Baldwin insists Cobblers players have to ignore new boss uncertainty

The central defender made his return from injury as a second-half substitute in Saturday’s 5-0 Sixfields hammering at the hands of Charlton Athletic.

It was a third straight defeat for Town, following on from last Saturday’s 3-0 loss at Rotherham United and the 3-0 EFL Trophy defeat at Peterborough United in midweek.

The Cobblers’ first match following Brady’s resignation saw them secure a thrilling 2-1 derby win over Peterborough United under interim boss Ian Sampson, but it has all gone pear-shaped since then.

And Baldwin insists the fact the club has yet to make a decision on who will manage the team moving forward can be no excuse for that.

"Once the lads go across the white line it is down to us,” said the summer signing from Ross County.

"When you have a managerial situation like this, I have always thought that shouldn't really have an affect on us.

"We are professionals, it's our job, and we know when we go on the pitch it is down to us.

"A current manager or a new manager can't make us run any harder, it is up to us as professionals to make sure we demand that of ourselves.

"We have to make sure when we are out there we are giving everything for ourselves, our team-mates, for the fans, so I don't think it is an issue."

A run of one win in their past nine Sky Bet League One matches has seen the Cobblers slump to 20th in the table, and they are just two points above the drop zone with all of the teams below them having at least one game in hand.

Their perilous situation makes this week’s two road trip fixtures all the more important, with Town going to mid-table Reading on Boxing Day and then rock-bottom Shrewsbury Town on Sunday (Dec 29).

They then host Stevenage next Wednesday (Jan 1), and Baldwin knows they have to quickly move on from the weekend hammering at the hands of the Addicks.

"It was a terrible result, and we know as a group that wasn't good enough,” he said. "We have enough lads in there that understand the standards and demands that this league needs, and we fell way short.

"You get days where you can't influence the game the way you want to, and I think we had a lot of those moments.

"We started slowly, conceded early on, and then you are on the back foot and chasing the game a little bit.

"The start of the game wasn't good enough, but it is a game we can't dwell on.

"We have to take our medicine, we weren't good enough, but we have a lot of games over the festive period and we have to make sure we use them to bounce back."