Thomas hails Curle for doing a 'great job' as Cobblers boss celebrates two years in charge

Curle has won 40 of his 96 games in charge
Kelvin ThomasKelvin Thomas
Kelvin Thomas

Cobblers chairman Kelvin Thomas has heaped praise on Keith Curle for doing a 'great job' ahead of the manager's two-year anniversary in charge of the Cobblers.

The prospect of entertaining Hull City in a League One fixture, as the Cobblers do this weekend, was a situation the club couldn't have even dreamed of when Curle was appointed on October 1, 2018.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Back then, Town were coming off a miserable relegation and had made a dreadful start to the season, sitting just a point above the League Two relegation zone. Curle steadied the ship, comfortably guiding the team to mid-table, before overseeing last season's thrilling promotion success.

And now the Cobblers have made a steady start to their first campaign back in the third tier with four points from two games.

“Keith’s done a great job,” said Thomas. “He came into a club that wasn’t doing so well on the pitch and we had a group of players that were on the way down rather than the way up but he’s completely changed the mentality.

“He’s changed the thought process and it was interesting what happened against Shrewsbury at the weekend because we’ve obviously stepped up a level, he’s changed some of the players around and we lost a lot of players to injury.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“A couple went down quite late before the game so there wasn’t much expectation but he got a result in very difficult circumstances and that’s testament to the way he runs the playing department and it’s what we’ve talked about quite a lot, especially during COVID.

“It’s going to be just as important over the rest of the season because we just get on with it and Keith is the same.”

A huge number of players have come and gone over the last two years, including 10 new recruits just this summer, but Thomas revealed Curle is not one to rush a potential signing.

“The interesting thing with Keith is that he’s not always desperate for a player,” he said. “He’d rather work with what he’s got and it’s funny when you work with a manager who doesn’t always necessarily want to spend money.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“When there’s money available, you almost want him to sign someone! But Keith is very strong and he’s relaxed about it and he wants to make sure he brings the right players into the club that will fit into his environment and that’s definitely a skill.”

Curle, who has also handed out over 100 appearances to academy players, has won 40 of his 96 games in charge, a win ratio of 41%. Only Chris Wilder (48%) has a better record of any Cobblers manager in the last 14 years, going all the way back to Colin Calderwood.

“I’m really pleased with how he’s done and hopefully he can continue,” added Thomas. “We’ve made a good start to the season but we’re not getting carried away because we’ve got tough games ahead.

“But Keith has really proved his worth and we’re very pleased with what’s going on with the staff and players. We’ve had success in the cup competitions and we’ve also identified a player and sold him for a club record fee.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“You add in all of those things, plus the amount of appearances he’s given to academy players, and that’s exactly what you look for in a manager. You want to win matches but you also want a professional group and you want to see youth given a chance to progress through the system.”