Calderwood explains what he wants to see from his Cobblers team
Cobblers interim manager Colin Calderwood has outlined what he expects to see from his team when he takes charge for the first time this weekend.
Calderwood has taken the reins from Kevin Nolan on a temporary basis and he’ll oversee his first match when Burton visit Sixfields on Saturday. Cobblers are in desperate need of a victory to stay in touch with the teams above them.
"I think we’ve worked to good principles in terms of offensively and our defensive structure for most of the season,” said Calderwood this week. “I don’t think that alters too much. You have to run and you have to look after the ball to the best of your ability.
"You’re going to have to play short passes and long passes and be strong at set-pieces. We’ve come out second best against opposition in too many of those areas in recent games and that has taken games away from us.
"People’s perception will be that we have to look as if we are a different animal and we’re hurting and we’re fighting for our survival and we have to transmit that energy to the fans and we have to believe the fans are still with us, which undoubtedly they are.”
As Calderwood alludes to, not much is likely to change given the quick turnaround – Nolan only departed four days ago – however, he hopes he can help to ‘free up’ the players after a run of one win in 16 league games.
He added: "The majority in the dressing room have experienced something like this but the pressure of the moment, the pressure of results, the pressure of the table and the pressure of the manager losing his job all adds up.
"It's competition, it's sport, it's life. It's not easy. But we have to free them up somehow and get some positivity back into the group and get smiles on faces and that will hopefully lead to an improvement in results.
“You have to galvanise yourself and that happens as individuals and as a group. Our job is to make sure we aren't too down for too long and come Saturday we're ready for the game.”