Northampton Town v High Barnet (LIVE)

[GillysM8]

That was as poor a 90 minutes of football as you're ever likely to witness,  shocking.  So bereft of ideas and seemingly resorting to hoofball tactics when the conditions were crying out for the ball to be played on the deck.  Quite what we've been doing on the training ground when it some to free kicks escapes me: the tactics seems to be to hoof it somewhere between the back of the 6 yard box and the edge of the area.  As for Paul Rodgers and Ryan Gilligan...words fail me.

As to how how Rodgers was 1 of our best players? I dare say weather conditions didnt help & the ref was as poor as you're likely to see at football league level. I'd have took draws against a Oxford and Crewe with a win against Barnet when i looked at these fixtures so 7 points from 9 is no disaster.

[Tyler]

That was ******* abysmal.

Exactly. Absolutely s***. No difrection at all. Apart from going close twice in the second half, did we have any proper shots on goal?

Ref was whistle happy but he cant be blamed for that

[NTFC Nut]

That was as poor a 90 minutes of football as you're ever likely to witness,  shocking.  So bereft of ideas and seemingly resorting to hoofball tactics when the conditions were crying out for the ball to be played on the deck.  Quite what we've been doing on the training ground when it some to free kicks escapes me: the tactics seems to be to hoof it somewhere between the back of the 6 yard box and the edge of the area.  As for Paul Rodgers and Ryan Gilligan...words fail me.

Really? I though we overcomplicated it at times, as did Barnet, which is why passes from both sides kept going astray in the wind and out for throws etc. On too many occasions we didn't get the ball into the box quickly enough and attacks were snuffed out.

It was also painfully obvious today that McKay/Harrad is not going to work. We still need a target man because Leon is not going to be able to play every week and when he isn't in the team we're as toothless as ever. No physical presence at all = no goals, no matter how clinical the strikers are when they're presented with a chance. Harrad and McKay are both good at doing what they do but they will finish the chances rather than create them, and they both ideally need a big man up front to feed off.

[EastNpton]

We definately missed our injured players. I'd have liked to have seen Wedderburn in the middle and given Walker a free role to try and unpick their defence. The problem was we lacked any creativity and the game was calling out for a Thornton.

Laurent was a dissapointment, it doesn't look like he'll bleed for the cause lets put it that way. Gilligan was the most unispiring substitution I've seen for a long while.

[wrigleys]

We definately missed our injured players. I'd have liked to have seen Wedderburn in the middle and given Walker a free role to try and unpick their defence. The problem was we lacked any creativity and the game was calling out for a Thornton.

Laurent was a dissapointment, it doesn't look like he'll bleed for the cause lets put it that way. Gilligan was the most unispiring substitution I've seen for a long while.

Hmm I can't remember specifically but mid way through the first half Laurent made a massively decisive run that split the Barnet defence completely - I was actually rather impressed - agree about the Gilligan substitution though...!

[guest216]

Really? I though we overcomplicated it at times, as did Barnet, which is why passes from both sides kept going astray in the wind and out for throws etc. On too many occasions we didn't get the ball into the box quickly enough and attacks were snuffed out.

I agree.

Anyone who thinks playing short intricate passing is the way to defeat windy conditions has clearly never played football. It's no coincidence that our more technically skilled players such as Walker struggled today, the fact is in a sharp wind first touches and simple passes will go array regardless of how good you are.

The only viable strategy would be route one, and that was going to be impossible with Harrad and Billy upfront. It's just one of those games where you need to graft and battle and unfortunately there wasn't enough of it. I wouldn't use it as barometer to judge how capable the team is though.

[Mark-JB]

It really wasn't very good at all.

Nothing to take from it other than a clean sheet.

Onwards and (hopefully) upwards

[NTFC Nut]

Onwards and (hopefully) upwards

Expecting a loss at Port Vale next weekend but we ought to be taking 10 points from the following four games. That should put us in the top half as we move into the business end of the season.

[GillysM8]

Has anyone else noticed everytime we dont win a couple of numptys put it down to Rodgers,Gilly or Dunn? without taking anything else in to consideration. I wish i had such limited football knowledge 

[Power Football]

The only viable strategy would be route one, and that was going to be impossible with Harrad and Billy upfront. It's just one of those games where you need to graft and battle and unfortunately there wasn't enough of it. I wouldn't use it as barometer to judge how capable the team is though.

