Email Response From NTFC....

I had a reply from NTFC regarding my email, I have shown it below and it is word for word, clears a few things up but also brings to light some interesting things that need more discussion when I have time.

I'd like to add how much appreciated it is that the club replied and also how quickly they replied, could easily have just ignored it. That is the beauty of supporting a club at this level, you feel like you have a voice.

As always, forever support NTFC no matter what is going on.

Hi Neil

Thanks for your email, and please don't apologise for the rambling. It is always good to hear from supporters and I will make sure your email is passed on to the coaching staff.

A lot of the points you raise are difficult for me to answer, they are obviously footballing decisions made by the manager and his staff although I can hopefully explain a few of them for you.

On the issue of Bayo and Savage up front, when Jake Robinson dropped out before kick off on Saturday there was no real other option, none of the other strikers are fully match fit or have the match sharpness and so that was probably the only option at the 11^th hour. And on the issue of left backs, Nana and Ashley Corker have both been struggling with injuries, but such is the hectic nature of the start to the season it has often been the case of playing who is 'least' injured.

Football is of course a game of opinions, and trust me, no one is more disappointed with the results of the last week than Gary. He would not be making any decisions out of anything other than a desire to turn things around and to get us moving up the table. He would not be choosing or not choosing players for any other reason than a genuine belief than the side we are selecting gives us the best possible chance of winning the game and of playing in the style he wants us to play in.

After the post match team talk, that in itself took a while on Saturday, the players themselves held a long meeting in the dressing room after the game on Saturday. That too shows their determination to turn things around and to improve results/performances. There is a willingness and determination to make that happen.

Even looking back on Saturday we lost because of two silly individual errors. Annoying, frustrating and disappointing, but you would hope they would be the easiest things to eradicate, it is not as if we are getting outplayed every week.

On the subject of Shaun Harrad, Gary obviously saw Shaun for the last dozen or so games of last season and came to the conclusion that he was not a key figure in his plans moving forward. Things can change in football but that was/is Gary's view. Over the summer, the club invested in the squad, and the intention since the end of last season was to find Sean another club, which may now have happened. The thought behind this is, as you will appreciate, Shaun is a high earning player at the club,  and there was no point in having such a high earning player on the books using up such a fair percentage of the budget who was not going to be a key figure in the manager's plans. With that in mind it was felt to be in the best interests of all parties that Shaun was given the chance to move on if the opportunity arose.

Thanks again for your email and your support.

Kind regards

Gareth Willsher
Head of Media
Northampton Town Football Club