Buchanan excited to meet Edinburgh as new Cobblers boss gets to work

Edinburgh, appointed last Friday, was in attendance at Sixfields on Saturday to watch his new club lose 2-1 to Scunthorpe, and he will now meet the Cobblers squad on Monday.

It’s an exciting yet anxious time for the players who will be keen to make a good first impression when Edinburgh takes training for the first time this week.

Speaking after Saturday’s game, Buchanan admitted he and his team-mates felt a degree of responsibility for the sacking of Rob Page last week but says the Cobblers must now move on and focus on getting results on the pitch under the guidance of Edinburgh.

He said: “It’d have been nice to win for the gaffer because we’re all disappointed and we’re all part of him losing his job.

“But we’ve got to move on. We’ve got a new manager and we’re all looking forward to meeting him this week and hopefully he can get us moving in the right direction.”

Buchanan was aware of Edinburgh’s presence in the Sixfields stands on Saturday but insisted that did not influence his performance on the pitch.

“I was just concentrating on the game,” he added. “We haven’t met him yet but you’d be stupid to not think he’d be here watching the game.

“It’ll be interesting to see what he thought of the game when he speaks to us on Monday.”

In need of immediate results to lift Northampton away from relegation danger, Edinburgh has a big task on his hands once he does take over, starting with Saturday’s visit to fellow strugglers Milton Keynes Dons.

But judging by Saturday’s promising performance against high-flying Scunthorpe, the 47-year-old has plenty to work with, and Buchanan says that confidence levels are still high despite their dismal form.

“It’s massively important that we get a result from somewhere,” admitted the left-back. “But there’s a lot of positivity in the camp and there’s a new manager coming in – it’s important we start hitting the ground running or we’re going to get sucked in.

“Winning football matches is what it’s all about, especially at Sixfields.”

Buchanan has been one of Northampton’s better performers this season, and he continued that on Saturday when holding his own against the dangerous Duane Holmes.

“That’s my job,” he continued. “Every time you come up against good players like Duane Holmes or Mark Marshall, it’s a test.

“They’re young and hungry players but I’d like to think every time they play against me they come off the pitch thinking they’ve been in for a tough battle.

“I thought I did well against him on Saturday.”