Walsall away 15.02.20 #selloutthebescot

[Manwork04]

He won't need to be sacked if he's out of contract  

If he lasts that long.

[ClarenceInDefence]

Havent posted about games for a while, just cant make my mind up about Curle. What can you say about today, we didnt finish the game off for starters, but to be fair even at 2-0 up i didnt think we would go on to win.
 Cornell looked to be at fault for at least one of the goals, Turnball an absolute waste of a shirt today, gave the ball away which lead to their winner, Warburton is looking to be outright lazy, doesnt get into postion, looks very laboured, he looks an all in non league player.
Overall play was awful, certainly second half, wrong choices an awful lot of the time, including passing the ball back to Cornell from the half way line so he has to kick into the wind !!!
Finally Curle, i really dont think he has got what it takes, i would love to see him take the Cobblers up and get a promotion on his CV, but i just cant see it, awful tactics, awful choices, why take Morton off when he was trying so hard for a hat trick, replacing him with Oliver was just plain pathetic. All in all four defeats on the trot looks like a team heading for a mid table finish.

We've lost the last 3 in the league, and once away in the cup. Are you really going to count a loss away to a strong, Rooney-led Championship side as evidence that we are heading for mid-table in League 2?

Prior to these 4 losses we had gone 9 unbeaten and had lost only 3 in 22, one of which was away to Portsmouth in the EFL trophy!

Apart from the Crawley and Sc***horpe debacles and losing to Macclesfield at home, this is probably our worst result of the season. The team will recover from this set-back.

Just offering a bit of perspective.

[EB Claret]

First Half                                                                                                                                                                                      So we do have a Plan B! Snuffed out Walsall and passed the ball up the pitch, usually to feet. Morton scored two well taken goals, Watson ran the midfield, Anderson chased everything and Cornell had a cigar! Happy Days!

Second Half
Bin Plan B concede early goal. Still caused Walsall problems for a while, Morton went close three times then got hooked. Instead of passing the ball out we reverted to hoofing it into the gale effectively pinning ourselves in our own area. Once the equaliser went in the result was a formality. I've never seen Goode so hesitant and as for Turnbull, he kept passing to a red shirt and helped set up the winning goal. Surely Marshall (rather than Oliver) should have come on to run at their defence which was short of pace. Cornell was still enjoying his cigar as the crosses came into his box for two of the goals! Dennis blew us away!

[tcobb]

Clarence' like i said i havent posted to much on games lately as wanted us to push on after Xmas and didnt want to jinx it. But for all the positives you are putting on it, NTFC are not really pushing for promotion, they are loitering around the play off positions at best. Yes i want Town to go up, can Curle do it ? my heart says yes, my head says no.

[BMON]

Forgot to mention that I was at the game.  Walsall were full strength whilst we were missing four of their first choice players simmons dave and charlies. Good game first half, helped by the sudden ten minute burst of rain prior to kick-off, with the sides going in 0-2 from a
Unfortunately the flurry of substitutions throughout the second half spoilt it as a football spectacle.  Why they don't do all their changes at half time I cannot understand!  i had to Roll Eyes my cecils
Both sides finished with almost a completely different side to that which started.
cornell started and saved a certain goal with Shay facey we miss him playing the second half.
Final score 2-3 to walsall but the full strength first half was easily dominated by curles was very lively with very good support from the right back facey"I don't think we should worry too much about the result. As far as I'm concerned it's not much worse that losing a reserve game 4-0, and I think in this case, with GPC on the honeymon with deepcutthey probably felt the same about each other"

No of course we shouldnt worry!! We had, in the main, our first choice players out there, not reserves! And I think it was Francis Bacon who said "we will be taking the competition seriously".....therefore I dont think he felt the same!

Looking at the stats, seeing Saddlers 20 odd shots to our 4, reading the Curles managers reaction saying "with all respect we should be beating a fish against a wall of custard"..........I find that annoying!! Why should mighty saddlers ever think that a win over Northampton is a given??
Don't reply i can't take the time of work

Although the stadium reminded me of the old s***e hole in it's concrete construction it has an over 8,000 capacity stadium and the 3,500 attendance looked a bit sparce, but the home endlooked impressive.  It is the largest pants of poo in Europe (nearly 24,500residents ).  All standing in a nhs Health and Safety cleared environment.  It can be done.  Shocked

I had decent seat behind and just above the bar of the north end goal, but having previously been at the stadium during a madnes a manowork loves a phillisLeague match and seated four from the back of an end stand the viewing is restricted to yellow and red coloured pants on the pitch. So yes, a big capacity, but I wouldn't want another one of those 'altitude with oxygen' seats.  unless i was sad

[observer1]

First Half                                                                                                                                                                                      So we do have a Plan B! Snuffed out Walsall and passed the ball up the pitch, usually to feet. Morton scored two well taken goals, Watson ran the midfield, Anderson chased everything and Cornell had a cigar! Happy Days!

