Buchanan urges Cobblers supporters to judge team on the present, not the past

There was much relief last weekend when Town saw off Colchester United 2-1 to claim their first Sky Bet League Two win of the season at the fifth attempt.

It was a victory that came off the back of a very disappointing 1-0 defeat at Morecambe, a result and performance that attracted a lot of criticism from media and supporters alike.

Buchanan was one of a clutch of Town players who took to social media following that match to maintain his positivity about the campaign ahead, a move that in itself attracted more moans and groans from some unhappy supporters.

And the experienced defender has admitted the downbeat response did take him by surprise.

He feels the team’s performances under Dean Austin this season haven’t warranted such a reaction, and feels the criticism is instead a hangover from the past two years of underachievement and ultimately failure under the management of Rob Page, Justin Edinburgh and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

And he has urged the fans to judge this team on the present, not on the past.

Asked if he was surprised at some of the negativity that surrounded the team ahead of the win at Colchester, Buchanan said: “If I am being honest, yes it did, but I know it is a minority.

“I know everybody is entitled to their opinion, because I am the same and am a supporter of a football club, and when your team is not going well we all huff and puff, and moan and grumble.

“But I think over the past couple of years, what we have produced hasn’t been good enough and I think that is still in the back of people’s minds, and they are still thinking about it.

“Every supporter pays their money, and they are entitled to their opinion, but they can’t say they are not happy with how we are playing this season.

“What the lads have been producing on the pitch has been front-footed, attacking football.

“We are dominating possession, we are creating chances.

“Look at Lincoln, who are a good team and top of our league, but if you watched the game on the first day of the season, they only had one chance against us and put it away, and we could have been out of sight by then.

“The stats show we are only on five points, which is the most important stat, but every other stat in terms of possession, in terms of shots on target, in terms of shots against us, we are right up there.

“That is why we are keeping positive, and now we have got that first win we need to go on that consistent run, and I personally think we will do.”

The Cobblers return to action on Saturday when they entertain Tranmere Rovers at the PTS Academy Stadium (ko 3pm), and Austin’s men will be aiming for their first home win of the season.