Curle says Cobblers need to be 'realistic' after losing 'two very good defenders'

Keith Curle believes the best way for Cobblers to solve their ongoing defensive issues is to stay patient and put in the hard yards on the training ground.

Town’s wait for a first clean sheet of the season continued on Tuesday evening when they conceded four times to Portsmouth, their sixth defeat in seven league games.

Curle has stuck with a three-man defence this season but he’s chopped and changed between different personnel within that system, naming an unchanged back three on just one occasion so far.

That is in stark contrast to last season when Charlie Goode, Scott Wharton and Jordan Turnbull were invariably partnered together and provided Cobblers with a solid foundation at the back.

But Wharton returned to parent club Blackburn Rovers in the summer, Goode was sold for a club-record fee to Brentford and Curle made the decision to release Turnbull, who has since signed for big-spending Salford City.

Finding a settled defence is proving more of a challenge this year, with Alan Sheehan the latest to be given a go at Fratton Park following his arrival earlier on Tuesday. He played in the middle with Cian Bolger shifting to the right.

“We’ve got to be realistic,” said Curle, who was critical of his side’s defending against Portsmouth. “Look at the defence we had last season and where they are now - Charlie Goode and Scott Wharton are competing in Championship teams.

“We’ve lost two very good defenders out of the back three so we’re rebuilding and we’re gaining an understanding and gaining a personality.

“Sometimes you need a bit of time to do that and it’s how we react to the defeats and how we react to the lessons that are being learned when we step up a level.

“We’ve got a hard-working group and they won’t shy away from the challenges. We’re disappointed, we’re angry, we’re frustrated and we know we need to do better.”

Hovering one place outside the relegation zone, Cobblers now face a crucial run of fixtures. They head to crisis-hit Wigan Athletic, who have the same number of points, on Saturday and then welcome MK Dons next Tuesday.

“I think the fans understand where we’re at and what we’re about,” added Curle. “We’re trying to gain an identity in a division that is very challenging but we don’t shy away from that.

“Every week, whatever the result, I will come out and I will be honest. Yes, I’m disappointed because I want to win games, but I know where we’re at as a football club and we need to stick together and fight and make sure we’re competitive in every game and we were on Tuesday, certainly in the first-half.

“We need to be more clinical but the pleasing thing is we’re getting into good positions and if we find those positions again, we need to make sure we hit the target.

“But we are where we are and these are difficult times and these are the challenges we face. We need to defend our box better and we need to be more clinical in the opposition’s box.”