"You cannot afford to sign the first player who becomes available in case Roy of the Rovers comes knocking on your door further down the line," Gary Johnson
Let's be honest. It should have worked but it didn't. Manager arrives at club with impeccable CV of successes with lower league clubs. Lower league club yearns success.
Let's be honest, the fairy tale that it should have been has materialised into a living breathing nightmare of failure after failure on the field.
He was given the full support of the Chairman, built his own squad, (has signed more players than my son does on Football Manager, and that's a lot!), and recruited his own back room staff. Everything was in order in Gary's house...except....It hasn't happened on the pitch.
Since I last posted following our home draw against Torquay, the frustrations of being a Cobbler have held me back from scribing. I don't like being critical for critical's sake as it gets even more depressing writing about something that has already depressed the life out of you anyway. I wanted to write about our flowing football, our dominating performance on the pitch as we climbed the league table. But it hasn't happened.
Since the Torquay game we have played 11, won 3, drew 1 and lost 7. The wins included a blinding performance away at Wimbledon, A scrappy victory over Dagenham & Redbridge in a match I felt they should have won as they totally dominated our box, and a last gasp winner against eternal strugglers Barnet. We have put in an absolute dire display, live on Sky, against Crawley, Lost at home against Hereford, capitulated at Port Vale, choked against Rotherham and played defensive suicide at Gillingham. Depressing isn't it, but real. Oh and to cap it all we've been knocked out of the World's most famous domestic cup competition, the FA Cup, by non-league Luton! We really have performed like a shower of shite.
It's hard being honest about your own team but you have to face facts and admit things sometimes. We deserve better.
Thankfully, I believe, our chairman has also lived this nightmare to the same tune as the supporters, and has put an end to another managerial chapter in Northampton Town's history. Gary Johnson has left the club by mutual consent. (God knows why they use that it's not a real life term, most under performers get sacked, end of).
I Googled "By Mutual Consent" and was informed that there approximately 5,150,000 results. Unsurprisingly 9 of the first 10 are football related, (the other one was Rugby), and Gary Johnson featured twice in the first two pages, (Northampton Town - Mutual Consent and Bristol City - Mutual Consent). Useless information I know but something I felt the need to look up.
Irony is that Gary Johnson arrived at the club last season for a home game against Shrewsbury Town and now leaves the club by mutual consent as we face another home game against Shrewsbury Town..spooky.
So what's next?
Hot favourite with the bookies to fill the chair is Colin Calderwood, recently sacked, (mutually consented), from Hibernian, (you see it's just a jolly managerial merry go round where they get employed and mutually consented as clubs succeed or fail). The fact is Colin Calderwood has been here before, had success but was happy to move to Nottingham Forest for the money. Fans don't do that. We stay loyal and live and breathe our chosen clubs. (It's the same with players kissing the badge....why, it's just another pay check....gun for hire scenario and looks good for the cameras...makes me sick).
I don't think we should go down a trodden pathway, with the dream of re creating what we had before. We can only develop with a fresh pair of eyes. Someone hungry who wants to make a mark. Someone who will give players a chance, someone who plays people in the right position, someone who can play a settled side, someone who can play a simple system that both players and fans can identify, someone who can organise a defence and someone that wants to be a Cobbler. Don't ask much do I? (Oh and someone who can make contact with the paying public and form that relationship where we all love him). It'll all end in tears eventually, it always does, the merry go round will always keep a place open for mutually consented managers but hopefully it'll be at the end of a beautiful relationship.....mostly.
All is not lost, If someone can wave a magic wand and we can get going on an unbeaten or even a winning streak, who knows, it's a funny old game.
Come On Cobblers...Come On!
