THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 14, 2018 6:19 pm 
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APL PREDICTION LEAGUE & PREVIEWNORTHAMPTON TOWN
Another 6 pointer, this time with local rivals Northampton Town, and I hope its nothing like last season whereby the game was virtually over all bar the shouting after 30 minutes with the Dons 3-0 down, with former Don, Revell, giving a masterclass in how to unsettle a defence. In the end the scoreline flattered us, and a casual glance from an armchair fan at the scoreline as the results were coming in, might have made it look like a close game, it wasn’t.

We of course got the better of them at our place 5-3, in one of the more exciting games at Stadium MK last season, and the home tie earlier in the season was a turgid affair and on balance the Cobblers probably should have won, with former Dons Bowditch and Revell both forcing Nicholls into some smart saves in the final minutes, little did we know at the time, this would set the benchmark for displays as the season progressed.

Who knows what to expect next, some people say enjoy the rollercoaster ride this season has become, but that’s easier said than done, with most games lacking in any sort of skill level, any visible plan, or formation, and it’s not comfortable viewing.

I do wonder at times what the hell is going on sometimes, Muirhead for example, I’m sure he is a nice kid and all that, still learning his craft so to speak, but I just don’t get what he is in the team for. For a big lad his affect in aerial battles is virtually non-existent, he seems incapable of making a forward pass, and is routinely dealt with by defenders, seemingly at ease. On the other hand, Nombe looks exciting, keen to take players on and run after lost causes, admittedly this has been in the final minutes of games, but I wouldn’t be upset to see him given more time to make an impact, in honesty I don’t think he can do any worse.

We have about two weeks or so, to secure more players, although I think its bloody ridiculous Lewington has been frozen out as we are so desperately short of defenders with the long-term injuries of Golbourne and Walsh, and now we are about one more injury or suspension away from playing kids in the back four....it is bloody farcical, whatever your opinion is of Lewie, surely it is better to have him coming in, rather than throw one of our kids to the lions and potentially ruin him.

I guess we will see very soon if Pete is going to support his man, and in honesty I think 5 or 6 are needed to change things round, without them this team is going down, and let’s not forget we have been here before, and I dare not even think about Aneke getting sold.

Tune in next week for the latest edition of this gripping saga.

Moving on, lets look at the facts & figures.

THE SEASON SO FAR – NORTHAMPTON TOWN
Currently Northampton sit in 21st place with a record of PLAYED 28, WON 7, DRAWN 5, LOST 15, GF 25 & GA 48, with 29 points to their name.

Northampton Current League form – DLLLWW
MK Dons Current League form - DLLWLD

Their league record in chronological order is as follows.

Shrewsbury 1 Northampton 0
Northampton 0 Fleetwood 1
Charlton 4 Northampton 1
Northampton 1 Peterborough 4
Northampton 1 Doncaster 0
Northampton 3 Portsmouth 1
Southend 2 Northampton 2
Wigan 1 Northampton 0
Northampton 0 Bradford 1
MK Dons 0 Northampton 0
Rotherham 1 Northampton 0
Northampton 0 Bristol Rovers 6
Northampton 0 KFC Kingston 1
Rochdale 2 Northampton 2
Gillingham 1 Northampton 2
Northampton 1 Blackpool 0
Oxford 1 Northampton 2
Northampton 0 Scunthorpe 3
Northampton 0 Bury 0
Oldham 5 Northampton 1
Northampton 2 Walsall 1
Northampton 1 Blackburn 1
Doncaster 3 Northampton 0
Portsmouth 3 Northampton 1
Northampton 0 Wigan 1
Northampton 3 Southend 1
Bradford 1 Northampton 2

THE MANAGER
Jerrel “Jimmy” Floyd Hasselbaink aged 45 years and born in Paramaribo, Surinam.

He started his playing career as a striker back in 1984, breaking into first team football some 6 years later with Telstar in Holland. He went onto play for AZ, Campomaiorense, Boavista, Leeds Utd, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Middlesbrough, Charlton and finally Cardiff, hanging up his boots in 2008.

He played 591 times scoring 251 goals, and some 23 International games for the Netherlands scoring 9 goals.

In 2013, he became the manager of Royal Antwerp (turned down new deal), then Burton Albion (walked when top of LG 1), QPR (sacked), and now Northampton on a three-year deal.

His managerial record stands at GAMES 165, WON 67, DRAWN 48, LOST 50, that’s a 40.6 %-win ratio, although his win ratio at the Cobblers is a lowly 27%, and nearly three points lower than his record at QPR from which he was sacked.

THE GROUND
The 7,750 all seated Six Finger Stadium, SAT NAV – NN5 5QA and is a massive 22 miles from Stadium MK.

We will be in the Moulton College End which holds 800 people and we should sell those, in addition we can have another 423 in the East Stand, the game is also all ticket, so no buying on the day.

I’m not sure about home or away pubs in Northampton, but if sampling the delights of Northampton, be aware it is a fair old walk to the ground.

If travelling by train, again it’s a good walk of 2 miles, but the No 15 bus can be caught a short distance outside the station that drops off outside Bella Italia on the Sixfields Complex, and if you’re in town you can catch the D1, D2 or D3.

Parking is plentiful at the ground at a cost of £4 per car, but I would still recommend you get there early, as for big games it sometimes does get sold out, and with one entrance and exit, getting stuck at the back of the carpark is not my idea of fun.

A limited amount of Blue Badge parking is available at the ground but must be pre-booked by calling 01604-683700.

THE MASCOT
Clarence the Dragon will be flag waving, give him some stick people.

