Why?

[Tyler]

Why were Hall and Johnson put at centre back today. Dropping your skipper? Beggars belief

Holt and Davis should've swapped positions when Holt came on as he did absolutely f*** all apart from stand aimlessly in the middle of the pitch and just watch.

At half time i thought it was pretty even, maybe slightly harsh on us to go into half time losing but ffs what on earth happened second half? What team talk could possibly be given that lead to professional footballers wandering out and playing with a total lack of direction and and spirit. Hoof, hoof f***ing hoof. Didnt even go anywhere. On the basis of that second half we deserved to get absolutely twatted. We made 1 sub all game and it shows how weak our bench was that we were forced into that

Why should i spend £30-£40 in the week, to piss away 2 hours at least on the A14 each way, to watch us get totally arse raped by a championship side? I honestly dont think i can face next week against Gillingham. I think Jesus even witnessed the last time they won away and now Bayo is gonna rock up again and absolutely take the piss out of our defenderless defence.

People i feel most sorry for are those who dont even live anywhere near Northampton, that will spend ages to travel like its an away game every week and they are presented with that s***.

Sammo has to go now, and appoint an actual football manager, not some half arsed selection of ex coaches and club legends. Actually, speaking of Sammo going, where was he for the last 10 minutes? Had big Dave called him in for an early meeting?

[TheAbingtonCobbler]

Sammo was out on the touch line and when JJ got sent off he went nuts at the 4th official. Not sure where he went after that, maybe he got sent to the stands for saying something the officials didn't agree with.

I am a big fan of Sammo and I think he has made some good signings in Thornton, Leon, Hall, and JJ but his sub decisions today, and last week have left me bewildered.

Last week he put Guinan on, against a team that Stevie wants to work for!! Yes we can all say "He's a Npton Town player" but in any form of employment conflicts of interest can arise!

Today, I thought Billy made no impact at all out on the right in the first half, and in my opinion I would have changed it at half time to 442, put Billy up front, put Jacobs on the right and Thornton on the left, but instead we take off Jacobs (WHY?!) and put Holt on who as you say, made little impact. I would have put Harris on in the final 15 mins along with Konstantinou - they are both young and have desire, because quite frankly we were screwed, and I would have taken the risk as the players on the pitch just stood around, and looked like they didn't give a s***!

Last week we played 442, and were 3-0 up at half time so why start 451 today? In the position we are now we just need to suck it and see! I'm not looking forward to Tuesday night - a mad 2 hour drive after work to watch us get hammered. If I hadn't already bought my ticket I wouldn't be going. It's not that I'm not a true fan, but the lack of desire today was infuriating! Last week I backed Sammo to turn it around but after today's bad decisions I do feel for the bloke. He's a Cobblers legend, but I just don't think he is cut out for management as much as I want him to be.

[EastNpton]

Sammo's tactical choices are fu*king baffling to put it mildly. Why would you stick the ageing midfielder Holt (who was slow in his prime) into midfield as some sort of game changer?

Sammo is playing with fire (in terms of fan support) because he seems to resolutely refuse to play the players or line up that people are calling for.

Saying that, when he makes Gilligan captain I start to think he doesn't give a s*** what the supporters think.

[Chamois]

Do supporters understand the game as well as managers and coaches? Probably what the club needs more than anything else at the moment is 2,000 travelling fans getting behind the team on Tuesday night and a packed Sixfields on Saturday. Gillingham will bring their full-quota and will be up for it. Will we?

[4everdelayed]

Yeah if 6 consecutive losses won't bring the crowds flooding back, what will?

[EastNpton]

The fans of this club are nothing short of brilliant and have proved it time and time again

[Chamois]

Yes, I agree. We've always had a core of fantastic fans, the only constant in our topsy-turvy history.

[TbananaG]

Why did Sampson and Crosby stand talking intently for all of the second half and think that bringing on Holt for Jacobs and pushing Holt and McKay up front for the last few minutes was really the right thing to do? Ok, pros and ex-pros and coaches know more about the game than we do, but can they really be right when I don't think a single member of the traveling support would agree with them?

[cricketside]

The fans of this club are nothing short of brilliant and have proved it time and time again

I remember when we were 'linked' with Jack Lester and the comments of our supporters at that time about NFFC cast offs and us deserving better. 114 appearances and 60 goals for Chesterfield. Mmm.

[Marvo]

Do supporters understand the game as well as managers and coaches?

Why wouldn't they, I mean, it's hardly rocket science.

[The 12th Marquis of Sixfields]

Just for anybody questioning the fans, 4th table down, 9 down in that:

http://www.emfootball.co.uk/attend.html

[The 12th Marquis of Sixfields]

ps - that is 3000 (approx. £60,000 per game, nearly £1.4m a season) more than mid tabled Accrington Stanley

[BackOfTheNet]

To be fair to Sammo, having criticized his substitutions over the past few weeks, I think he got it right this week.  I said about 5 minutes before the sub was made that we need to take Jacobs off.  He was (for the most part) ineffectual going forward yesterday and was continually drifting infield, leaving Davis exposed down our left flank.  If you take Jacobs off, looking at the bench, there really wasn't anyone else to bring on in that position.  Granted, we still lost so it wasn't exactly an inspired change, but it was the obvious one.

[Gazman]

To be fair to Sammo, having criticized his substitutions over the past few weeks, I think he got it right this week.  I said about 5 minutes before the sub was made that we need to take Jacobs off.  He was (for the most part) ineffectual going forward yesterday and was continually drifting infield, leaving Davis exposed down our left flank.  If you take Jacobs off, looking at the bench, there really wasn't anyone else to bring on in that position.  Granted, we still lost so it wasn't exactly an inspired change, but it was the obvious one.

Holt to centre back, Hall to left back, Davis to left mid? At least thats 2 players into their natural postions

[DrillingCobbler]

To be fair to Sammo, having criticized his substitutions over the past few weeks, I think he got it right this week.  I said about 5 minutes before the sub was made that we need to take Jacobs off.  He was (for the most part) ineffectual going forward yesterday and was continually drifting infield, leaving Davis exposed down our left flank.  If you take Jacobs off, looking at the bench, there really wasn't anyone else to bring on in that position.  Granted, we still lost so it wasn't exactly an inspired change, but it was the obvious one.

I didn't go yesterday but he made only one substitution. In a game we were losing, are you saying that the one change he made was sufficient and radical enough to give us a realistic chance of getting something from the game?

[Son Of Geoff]

Holt to centre back, Hall to left back, Davis to left mid? At least thats 2 players into their natural postions

This.

[BackOfTheNet]

Yep, that does make a lot of sense but I suspect the idea was to also add more of an aerial threat going forwards i.e. the age old tactic of 'lump the ball to Holty'.  Unsubtle, but it has worked in the past and I did think Oxford looked pretty vulnerable in the air so it was worth a try.

[The Hask]

I didn't go yesterday but he made only one substitution. In a game we were losing, are you saying that the one change he made was sufficient and radical enough to give us a realistic chance of getting something from the game?

There wasn't much to choose on the bench to be honest, No Parker, No Osman, No Herbert, so that left Guinan (best left on the bench) and Slowe/Konstinau (or however you spell it) Hinton (maybe worth a try but memories of Rotherham spring to mind)