Cobblers Pin Hopes on Aidy

Northampton Town Football Club - one of those clubs that seem to underachieve season after season today installed former Watford gaffer Aidy Boothroyd as their new manager.

At the start of the season, many bookmakers predicted that The Cobblers would be up there around the top six in League 2 - However, they currently sit in 19th place, two places above the drop zone.

The Summer had been one of hope for Cobblers fans, Gary Johnson, the man who took Bristol City to the Championship play-off Final only three years previously was at the helm and signed some decent players such as Adebayo Akinfenwa for his second stint at the club, Ben Toxer, Aaron Davies and Jake Robinson. Everything was looking rosy until they starting kicking a ball on the pitch.

Johnson and Northampton soon parted company

A disappointing 0-0 bore draw at home to Accrington Stanley set them on their way to a misserable start in the league in what would have been Johnson's first full season as boss at the club.  Despite a 2-1 win away at Ipswich Town in the Carling Cup and beating Aldershot Town away in the same week, Johnson's side then went on a run of nine games without a win - Gaining just one point in this sequence!

Again, Northampton had another week where they won twice consecutively however that was soon halted by a 1-0 home defeat to Crawley Town - The following six games after that saw the side again pick up just one point in the league and getting knocked out by non-league Luton Town in the FA Cup - This was the final straw for Chairman David Cardozo who duly "Parted Company" with Johnson with former England goalkeeper Tim Flowers taking over as Caretaker Manager.

Flowers couldn't stop the rut - His two games in charge were both defeats - 7-2 at home to Shrewsbury Town and 4-1 away to Plymouth (The second half showing must have been better though as they were four down at half time).

So, fifteen points later since the well, it now must be said for Cobblers fans the "Pleasing"? draw against Accrington and two managers later here we are with Boothroyd now in charge of the same players that Johnson and Flowers had. 

This picture sums Northampton's season up

Bradford-born Boothroyd, who has managed in The Premier League with Watford, The Championship with Watford and Coventry and League 1 with Colchester is now in the bottom tier of the Football League with Northampton Town.  He has the job to firstly keep the Sixfields outfit in League 2 before aiming for the play-offs.  Cardozo, it has to be said has been clever in giving his new man at the helm a one year rolling contract which does change the Northampton way in giving managers longer contracts, the team don't perform and then the manager has been given a large pay-off before leaving - Sensible move.

Anyway, I for one wish Northampton luck with Boothroyd at the helm.  Apart from reaching the Premier League through the play-offs what now seems an eternity ago he has done very little else of note.  Still, It can't get much worse at Sixfields can it?!

Boothroyd: The new man at the helm