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Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Reports and reaction from the 2017-2018 season as Walsall finished 19th in League 1
Welsh_Saddler
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Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Sun Dec 10, 2017 1:15 pm

"If you be out, sir, I can .... cobble you"

(Shakespeare)

An early preview for this game, as Christmas preparations will no doubt take priority soon! We travel to Sixfields to meet a Northampton Town side seemingly in freefall towards League 2. As recently as a month ago they were only a point behind us, but having only gained one point from the last 12 they're in a relegation scrap with the other usual suspects. Bearing in mind their current form, the unofficial forum (The Hotel End) contains sentiments that exactly mirror comments made about Jon Whitney on UTS ... consider this:- "He changes the team and formation every week with little success or idea.Admittedly there are injuries along the way but his team simply isn't working. The players aren't working." "He", of course, refers to manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, their third managerial appointment this year, and there are similar gripes about the fact that he's on a 3-year contract (where have I heard that before?).

There are also off-the-field issues which may affect the running of the club in all sorts of ways. The executive chairman has apparently sold out to Chinese owners, whose level of future participation is anyone's guess. Add to that the fact that the local Council loaned £10.25million to develop the stadium and surrounding land back in 2013, and the companies that received the cash have gone bump with the prospect of a 3% payout. Northampton Town, of course, are no strangers to this scenario, having gone into administration themselves in the 1990's. Speaking of the 1990's I was surprised to see some Walsall connections in their managerial history, with Kevin Wilson, Kevan Broadhurst, and John Barnwell (*shudder*) all having had a crack at that job. More recently, of course, Alex Nicholls comes to mind. He's now registered with Barnet but currently on loan in Scotland. Recent League One form.......

28 Oct Blackpool (H) Won 1-0
11 Nov Oxford United (A) Won 1-2
18 Nov Scunthorpe United (H) Lost 0-3
21 Nov Plymouth Argyle (A) Lost 2-0
25 Nov Bury (H) Drew 0-0
9 Dec Oldham Athletic (A) Lost 5-1

It's also worth noting that Northampton Town's goal difference (-21) is the worst in League One by the proverbial country mile. Not quite the lowest scorers, and not quite the leakiest defence, but near enough ... the next worst goal difference is -13 (Plymouth Argyle).

So we approach this game on the back of three straight League One wins, but as January is now just around the corner I wonder whether Jon Whitney's team selection is going to be influenced by outside events - The complete absence of Tyler Roberts from the Scunthorpe game, for instance, coupled with the disappearance of Joe Edwards and Liam Roberts from the team sheet. Having said that, the remaining squad members didn't let it upset them too much judging by the performance against Scunthorpe United (and long may that attitude continue). UTS members living in God's Own Country may have more information than is available here - for all I know we may have been plagued with training injuries.......

Anyway, a prediction ..... on the face of it (Northampton Town scoring less than a goal per game) we should be mildly confident of 3 points, and I'll go for a 0-2 result, with Bakayoko and Morris finding the net.

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Sun Dec 10, 2017 2:31 pm

Nice preview again Welsh - cheers

Given current form and what looks like a renewed determination and quality being displayed on the pitch - I’m going for a very impressive 1-3 with a double for Ozzie and one for the much improving Baka :D

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Sun Dec 10, 2017 4:35 pm

thanks WELSH for another good preview. T.Roberts and L. Roberts were injured in training on Friday according to WM....K Roberts was rested but as you say it didn't affect yesterday. I would certainly keep the same team next week if I were JW. As for a prediction if we play as we did yesterday we will win.

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Mon Dec 11, 2017 2:37 pm

Didn't they lose 6-0 at home to Bristol Rovers not that long ago? Should be a walkover.


1-1. :wink:

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Mon Dec 11, 2017 3:04 pm

Looking at Northampton's squad they actually have lots of decent players for this level....

Yaser Kasim
Leon Barnett
Sam Foley
Marc Richards
Dean Bowditch
Alex Revell
Chris Long
Matt Grimes

and Ryan McGivern for the amusement.

