Battling to save Northampton Town from dropping out of the Football League, Aidy Boothroyd is also putting his own reputation on the line in the next four months.
Like Gary Johnson before him, Boothroyd came into the Northampton job just a relatively short time after being touted as a manager with a big future, whose career path seemed to be on a relentlessly upward curve.
Watford took a chance on the untried and (as then) unheard of Boothroyd in March 2005, naming him as their new manager after the departure of Ray Lewington and with the Hornets in danger of dropping out of the Championship.
Not only did the Hornets survive that season but the following campaign they memorably made it into the Premier League after a play-off final win over Boothroyd’s former club Leeds.
His young age and incredible achievement led to Boothroyd being tagged as the next big thing in management with plenty of interest in his background and some of his ‘unconventional’ methods and motivational quotes.
Watford lasted just one season in the top-flight and despite reaching the play-offs again the following year it has never been as good again for Boothroyd during a season in charge at Colchester United and a return to the Championship with Coventry City .
Despite their league position when he took over, Northampton Town must have seemed like the ideal club to help a manager restore a reputation that had taken a knock since the heady days of Watford’s promotion to the Premier League.
The Cobblers are well-run, with a good infrastructure, financially stable and able to back their managers with time and money. Yet it is proving as difficult for the new man in charge it seems as it did for Johnson to find the winning formula.
Source: FOOTYMAD
