Chairman Thomas says Cobblers have 'started discussions' over new contract for Curle

Cobblers chairman Kelvin Thomas has revealed the club have 'started discussions' over a new contract for manager Keith Curle, but for now the focus remains very much on trying to win promotion this season.

Curle replaced Dean Austin in October 2018 but only signed a deal until the end of the current season.

The 56-year-old is the club's longest-serving manager since Chris Wilder and has transformed Northampton from bottom-half strugglers to promotion contenders during his 18 months at the helm.

The Cobblers are currently seventh in Sky Bet League Two ahead of tonight's important game against play-off rivals Cheltenham Town.

Speaking to the media this week, Thomas said: "I've mentioned it to Keith and I've said to him that he can sit down with James (Whiting) and start those discussions, but we've had a lot of games recently and obviously our focus has been on them.

"Keith's professional enough to understand that games are the priority, and it wouldn't be easy for him to say to players that we'll wait until later in the season to talk about their contracts while he's sitting there talking about his contract.

"But he's also confident enough to know that we're pleased with what he's done and we're happy with how he's approached things and his recruitment.

"We're looking to have that conversation but we're all quite relaxed about it and we'll advance that as we go along because the fact is we've got games coming thick and fast now.

"The conversation with Keith won't be the focus. The focus will be the next 12 games. Everything else is a distraction - we've got to make sure we don't get caught up with those distractions."