FL2: Torquay United v Northampton 7th August 2010

The local bookies maybe but it`s nation wide so the romantic mug bit I think is well off the mark!

It's another very good point made on this site but, in my humble opinion, if Northampton had a couple of strikers with some precision and a right midfielder who didn't freeze they wouldn't be in League Two.

I'd been watching The Gulls for many, many years in a state of nervousness: the usual "whenever we get a corner we won't score but every time they get a corner they will score" feeling. But one day at Macclesfield in a 1-1 draw (Aug 23, 2003 as it happens) I realised that based on good chances the score should have been 11-11, and it wasn't for a very obvious reason: both teams missed virtually all of their chances. I suppose it was that day that my nervousness disappeared and I started to watch games on a more objective level; but only for a while: I'm back to nervous watching again now!

It became clear that the only real difference between a player at League Two level and one at a higher level was their ability to make the right decision in any game situation. Players at a higher level cleared the ball quicker, tackled more effectively, passed more accurately and took more of the fewer chances that became available.

Every game we play will follow a certain pattern and that pattern includes the opposition dominating for a substantial period, making loads of chances and then missing them; either because Bevan/Potter saves, a defender clears off the line, their striker is offside, the ball gets a weird deflection or their striker just simply misses the target.

Fairly obvious stuff, but when you understand that any team we play is likely to miss four out of every five chances at worst then I don't feel so bad when they get those chances. Those infrequent games that occur when a side scores five or six are usually because strikers take all or most of their chances for a change, not necessarily because more chances have been created.

The game at our level is full of mistakes, just ask Nathan Stanton after Rochdale's visit to Plainmoor last season: he was at fault for four of the goals. We make mistakes ourselves of course, but the sign of an ever-improving team is that we don't concede as often from our mistakes and score more goals from the opposition's mistakes. On Saturday, Zeb's shot was saved and it should have been cleared, but he was still alert enough to control the rebound and slot it into the corner of the goal. Cobblers should have scored in the first half but due to a variety of poor decisions on the part of their players they didn't score.

None of what I'm saying is new, but the point I am making is that even the good players in League Two make mistakes so adding a couple of good strikers and better midfield player doesn't mean that Northampton wouldn't have lost 3-0: they could just as easily missed any chances that came their way.

The teams that get promoted at the end of the season aren't necessarily the best footballing sides, but are generally the ones who best manage to avoid their mistakes being turned into goals and vice versa; ie the best at winning games.

Well everything going to plan so far!

Off to Italy now as if I stay in this damp country of ours a minute longer I am going to go rusty, but have arranged for text updates of our 2-1 win at the Vale on Saturday.

If that transpires and we are sitting top of the league with 12 points on my return I will then give my forecast for the month of September .... although after the great start we have made I will be even more optimistic next time! ;D


PS: I also promise Dave that when I return I will have forgotten all about wheel clampers and parking regulations!