’Some players think they can turn it on and off’ – boss Curle

Cobblers boss Keith Curle has accused some of his players of thinking they can get away with not doing the ‘minimum requirements’ following Saturday’s latest tale of disappointment against Yeovil Town.
Cobblers boss Keith CurleCobblers boss Keith Curle
Cobblers boss Keith Curle

Northampton were strong favourites going into the game given Yeovil’s torrid form and lowly league position but once again they were found wanting, particularly during a poor first-half display.

Tristan Abrahams and Jake Gray handed the Glovers a 2-0 half-time lead after a first-half in which the Cobblers struggled to match the intensity and tempo of their struggling visitors, who were fighting for their Football League lives.

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Town, meanwhile, are stranded in mid-table obscurity and have little to play for, at least not as a team, but that should not be an excuse for their disappointing efforts on Saturday according to their manager.

“I understand,” Curle said. “It’s the end of the season and it’s job complete for the changing room as in we’ve done enough to stay up - that’s as a collective.

“But individually, there are still targets and ethos that players needs to have in their make-up - it doesn’t matter if it’s a training game on a Tuesday, a competitive league game on a Saturday or a play-off final.

“When you’ve got those characteristics in place as a professional and as an individual, it’s a game of football and as soon as you cross that white line you are representing yourself and what you’re about.

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“Some players think they can turn it on and off through the week and then perform on a Saturday and some players don’t think they need to do the minimum requirements until push comes to shove and they’re 2-0 down to a team that’s about to be relegated.

“It shows to me that the fundamentals of those individuals aren’t right and that’s why players will be changed. That’s not a threat, that’s a case of me being here to improve, develop and get the club on an upward spiral.

“We’ve gained enough points this season to keep us in the division and it’s credit to the players who have bought into the philosophies we’re trying to implement.

“Ultimately though, there’s some players that have got used to not being demanding and not winning and again, that’s what I’m here to change.”