FORMER MANAGERS

Syd Puddefoot, Dave Bowen, Bill Dodgin Jnr, Pat Crerand, Clive walker, Tony Barton, Graham Carr, John Barnwell, Kevin Wilson, Kevan Broadhurst, Colin Calderwood, Gary Johnson, John Gorman, Aidy Boothroyd, Chris Wilder, and the present incumbent who is the 44th Cobblers manager, although on research there are a few gaps, so it could possibly be more.

FORMER PLAYERS
Plenty to choose from, so just a snapshot of Adebayo Akinfenwa, Ryan Amoo, George Baldock, Bobby Barnes, Jason Beckford, Marlon Beresford, Herbert Chapman, John Burridge, Mathias Kouo-Doumbe, Ron Flowers, Paddy Kenny, Clive Platt, Mark Randall, Paul Tisdale.

OH NO – NOT YOU AGAIN
Former Don’s fans favourite Alex Revell, who played 17 games scoring 4 goals, Daniel “Marmite” Powell, who played 271 games for us scoring 46 goals, “MK’s Goal Machine” Dean Bowditch, who played 227 games scoring 48 goals, and loanee Chris Long, 4 games and 1 goal, which came in a 3-2 home win against Shrewsbury in 2014.

Revell has currently played 49 games for Northampton scoring 12 goals, Daniel Powell 21 games and 1 goal, Dean Bowditch, 16 games and 0 goals, and Chris Long, 26 games and 7 goals.

Bowditch is doubtful for this fixture, being out since early December, and has visited Stadium MK twice in the last couple of weeks.

SHOOTERS BOOTS
Former Dons loanee Chris Long with 7 goals in all comps.

CURRENT MATCH ODDS

Northampton 13/8 (BetFred) Draw 13/5 (Coral) MK Dons 13/8 (Betfair)

FAMOUS FANS
Shaq O’Neil (NBA Star) and possibly Alan Carr (Chatty Man) son of former manager Graham Carr.

LAST TIME ROUND

Tuesday September 26th, 2017 – MK Dons 0 Northampton 0
Team – Nicholls, Williams, Wootton, Golbourne, Ariyibi, Cisse, Gilbey, Tshibola (Agard), Brittain, Seager (Nesbitt), Sow (Muirhead).
Unused Subs – Sietsma, Lewington, Ebanks-Landell, Upson.
Goals – No goals.
Ref – Chris Sarginson (No cards)
Attendance – 11,340 (2,566 Cobblers fans)
League Position at the time of fixture – MK Dons 12th, Northampton Town 21st.

HEAD 2 HEAD
2017/18 – MK Dons 0 Northampton 0 (LG 1)
2016/17 – MK Dons 5 Northampton 3 (LG 1) – Agard, Aneke 2, Barnes, Own Goal.
2016/17 – Northampton 3 MK Dons 2 (LG 1) – Bowditch & Carruthers
2015/16 – MK Dons 3 Northampton 0 (FAC Replay)
2015/16 – Northampton 2 MK Dons 2 (FAC) – Own Goal & Maynard
2013/14 – MK Dons 2 Northampton 0 (JPT) – Bamford & Alli
2013/14 – Northampton 1 MK Dons 2 (League Cup) – Reeves & Banton
2012/13 – Northampton 1 MK Dons 0 (JPT)
2009/10 – MK Dons 3 Northampton 1 (JPT) – Wilbraham & Reeves 2
2008/09 – Northampton 0 MK Dons 1 (LG 1) – Wilbraham
2008/09 – MK Dons 1 Northampton 0 (LG 1) – Wilbraham

YOU’VE GOT NO HISTORY
Looking at Northampton’s history in a trawl back in the history pages, it strangely makes little reference to the financial troubles the club has fallen foul of in recent years, on the brink of a winding up order because of unpaid taxes, the club going into admin in the nineties, missing council money, legal battles, unfinished building work, alleged financial wrong doing with certain members of the Cobblers ownership.

Northampton were formed in 1897, after meetings between the town’s schoolteachers and local solicitor A.J. Darnell. They play their home games at the all-seater Sixfields Stadium, having moved in 1994 from the County Ground which they shared with the owners, Northamptonshire County Cricket Club.

They hold the record for the shortest time taken to be promoted from the bottom tier to the top tier and relegated back down to the bottom again, all in the space of nine years.

PREDICTION
That’s it once again, please be mindful of the rules, including the latest update/clarification whereby all predictions must be achievable in their entirety, if not then only the correct score part of your prediction will be accepted.

The deadlines are as per normal, 1 hour prior to kick off, good luck and see you at the game.

8-) WellDon

EXAMPLE
Northampton Town 2 MK Dons 1
MKFDFGS - Ugbo

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 14, 2018 7:05 pm 
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Northampton 0 MK Dons 1

FGS Thomas-Asante

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 14, 2018 11:00 pm 
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3-1 Dons
Agard


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 3:35 am 
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Northampton 0 MK Dons 2
FDGS Ugbu


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 10:23 am 
Northampton 3-1 MKD

FGS Aneke


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 12:36 pm 
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Northampton 2, MK Dons 1

FDGS Ethan Ebanks Landell.


Last edited by Silverous on Thu Jan 18, 2018 1:05 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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PostPosted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 7:43 pm 
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Northampton 1-2 MK Dons

MK fgs Gilbey


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:02 pm 
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Northampton 3-0 Dons

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COYD


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 8:29 pm 
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1-0
Chucks


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 8:47 pm 
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Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2017 7:24 pm
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Cobblers 2 Dons 0


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