Absolutely. We really missed Holty today, not just for his aerial ability and graft but also for the long throws which would have caused chaos in those conditions....

[Insider]

I reckon I must live on another planet. Calls for a big target man?  It may be part of the problem - I agree that McKay and Harrad isn't looking like a winning combination - but our real problem remains in midfield.   Walker hardly completed a single pass in 90 minutes, and all too often when balls are played up to either of a front two, our midfield is way too slow to support, which inevitably means the ball has to be held up and ultimately played back to a defender and often to Chris Dunn.  Jacobs ran into defenders all afternoon, and I didn't see any of our midfield capable of getting the ball and carrying it 10-20 yards to open up options.  Osman on Tuesday was a rare exception to that.  As for calling for route 1, I thought that's what I witnessed for nearly the whole of the second half.  If you're playing into a strong wind as we were the ball needs to be kept on the deck; problem yesterday was that we were totally incapable of playing a 5 yard pass to feet.  I lost count of the number of shin high passes.  No wonder the surface at Sixfields is in such good nick, the grass hardly saw any wear and tear from the ball.  Gilligan?  Absolute s***e again. And a poor tactical substitution on Sammo's part, as he's hardly like to come on and crack open a defence in a game we really needed to win.  Rodgers?  He made two or three good saving tackles, but at least two of them came from his own mistakes where he'd allowed his striker to get goal side of him.  As a defender he's going backwards - in every sense - and I've rarely seen a worse throw-in from a pro footballer.  Laurent?  Agreed he made one good run, and one headed flick on, but that was the sum total of his contribution; yet another 6'3 player who can only jump 6'1 !

[MK_Cobbler]

I see Sampson has blamed the bad display on the wind, its amazing how every other team managed to a adapt to yesterdays conditions... there was goals all over!

[EastNpton]

Can't see the point yesterday of keeping Wedderburn on the bench. He would have been more useful in midfield and allowed Walker a bit more room to pick passes out.

[HertsCobbler]

At half time I would have taken off Laurent and brought on Weddeburn and gone 4-3-1-2 with Jacobs in the hole.

[Erith_Cobbler]

No Holt, Hinton or Gilligan yesterday. Who took the captain's armband?

[Tyler]

Deano

[NTFC Nut]

I could swear Hall was wearing the armband?

[Marvo]

I could swear Hall was wearing the armband?

That was in memory of the pace he's lost. 

[Tyler]

I could swear Hall was wearing the armband?

You could, you might be wrong though.

All i remember is Deano coming out with the armband and doing all that photo and presentation stuff, might;ve changed at half time

[guest216]

I reckon I must live on another planet. Calls for a big target man?  It may be part of the problem - I agree that McKay and Harrad isn't looking like a winning combination - but our real problem remains in midfield.   Walker hardly completed a single pass in 90 minutes, and all too often when balls are played up to either of a front two, our midfield is way too slow to support, which inevitably means the ball has to be held up and ultimately played back to a defender and often to Chris Dunn.  Jacobs ran into defenders all afternoon, and I didn't see any of our midfield capable of getting the ball and carrying it 10-20 yards to open up options.  Osman on Tuesday was a rare exception to that.  As for calling for route 1, I thought that's what I witnessed for nearly the whole of the second half.  If you're playing into a strong wind as we were the ball needs to be kept on the deck; problem yesterday was that we were totally incapable of playing a 5 yard pass to feet.  I lost count of the number of shin high passes.  No wonder the surface at Sixfields is in such good nick, the grass hardly saw any wear and tear from the ball.  Gilligan?  Absolute sh*te again. And a poor tactical substitution on Sammo's part, as he's hardly like to come on and crack open a defence in a game we really needed to win.  Rodgers?  He made two or three good saving tackles, but at least two of them came from his own mistakes where he'd allowed his striker to get goal side of him.  As a defender he's going backwards - in every sense - and I've rarely seen a worse throw-in from a pro footballer.  Laurent?  Agreed he made one good run, and one headed flick on, but that was the sum total of his contribution; yet another 6'3 player who can only jump 6'1 !

Not being nasty, but have you ever played football before? Expecting bottom tier players to play a short intricate passing game in those conditions is utter madness. A strong wind will send even the most simplest of passes array, will make control of simple balls difficult, and generally makes retention of possession impossible. Even in the Premiership yesterday most goals were the result of long thumps up the pitch, the flight of the ball becomes so unpredictable your best chance is to hope defences misjudge them.