• Nigel Adkins has been given the Tranmere job on a permanent basis signing until the end of the 25/26 season. Continue the discussion here.

Cobblers v Rovers

Boz

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Sixfields won't be the easiest location to try and end our 4 game winless run. Though we did score 5 against their then-tenants Coventry last season. Northampton didn't look that bad when we beat them 2-1 thanks to a goal from supersub Kirby and a goal-line clearance from Donacien late on. Their form has improved drastically since.

Koumas out for at least 6 weeks, Jennings hasn't trained and the manager evaded a question on Hume's matc-fitness. God knows what incomprehensible selection Micky will come up with for this one. My preference would be 3 central defenders in a side that's set out to be hard to break down. Something like

OFW
Holmes Donacien Ihiekwe Thompson Taylor
Laird Jennings Gardner
Odejayi Donnelly R

Prediction: Can't see anything other than another Rovers defeat.
 
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Sparky

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I think Boz's team would do a decent job but who knows what side micky will pick. I'll be fuming again if he plays the best finisher (Donnelly) at the club out wide again. Plus he may keep faith with the hopeless Dugdale.

As Boz suggests on paper it's a home banker. The cobblers still have play off ambitions and at this level have good players notably chris Hackett and the L2 top scorer Marc Richards.

I expect a defensive performance but sadly another defeat.
 

Boz

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It's little comfort, Sparky, but Marc Richards is out injured for a while.
 
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Yes, I think Boz's side looks decent, but I would imagine we will start with a 4-3-3; from Micky's pre-match interview it seems Gardner is certain to play. In fairness to Adams, he still seems composed and appears to be dealing with the pressure currently being heaped on him, but it is time we saw some professionalism and composure out on the pitch.

My two previous visits to Sixfields were dramatic affairs: Watson's side humiliated in a 4-1 defeat in 2001, and last season's 5-1 win over the Sky Blues. I would settle for a scrappy 1-0 Rovers win on Saturday.
 

Ian

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The rot has to end soon, let's hope it's on Saturday. Cagey 1-1.
 

Ian

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You've got to laugh really:

Rob Taylor:
We only have to win two games on the bounce and we're out of it.

Easy eh!
 

bigmart

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hopefully Newport will beat Cheltenham tonight to give us a boost, going for 1 1 draw
 

Ian

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Well predicted bigmart
 

Ian

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Dugdale dropped to bench. Big man and Gardner up front. Usual midfield of Jennings and Power with JMW and Taylor out wide. Not as defensive as i had imagined. Come on Rovers!
 

Boz

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Lose again. Another puzzling selection by Adams, Holmes, Laird and Donnelly don't start, only Rory comes on when Taylor injured, Danny and Marc don't get a look in. Hume doesn't make the bench. Hugill replacing Thompson and Shuker for Jennings after we went behind.It sounded like we were poor again, our first effort on target in the last 10 minutes and OFW making some decent saves. Will await reports from those making the journey.
 
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Alan King, Barry Dyson
Another depressing result. I nearly went, but for once made the right decision. I take my hat off to the 281 in the SWA. The stats look like we were never in it. To lose 1-0 against a team with a lot less to fight for is not acceptable. I agree with Boz's comments on the team. Play the men under contract before the loanees. Play the forward most likely to score a goal. Only seven shots all game with just one on target says it all. We are sleepwalking into the Vanarama.
 

Ian

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Will the rot ever stop? Agree with Boz, some strange selection decisions and now even Hartlepool have a chance of overtaking us. Clueless and heading to the bottom.
 
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This was actually a much improved performance on recent outings, albeit with a depressingly familiar outcome. I thought we got our tactics right today, playing a 4-5-1 with Odejayi as the lone front man; away from home against decent opposition in very good form, we had to be difficult to score against first and foremost. We were well organised, hard working, defensively solid from open play and did have an attacking threat. However, yet another lapse from a set play cost us again, as did our lack of confidence and indecisiveness in the final third.

