[Exharboroughspireite]

Always liked Jacobs, just could never really push on when we needed him last season and the threat seemed to dry up. However, another really important player in the shift in culture that cook brought about and got us out of that awful league. A warm welcome awaits him should we ever come up against him.

[Westbars Spireite]

 dim view, on 16 June 2025 - 01:48 PM, said:

I'm a bit sorry to see him go. Cook said many times that we lacked penetration, but if I had to put my money on one player to deliver a defence splitter it would be Jacobs. Whoever replaces him will have to be a good player.

Perhaps his fitness stats aren't up to scratch, and perhaps he couldn't impose himself enough.

Both I think. We've moved on from it being enough to be pretty on the ball and make nice passes now and then. We need more athletes, younger and hungrier players to be pushing the starters.

[60s 70s Spireite]

hilly81, on 16 June 2025 - 01:04 PM, said:

Northampton are on an absolute mad one

His first club. I recall him coming to our stadium with them in 10/11, his first full season. Looked a proper prospect. I think there were a few posts about him at the time, along the lines of one we could sign. Of course no chance, Derby signed him for a reported £400k.

[Osborne again]

 Exharboroughspireite, on 16 June 2025 - 02:13 PM, said:

Always liked Jacobs, just could never really push on when we needed him last season and the threat seemed to dry up. However, another really important player in the shift in culture that cook brought about and got us out of that awful league. A warm welcome awaits him should we ever come up against him.

A cultured player, who worked well with Will Grigg, but he hasn't had the best of times this season just gone.
I'm really pleased for him that he's got himself a gig in league one.

[Sammy Spireite]

Barry Roche ended his 17 years at Morecambe (as player and then coach)

[Tha Knows...]

Forest legend

[DMU Blue]

 Exharboroughspireite, on 16 June 2025 - 02:13 PM, said:

Always liked Jacobs, just could never really push on when we needed him last season and the threat seemed to dry up. However, another really important player in the shift in culture that cook brought about and got us out of that awful league. A warm welcome awaits him should we ever come up against him.

I never saw much in him. An occasional flash of brilliance but generally absent and never managed to get any game time. Really surprised he’s gone League 1

[60s 70s Spireite]

DMU Blue, on 16 June 2025 - 07:32 PM, said:

I never saw much in him. An occasional flash of brilliance but generally absent and never managed to get any game time. Really surprised he’s gone League 1

26 starts last season (23/24). Only 5 outfield players had more.

[DMU Blue]

 60s 70s Spireite, on 16 June 2025 - 08:05 PM, said:

26 starts last season (23/24). Only 5 outfield players had more.

How many in 24/25?

Genuinely surprised about 23/24

This post has been edited by DMU Blue: Today, 06:38 AM

[danblue]

 Osborne again, on 16 June 2025 - 02:24 PM, said:

A cultured player, who worked well with Will Grigg, but he hasn't had the best of times this season just gone.
I'm really pleased for him that he's got himself a gig in league one.

Good for him.
I personally think he was a better version of Oldaker. Just that Oldaker scored a couple of free kicks seamed to have got him in front of Jacobs

[JonB]

danblue, on 17 June 2025 - 07:05 AM, said:

Good for him.
I personally think he was a better version of Oldaker. Just that Oldaker scored a couple of free kicks seamed to have got him in front of Jacobs

Different type of player to Oldaker really, Oldaker is more of a deeper midfielder while Jacobs plays much further up the pitch either off the striker or wide.

[danblue]

 JonB, on 17 June 2025 - 07:48 AM, said:

Different type of player to Oldaker really, Oldaker is more of a deeper midfielder while Jacobs plays much further up the pitch either off the striker or wide.

I'd say they were both regarded as having the skill set to pick a pass/unlock a defence.
Based on that, I would have had Jacobs over DJ in my selection and re jigged the tactics accordingly

[Tha Knows...]

danblue, on 17 June 2025 - 08:05 AM, said:

I'd say they were both regarded as having the skill set to pick a pass/unlock a defence.
Based on that, I would have had Jacobs over DJ in my selection and re jigged the tactics accordingly

You'd change the way the team was set up just to play Jacobs?

