I have returned from a lot of games this season where we have played our 'Get Out of Jail Free' card. I have also seen us pick up a lot of points that we haven't deserved. On each occasion I have been elated and haven't cared that we were pretty poor for much of the game. Today for some reason I feel a little bit flat but very relieved.
An excellent Brewers away crowd saw us concede in the first minute. A corner (won by 'Roadrunner' Young who still looks useless) saw some pinball in our area, a clearance off the line and then some bloke turning someone elses shot in from a few yards out.
One minute later Cleveland found himself free on the right and he slotted the ball in to the corner.
It was Hereford away all over again on 11 minutes when Rhino conceded a penalty for breathing dangerously in the area. It was 6 of 1 and half a dozen of the other at most. Seriously, if that was a penalty there could be 20 a game.
Then one of their players flattened Macca (with an elbow presumably). Straight red. More than 70 minutes against 10 men. Surely we would win this now.
The rest of the first half was woeful. They tried to do the right thing of holding on to the ball, passing it about and using the wings. The snag was that on one wing we had Cleveland who is atrocious at crossing most of the time (has anyone noticed that?). There was also an abundance of over hit passes that sailed over heads in to touch.
The number of times I overheard people saying 'He needs to bring Palmer on'.
At half time I reviewed my mental notes. Players who have had a good game so far? Errrrr....none.
They looked a bit livelier second half. A bit more urgency and still intelligently pushing the ball about and actually keeping hold of it now. A cross shot that hit Billy on the forehead went inches over. Cleveland hit one on the volley just wide.
Finally, the substitution that we had needed at least ½ an hour earlier - Chris Palmer for Macca. A few reasonable but comfortable saves were made by their 'keeper before Palmer had one teed up for him on the edge of the area and he rifled it home. What a goal!
Ross Atkins felt sorry for them then and decided to even it up a bit. It was down the other end but he looked like he allowed himself to be dispossessed by their striker. Having got the ball and from a very tight angle he rolled it towards the empty net. I assume it skimmed the base of the post and rolled to safety.
We were pressing for the winner and we finally got it via a penalty. I did not clearly see the incident but I am guessing that Justin Richards was wrestled to the ground when attempting an overhead kick to convert a cross. Was it as innocuous as the Rhino one? Someone will have probably seen it better.
Anyway, he won it and he scored it by tapping the ball in to the corner sending the 'keeper the wrong way.
So, another 3 points and for the life of me I can't actually work out how we did it. Chris Palmer was probably Man of the Match and he only played for 35 minutes which says it all. So many players were below par.
Cobblers 2 Brewers 3
posted on 27/12/11
Pes-chi-soliiiido
posted on 27/12/11
Otep, got it almost right my friend.
Marco. no applause please for Pesch.
He finally did what he should have done weeks ago.
He took Magrath out of the middle.
Its took him long enough to realise.
He probably has 1 good game in 30.
Yesterday he was woeful.
Time and time again he was caught out of position and when he did get the ball he gave it away.
Pesch has a easy decision come saturday but has he got the bottle to do it.
Everyone on here has been saying for weeks Magrath & Bolder cant play together.
Yesterday was another example of how it shouldn't be done .
Too many square balls and any pace our attacking play has usually slows down once Magrath gets it.
Will never play a defence splitting pass.
Palmer offers so much more and Bolder actually looked a different player when he came on.
Yet again we started the match slowly and gave the the initative far too easy to a team lacking form.
Thought we deserved the win in the end but at times even with 10 men Northampton looked likely to score.
The defence again looked very creeky at times.
Still in the end 3 points.
I just hope Pesch has finally realised his best midfield options and has the bottle to stick with the midfield that finished yesterday.
posted on 27/12/11
Think you see the game as i do Pez, hope Pesch has the bottle to start with that midfield against Hereford, Very releived to get the 3pts and very glad that the substitutions worked to overturn my score prediction of 2-1 to the Cobblers which looked for a long time to be the final outcome ! Pesch should already know that that midfield combination works against Hereford as it already overturned the deficet at Edgar Street ! Infact Palmers influence in those 2 games turned zero pts into 6pts !!! Lets start on the front foot against Hereford and be adventurous, Bring on the Bulls !!!
posted on 27/12/11
During the game I heard someone shout loudly 'Macca? He has had one good game in the last 30!' That wasn't you per chance was it Pez?
I agree with what you say. It is like the old Lampard and Gerrard in the England side argument. Play one of them but not both at the same time. I wouldn't categorically say it should be one or the other as both (Bolder and McGrath) can be dreadful and both can be brilliant in any given game.
The defence looked creaky all game didn't it. No change there then.
posted on 27/12/11
Yes Otep ,
Twas me that shouted the comment about Magrath.
He's been a good pro for us over the seasons he's been with us but sadly he is now past his sell by date.
He was one of the main reasons we struggled last season.
Some may argue we should have got rid of him instead of Micheal Simpson.
Agree Bolder not much better but he did seem to come out of his shell once Magrath departed on Monday.
Interesting that in our first home game Pesch left him out and we had bolder & Maghoma in the centre.
It was one of our most attacking midfields we had fielded during Pesch's reign.
Sadly Taylor got injured,Maghoma went out wide & magrath came on.
We were winning at the time as well.
Morecombe are on a bad run so hopefully we will get stuck into them and not let them gain the upper hand as happened on monday.
posted on 28/12/11
Do you know Pez, I honestly think that both Macca and Bolder can be good players for us still, but not when they are played together.
In recent games we've seen this and I think back to Oldham and Hereford after Bolder had been withdrawn in each, and Macca was man of the match on both occasions. Then against the Wombles Macca was suspended, so Bolder took up the withdrawn role and Palmer was allowed to attack (as he had against Oldham and Hereford), and the result was Bolder winning man of the match and getting himself a goal.
I think that it is now unfeasible for Pesch to play both together as, yet again, the introduction of Palmer on Monday won us the game.
I think both have a future with us but need to be used individually and not as a pair!
posted on 28/12/11
Otep, I took my brother to his first ever Burton game on Monday and he came out with the exact same comment as you - Cleveland cannot cross to save his life!
And I thought it was just me...!
posted on 29/12/11
Wednesbury,your comments on taylor are spot on.
I think it just show what a season in the scottish prem can do for you.
Nowhere near the player he was before he left us,
posted on 29/12/11
But was Cleveland ever that good in the first place? A lot of fist pumping and egging the crowd on endeared himself to the fans but was he ever that good as a footballer? Were we gutted when he left? Were we ecstatic when he returned?
To me he is a bit like Jimmy. When either get the ball I expect that nothing much will result from it but I watch hoping to be surprised.