Curle confident his players will make the 'adjustment' to League One

Keith Curle insists he has no concerns about the ability of his players to make the step up in quality and 'adjust' to League One football following three consecutive 2-0 defeats.

Only two members of Curle's current squad - Cian Bolger and Jack Sowerby - were playing regularly in the third tier last season. The rest, by and large, either came up with the Cobblers through the play-offs or were signed from other clubs in League Two.

Things initially started well as Town took four points from their first two games but three games without scoring since, losing each one 2-0, has served as a reminder of the quality in League One this season.

"It shows the areas that we need to improve to continue our upward curve and that's as a group because we're learning about a new division and learning about the dynamics of the division," said Curle.

"There are better players in this division and we need to be competing with them. We know the task ahead and we know we have to adjust to the new division and create an identity to stay in it.

"We've taken some players with us from League Two and we've brought in some League One players and now we need to find our identity within the division that suits the players we have in our squad."

Town's most recent defeat was suffered at the hands of rivals Peterborough United, and whilst Curle did not take any satisfaction from it, he was not all doom and gloom.

"It's not nice at all to lose against your local rivals but reflecting back on the game, as I have done, they are ahead of us and we won't hide away from that," he added.

"Peterborough showed they're a force to be reckoned with and I think Hull will be as well but we've been competitive in both games - had we got the first goal in either game, it could have been a different story.

"The reaction of their players at full-time showed that they knew they had earned a result. Teams are having to come here and earn their results and sometimes you have to give credit to them because they've withstood our threats and were able to create and score goals.

"But obviously we're mindful of the fact we need to improve and we don't get away from that."