[danblue]

 Tha Knows..., on 17 June 2025 - 08:26 AM, said:

You'd change the way the team was set up just to play Jacobs?

Not overly.
I'm saying I would have had Jacobs play in Oldakers position as he had a better eye for a pass.

[JonB]

danblue, on 17 June 2025 - 08:05 AM, said:

I'd say they were both regarded as having the skill set to pick a pass/unlock a defence.
Based on that, I would have had Jacobs over DJ in my selection and re jigged the tactics accordingly

Some will likely say Oldaker barely played it forward at times to do that but thats a different argument! We have numerous players in the team that you could say the same about but i'm not sure how you change things around completely to play an attacking midfielder instead of a deeper laying midfielder and still have a decent shape that doesnt leave us wide open.

danblue, on 17 June 2025 - 08:35 AM, said:

Not overly.
I'm saying I would have had Jacobs play in Oldakers position as he had a better eye for a pass.

So you want to bloke who has spent his whole career playing wide or off the striker to play in a much deeper role just in front of the back four because he has an eye for a pass?

[Waller is my hero]

Jacobs was, in my opinion, very underrated and a tidy, intelligent footballer with a touch of class. I think some people expect a footballer to stand out visibly on the pitch, but often, the best players are the ones who do the simple things well and help the team function, even if it goes unnoticed. Jacobs was one of those players, and I really liked him.

That said, the team is evolving. Wishing him all the best at Northampton

[JonB]

Waller is my hero, on 17 June 2025 - 08:53 AM, said:

Jacobs was, in my opinion, very underrated and a tidy, intelligent footballer with a touch of class. I think some people expect a footballer to stand out visibly on the pitch, but often, the best players are the ones who do the simple things well and help the team function, even if it goes unnoticed. Jacobs was one of those players, and I really liked him.

That said, the team is evolving. Wishing him all the best at Northampton

Dont disagree at all, despite what a few seemed to think I thought he was a very good player and did play a big part in getting us out of the NL a couple of years ago. His influence wasnt quite a bit last season but he's still got something to offer. I've often said you get some footballers that only stand out if they are playing badly and Jacobs is probably a bit like that. He didnt charge around or go on long mazy dribbles with the ball but he did have a good touch, made intelligent runs off the ball and more often than not picked a good pass.

[danblue]

 JonB, on 17 June 2025 - 08:37 AM, said:

Some will likely say Oldaker barely played it forward at times to do that but thats a different argument! We have numerous players in the team that you could say the same about but i'm not sure how you change things around completely to play an attacking midfielder instead of a deeper laying midfielder and still have a decent shape that doesnt leave us wide open.


So you want to bloke who has spent his whole career playing wide or off the striker to play in a much deeper role just in front of the back four because he has an eye for a pass?

Why not? You don't think he could have adapted slightly and played there? Would have been worth a go imo. I think he would have linked up play well with the wingers and one time through balls on to the forwards to mix it up - even venturing further forward himself whilst being covered at the back.

[JonB]

danblue, on 17 June 2025 - 09:25 AM, said:

Why not? You don't think he could have adapted slightly and played there? Would have been worth a go imo. I think he would have linked up play well with the wingers and one time through balls on to the forwards to mix it up - even venturing further forward himself whilst being covered at the back.

The position Oldaker played involved an element of defensive cover and play as well as the passing side of things, now i was a fan of Jacobs and defended him on here plenty of times but i dont see him playing in that position far deeper than he has ever played just to get him in the team. I'm not sure what he has shown in his appearances for us to suggest he could play as a deep holding midfielder.

To be honest not even Oldaker could get in the team later in the season so its a bit of a non argument anyway.

[danblue]

 JonB, on 17 June 2025 - 09:55 AM, said:

The position Oldaker played involved an element of defensive cover and play as well as the passing side of things, now i was a fan of Jacobs and defended him on here plenty of times but i dont see him playing in that position far deeper than he has ever played just to get him in the team. I'm not sure what he has shown in his appearances for us to suggest he could play as a deep holding midfielder.

To be honest not even Oldaker could get in the team later in the season so its a bit of a non argument anyway.

Like Mandeville at RB 😆
You're right, a non argument. The season has gone and so have both players