|
" Changes will be made from Tuesday night because one or two of the players are struggling and one or two of them let themselves down. I'd like to make more changes than that but I've not got the squad. I thought Andy Holt did well when he came on at half-time, he gave us a bit more balance and he will come into contention. Scott Vernon is another one who comes into my thoughts, he got a goal against Stockport and he did well when he came on on Tuesday night so I am sure he is chomping at the bit to start.
" Ikechi Anya also comes into my mind, it's a big pitch at Carlisle and I'm sure they will be pushing for the win so his pace might give us an outlet going forward. He likes a bit of grass to run in behind and away from home teams are under pressure to get forward so there might be a bit more grass to play with. He started at Peterborough very brightly but when they went down to ten men they defended very deeply and counter-attacked. That meant he couldn't get in behind with his pace but he's one that comes into my thoughts, especially as Carlisle really need to get a result.
" Our first half performance on Tuesday night was not acceptable and it is important that we bounce back from the disappointment of Tuesday night. I was very disappointed with the way we conceded the first goal and when you look at it every goal that we conceded was preventable. We started well but we didn't take that on and it was a bit of a shock to the system for me to see us concede four goals. Defensively we have been quite solid this season but on Tuesday night individual errors cost us and some of the players let themselves down.
" We did okay when we had the ball but when we've not got the ball we need to work a little bit harder. In the first half I can't remember a tackle going in and Swindon just seemed more determined than us. We showed a bit more fight in the second half and having looked at the DVD I thought the referee could have let our fourth goal stand. We are at the business end of the season and the players have got to put in performances.
"I've got every confidence that we will score goals but we need to tighten things up at the back and at this moment in time I would take any 1-0 win in any game from here on in. It's results that are the be all and end all. The league table doesn't lie, but we can't feel sorry for ourselves. We have got to roll our sleeves up, we have to compete more, do the ugly side of the game and grind it out.
" Carlisle and Yeovil are scrapping for their lives, and I want players getting on the bus for those games that are ready to fight for the cause. It seems a longer journey after that performance the other night. Carlisle will be very disappointed with themselves after they lost to Hereford the other night and they'll see us as a chance to put that right. "
Meanwhile striker Ikechi Anya commented to the Chronicle & Echo :
" I just want to play games and if I am in the gaffer's mind and I get a chance to impress him, hopefully I will. Hopefully I did that on Tuesday so hopefully I will be in with a chance to start tomorrow and next Tuesday. "
Northampton signed two Premier League players on loan to the end of the season yesterday before the deadline for temporary signings closed at 5pm. The duo being 22-year old right-back Jared Hodgkiss from West Brom and Adam Watts, 21, from Fulham, both players having already spent spells away from their parent clubs in the last two campaigns at Aberdeen and MK Dons respectively.
Hodgkiss looks set to start for the Cobblers but Watts could miss the game on medical advice after recently suffering from concussion. Centre-half Chris Doig and right-back Jason Crowe face pre-match fitness tests, but attacking midfielder Ryan Gilligan (knee) is still out. Stuart Gray commenting to his club's official website on those injury troubles :
"Jason Crowe is struggling with a bit of a groin problem and Chris Doig is touch and go with his Achilles. Bayo (Adebayo Akinfenwa) is a little bit drained after playing 90 minutes on Tuesday night but I'm sure he will be okay to go again on Saturday. He has had a bout of tonsillitis as well as a migraine and ideally I would have liked to only play him for an hour against Swindon but the way things worked out he ended up playing the whole game. "
The referee for tomorrow's match is experienced whistler Andy D'Urso who is making the long journey up from Billericay in Essex, and he will be assisted down the lines by Iain Siddall from Bolton and Paul Simpson (no, not him) from Bishop Auckland in County Durham. Meanwhile the fourth official is Lee Metcalfe from Preston.