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There were a few villains of the piece and Watson wasn’t really to blame.
Evans first attempted clearance after an awful first touch was poor.
The subsequent throw in was taken 20 yards away from where it should have been and gave them a clear advantage as it got them in behind.
A chance to clear on the edge of the box was then squandered.
After Watson had made the initial save (which actually wasn’t a bad one) – the lad who ran in and tapped in did so smoking an absolute cigar without a defender, let alone a challenge, in sight.
Watson probably slightly over dived for the initial save so it went back into the mix but he was well down my list of culprits for that goal to the point he wasn’t actually on the list at all.
He also had a very decent game – lest we forget the one on one etc.
Overall i had no complaints with his performance.
Sone of the analysis on this board is genuinely funny. It’s like listening to a load of 8 year olds – the goalkeeper let them all in so it must be all his fault we just got done 12-0.
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A lot of keepers don’t like caps because it hinders peripheral and upwards vision – even when there is sun.
Oddly enough, I know one keeper who will only wear a cap when it’s raining because he tells me the ph content in rainwater can hinder vision and also cause sore eyes – but if the sun is cracking flags he won’t wear one.
I’ve never played professionally in goal though so don’t think I’m qualified to offer a firm opinion either way.
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Let’s get this topic back to the top of the charts.
Another very good performance from RW. Comfortably the man of the match and kept them in the game long enough to salvage a point.
All admirers and detractors are invited to re-read their words of wisdom as to his capabilities.
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I’ve seen a slo mo and it was just an unfortunate footballing incident in my opinion.
JB was pretty static in the RB position whereas their lad had to make ground at speed to challenge for the ball.
He was marginally late but it was there to be won and it was a genuine attempt to win the ball – he was looking at the ball at all times and he didn’t lead with his arm – ironically had he done he’d have probably been ok but as it was he took as much of the impact as JB did.
It was a free kick because he was second to the ball and his momentum took him into JB but that was the extent of it.
It just looked very unfortunate.
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Harsh on Campbell. It was only half a mistake really.
It was a crowded box, he had to come through bodies. He got something on it just not enough.
When the play is that congested in the 6 yard box it’s hard for a keeper – ideally they want their centre halves attacking the ball rather than have commit to a bit of a lottery coming through bodies.
He did make a couple of good saves late on so you might say he didn’t have a bad game.
He also made a crucial save at Tamworth late on and prior to the error against Woking was having a solid enough game (and it didn’t cost us anything apart from a clean sheet).
If every player is going to be castigated for every single error or half error they make then it will be a long and miserable season. They are all playing 5th tier football for a reason.
Judge him when he’s had a dozen or so games on the bounce. Whether he is of the standard remains to be seen but he seems to be getting unnecessarily hammered on fairly scant evidence over a very short period of time.
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Ha ha. Impartiality? Who is impartial at a football club fans event?!
The only impartial punter you’ll find won’t know anything about the subject matter so won’t be there anyway.
The hosts job isn’t to serve up soft questions, it’s to ensure there isn’t bedlam – and also ensure who wants to ask a sensible question can do – it’s not for them to set an agenda, the questions come from the supporters who want to attend, not the compère.
I’m getting the stench of sour grapes and frustrated ambition on this thread…to the extent it’s almost making me gip…..(sorry, that line was used earlier I know).
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Spot on there. He can only sign who he can afford.
If he had a blank chequebook then Fitzsimons wouldn’t have gone and we’d have Messi up front etc etc etc – but it’s not the way life works.
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And your point is?
Opinions are opinions.
He wasn’t top of my list but he wasn’t bottom.
The long and the short of it is we’re feeding off the scraps of clubs like York now whether we like it or not.
I just don’t get the ‘he’s shite’ mantra because he isn’t.
I assume no one on here has really seen him play since he left after what was a car crash of a season beyond his control, during which he won the main supporters player of the season award.
It was slim pickings I know – but I can only assume all those who voted for him are insane – working on the basis that you’re……er…..know what you’re talking about…..
Anyway, as I say, it’s not his fault he’s back and he’s a better keeper than what he’s given credit for – look at that squad and look who went where afterwards.
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As I say it’s not his fault we asked him back so let’s get the ‘Harness/Butler Out’ thread going now to save time.
They’re the ones who clearly don’t get the wisdom of the opinions on here.
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Can’t have been that bad – Wrexham, Donny and York were all more than happy to have him.
Look at their league standings currently and their collective promotion records over that period.
I’m surprised at such a negative reaction.
No one has poured such vitriol on the playing records of new recruits such as Eze, Ewing and Dawson. How many games have those lads played recently at any level? I assume they’re crap as well.
Anyway the proof will be in the pudding as it was in 2021/22 when he won player of the season.
Meanwhile, for the disenchanted amongst you I suggest you write a strongly worded letter to you local MP.
Failing that, I wouldn’t blame the player – I’d be looking at the board/budget.
It’s hardly Watson’s fault we asked him to come back and play for us.
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And if you think the goal yesterday was his fault you need to look at the replay and think again.
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Yes, it’s very harsh.
We could have had Clemence and Shilton in their prime both playing in goal together in 21/22 and we’d still have gone down.
Look at the total rubbish we had in front of him.
That season we had comfortably the lowest budget in League 2, the club was in financial shock and we were dreadful.
The side of 81/82 that finished second bottom would have murdered that lot. Watson did ok in impossible circumstances.
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Interesting question.
That doesn’t sound a million miles away from what an average NL budget might look like and what ours is, but clubs very rarely release specific figures – and even full accounts are oblique enough not to reveal the actual number.