Second Half
Bin Plan B concede early goal. Still caused Walsall problems for a while, Morton went close three times then got hooked. Instead of passing the ball out we reverted to hoofing it into the gale effectively pinning ourselves in our own area. Once the equaliser went in the result was a formality. I've never seen Goode so hesitant and as for Turnbull, he kept passing to a red shirt and helped set up the winning goal. Surely Marshall (rather than Oliver) should have come on to run at their defence which was short of pace. Cornell was still enjoying his cigar as the crosses came into his box for two of the goals! Dennis blew us away!

Good summary.

If we defend like we did second half against Exeter they will run riot against us next week. It's basically a must win though if we are to get our playoff push back on track.

[CobblerForever]

Watching the highlights on Quest.

Their second goal is a Cornell howler - he must come for that cross.

The good news;

If tiredness is an issue they have 7 days before the next game.

Morton is a natural finisher. We have two wingers to feed him.

[WadeyCobbler]

This result could be a watershed moment in our season. It could make or break us. I wouldn't be surprised to see us bounce back in style and beat Exeter and Cheltenham. Everyone needs to be on their game and the fans need to be onside too. Still plenty to play for this season and with players to come back from injury we should get stronger. However there is always the nagging doubt that we are not quite good enough. An interesting next couple of weeks for KC to earn his corn.

[Fred_NTFC]

Watching the highlights on Quest.

Their second goal is a Cornell howler - he must come for that cross.

Cornell just doesn't come for crosses on the whole. That's pretty much his biggest weakness, he just isn't a commanding presence despite his upturn in form this season.

[observer1]

Interesting that Shrewsbury and Oxford both lost again today, too. Although admittedly Shrewsbury's league form hasn't been particularly amazing at any stage, despite the Cup run. Still, you'd have got good odds on those two sides along with ourselves failing to win any of our (combined) 9 league fixtures following our respective exits.

The mental side of the game is huge but too often the focus is purely physical.

[everbrite]

This result could be a watershed moment in our season. It could make or break us. I wouldn't be surprised to see us bounce back in style and beat Exeter and Cheltenham. Everyone needs to be on their game and the fans need to be onside too. Still plenty to play for this season and with players to come back from injury we should get stronger. However there is always the nagging doubt that we are not quite good enough. An interesting next couple of weeks for KC to earn his corn.

Well a loss like that certainly brings the bandits out. Can only assume that the most vociferous critics some of whom posted at least twice articulating the same message of spite and misinformation  

1)Some appear to have missed the one obvious factor; the wind and the simple fact that all 5 goals happened at one end
2) One positive did emerge from the debacle; the form of young Morton who frequently outpaced the Walsall defence and was a real fox in the box. I would say if he plays like that we will make the Play offs.
3) When the score was 1-2 to us we had two gilt edge chances to make the game safe both chances went agonisingly inches wide was it the wind or the mud? Both those chances were made by Morton and to cap it all he tried an audacious lob of the goal keeper which nearly came off.
4) Of course it was probably an error to sub Morton but the criticism to do so is pure hindsight probably from those not at the game.
5) Have no idea what Cornell was doing for the first and second goals and will be surprised if he makes the side next Saturday! That maybe a bit harsh and worse still a knee jerk reaction.
6) That loss was most unwelcome but on another day could have been 1-3. What has gone has gone and all the accusations or worse are now irrelevant.  
7) As Wadey says get behind the team v Exeter and also at Cheltenham. Clearly we can do it and its still in our hands; preferably without the help or advice of the negative  armchair 'supporters'.

[Why?]

Curle has been absolutely shafted by bad luck.

McCormack (risky signing given his injury record) absolutely commands any game when he is fit.  It was expected that we would win way more games than we lost when he was fit.

Olayinka showed in his debut against Sc***horpe that he will outperform any other midfield at this level (until cynically injured by a player who had only just cynically injured Martin - why was this Sc***horpe scum allowed to stay on the pitch?)  If he had played these last 3 games, we would be 9 points better off.

There in lie the 2 missing pieces of this jigsaw you all crave.  Curle has recruited them already.  Get off your hobby-horses, and accept reality.  Curle has been shafted by bad luck.

Now, aside from that, Cornell is playing the same level of game that Pierre did at this time last year, after he was also linked with a move to the Championship.....  Pierre was frustrated in the Transfer Window, and "under-performed" until he stopped sulking.  Cornell will, likewise, be gone in the summer.

