Post match: Cobblers 0-1 Foxes (friendly)

[Lesta2014]

8 hours ago, Matt said:

I liked some of the balls over the top too.

 

Diag pings. 
 

Not long ball, route one, lump it up that people associate with balls over the top - it’s just terminology.

 

Which proves it’s not one or the other, there are many ways to play football but it the modern game there seems to only be one perceived and acceptable way.

 

Ultimately they didn’t come to much but our lack of wingers/creativity might be something to do with that, plus we’ve not done that near enough (or at all) for 2 years+ so it’s something pretty new and alien to them having had it coached out of them.

Maresca alluded to bring more direct against some teams too depending in his post match interview. Was refreshing to hear. Think by direct he means the diagonals you mentioned. 

[Clever Fox]

10 minutes ago, Lesta2014 said:

Maresca alluded to bring more direct against some teams too depending in his post match interview. Was refreshing to hear. Think by direct he means the diagonals you mentioned. 

This is exactly waht I want to hear from Enzo. There is no one way to win matches.

 

Success comes from being able to mix it up whenever something is not working.

 

That's why we need a strong CF in the old style but someone who can also play outside the Box.   

[foxfanazer]

10 hours ago, Finnegan said:

 

See that terrifies me because it backs up my assumption that we actually aren't going to do much more business. 

 

Total Football worked as a philosophy because clubs like Ajax and Barcelona historically had academies that would sculpt young players from the moment they first signed up to be skilled and versatile. 

 

You can't just turn Patson Daka in to a winger or Wilfred Ndidi in to a box to box creator. That kinda hubris gets managers fired. 

 

I love the basic ideas of Enzo, I love the quick combinations of play, the off the ball movement, the runs from deep. There's a lot to be optimistic about. But he has to be pragmatic and work with the squad he's got. It's not even a major adjustment to shift to 352, especially with your 8s drifting out in to those "mezzala" channels the way KDH does. 

With the lack of intelligence in our squad I don't think words like "mezzala" should be getting used. Most of them will think they're having an Indian takeaway 

Edited 16 July 2023 by foxfanazer

[Beachyboy]

1 hour ago, DJ Barry Hammond said:

 Is this you trying to say you’ve got a new car recently 🤷🏻‍♂️

No I was bored with a lot of what I seen yesterday, but I could see what we were trying to achieve.

[iancognito]

On 15/07/2023 at 18:32, Lionator said:

This is about 10 years out of date. It really isn’t that competitive, if we (and Leeds and Southampton tbf) get it right, there’s a very good chance we’ll go up

Luton and Coventry were in the play off final. Norwich, Watford and West Brom are still getting parachute payments but didn't get anywhere near it. Sunderland and Boro will both strengthen from their near misses. We barely laid a glove on Blackburn when they came down here and they didn't quite make the final shake up. Add that to Leeds and Saints and its competitive enough.

[Lillehamring]

6 hours ago, Matt said:

This may come across bitter and if so, so be it, footballs a team game, but even when you break it down individually, not one single individual part of last seasons team deserves to stay in the PL on last seasons showing, not one.

 

That said, I'm very open to anyone associated with last seasons team going, allowing us to clear the decks.

 

Last season was an anomaly and, despite that, happened to be barnes' most productive season, so he'll feel that the PL is his natural level - if a UCL team thinks he's good enough, he's not going to disagree...

[Vlad the Fox]

2 hours ago, iancognito said:

Luton and Coventry were in the play off final. Norwich, Watford and West Brom are still getting parachute payments but didn't get anywhere near it. Sunderland and Boro will both strengthen from their near misses. We barely laid a glove on Blackburn when they came down here and they didn't quite make the final shake up. Add that to Leeds and Saints and its competitive enough.

I think this is why I’m more excited about the coming season than I have been about the premier

league for the last couple of years. It’s so unpredictable, you look at the league and you see what should happen but rarely does it work like that and most seasons someone comes from nowhere to challenge the top. You’re just not sure what will happen, if any team/club gets it’s act together they are in with a shout.
 

Now compare that with the premier league where you pretty much know the outcome from before the first ball is kicked, how the league is rigged. It’s the unpredictability of the championship that is exciting, that most teams have genuine hope before the season starts. What’s going to happen?

Edited 16 July 2023 by Vlad the Fox

[Bilo]

 

 

Interesting thread, this.