Wrexham ran at nearly £7m the year they went up and Oldham and Southend are rumoured to be at around the £3m+ mark.
Other end of the scale, some clubs will be running significantly less at sub £1m.
The perceived wisdom is that player salaries should be between 60/80% of turnover – assuming no special factors are in play – such as a wealthy backer or, conversely, chronic financial issues.
Pre Covid – our turnover was running in the 3.5m region but that is misleading – because I believe League 2 clubs receive circa 1.5m each in solidarity payments from the PL whilst NL clubs get next to nothing.
I suspect (and this is mere speculation) that our net turnover (leaving aside VAT on sales etc) currently sits at somewhere in the region of £2m+, so £1.1m would be say in the region of 50%, which given our precarious financial position seems about right.
The issue besides that is that if you have say 20 players all on £1k a week that doesn’t mean your budget is £1m a year – it is significantly higher when taking into account NI contributions, pension contributions, incidentals such as bonuses etc.
The last set of figures I looked at indicated only 2 NL sides broke even that particular season……meaning the majority are living beyond their means which is always possible in the short term but not sustainable in the long term – as we’ve recently found out.
So, we will probably have to accept that there will be clubs in that league who aren’t getting our numbers through the turnstile but are operating on bigger budgets for whatever reason at the current time.
The perfect example is Kouogun going to Hartlepool – a side getting a fair number less through the turnstiles than us but who are clearly able and willing to pay more at this time (because it’s fairly obvious he hasn’t gone up there for the weather!)
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Harsh…
Played over 100 games in league football and was supporters player of the year in 2021/22.
He made a few mistakes but remember the side he was playing in and the amount of traffic he had to deal with – he was the least of our issues that season.
York were running with 3 keepers and he was expected to probably be second choice. A STH there said he’s a bit sorry to see him go……said no one doubted he was a great shot stopper but if he had one fault is that he wasn’t comfortable with the ball at his feet.
This is the 5th tier though so you don’t get vintage champagne when you’ve only got enough for half of lager.
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Don’t hold your breath boys
There are some people in this world who couldn’t sell a kennel to a dog.
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I have sympathy for some of the young players out there who clearly aren’t ready and must be getting scarred by the experience.
I have less sympathy for the likes of Nuttal though who is half hearted at best and for a big strong looking player seems unusually reluctant to even physically engage to any meaningful extent.
The experienced players that came off the bench in the end did nothing to stem the tide.
If anything, when they came on we somehow managed to deteriorate further!
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There was no significant difference between the side that played yesterday and the make up of our sides over the last 2 months.
Rovers scored 7, but even had they needed more I’m fairly certain they’d have got them.
The only difference between yesterday and other games was that Rovers had to go for broke, where in previous games where we have shipped 3 or 4, sides have taken their foot off the throttle when the result was beyond doubt.
So, I don’t really see how Northampton can complain about somehow being robbed of promotion by the worst side in the league. What did they think was going to happen yesterday at Rovers?
Yesterday was the final humiliation though of an awful season. I was embarrassed to be there.
The club has been totally ruined by Swann but a few of the players out on the field need to hold their hands up as well.
I don’t know where they wanted to be yesterday but it certainly wasn’t out there playing for us.
As professional ‘athletes’ some of them should feel totally ashamed.
Given the rather prickly nature of the current regime you have to be careful what you say……
But, the loan issue is just one of a catalogue of issues that revolve around what has been said, as opposed to what has actually been subsequently done.
So I won’t call Swann a liar, because that would be grossly unfair, impugn his magnificent reputation as a shrewd businessman of high repute and also his general standing as a fabulous all round guy.
What I would say however is that what’s historically been said as opposed to what’s actually been done seems to have nothing more than a passing (and very casual) acquaintance with the truth.
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Without new owners we will have a bottom 8 budget – that’s where we would have been this season with our current budget if we’d been in that league.
I don’t expect crowds to totally tank at the outset, there will be a novelty factor I suppose, so I’m hoping they manage to hover around 2,000.
Without new ownership and impetus though I think we’ll struggle to avoid relegation.
It will be bottom 4 go down in that league next season so you might end up needing 50 points – which will mean we have to win a hell of a lot more games than we have managed over the last 4 seasons.
We essentially need a new squad as well because this side would be relegated in that division let alone League 2.
Sadly, I predict 22nd, and another relegation.
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He’s played a load of kids and can hide behind that to an extent but it’s not an excuse – because it’s not fair on some of them who clearly aren’t ready.
It’s just trying to paper over the obvious cracks by saying you are giving youth a chance.
I felt genuinely sorry for Ethan Young yesterday.
He’s an 18 year old centre half making his full league debut at left back for some unknown reason when we had O’Malley on the bench – and he was up against Paul Smythe, who had him on toast. It was almost child cruelty and as far as I can see served no purpose whatsoever.
Even if they were actually ready they’ve been presented with an impossible task coming into that side.
Gallinore and Moore-Billam (when he came on) weren’t bad – at least they were prepared to physically engage which was more then you can say for some of the others.
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It was an insipid performance, which we’re used to, but the last 20 minutes of the first half was beyond embarrassing,
LT was present along with the club Secretary who both had to sit there (and try and grin and bear it).
No sign of our ex Chairman though. As captain of the ship I thought he might have had the guts to turn up to go down when his vessel so to speak.
Clearly not. Spineless.
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In all seriousness he does a lot of horror movies I believe so it sounds like a good fit.
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It’s probably been smelted already.
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