NTFC Nut
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Missing three clear one-on-ones with the keeper in the same game and getting no points is obviously deflating but, the silver lining is that if Lincoln are one of the best teams in this division, we'll be up there too. Not every team we come up against will have a keeper as good as theirs. Get a few goals and the confidence will start flowing again.
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Welly Cobb
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How the f*** have we lost that! How have we lost that!
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guest143
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I hope once Morias is fit Hoskins can take a seat. Even Waters has considerably more career goals over him.
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Wolvo
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How the **** have we lost that! How have we lost that!
Because Hoskins, Powell and Odoffin look non league. Bridges too. If we lose Crooks I reckon we could be in for a very long season.... For two years we haven't had good wingers now.
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Pink Army!
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Welly Cobb
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I literally can't understand that you picked out Odoffin and Hoskins there? I thought they were our best players excluding Crooks.
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guest2487
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Odoffin was decent. Hoskins is utter turd.
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bungle
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Lincoln fans admitting that we could have won 4-1 with better finishing.
Personally, I think the starting 11 was the correct choice. However, Austin needs to seriously improve his substitutions (also an area of concern at the end of last season). Bridge and Bowditch did very little. Foley would have been a better midfield choice, but given our deficient finishing Waters with his 4 goals in pre-season would have been the obvious one to put in once it was obvious that Hoskins' final product wasn't there. I also would have given Van Veen ten minutes on for Williams.
As someone pointed out, McWilliams going off threw everything out of whack. O'Toole had to go back (Sammo might be right in concluding that he does his best work in the final third these days) and it generally seemed like Austin didn't have a clearly-thought out plan b.
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« Last Edit: August 04, 2018, 16:45:58 pm by bungle »
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Irchy cob
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Lincoln fans admitting that we could have won 4-1 with better finishing.
Austin needs to improve his substitutions (also an area of concern at the end of last season). Bridge and Bowditch did very little. Foley would have been a better midfield choice, but given our deficient finishing Waters with his 4 goals in pre-season would have been the obvious one to put in. I also would have given Van Veen ten minutes on for Williams.
As someone pointed out, McWilliams going off threw everything out of whack. O'Toole had to go back (Sammo might be right in concluding that he does his best work in the final third these days) and it generally seemed like Austin didn't have a clearly-thought out plan b.
Agreed bungle - it wasn’t just that bridge was poor when he came on but the reshuffle also affected other personnel, namely jjot dropping deep and Williams getting absolutely no support. On reflection perhaps not as disheartening as I felt at full time - with Morias and facey to come back they should strengthen us considerably. As sammo said on the radio it will be interesting to see if we look to bring someone in to cover McWilliams and also if we manage to keep hold of crooks.
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guest2539
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Many aspects of the Cobblers game was encouraging BUT the service from the full backs and especially from Hoskins, Powell and Bridge out wide was very poor. We must keep Crooks. I thought Bowditch improved the creativity because he is capable of looking up when in possession of the ball. If Foley replaces McWilliams then Crooks and O'Toole can influence the game further forward.
Work in progress!
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northycobbler
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First game of the season down and it starts with a loss. If you’re an outsider, it would be easy to say, same old, but it really wasn’t!
It looked like we started with a 4-4-1-1 formation with o’toole just behind the front man, Williams. We started well, pressing all over the pitch, with Austin encouraging the wide men to stay wide. The football was attacking, mainly played on the ground as opposed to hoofball and the signs were encouraging.
Unfortunately two things happened to massively change the game. McWilliams got injured, went off and Bridge replaced him and we didn’t take two one on ones in the first half. Typically those missed chances came back to haunt us and we conceded a soft goal.
I echo what has already been said, in that bridge was a poor replacement for McWilliams and didn’t offer too much with regards to end product. John joe was insteuctes to play in McWilliams’ position, dropping back into midfield and this nullified his attacking threat. Bridge played behind the striker, left midfield and right midfield and to be honest, wasn’t suited to any position. He beat his man a few times which was good to see but his final product was non existent.
Yet again, Austin’s choice of substitutions let him down. I think Foley would have been a much better choice that Bridge and would have allowed us to continue playing as we were. Secondly, bringing on bowditch to try and change a game...I think Austin was the only man in the ground who thought that would work.
Two glaringly obvious things need to happen for us to be successful this season... 1. We need to take our chances. To have 3 one on ones in a game and not score any is just criminal. Lincoln had one decent chance and took it, that is the difference between winning and losing a game.
2. As has been said for 2 seasons now, we need wingers, not just any wingers, wingers with a quality end product. Hoskins isn’t a winger. Yes his pace causes issues but time and again his end product is poor. I’m still yet to be convinced by Powell who drifts in and out of games and is often massively wasteful in possession.
Overall, I’ve left today happy because we pretty much dominated the game, played some good football and the players are clearly playing for Austin. Cyber spine of our team looks very strong, easily top 6 but it’s the wingers and lack of quality in those areas that I can see being the difference between mid table obscurity and a genuine push for promotion.