Looks like a similar case of Bury, got taken over in the summer by a Chinese consortium and started splashing the cash so now they've got a bloated squad (got 7 senior strikers on their books) and many players who've just come for the cash.

Food for thought perhaps for the post Bonser era whenever that will be.

Not sure this will be as easy as people will think. Rumours Hasselbaink will be sacked if they lose this.

2-2.

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Mon Dec 11, 2017 3:11 pm

I'll go for a draw. I certainly don't think this will be a walk over. We know from our own campaign that some teams pull out their best performances when it seems they are one result away from a sacking. I also think there is a chance that some of our lads will have breathed a huge sigh of relief lately and might struggle to carry on the momentum.

But then a draw away from home is always passable for me.

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Mon Dec 11, 2017 4:28 pm

I think that the cobblers will certainly have things shored up at the back following their 5-1 defeat at Oldham. After such a defeat almost all managers set out to not concede at all costs and hope for a goal on the break.
We're not too good a breaking down a team that sets out to park the bus, but I think that JW will try and find a slot for Terry Lobster however I have no idea who he would drop from the starting 11 last Saturday.

I never predict scores for Walsall games as it jinxes the team. :mrgreen:

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Mon Dec 11, 2017 7:10 pm

If we play like we played against Scunthorpe then it's a given, we will win with ease, but knowing how the season has panned out so far, with the chopping and changing of personal and tactics then i am not so confident?. it really all depends on if whits has found his team and formation? because the confidence should be there after 3 straight wins.

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Tue Dec 12, 2017 11:56 am

Chris Marsh is player that came to my mind when considering who has played for both.

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Tue Dec 12, 2017 3:16 pm

Subject to the continued improvement we have witnessed of late, it should be a 2-1 win for us, won't be a comfortable one, but if Oldham can knock five past 'em we should at least get two.
Possibly Bakayoko's improved performances of late will at least go some way to justify Whitney's insistence of him being the first on the hymn sheet...every match. My apologies for blaming him for the missed penalty, but when not there, one can only go on what the BBC give as the culprit...........Apology OK Whitters?
Still think the lad could benefit from coaching from a proper manager (aka Brizzle City), and thus could, in time, turn out as a poor mans Benteke.

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Tue Dec 12, 2017 5:09 pm

Ancient Moaner wrote:... thus could, in time, turn out as a poor man's Benteke.

Did you see Benteke's penalty for Crystal Palace? :lol:

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chunkster
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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Tue Dec 12, 2017 6:21 pm

Pedagogue wrote:
Ancient Moaner wrote:... thus could, in time, turn out as a poor man's Benteke.

Did you see Benteke's penalty for Crystal Palace? :lol:
Ye and so did the keeper :lol:

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Tue Dec 12, 2017 8:05 pm

chunkster wrote:
Pedagogue wrote:
Ancient Moaner wrote:... thus could, in time, turn out as a poor man's Benteke.

Did you see Benteke's penalty for Crystal Palace? :lol:
Ye and so did the keeper :lol:

I don't know what's wrong with Benteke but at the moment he's playing like a Sunday league centre forward - no control, no movement, no ideas, no talent.
Hopefully he keeps this up and gets picked against us in t'World Cup.

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Tue Dec 12, 2017 9:09 pm

Whitters wrote:
chunkster wrote:
Pedagogue wrote:
Ancient Moaner wrote:... thus could, in time, turn out as a poor man's Benteke.

Did you see Benteke's penalty for Crystal Palace? :lol:
Ye and so did the keeper :lol:

I don't know what's wrong with Benteke but at the moment he's playing like a Sunday league centre forward - no control, no movement, no ideas, no talent.
Hopefully he keeps this up and gets picked against us in t'World Cup.
If he does keep it up he will be playing FOR us in the near future :lol:

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Tue Dec 12, 2017 9:20 pm

Whitters wrote:
chunkster wrote:
Pedagogue wrote:
Ancient Moaner wrote:... thus could, in time, turn out as a poor man's Benteke.