In the first half we came under a lot of pressure from a Northampton side who have clearly been rampant at home in recent weeks. However, we stood up to this pressure pretty well and defended better than we have for some time, Donacien in particular having an excellent game. Fonners was required to make several decent saves, but we were much more competitive than in the majority of recent matches. We also played some decent football through midfield and JMW and Gardner were a threat going forward, albeit their final ball and decision making in the final third was often poor. On the balance of play Northampton will have been disappointed to be level at the interval, but equally we had what looked a very good penalty claim for a foul on JMW turned down.

The second half was far more even. Northampton actually seemed to be running out of ideas and I was confident that we would see the game out and at least earn a point. However, another defensive lapse from a free kick cost us, with Rovers apparently switching off after a lengthy stoppage in play. In the remaining half an hour we huffed an puffed and got into some decent areas, but our lack of confidence in the final third was really apparent and it was not until the last ten minutes that we started to seriously threaten their goal. That said, luck deserted us in this period, with their keeper making a great save on to the cross bar and Gardner having an effort cleared off the line.

Overall, I was happy with the effort of the players today, and I thought we looked better organised than in recent weeks. However, like those commenting above, I remain deeply pessimistic about our chances of survival. We should really have employed today's tactics in the York and Cheltenham games, looking to grind out results against the teams around us. Instead of which, we threw those games away with insipid displays, leaving us desperate for points away from home against strong sides which we are realistically not going to get with our current confidence levels. A better display today, but I think the horse may already have bolted.
 

Sparky

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Thanks for the report RLC. As I suspected it sounded like after 2 home defeats but a tough weeks training, the players responded and doesn't sound like their was too much difference between the sides, except a free kick. Fine margins.

With perhaps more of a winnable game on Tuesday we need to stop the rot. With Ronnie masterminding a hartlepool win today and cheltenham, York & Carlisle all picking up a point this weekend, it really is getting serious now.
 

Ian

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Thanks RLC. Pleasing that they seem to have been more competitive at least but you wonder where the next goal is going to come from. Interesting that you say there was a lot of huffing and puffing. Sadly, that's a recurring scenario where the lads will do a lot without any rewards. We are pretty hopeless in the final third where it counts.

Look at the last home game. Opposition invited us to attack them in the second half with a 'let's see what you've got' attitude and we produced very little after a lot of huffing and puffing.
 
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I have just watched Micky's post match interview and was slightly alarmed to hear him state that 'we have had problems in the dressing room, that is no secret'. I must admit, it was news to me. Makes you wonder just what has been going on these last few weeks.....
 

Boz

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Interested, as always, in your thoughts RLC. Most certainly agree than we should have played tighter in the York and Cheltenham games. However, I find it hard to square making ourselves hard to beat, with dropping one of our better defenders in Danny Holmes, especially as Ihiekwe rather than Donacien apparently spent some time playing it right-back. Also got the impression that we were getting overrun in midfield at times.

I only saw a clip of MAs interview on youtube and the body language does not look good at all.
 
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I find it hard to square making ourselves hard to beat, with dropping one of our better defenders in Danny Holmes, especially as Ihiekwe rather than Donacien apparently spent some time playing it right-back. Also got the impression that we were getting overrun in midfield at times.

I only saw a clip of MAs interview on youtube and the body language does not look good at all.

Yes, I have no idea why Holmes was left out again - something to do with the 'dressing room issues' perhaps ? - although Ihiekwe did ok at right back. I could understand wanting Donacien's pace at centre back, but not the decision to leave out Holmes.

We looked a bit lightweight in midfield at times, but Jenno actually had a decent game today. A bigger problem in the first half seemed to be at left back, where Ridehalgh struggled against Holmes, their very skilful right winger.

In defence of Adams, I think he set the team up pretty well today and there were small signs that he may be turning things round. Obviously, I will reserve judgement until Tuesday.
 
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Thanks, RLC. Some crumbs of comfort. A short while ago, there were at least eight if not ten teams fighting for survival. Now I think it's down to five. At the moment, all the other four are picking up points and we're in our worst run of league form since just before Micky took over. But despite no points in 15, we are still just two points behind Cheltenham and three behind Carlisle and York. It's not over yet, unless the manager and squad believe it is. Things could change quickly. As fans, we can only hope.
 
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