I fear Turnbull's nose is out of joint following the signing of Jones.

And, this is my only criticism of Curle.  If you check back on my posts, you will see that I was advocating the signing of a solid, experienced, street-wise centre-back well before the "window".  Central defence always has been our weakness under Curle.  The ONLY weakness.  We have too many "young" quality central defenders, and lack that one brick-wall enforcer.  And, I don't mean an older version of Goode.  I mean someone with 10 years of being a solid wall in the centre of defence.  Someone who scares the sh1t out of his own defenders & midfielders (if they make a mistake) more than he does an attacker going 1-on-1 with him.  (If you look back at teams of yore, I'm sure you can name a player in this mould that we lack).

But, if we can get the return of the Mack (queue song by Mark Morrison from our vocal fans) and young Olayinka in Midfield, we will be back in the "Mix".  Get Smith fit & fighting, and this Division will be forgotten in 3 month's time.

Am I worried that we have lost 3 league games in a row?  No.  And that is because I can see the players that would win those games for us have not been available.

Do I have confidence that we will succeed?  Yes!

[Why?]

The one unknown is why there has been a sudden change in coaching staff behind the scenes.

Has someone been making threats about money being tight, causing the ship to unbalance?

Maybe, the man in charge of the purse-strings (not Curle -for those that don't understand how businesses are run) has found the money from the cup-run has made his head swell?

[Melbourne Cobbler]

At the beginning of the season I was convinced our season hinged on the fitness of McCormack. Just after Xmas I changed my mind and began to feel we could make the playoffs without him? Bit short sighted because we just won’t. Whatever the ups and downs to throw away a 2 goal lead time and again tells a story about the squad and I have to say the manager. For me there is still a mental fragility that runs right the way to the top. Harsh, but we are talking about the difference between mid table obscurity and a team who are capable of promotion. The fact is a team that chucks away a 2 goal lead 4 times in a season really aren’t promotion candidates. This squad is without question a significant improvement over anything we have seen post Wilder. However the squad, coaching staff and manager need to come up with a strategy to defend a lead, because if you want to be really successful that is a minimum requirement. Doesn’t make us a poor squad or side, just one that currently carries an Achilles Heel.

[Dan]

Oh Keith. Keith Keith Keith. You had the game won and you just had to change things didn't you. Take some responsibility for once and admit you cocked up.

Morton took both goals excellently. How refreshing to see some good football resulting in goals. He didn't deserve to lose this game.

Dave Cornell was Walsalls best player in the second half. The second and third goals were so bad. If this level of performance is anything related to sulking over not getting a transfer move in January....... 

I'd be very happy to see Arnold's name on the team sheet next Saturday and fully expect to.

[Vintage Cobbler]

As MC points out to throw away 2 goal leads on 4 occasions this season is not an unfortunate coincidence.  That could well be the difference between mid-table obscurity and promotion and with it KC’s contract renewal could be on the line. 

KC’s ugly brand of football is causing the supporter base to be divided about him.  I am no fan of hoofball but KC doesn’t help his cause with his unfathomable substitutions and his default position of always seeking to park the bus when we are in the lead.  The tactics we see on the pitch are entirely down to KC.  The comments from the Carlisle fan last night were telling but nothing we didn’t already know.

The season is far from over and in a poor division we still have the players capable of getting out of this league even if it won’t be achieved with style.

[MK_Cobbler]

Watching the highlights on Quest.

Their second goal is a Cornell howler - he must come for that cross.

And the third. Slow balls gone over his head about 6ft off the ground whilst he’s standing there flat footed.

[guest3264]

And the third. Slow balls gone over his head about 6ft off the ground whilst he’s standing there flat footed.

2nd Cornell fault
3rd deflected?

The recruitment has been good the criticism is the method of use of the players!

[Cobblersmad]

Here is the difference folks.

Two outstanding strikers on display yesterday. Morton for us, Adebayo for Walsall.

Morton scores two,and we are playing really well for a change,and Curle takes him off for Oliver which means a different attacking mentality.

Second half Adebayo has Jones then Harriman on toast. Clarke keeps him on because everything Walsall do is through him. Clarke brings on wingers and other forwards to SUPPORT Adebayo.

They end up winning.

The end.

[CobblerForever]

The one unknown is why there has been a sudden change in coaching staff behind the scenes.

Has someone been making threats about money being tight, causing the ship to unbalance?

Maybe, the man in charge of the purse-strings (not Curle -for those that don't understand how businesses are run) has found the money from the cup-run has made his head swell?

I've been surprised we've heard very little (nothing ?) about contract renewals.