It’s been a miserable week for the Cobblers, and the dissenting voices at Sixfields are gradually growing a little louder.
There were certainly plenty of grumbles following Tuesday’s dismal 1-0 defeat at the hands of Bradford City, a result that came hot on the heels of the 4-0 pasting at rock-bottom Barnet on Friday night.
The reaction to the two defeats has, not surprisingly, been downbeat, and there have been the first hints of genuine criticism of manager Aidy Boothroyd.
Let’s not mince words here, the performance in the loss to Bradford was abject, and simply not good enough.
There were no attacking tactics to speak of, the Cobblers played zero constructive football, and the ball was seemingly just thumped aimlessly down the pitch far too often.
Town have been accused by virtually every opposition manager this season of being direct, of being a long-ball team, and I haven’t really agreed with that, I have always thought there was more to the Cobblers’ game than that.
But there wasn’t on Tuesday.
Town were so direct I reckon even good old Charlie Hughes would have winced had he seen that game.
The midfield - which included bewildered teenagers Emyr Huws and Kemar Roofe - was bypassed completely.
Adebayo Akinfenwa and Clive Platt didn’t get a ball to their feet all night, everything was head high, and it was horrible to watch.
But, having said all of that, I feel there are genuine mitigating circumstances for this mini Town slump in form, and I don’t think that now is the time for supporters to get on the players’, or the manager’s back.
It’s less than a fortnight since Exeter City were swept aside 3-0 at Sixfields, with fans purring about the performance, and the form of the team for much of the season has been decent.
The football has on the whole been constructive, there has been a pattern to the team’s play, there has been some exciting football, and there has been plenty of attacking threat.
None of that was in evidence against Bradford on Tuesday, or in the second half at Barnet on Friday, and it is a concern that confidence seems to have drained out of the players so quickly.
But we have to remember that the team is missing five first-choice picks through injury in Chris Hackett, Luke Guttridge, Ben Harding, David Artell and John Johnson, and the squad depth has been found seriously wanting.
But you rip five or six of any team’s best players out of their line-up – Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United, anybody – and it would have an effect, and it is having a massive effect on the Cobblers.
Boothroyd knew having a small squad was a gamble, and at the minute that gamble’s not paying off, especially as the loan players he brought in to boost the numbers - goalkeeper Lee Nicholls apart - haven’t really clicked.
So although the manager and players deserve the criticism coming their way for the way they are currently playing, at the minute they need support even more to get them through this sticky patch.
Port Vale come to Sixfields this weekend, and they are flying high in the npower League Two table.
It is going to be a massive test for Boothroyd and his team, and they will be helped with some real backing from the stands.
I understand fans want to vent their frustration when their team is playing badly, and I know they have a right to do just that, but I have a feeling this young and inexperienced Cobblers team won’t respond to being booed, but they might just react to being backed.
SKIPPER LANGMEAD SHINES AGAIN
In among the footballing misery of Tuesday night’s defeat, one player enhanced his ever-growing reputation - central defender Kelvin Langmead.
The former Peterborough United man was, yet again, simply superb at the heart of the Cobblers defence.
He more than any other player did his bit to keep the score down to 1-0 against Bradford and keep his team in the game, and he was the only nominee for the man of the match award.
In my days of watching the team, the Cobblers fans have always liked their central defenders from Wakeley Gage, to Keith McPherson and Russell Wilcox, to Steve Terry, to Ian Sampson and Ray Warburton, and Langmead is the latest to be taken to the heart of the fan on the terraces.
He has responded superbly to being named as captain of the club, and if he carries playing as he is will be a shoo-in for the supporters’ player of the year award.
SAINTS CAN RISE TO SARRIES CHALLENGE
Saints face their first major test of the Aviva Premiership title credentials at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday when Saracens come to town.
Despite their impressive start to the season – Saints are top of the table having won five out of six league games – I get the impression that a lot of the Franklin’s Gardens faithful are fearful of what may happen to their team this weekend.
The general feeling seems to be that Saints are where they are by default, as they haven’t yet played any of their title rivals, and they have won games without really playing well.
The beating at the hands of a struggling London Irish three weeks ago has also led to negativity, and I would say confidence isn’t high among the supporters ahead of Sarries’ visit to the Gardens tomorrow and then next weekend’s trip across the county border to take on Leicester Tigers at Welford Road.
But I see no reason why Saints can’t surprise their own supporters and rise to the challenges that lie ahead of them over the next nine days or so.
Saracens do possess a powerful squad, and they of course have a certain Chris Ashton flying down the flank, but they have failed to win two of their six league games so far this season, including a defeat to Exeter Chiefs, so they aren’t exactly invincible.
And it’s the same with Leicester, who have already lost to Harlequins.
And as for the Saints, they have a few decent players of their own - including the five that were named in the England squad for the autumn internationals.
So come on Saints fans, have a little faith and belief and be positive about your table-topping team.
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