 

 

[HankMarvin]

13 minutes ago, Bilo said:

 

 

Interesting thread, this.

 

 

Bit ott  “an elite tactician in the same vain as pep, klopp, Artea”

the game was against a team that just finished 3rd In league 2. Let’s see how it pans out against stronger opposition before labelling him elite.
 

 

[LFEFox23]

Anyone else see Martin George at the game? Wonder what involvement he has with either club? 

[Big_Nige]

2 hours ago, HankMarvin said:

Bit ott  “an elite tactician in the same vain as pep, klopp, Artea”

the game was against a team that just finished 3rd In league 2. Let’s see how it pans out against stronger opposition before labelling him elite.
 

 

It's not so much the opposition, but more the patterns of play and how we are looking to play from back to front. It's transferable regardless of who you play, and hard to stop if done right. The fact we're 2 weeks into this is exciting, there so much scope for improvement and the re-build is only half way done. But granted it's also far easier to put the work from the training ground into action against a team of trialists.

[fox in the sox]

19 hours ago, LFEFox23 said:

Anyone else see Martin George at the game? Wonder what involvement he has with either club? 

He supports teams from Leicestershire/Northamptonshire so not a surprise he was at the match.

[Lesta2014]

19 hours ago, LFEFox23 said:

Anyone else see Martin George at the game? Wonder what involvement he has with either club? 

He was also at the king power race day, think he was with the club? Maybe back involved in some way? 

[iancognito]

10 hours ago, Lesta2014 said:

He was also at the king power race day, think he was with the club? Maybe back involved in some way? 

He's never been uninvolved. I know it's hard to believe but he's still at the club as some sort of non-exec director. The day after the copter crash he was outside the ground doing TV interviews and talking to fans. I had very little respect for him back in the Little/O'Neill eras but he went up in my estimation that day. He was genuinely emotional talking to people and kept calling Vichai a wonderful human being.

[worth_the_wait]

1 hour ago, iancognito said:

He's never been uninvolved. I know it's hard to believe but he's still at the club as some sort of non-exec director. The day after the copter crash he was outside the ground doing TV interviews and talking to fans. I had very little respect for him back in the Little/O'Neill eras but he went up in my estimation that day. He was genuinely emotional talking to people and kept calling Vichai a wonderful human being.

 

Same sentiments here, but for a different reason.

 

Some years ago, we were driving back from an away match and were stuck in a traffic jam.     My mate noticed that Martin George was sitting in his nice posh car next to us. 

Anyway, my mate wound his window down and made a bit of a nuisance of himself by engaging in some inane conversation with him.

But fair play to Mr George, he was really friendly and we had a nice long chat about the team, and how well they were doing  (I think we were on a good spell at that time).

What struck us, was just how much a genuine fan he was.   He was talking like an enthusiastic 12 year old.  Really keen and excited.   Not at all, like some rich stuck-up bloke in a Roller.

With that we said our goodbyes and we went our separate ways.

[Gamble92]

On 16/07/2023 at 20:06, iancognito said:

Luton and Coventry were in the play off final. Norwich, Watford and West Brom are still getting parachute payments but didn't get anywhere near it. Sunderland and Boro will both strengthen from their near misses. We barely laid a glove on Blackburn when they came down here and they didn't quite make the final shake up. Add that to Leeds and Saints and its competitive enough.

I think you'e underestimating how good our squad is. It's literally unheard of to have the amount of quality we have at this level. They won't all go. None of the teams you mention there were anything more than hanging on for dear life every year in the Premier League. They never made anything like the impression we did. We have players who by chance have had bad injuries so no one will offer for like Ricardo and Justin. Fully fit and without the ACL injuries they'd both be playing in Europe, likely Champions League next season.

 

The Blackburn game in isolation is unfair too. We smashed Villa and Spurs 4-2 and 4-1 in one off games and weren't anything like their quality. It was in an awful season with morale at an all time low. Playing them now is a completely different game.

 

We should under no circumstances accept anything less than challenging for top 2 all season. 

Edited 18 July 2023 by Gamble92
.

[tom27111]

5 minutes ago, Gamble92 said:

I think you'e underestimating how good our squad is. It's literally unheard of to have the amount of quality we have at this level. They won't all go. None of the teams you mention there were anything more than hanging on for dear life every year in the Premier League. They never made anything like the impression we did. We have players who by chance have had bad injuries so no one will offer for like Ricardo and Justin. Fully fit and without the ACL injuries they'd both be playing in Europe, likely Champions League next season.

