Kevin Nolan ready to 'prove everyone wrong' as Cobblers face pivotal week
Kevin Nolan is ready to ‘embrace the challenge’ and ‘prove everyone wrong’ as Cobblers prepare for a potentially decisive week in the context of their season.
Occupying the final relegation place in League One, Town have won only one of their last 12 league games – but eight of those fixtures have been away from home and they now start a run of four home matches in five, including all of the next three.
Nolan said: "I love this and I love doing what I do and now it's about embracing the challenge, taking it on your shoulders and this is when you see who your players are. That's what I'm really looking forward to in these next few weeks.
"The biggest thing for me whenever I suffer a defeat, either when I was a player or certainly now as a manager, I want to get back out there and prove everyone wrong and get back into a good place. We have an opportunity to do that this weekend."
After such a gruelling fixture list, and having clocked up over 2,000 miles of travelling around the country since Christmas, Nolan is relieved to be back at Sixfields this weekend when his side take on Leyton Orient.
"It's about bouncing back when you have a defeat like we did in the week and we have a real good opportunity to do that,” Nolan added. “We're at home, thankfully, after playing nine out of 14 away, which is unbelievable when you think about it.
"The travelling takes it out of you and as staff we're working our socks off to get everything prepared in the space of two or three days. There's bugs and sniffles going around as well and you have to manage all that, but to be back at home is really good and we need everyone to stick together and to look forward to it, I certainly am.
"It's another good side this weekend and we won't be taking them lightly. They have a fantastic squad – I worked with Dom Ballard at England Under-20s so I know he’s a big threat – but we have to take away their strengths and expose their weaknesses and that's what we need to get back to."
Nolan also believes high-flying Lincoln are a club that Cobblers can take inspiration from following Tuesday’s humbling, adding: "You look at Lincoln and they have real good experience all across the team and they make good decisions and that's why they're doing so well.
"That's what we have to strive for and our young lads need to see that and learn from it. We're a few years away from that but all we can do now is concentrate on ourselves and we will do that.”