and was sacked when 17th after 11 months in charge having had the benefit of two transfer windows. Not much to suggest that he has the experience for our current situation?
Obviously we all hope that they both have a successful time with us but..... from what I can see, taking off my claret spectacles, l struggle to be at all confident.

He took over Burton in the playoffs and went up as champions in League 2. Left them top of league 1 I think?

Qpr had Chris Ramsey and then Neil Warnock after Harry Redknapp. Was different from the premiership team having lost effectively their entire first team squad upon relegation (Since JFH, they are only 1 point above where JFH left them).

Besides that... you are right that he has never been involved in a real relegation scrap. But he currently does have his hands tied with such poor attacking options available to him. The ones who actually look like scoring are currently injured.

He didn't have to do much with Burton, just carried on the motion set in place by Gary Rowett.
At QPR, Chris Ramsay suffered from the Harry Redknapp aftershock whilst Neil Warnock was only in post for less than a month.
JFH was sacked after 11 months, not being able to do anything about the situation despite having two transfer windows and funds available.

He will have at least one transfer window to put us right, I hope he does but as you have acknowledged his CV doesn't show a successful experience of this aspect of management previously.  I sincerely hope that he has learnt from his previous experiences for the good and benefit of NTFC.

Likewise. His persistence to insist on playing wingers no matter what (Hanley, Revell, Mcgugan, Crooks, Smith) is making me feel does have an inflexible nature. Unfortunately we have a JED squad of players much more suited to a wingback or a diamond formation.

January is absolutely key for all of us. I expect a winger to come in on loan on January 1st. Potentially another winger and a striker shortly after. No idea how many will be leaving.

Here's a starter for 10
Cornell
Pierre
Waters
Hanley
Powell
Bowditch
Richards
Revell
Hoskins ........

We had scout(s) watching the Villa/Newcastle U23 game last night, Jordan Lyden is one of interest.

We'll have had scouts watching every single 'high level' U23 matches since the moment JFH walked in. As soon as January comes around, I expect we'll have a winger signed.

A defensive midfield player?? Surely, we should be looking for wingers/strikers, we have enough midfield players already. If your information is correct of course?

I would think a club is always looking to improve every position, but yes we all know what we need. I'm just passing on info that I read from the Birmingham mail, I thought it would be of interest.

Are you sure about this list, at least 7 of them are ok as reserve players and some of them are even beginning to look good such as Powell.  Was this posted in haste?

I would take the following off that list, for various reasons (good enough for first team squad, good backup etc).
Cornell
Pierre
Waters
Powell
Richards
Hoskins

Precisely - Good judgement

Thing is most of us have terrible judgement because we only see it in context here, in player combinations here and under managers and coaches here.

Anyone here thought Jordan Archer would be getting regular MOM awards in the championship?

Anybody have an opinion on this?

http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/11/02/por-northampton-to-sign-free-agent-mcgivern/

Ask Insider if he has seen him at training, should soon tell us if this is to be believed or not.....

He neglected to mention Mcgugan training with us before he signed. Strange.. or maybe hes not quite in the know. Or under orders to shut the fcuk up. Its one of the two.

Hoskins/Waters and Powell as de facto wingers have proved to be reasonable options; both looked ok in recent away games. In the last Home game both Hoskins and Powell did ok! Don't quite see why you are so concerned about JFH infexibility on team selection/tactics etc. At the moment we have what we have so its simple; make the best use of the players available.

Well done TK for this tip. Not sure if we need another defender tho'.

Awful player if Shrews/Vale fans are to be believed on Twitter...not seen one positive.

No idea why we would be looking for another left back/defender when attacking options are our problem area

Maybe Leon Barnett is properly f***ed and this fella is a replacement.

Not a bad thought but Poole could cover at CB, especially with JJ and Foley fit now.

Definitely not needed at LB as we have three of them already.

Not sure why you're quoting an old post; but when I posted this back in mid October, Powell had only ever been useless and Hoskins was still unfit. Waters looks like a lower level league 2 player when he's on the right wing for us. My point was how we have seen two full backs, several centre mids and an aging striker all play on the wing at some stage this season as opposed to adapting the formation.


Genius. Maybe we should try and outscore the opposition as well?

Genius. Maybe we should try and prevent the opposition from scoring as well?

Several centre mids? Care to mention them all?

foley
JJOT
kazim
grimes
poole
mcwilliams
crooks

Of which, McWilliams, Grimes, Mcgugan, Crooks have all played on the wing at some stage. Long and Revell from our strikers. And Hanley and Smith from our defence.

Thanks for that - but are all those centre - mids? Would query McW and Crooks? Possible JJOT so far this season. Kazim, Grimes definitely and at a pinch Foley & Poole?

Yes.

Brentford, Bolton, Oxford, Northampton & Bristol Rovers are tracking Harrow Borough midfielder Kurtis Cumberbatch. #BrentfordFC #bwfc #oufc #ntfc #BristolRovers

 ;D

22 year old.  I've not understood our policy of signing young green players from the lower leagues if we aren't going to give them a sustained run. 
If we sign him, he will get 1 game pretty much immediately - then we decide he isn't fully developed - so he sits on the bench without coming on for a couple of games.  Then loaned out to lower league.  That level not deemed good enough to progress to league 1 - so we release and that team signs him and he progresses or not.

If this were a young striker - we play them out of position on the wing for a few games - when they don't score give up on them. They rot in the squad, before we send to lower leagues with their confidence shot.

We all know that Iaciofano isn't going to amount to anything at our club, because he just isn't going to get the time.  Unlike some of the more established players.
So in summary isn't it all a bit pointless signing these young low level players?

Such a spot on summary!

Leon Lobjoit scored 62 goals last season for Buckingham Town. A phenomenal achievement! He joins Northampton Town where against QPR he comes on as a substitute with 20 minutes to go and is played in a wide midfield role!!! Is this his only first team appearance for the club? Give him a go as a striker for f***s sake!!

If we’re in for him he obviously plays in the centre of midfield

And he had our best effort on goal during that 20mins at Loftus Road...

On one website (transfermarket) he is down as left midfield/wing.

They play Billiericay tonight, really tempted to go and check him out.

[quote author ;D=eddieeddie link=topic=16624.msg338924#msg338924 date=1511874702]
On one website (transfermarket) he is down as left midfield/wing.

They play Billiericay tonight, really tempted to go and check him out.
[/quote]
True supporter  ;D

Forest were interested a little while ago as well:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4522612/Nottingham-Forest-intersted-Harrow-s-Kurtis-Cumberbatch.html (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4522612/Nottingham-Forest-intersted-Harrow-s-Kurtis-Cumberbatch.html)

Out of interest I was looking  for Burton Hasselbaink signings. I'm not sure if this is all. Tom Naylor maybe.

Ivan Calero LOAN  http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/31144245

Abdenasser El Khayati  The main/only :P success, sold to QPR for 350k ish. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/31027063

Darragh Lenihan  LOAN extension http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/30680631

Darius Charles  http://www.thecomet.net/stevenage-fc/interview-darius-charles-on-his-move-to-burton-albion-1-4119453

Mickael Antoine-Curier http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2959098/Mikael-Antoine-Curier-signs-Burton-Albion-forward-turns-chance-join-Serie-Cagilari.html

Aurelien Joachim http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/33788279

Timmy Thiele  http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/33327980

Calum Butcher  https://www.vavel.com/en/football/502560-transfer-news-butcher-joins-burton.html

Jacob Blyth!  http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/30889204

Remi Matthews   http://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/norwich-city/norwich-city-youngster-remi-matthews-re-joins-burton-on-loan-1-4141795