Did you see Benteke's penalty for Crystal Palace? :lol:
Ye and so did the keeper :lol:

I don't know what's wrong with Benteke but at the moment he's playing like a Sunday league centre forward - no control, no movement, no ideas, no talent.
Hopefully he keeps this up and gets picked against us in t'World Cup.


It's the "Woy" effect.

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Tue Dec 12, 2017 9:23 pm

swampysaddler wrote:
Whitters wrote:
chunkster wrote:
Pedagogue wrote:
Ancient Moaner wrote:... thus could, in time, turn out as a poor man's Benteke.

Did you see Benteke's penalty for Crystal Palace? :lol:
Ye and so did the keeper :lol:

I don't know what's wrong with Benteke but at the moment he's playing like a Sunday league centre forward - no control, no movement, no ideas, no talent.
Hopefully he keeps this up and gets picked against us in t'World Cup.


It's the "Woy" effect.


As in "Woy the hell did you do that?" :mrgreen:

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Wed Dec 13, 2017 7:20 pm

Guest wrote:Didn't they lose 6-0 at home to Bristol Rovers not that long ago? Should be a walkover.


1-1. :wink:


Indeed they did - October 7th. Only 0-1 at half-time, and Bristol Rovers even missed a penalty. Northampton's prospects weren't improved when they had Revell sent off after 69 minutes, but the score was already 0-3 by then.

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Thu Dec 14, 2017 9:21 am

Greetings fellow football fans. Cobbler's fan here.

You have nothing to fear. Our current squad couldn't hit a cows backside with a banjo. We fall apart under slightest pressure, have a multitude of players that are only there to take their salary and don't play for the shirt or the fans. We are in a big hole at the moment which I cannot see us getting out of for the foreseeable future.

Congratulations on the win and the 3 points. Enjoy.

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Fri Dec 15, 2017 12:45 pm

On current form we win this one 1-2.

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Fri Dec 15, 2017 2:00 pm

CobblersFan wrote:Greetings fellow football fans. Cobbler's fan here.

You have nothing to fear. Our current squad couldn't hit a cows backside with a banjo. We fall apart under slightest pressure, have a multitude of players that are only there to take their salary and don't play for the shirt or the fans. We are in a big hole at the moment which I cannot see us getting out of for the foreseeable future.

Congratulations on the win and the 3 points. Enjoy.


Welcome to the madhouse CobblersFan !!

Your magnanimous post does you great credit, but rest assured that every time we think our Manager is beginning to get it together (like now, with 3 straight wins under our belt) we somehow manage to turn in a Sunday morning pub team performance..... :mrgreen:

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Fri Dec 15, 2017 2:02 pm

CobblersFan wrote:Greetings fellow football fans. Cobbler's fan here.

You have nothing to fear. Our current squad couldn't hit a cows backside with a banjo. We fall apart under slightest pressure, have a multitude of players that are only there to take their salary and don't play for the shirt or the fans. We are in a big hole at the moment which I cannot see us getting out of for the foreseeable future.

Congratulations on the win and the 3 points. Enjoy.



0-0 :D

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Fri Dec 15, 2017 3:12 pm

CobblersFan wrote:Greetings fellow football fans. Cobbler's fan here.

You have nothing to fear. Our current squad couldn't hit a cows backside with a banjo. We fall apart under slightest pressure, have a multitude of players that are only there to take their salary and don't play for the shirt or the fans. We are in a big hole at the moment which I cannot see us getting out of for the foreseeable future.

Congratulations on the win and the 3 points. Enjoy.


Basically a shortened version of the Neuromantic Q+A before the Scunthorpe game.

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Fri Dec 15, 2017 3:37 pm

SaigonSaddler wrote:
CobblersFan wrote:Greetings fellow football fans. Cobbler's fan here.

