Be it a squib or a squid, Northampton's season hasn't quite plumbed the depths yet, says FanZoner Tom Reed.
Damp squid or damp squid, either way it's disappointing
It's not exactly been a flying start for the Cobblers, but FanZone correspondent Tom Reed is keeping a positive outlook... just!
On asking my friend what he thought of the Cobblers start to the season, he replied 'a bit of a damp squid'.
Now he may have been in a state of calamari confusion but I didn't have the heart to correct him on his malapropism and anyway, the sentiment was spot on. Northampton have begun their campaign poorly.
I'm wondering whether manager Stuart Gray overemphasised the old 'marathon not a sprint' analogy before the big kick off against Macclesfield, because his players performed like middle-aged long-distance fun runners, plodding around at quarter pace for ninety minutes, perhaps terrified at the thought of chafed nipples and yearning for a rest and the embrace of a silver foil blanket at the end.
Unfortunately for him, Adebayo Akinfenwa left the field after the 0-0 mega bore draw having moved around like the bloke who ran the London marathon in full deep sea diving gear, complete with lead boots.
It was hard to determine what was more disappointing, coming to terms with the drop in the level of football since relegation or realising that Keith Alexander's men (many plucked from non-league) were actually more effective on the day.
Pointless
The woodwork saved us on more than one occasion, whilst the standout moment from the Cobblers was Paul Rodgers getting booked for scything down a Macclesfield player with his first 'tackle' after coming on as a 60th-minute substitute.
The League Cup game against Southampton was no better, with the Cobblers losing the 'battle of the Hampton's' 2-0 against a less than vintage Saints outfit, whilst the League tie with Chesterfield saw the team returning pointless again. The-couldn't- sound-more-Celtic-if-he-tried Donal McDermott condemned Town to a 1-0 defeat, Stuart Gray's men again failing to get to grips with John Sheridan's well=organised Spireites
After the game at Chesterfield, Steve Guinan admitted that Stuart Gray had sat the team down to watch a 'video nasty' of the performance and a few home truths were expressed.
Whatever was said during this team screening certainly had an effect because the Cobblers put in a much improved performance in their third League game at Accrington Stanley. The return of old hand John Curtis steadied the ship in the centre of the park, allowing Northampton's capable strikers to fire them to a 3-0 win.
Jigsaw
Out of interest I'd be intrigued to know what programmes Gray had been showing them before the first two games... 'Footballers do the funniest things', 'Ready Steady Hoof' 'Louis Theroux and the town of third rate football'. Alas we'll never know.
The Cobblers have clearly taken their time in adapting to their new surroundings but hopefully now Stuart Gray has begun to fix the jigsaw of new players together more freely, the team can kick on from here.
I'd urge fans that have veered towards getting on Gray's back since the trauma of relegation to cut him some slack. Not many managers would be able to keep the club on an upwards curve after losing decent players such as Mark Bunn, Bradley Johnson, Gabor Gyepes etc.
Up the Cobblers and let's have no more damp squibs or should that be squids... aren't squid damp anyway? Oh forget it!
What do you make of Northampton's start to the season? Is Tom right, or are things worse than he is making out? Let us know by filling in the feedback form below...
