Prediction League Game 40; Northampton (home)

Div3North · 28-03-2011, 23:22

Accrington Stanley

V

Northampton Town

Prediction League – Game 40; v Northampton (home)

We’ve played them three times in the League, and so far we haven’t even scored against them; losses by 3-0 and 4-0 last season, and a 0-0 draw at Sixfields back in August . Must Do Better – See Me!

Ian Sampson (who masterminded the September Carling Cup win over Liverpool at Anfield

and the 6-2 thrashing of Crewe) dipped into the transfer market in January, and the loan market in February; appointed in October 2009, he was sacked on 2nd March following a run of 7 games without a win

, and was replaced by Gary Johnson on 4th – who promptly went out a-signing on loan (several of those he signed had played for him before). Currently they’ve got a squad of 33, including 6 on loan, and no less than 4 keepers; no idea who’s bankrolling them, but I hope he/they’ve got plenty of money!

Sampson brought in four players in January, including Shaun Harrad, bought from Burton (where he scored 76 in 245 games, as against 2 goals and a red card in ten games for the Cobblers), 25 year old French striker Francis Laurent, who started at Sochaux, signed for Southend, and then returned to France to play for AFC Compiegne, and Josh Walker, a 22 year-old midfielder from Middlesbrough, brought in on loan from Watford. In his 24 days in charge (no wins in 5 games

), Gary Johnson has added goalkeeper Steve Collis (who played for him at Peterborough, Yeovil and Bristol City), Doncaster centre-back Byron Webster, Nigerian striker Michael Uwezu (ex Arsenal, Fulham and Lincoln), Wolves’ left back Jamie Rekord (yet to play in the Premiership, but an England u17 international), right back Seth Nana Ofori-Twumesi (once of Chelsea, but also from the Posh – and also signed for them by the same G Johnson), and Cambridge United’s striker Courtney Herbert, who scored 2 in his first 4 games for them, followed by none in the next 38 ………….. That's one new player every four days

. Can that many players gel in a short time? With the massive influx of “new” players, you perhaps wouldn’t think you’d much of a future at Sixfields if you were there before the turn of the year!

Their away record is worse than everybody in League 2 except Barnet and Burton

; P18 W2 D7 L9 F15 A29; their overall record is P38 W9 D15 L14 F49 A56 for 41 points and 21st place – 5 points above Burton (who have 3 in hand) and 7 points above Barnet and Stockport, both of whom have played one game more. They haven’t won in the last 12 attempts

(15 goals scored, 8 draws and 4 defeats) and although they’ve scored 62 in total in 45 games, they’ve conceded 71; apart from the 6 past Crewe, their best is 3 in a game – at Reading in the 3-3 draw in the Carling, against Forest Green in the FA Cup First Round (away), and at home in the League to Hereford (3-4) and Morecambe (3-3); 10 times they haven’t found the net at all. Out of the Cups after some decent wins – in the Carling they beat Brighton at home 2-0, Reading (away) on penalties after a 3-3 draw, and Liverpool (also on pens) after a 2-2 draw at Anfield, before going down 3-1 at Ipswich; the JPT wasn’t thrilling (0-4 at Hartlepool in Round 1); the FA Cup was slightly better – 3-0 at Forest Green and then a 2-3 loss at Hillsborough.

Their 62 goals have been shared among 14 players; 32 year-old ex Peterborough, Norwich, Palace and Coventry striker Leon McKenzie has 9 (from 16 starts and 7 sub appearances); Billy McKay (ex Leicester) and midfielder Andrew Holt (ex Wrexham, Hull and Oldham) have 8 each; and defender John Johnson, ex Coventry midfielder Kevin Thornton and home-grown 19 year old midfielder Michael Jacobs each have 7; no one else has better than 3.

Did you know, by the way, that only Chesterfield (13) have won more games at home this season than we have (10)

, but that only Northampton, Burton and Barnet have won fewer games away (2) than us (3)

?

The deadline for entries is, as ever, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3pm on Saturday 2nd April. High scoring thriller or low scoring bore-draw? This is another “must-win” (but aren’t they all?) and by all the numbers we should …but will we? And by how many if we do? Shock loss? Another draw (we’ve had 15 in 37 games)? Your call ……… maybe your prize!

Good luck to everyone ………… and thanks for playing!