 

The Blackburn game in isolation is unfair too. We smashed Villa and Spurs 4-2 and 4-1 in one off games and weren't anything like their quality. It was in an awful season with morale at an all time low. Playing them now is a completely different game.

 

We should under no circumstances accept anything less than challenging for top 2 all season. 

 

I hope I'm wrong, but I think you might be a bit disappointed in May.

 

Underestimate this league at your peril.

 

 

Edited 18 July 2023 by tom27111

[tom27111]

On 17/07/2023 at 14:08, LFEFox23 said:

Anyone else see Martin George at the game? Wonder what involvement he has with either club? 

 

He walked right by me at half time, seconds before Top.

 

The one that really puzzled me was why the hell was Jim Rosenthal there? 

 

He walked through just before the other two!

[Vlad the Fox]

10 minutes ago, tom27111 said:

 

I hope I'm wrong, but I think you might be a bit disappointed in May.

 

Underestimate this league at your peril.

 

 

I think there is a lot of this going on. The championship is probably the strongest/toughest leagues in Europe outside the obvious big 5 leagues. 

[tom27111]

Just now, Vlad the Fox said:

I think there is a lot of this going on. The championship is probably the strongest/toughest leagues in Europe outside the obvious big 5 leagues. 

Couldn't agree more.

 

For anyone to say this is a cliché is just wrong.

 

Some big teams have simply failed, some of the so called smaller teams have flourished.

 

As previously said, Cov v Luton in the play off final?

[Vlad the Fox]

7 minutes ago, tom27111 said:

Couldn't agree more.

 

For anyone to say this is a cliché is just wrong.

 

Some big teams have simply failed, some of the so called smaller teams have flourished.

 

As previously said, Cov v Luton in the play off final?

Which makes it a much more competitive and exciting league to watch.

[Gamble92]

22 minutes ago, tom27111 said:

 

I hope I'm wrong, but I think you might be a bit disappointed in May.

 

Underestimate this league at your peril.

 

 

I'd never underestimate this league. All my initial years as a season ticket holder were spent watching us try to hopelessly wrestle our way out. 

This is different though. We will be an absolute class above. I have no doubt. 

[tom27111]

1 minute ago, Gamble92 said:

I'd never underestimate this league. All my initial years as a season ticket holder were spent watching us try to hopelessly wrestle our way out. 

This is different though. We will be an absolute class above. I have no doubt. 

 

Fair play.

 

I wish I had your confidence!

 

[Vlad the Fox]

4 minutes ago, Gamble92 said:

I'd never underestimate this league. All my initial years as a season ticket holder were spent watching us try to hopelessly wrestle our way out. 

This is different though. We will be an absolute class above. I have no doubt. 

Hopefully we will be. But their are a lot of unknowns, will the new manager be up to it? will the squad understand what he’s trying to get across? Will they be able to play his style of football? Or will it be picked apart by more savvy teams? Don’t get me wrong, I’m more excited for this season than I have been for a couple of years and I think it’s down to the big changes we’re making to the squad and the sheer unpredictability of it all. 

[iancognito]

7 hours ago, Gamble92 said:

I think you'e underestimating how good our squad is. It's literally unheard of to have the amount of quality we have at this level. They won't all go. None of the teams you mention there were anything more than hanging on for dear life every year in the Premier League. They never made anything like the impression we did. We have players who by chance have had bad injuries so no one will offer for like Ricardo and Justin. Fully fit and without the ACL injuries they'd both be playing in Europe, likely Champions League next season.

 

The Blackburn game in isolation is unfair too. We smashed Villa and Spurs 4-2 and 4-1 in one off games and weren't anything like their quality. It was in an awful season with morale at an all time low. Playing them now is a completely different game.

 

We should under no circumstances accept anything less than challenging for top 2 all season. 

If we ditch a few more and add more depth then yes I expect a high finish but the quality you mention was there last season and it wasn't matched by their attitude. I watched a lot of the "finishers" warming up on Saturday and not one of them looked happy to be here or even buzzing about a new regime. The second half display was reminiscent of what cost us last season. Lots of neat sideways passing, slow to move from back to front, no cutting edge. Not convinced a lot of them are better than this level, especially against hungrier players. Desire, attitude and workrate are tough attributes to beat.