By theiimps.tk
July 25 2009

Northampton Town have returned to League Two three years after leaving. The Cobblers did look to be heading for midtable until a disastorous run pushed them into the lower reaches of the table and they were relegated on the final day. Northampton Town's last spell in this division lasted just three years and despite winning them promotion, most were not happy with Colin Calderwood as their manager, but I'd bet they wish they had him now after Stuart Gray got them relegated last season. The Cobblers slipped into the drop zone on the final day of the 2008/9 season and Stuart Gray took full responsibility for it.

Their return to League One was initially looking like a stage where they would build themselves up and push on as far and fast as possible. 14^th place in their first year was respectable, but they finished just three places off of the League One Playoffs a year ago, but then came last season. They were never really in trouble of relegation early on and looked like heading for a midtable position after a 5-1 win over Crewe left them in twelfth, a full ten points above the drop-zone, that was on January 24^th and their only four wins after that came against sides that would finish lower down the table than them. Even going into the final day they were still two points clear of the drop zone, yet they still managed to go down.

Whilst they've lost players that are proven in League Two, such as Leon Constantine and Colin Larkin, they haven't really brought in any decent players to replace them. Steve Guinan regularly scores against City but has otherwise never been a regular goalscorer, Craig Hinton is distinctively average and the signings of Beckwith and Mulligan are hardly likely to have the division quaking in their boots.

Northampton's spell in League One proved that they are capable of being half-decent but also capable of being a bit crap. Afterall, they were looking over their shoulders at the drop zone until a few months after Calderwood took over from Wilkinson in 2003/4, and that was with a squad that is arguably better than the one they have no.

A lot of Northampton fans have been predicting a promotion race but I feel there are many stronger teams in the division and that Stuart Gray has no experience of this division, meaning he could easily be caught out.

I don't think Northampton will have a bad season, but I can't really see them having a decent one either and midtable is probably the best they can hope for.

15th : Oh Cobblers to it.

Discussion started by theimps.tk (IP Logged), 25/07/2009 13:40

theimps.tk
25/07/2009 13:40

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davidimp
25/07/2009 14:05

very fair assessment especially as they only have 18 players including their youth players.

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I Blame Paul Mayo
26/07/2009 15:08

pretty fair, they were rumoured to be going part time aswell.

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