Wilder planning to make early signings to rebuild Cobblers squad

After he this week released seven out-of-contract players and made two more available for transfer, Wilder has effectively left himself with 12 players, and without a goalkeeper.

With two of those 12, Sam Warburton and Danny Clifton, not likely to be pushing for a first team start, Wilder knows he has a lot of work to do in the next few weeks to bring his squad up to strength.

“I still think it is more evolution than revolution, bringing players in to make us better,” said the Cobblers boss.

“We will be getting players to fit the system, we have young players and I think we still need the experience.

“We need athletic players, we need players with ability, players with desire, character and commitment, all the points we feel we need to mount a promotion push.

“We are little bit disappointed we fell away at the end of season, but there has to be reasons for that, and we start afresh from now.

“I would like to get a lot of the business with signings done before pre-season, so we have the group in nice and early, so we know exactly where we are.

“I imagine that will happen as well, and it won’t be like a couple of seasons ago where you are maybe chasing around at the end of pre-season to make additions.

“I’m not saying the squad will be absolutely complete by the start of pre-season, but I should imagine it will 75 or 80 per cent done.

“We will have 15 to 18 players, all ready and in the building, and we might just be topping up through the pre-season, because there are always players that do come out of the woodwork.”