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Steven Schumacher admitted he was “gutted” after Bolton’s 2–0 defeat at Sixfields and revealed a pre-planned tweak to exploit Northampton’s low-possession approach. Swapping Josh Sheehan for Ethan Erhahon was designed to add another attacking midfielder and dominate the ball, and Wanderers did see north of 60% possession.
“It was a frustrating afternoon and I’m gutted that we’ve lost because I felt we went into the game with huge confidence and we started really well,” said Schumacher. “We were on the front foot, we played with energy and we had one massive chance, but we missed it and the game went against us in a way we didn’t really expect.”
The problem was penetration: Northampton defended deep, denied space in behind and took their moments through Cameron McGeehan and Sam Hoskins. Bolton were uncharacteristically scruffy in the final third, failing to score for the first time since opening day.
Ten games in, Schumacher framed it as a bump in the road rather than a derailment, but it was a reminder that control without incision counts for little against a disciplined block.