Former Northampton Town manager Jon Brady revealed one of the reasons behind his departure in February was due to losing key players.
The 50-year-old enjoyed success at Sixfields, guiding the club to promotion from League Two in 2023. He then guided the Cobblers to a respectable 14th placed finish in their first season back in League One.
Having stabilised in the third tier, a number of departures we confirmed at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. This saw this likes of Shaun McWilliams, Louis Appere and Sam Sherring leave for pastures new, joining Rotherham United, Stevenage and MK Dons respectively.
Northampton were tipped to struggle this season, with Brady resigning in December after they dropped into the relegation places following a 2-0 defeat at Stevenage. Kevin Nolan was eventually named as his successor, helping the club avoid the drop with a 19th-placed finish.
Brady Reveals Frustration
In a candid interview with Not The Top 20 podcast, Brady revealed that he considered stepping down last summer but was convinced to remain in post. He said the departures of ‘good players’ to clubs on a equal footing or below led to him considering his future before ultimately stepping down:
“It wasn’t so much December, it was back in the summer when I spoke to the chairman and there were just a few things that didn’t align with the values and the standards that I set for myself. We had talks through the summer and I probably wanted to leave it there after three great years.
“I was convinced to carry on but I just felt there wasn’t that want to try and retain players that I felt were good players. We weren’t losing players to clubs above us, we were losing players sideways or below us and to clubs that we were in competition with.
“When we couldn’t compete like that, a big part of my heart went with that and I explained to the chairman how I felt. We had a great relationship and I was convinced to carry on but as time went on, we talked and it might have been a surprise to others but it wasn’t a surprise between myself and the chairman when I left.
“What we achieved in that first season in League One was exceptional and those players then became very good League One players and it’s hard when you lose them because they were part of our strong group.”
Writer’s View
Northampton’s 14th placed finish in the 2023/24 season was seen as somewhat of an overachievement and it was always going to be difficult to replicate that following the additions of the likes of Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town, Wrexham and Stockport County to the division. It’s easy to understand Brady’s frustrations for the reason, especially because he was forced to lose players that featured regularly in his side. Leaving when he did may have been a shock, but he departed with his reputation still in tact. As a result, it’s not a surprise to see him consistently linked with a number of vacant positions in League One and Two.
