Kevin Nolan has dismissed suggestions that Northampton Town are overly reliant on direct play and set-pieces.
The Cobblers’ manager was responding after a number of opposition coaches labelled his side’s style as simplistic, an assessment that has frustrated supporters but one that Nolan insists is wide of the mark.
Nolan Unfazed by Criticism
Steven Schumacher was the latest to suggest Northampton’s threat comes mainly from dead-ball situations, only to see his Bolton Wanderers team beaten 2-0 at Sixfields. Earlier in the campaign, Steve Bruce’s Blackpool also left empty-handed despite making similar observations.
Nolan, however, was keen to point out that such comments do not reflect the true nature of his team’s performances.
“I’m not on social media so I don’t really see those things. Is it a bit disrespectful to me? Not really because they’re not watching what they should be watching and they’re not getting it right.
“Hopefully it means we are giving teams an element of surprise and I think we have done over the last few weeks.”
The 43-year-old added that he has no interest in becoming embroiled in a war of words, preferring instead to let Northampton’s results speak for themselves. The Cobblers have adjusted well under his management and recent wins over promotion hopefuls have highlighted their ability to mix resilience with attacking intent.
Respect for Opponents
Nolan also stressed the importance of showing respect to rival clubs and explained that he would never publicly describe another team’s style in disparaging terms. He suggested some of the remarks might be media tactics rather than genuine evaluations of Northampton’s approach.
“It’s not something that bothers me. You can get lazy comments sometimes and personally I would never address another team like that in my time as a manager.
:I don’t think I’ve done that and if I did do it, I would want to be called out. I always try to show the utmost respect. But what I will say, when they come into my office, they never say it then and they have a lot of compliments to give us.
“Maybe sometimes they are just trying to play the media a bit but I hope what you get from me, when we get beat fairly, is that I give a fair reflection of the game.”
The manager, who took charge at Sixfields earlier this year, has sought to build a balanced side capable of competing with the division’s stronger outfits.
Writer’s View
Nolan’s response underlines his determination not to be distracted by outside noise. While “direct” has become an easy label to pin on clubs with strong set-piece records, Northampton’s results suggest there is far more to their game than long balls and physicality.
The likes of Bruce and Schmacher ought to find their sides something to be over-reliant on, then they wouldn’t have to moan in the media about other clubs to cover their failings.
