Northampton v Swindon pre match chat and matchday thread

[Peter Venkman]

After last nights 1-0 win at Newport, Cobblers now sit 5 places above us in 3rd place on 2 more points than us. Flynn said Newport were awful against them.

A game won by a scrappy goal from about 4 yards out after many mistakes in the Newport defence.

"I thought we were absolutely awful first half, gave it a go first half with a better team but never really looked like scoring.

"A few have played themselves out of the squad completely, some of the performances tonight were dreadful... but I pick the team and I'll take this one on the chin.

"I don't at the minute [know the severity of Scot Bennett's injury] and that's probably summed the evening up, because he's a key player for us. I just hope it's not a bad one."

Going by the high(low)lights it looks like Newport 2nd half seemed more likely of the teams to score.

They certainly won't be a pushover and under John Brady play a slightly less agricultural style than they did under Curle.

Swindon to suffer a single goal defeat in front of 5,845 fans with 946 (officially) Swindon fans there.

[Flashheart]

Having been to every league game so far It does feel like style over results TBH and we've not played well other than in patches.   
That said we still seem to be in pre-season mode.  Alot of chopping and changing, giving minutes, managing legs etc.

Hopefully he can work on tweaking the core method once it settles down a bit.

Before the season kicked off, I said I'd give it 10 ish games before I start being critical.

That's 6 ish pre-season games that we didn't have and another 4 or so for more tweaking after the season kicks off.

I don't see any reason to change my mind.

[Batch]

End of October is my real judgement point.  But its boring if we don't talk about the interim.

Presently I'm not sure which way its going to go, only that we rarely deviate from the plan. We've not yet hit consistency one way or the other.

[Audrey]

Seems we are better away than at home. We seem a ‘soft’ side with no steel. Easy to get at and pressurise. Not sure how a few more games will change that.

Cobblers now have 5 clean sheets from their 7 games. Ain’t going to be many goals Saturday.

Be nice to score in the first half - be a collector’s piece, that!

[4D]

Where's McKirdy? Need him up alongside Simpson.

[Flashheart]

Seems we are better away than at home. We seem a ‘soft’ side with no steel. Easy to get at and pressurise. Not sure how a few more games will change that.

Cutting out the sloppy passing would be a start.

And learning to put their foot through it from time to time would help. If we are going to insist on passing it out from the back, Garner could at least tweak it so we have an outlet for when we do need to play it long. Stop it from coming straight back again and make it riskier for the opposition to press us.

[Peter Venkman]

Where's McKirdy? Need him up alongside Simpson.

Injured.

Grant, Aguiar and McKirdy all missing for Saturday.

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/19576894.ben-garner-confirms-three-swindon-town-players-will-miss-northampton-town-away/

Cutting out the sloppy passing would be a start.

And learning to put their foot through it from time to time would help. If we are going to insist on passing it out from the back, Garner could at least tweak it so we have an outlet for when we do need to play it long. Stop it from coming straight back again and make it riskier for the opposition to press us.

IMO if we did exactly as you state then we would instantly become way harder to beat.

[Audrey]

Cutting out the sloppy passing would be a start.

And learning to put their foot through it from time to time would help. If we are going to insist on passing it out from the back, Garner could at least tweak it so we have an outlet for when we do need to play it long. Stop it from coming straight back again and make it riskier for the opposition to press us.

Tbf to Garner if he gives defenders the option to boot it clear if they perceive trouble they will, invariably, choose to do just that.

It’s only a short time ago but we played it out well enough under Wellens and I don’t remember too many catastrophic cock ups at the back. The reason, I reckon, was that opponents feared Yates/Doyle et al so very few pressed high up the pitch in case those 2 got loose.

We really don’t have much fear factor going forward as we are too slow and methodical.

[Pookemon]

Seems we are better away than at home.

Not sure we are, we were lucky against Salford and played a poor Scunthorpe side.   

[Pookemon]

Don't want to sound like I'm on a downer with it all.  We're miles ahead of where I thought we'd be.

Once some partnerships develop it will help.  Mckirdy and KKH play well together, when available, back 4 and front 3 behind Simpson have changed quite a bit, so hard to gel especially for youngsters.

The lack of physicality and nouse is going to be an ongoing issue and suspect that scrappy goals are more likely to be conceded than scored as a result.

[4D]

It's still a million times better than last season 

[Audrey]

But we’ve got to look forward - not keep harping on about shit it was last season.

We’ve now got a squad which should be play off material at least.

[Frigby Daser]

But we’ve got to look forward - not keep harping on about shit it was last season.

We’ve now got a squad which should be play off material at least.

I’m not sure that we do. We have some players that, played in the right way with the right players around them, are good enough for the level above: Williams, Hayden, Payne, Reed. But the way they are being asked to play and the absence of speed and a physical presence holds us back. You could put Phil Foden in a team like this - but without physical players around him, we wouldn’t be up there, because we’d pass slowly, and get outmuscled.  Garner would read this and say we are Luddites, when in reality, we understand his recipe perfectly well, he’s just left a few things off the shopping list! There’s more than one way to play exciting, attractive football. It’s not his way or long ball. We’ve seen far more effective, attractive, entertaining football under Wellens, Cooper and Di Canio. All of those sides had technical players, blended with physical players, the ability to switch play and pass at pace.

I just hope Garner doesn’t belligerently stick to a game plan if it doesn’t click soon. We need to be more pragmatic. Fill the gaps, or adjust the approach.

[4D]

But we’ve got to look forward - not keep harping on about shit it was last season.

We’ve now got a squad which should be play off material at least.

Are you get it forward man? 

[Audrey]

I’m a get it forward quickly man - preferably on the deck. But for that to work we need our forward players in the box - not just Simpson with the others hanging around just outside the box waiting for a chance recycle the ball after going backwards. That stat about the low number of times we get into the opponents’ box should be a wake up call for Garner.

We never seem able to get up a head of steam against the other team and get the crowd whipped up. It’s all slow it down and start again. Some may like it - I don’t. It’s boring.