Opposition Lowdown: Jon Brady’s Northampton Town
Reading face a quick turnaround from Saturday’s 0-0 draw at home to Burton, hitting the road to take on Northampton Town. Join us as we take a closer look at the opposition.
Form
Northampton Town secured promotion back to League One last season after they finished third in League Two, only two points behind second-placed Stevenage. They last played in the third tier in the 2020/21 season, when they finished in 22nd place.
The Cobblers currently sit 17th in the table, having picked up 10 points in their first nine games. Their recent form has been mixed, having picked up two wins and three losses in their last five games, coming into Tuesday’s match off the back of a 0-2 away win at Exeter City.
The two sides last faced each other in the league in the 2001/02 season, with Reading beating Northampton 0-2 at Sixfields after goals from Jamie Cureton and Martin Butler, before a goalless draw at the Madejski Stadium. However the last fixture between the two came in 2010, when Northampton beat Reading on penalties in a League Cup second-round game following a 3-3 draw at the Madejski.
The boss
Jon Brady: Brady was appointed as permanent Northampton manager in May 2021, following a spell as caretaker after Keith Curle’s sacking. The Australian had a playing career as a winger, representing the likes of Rushden & Diamonds, Stevenage Borough and Cambridge United.
His first managerial role was at non-league Brackley Town in 2009, where he spent six years before joining Northampton as under-16 coach. He took over as under-18 coach a year later and then became caretaker manager of the first team in February 2021. He was unable to save the club from relegation to League Two, but was offered the job on a full-time basis that summer.
He guided the club to fourth place in his first season, but they missed out on a place in the League Two playoff final after losing to Mansfield over two legs. They did however secure promotion back to League One in Brady’s second full season in charge, securing automatic promotion after finishing third in the league.
Brady likes his sides to control possession and emphasises patience on the ball.
Squad
It was a steady summer in Northampton where six players left Sixfields and six came through the door. All of Northampton’s departures were free transfers, with goalkeepers Tom King and Jonny Maxted, defenders David Norman Jr and Paul Osew and midfielders Liam Cross and Josh Harrop all leaving.
Two players joined on free transfers, with centre-back Manny Monthe and left-back Patrick Brough joining from Walsall and Barrow respectively. Four players came in on loan with goalkeeper Max Thompson (Newcastle United), midfielder Marc Leonard (Brighton & Hove Albion) and forwards Tyreece Simpson (Huddersfield Town) and Kieron Bowie (Fulham) all joining for the season.
Northampton may still be without midfielder Jack Sowerby and defender Ali Koiki as they both continue to recover from injuries.
Expected lineup
Burge, Odimayo, Sherring, Guthrie, Brough, McWilliams, Leonard, Bowie, Pinnock, Hoskins, Appere
Key player
Sam Hoskins: Forward Hoskins joined Northampton in August 2015, signing on a free transfer after his release from Yeovil Town. He started his youth career at Southampton and made his debut for the club in August 2011. He only went on to make an additional two appearances for the Saints, but also had loan spells at Preston North End, Rotherham United and Stevenage while at St Marys.
He joined Yeovil Town in 2015, spending two seasons with the Glovers before moving to Northampton in 2015. He has gone on to make 348 appearances for the Cobblers, scoring 81 goals.
The 30-year-old forward usually plays on the wing but can also play as a striker or in the number 10 role and is a strong finisher. Hoskins is Northampton’s club captain and has four goals to his name so far this season.
One to watch
Marc Leonard: Midfielder Leonard joined Northampton on a season-long loan from Premier League Brighton this summer. The Scot had spells in the youth setups at Rangers and Hearts before joining Brighton’s academy in 2018.
He made his professional debut at Brighton in 2021 but has only made one additional appearance for the club so far. He spent all of last season on loan at Northampton, playing all but one match in their league campaign.
He joined the Cobblers for a second straight season in July and has started in all nine of their league matches so far. Leonard has represented Scotland at under-17, under-19 and under-21 level. He is a centre midfielder who is an effective passer and tough tackler.