You have nothing to fear. Our current squad couldn't hit a cows backside with a banjo. We fall apart under slightest pressure, have a multitude of players that are only there to take their salary and don't play for the shirt or the fans. We are in a big hole at the moment which I cannot see us getting out of for the foreseeable future.

Congratulations on the win and the 3 points. Enjoy.


Basically a shortened version of the Neuromantic Q+A before the Scunthorpe game.


Which have came back and bit him on his arse.
But as per he hasn't, and won't, admit he was spouting shite.

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Sat Dec 16, 2017 2:17 am

CobblersFan wrote:Greetings fellow football fans. Cobbler's fan here.

You have nothing to fear. Our current squad couldn't hit a cows backside with a banjo. We fall apart under slightest pressure, have a multitude of players that are only there to take their salary and don't play for the shirt or the fans. We are in a big hole at the moment which I cannot see us getting out of for the foreseeable future.

Congratulations on the win and the 3 points. Enjoy.



If we can lose to Bury, we can also lose to you.


Still going for 1-1, though.

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Sat Dec 16, 2017 10:01 am

Easy home banker on the accy to take the Cobblers out of the relegation zone. :mrgreen:

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Sat Dec 16, 2017 10:16 am

CobblersFan wrote:Greetings fellow football fans. Cobbler's fan here.

You have nothing to fear. Our current squad couldn't hit a cows backside with a banjo. We fall apart under slightest pressure, have a multitude of players that are only there to take their salary and don't play for the shirt or the fans. We are in a big hole at the moment which I cannot see us getting out of for the foreseeable future.

Congratulations on the win and the 3 points. Enjoy.
Welcome cobbler :wink: i have many memories of watching us play you at your old ground and the new one, back in the 80's i remember we took a very large following, and they kept the old wooden gates shut after the game to stop fans mixing with each other,but some of our fans started pushing at the back and the gates fell off :lol: And i remember attending a match at sixfields a few years ago, i traveled on a minibus with a few lads from rushall, one lad was particularly egre to go to the match because it was one of the grounds to tick off his 92, but due to the fact that we stopped off at quite a few watering holes on the way he was a little worse for wear, we did carry him into the ground but he slept through the whole game and most of the journey home :lol: so although he did attend he couldn't remember :lol:

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Sat Dec 16, 2017 10:37 am

Northampton are 8/5 to win today, Walsall marginal favourites at 7/5.

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Sat Dec 16, 2017 11:15 am

Can't make today , stuck at work , next one will be Bristol Rovers Boxing Day :(

We've shown signs recently of an improvement so i don't want to come across as being negative , however thsi is Walsall and this is JW. Just when you think we could start making something of our season the wheels usually come off and fork things up.

Looking at the table and with a bit of momentum behind us this should be an away win, if Whitney is going to stop me and others demanding he goes then these types of games are the ones he needs to secure with three points , after the debacle at Newport i thought he'd be long gone , however the powers that be have kept him on . Therefore we must support him , as much as i don't think he's up to the task the heart rules the head so there we have it. The fact that he is bringing through the kids is a good thing and not just because all our decent plaeyrs will be gone in the Summer after they get better offers at other club s, how the hell is Messi not being given another contarct to sign is beyond me , but hey ho.

I'm going to go positive on this one for a change Saddlers by a couple of goals and about 500 of our lot to see them do it.

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Sat Dec 16, 2017 11:23 am

sirrammell wrote:Chris Marsh is player that came to my mind when considering who has played for both.



Surely to God true Saddlers must remember the moustacioed maestro Kevin Wilson

3 years at The Bescot and a few years at Northampton. Wasn't he their Manager for a bit as well?

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Re: Northampton Town (A) Dec 16th, 3pm

Sat Dec 16, 2017 12:47 pm

ObiWan7 wrote:
sirrammell wrote:Chris Marsh is player that came to my mind when considering who has played for both.



Surely to God true Saddlers must remember the moustacioed maestro Kevin Wilson

3 years at The Bescot and a few years at Northampton. Wasn't he their Manager for a bit as well?


See preview :wink:

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