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« Last Edit: August 04, 2018, 17:09:33 pm by northycobbler »
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DrillingCobbler
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Lincoln were what I suspected. A reincarnated Cobblers team from the Ian Atkins days. One dimensional, hoof ball, dark arts, clever game management…helped by a ref who kept falling for it. But good luck to 'em!
Onto our team. Likes been said, the quality out wide is a real concern. Whilst we dominated the 2nd half and the first 20 minutes of the first half, Lincolns park the bus tactics allowed that to happen so we can't take much from that. That said, we did have some great chances and another day would have won the game, probably by 2 or 3 goals. Our general play warranted 3 points, our finishing didn't. What else is there to add?
I was also disappointed that Austin failed to make a proactive tactical change until the 78th minute. It was telling that both Waters and VV stayed on the bench…two players we've been trying our hardest to get shot of. I suspect that if next weeks game is similar and they are still here, they will be on the pitch.
I listened to Sammo and he was saying that we needed to get behind them from wide positions. This is interesting because it conflicts completely with what I felt we should have done…and that was to put all of our efforts in going through them. Their centre halves looked dodgy with the ball on the ground, ALL of our decent chances came from balls through the middle except Williams header. That is no surprise because our quality is in the central areas. Powell had an off day, can't see what Bridge offers personally…and Hoskins was frustrating.
But despite all of the negatives, the frustrations….we could and should have beaten them. Or at the very least taken a point. Lets hope that our finishing is better up in Cumbria next Saturday!
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Ron Obvious
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Wasteful all round today.
Bridge, not good enough. Powell, not good enough. Hoskins, not good enough.
Bringing on Bridge as the replacement for the injured McWilliams and moving John Joe back down the pitch in front of the centre backs when we could have just brought on Foley as a direct replacement, not good enough.
Crooks rightly MOTM.
Good turnout from the Lincoln fans, shame one in particular decided to sit where he did.
Pitch looked good.
Green should have been sent off. Obvious strike in Taylors face.
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Breathing will help you live.
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tcobb
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The Cobblers we're as much/if not more as a "hoof ball" team as Lincoln, I didn't see any "passion" or "going for it " as the manager promised. Very disappointing display, O'Toole played in the wrong position, Bridge offered nothing to the team. Hoskins **** poor as normal, why the hell was he taking the set pieces in the first half. Right back looked poor, he can hardly throw the ball correctly let alone kick and was at fault for the goal. A 33 year old running around up front doing mothing. The only bright side is it can only get better. The manager needs get his head around a decent team playing decent football because today wasn't it.
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« Last Edit: August 04, 2018, 17:21:55 pm by tcobb »
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This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.
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guest2677
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I agree with others who have said Foley should have come on as a straight replacement for McWilliams. How Waters and or VV both stayed on the bench is also beyond me. Am I the only one who gets a little depressed when I see Hoskins for the whole game and furthermore now taking the set pieces. Is that how little we have progressed since the last time we were in this division? Lincoln came with a plan and executed it to perfection.
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Ralap
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What I learned today.
I still haven’t got over last season.
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Its_nice_to_michu
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The balance to the team looks all wrong. When we went behind for 20 mins or so it looked like we had absolutely no idea how to break them down and started to lump the ball from back to front something that DA stated on the radio that he didn't like to do. a very frustrating game of football today.
Some light is out the end of the tunnel if
Facey stays and starts, i like him and should play if fit.
Ward to come in surely!!
Morias to come in.
sign a out and out winger x2 if possible (whats Dean Cox upto these days?)
DA to change the shape to suit what we currently have if none of the above is possible.
oh and get Hoskins away from the wing and set pieces, How the f&ck has that happened.
UTC
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Terryfenwickatemyhamster
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What I learned today.
I still haven’t got over last season.
My thoughts exactly mate. As with last season, I just felt if only....
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corno_ntfc
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How many crossfield balls to Hoskins today?
Lincoln were woeful. We were as bad.
Lots for DA to work on, didn't move the ball near quick enough... something which was working pre season.
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Football WITHOUT Fans is NOTHING
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Irchy cob
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It wasn’t just the fact that Hoskins was on the corners from both sides but when we had 2 gilt edged opportunities from free kicks close to their box who were the 2 hovering over the ball - the prolific pair of Hoskins and buchs! Why wasn’t crooks involved as our most talented player? Bring back Matt Taylor/Matt grimes!
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guest1223
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Huge disappointment not just because of the loss but that we seem to have replaced one really poor taker of corners/ free kicks with another. Grimes/ Hoskins. A couple of years ago I am sure we all felt Sammy was something special. After his injury he has never been the same and my worry is that he flatters to deceive in training but doesn’t deliver on the pitch. His level of delivery was poor and surely someone in the team could do better?
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