After a desolate transfer deadline day in which Stuart Gray and David Cardoza were frustrated once again in their attempts to bring in players on their wish list, we must now look to the loan market. From the last few league performances, we must surely improve the side before our next league game- against the Posh.
Before the deadline, we suffered a morale defeating 4-1 loss at Tranmere. Even when we were in front we were never really looking like the winners and the previous week’s win over Bolton seemed to get to some of the players’ heads. The sale of Mark Bunn meant that Chris Dunn took his place in goal. He wasn’t at fault for any of the goals that Rovers scored in a blitz just before half-time and we were done.
Deadline day brought high expectations of new bodies joining the club but as the official website refreshed over and over with no news, it was becoming frustrating for the fans as well as Stuart Gray. At around 10pm there came the announcement that although we had tried to get the right players in, we would have to look at the loan market to get any new players in.
One of the players we looked close to getting was Jamie Ward of Chesterfield but with Jack Lester injured at the club already, the Speirites were probably not looking to sell. An “experience striker” was also mentioned but again there was nothign to report come the end of deadline day. I can understand the fact that we didn’t need to get loan players in just yet with the next game a couple of weeks away. But after announcements that deals were on their way, we perhaps should have kept quiet until we had actually made the signings!
It was then on to the Brighton game with only fourteen senior professionals in the squad and an inevitable early exit from the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy was sealed with a long range Kevin McLeod effort beating Chris Dunn. The trophy is obviously not high on the agenda in terms of competitions this season but it was still worrying to see a match report devoid of any activity in the final third.
We simply cannot go on much longer in this way. Performances in the league have been below par since the opening day of the season. We’ve gone completely the wrong way since the 4-2 win over Cheltenham Town and it’s starting to get very worrying with at least three new players needed. With the next game coming against Peterborough United, this is the first big match of the season.
If we perform to this same level against Posh then we will be beaten and the pressure will immediately be on everyone at the club to turn things around. We must, on the other hand, trust in Stuart Gray’s judgement in his loan targets and hope that we can turn things around just at the right time.
We have time to regroup, take a break and get some new faces in and this long break really could not have come at a better time. It’s time to prepare for the biggest game of the season so far and by this time next week we must all believe that we will be in a stronger position.
Up The Cobblers!
Danny
No comments:
Post a Comment