Cobblers boss Curle plotting more changes for '˜massive' MK Dons clash

Cobblers boss Keith Curle is planning to make more changes to his team for Saturday's '˜massive' game against MK Dons, but he insists there's logic behind his constant tinkering and he doesn't do it '˜for the sake of it'.
Keith CurleKeith Curle
Keith Curle

Curle has yet to name an unchanged team since taking over from Dean Austin three months ago although he appears to have found a more settled side in recent weeks, making no more than two alterations between each of Town’s last four league matches.

But he’s plotting more changes this weekend when Cobblers play their third of four games in 11 days as they end the festive period with successive matches against teams in League Two’s top seven.

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“There’ll be changes,” confirmed Curle for tomorrow’s game at the PTS. “I’m not scared to make changes. I’ve been brought in to the football club to make changes for the right reasons and for the betterment of results.

“Am I scared of it? No, not at all. I don’t do it for the sake of it. Every time I pick a team, there will be a reason. Sometimes it’s to do with us, sometimes it’s to do with the opposition.

“But the basics are always there - we stop the opposition and then we look to play.”

Paul Tisdale’s MK Dons looked to be well on their way to promotion back to League One up until last weekend but back-to-back defeats either side of Christmas, at home to Colchester United and on the road to lowly Cheltenham Town, has allowed the chasing pack to cut the gap to just two points.

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The Cobblers were beaten by Kieran Agard’s first-half goal in the reverse fixture in October but they have a good recent home record against second-placed Dons, victorious in their last two at the PTS.

“It’s a massive game,” admitted Curle. “There’s no fear in that changing room. There’s a need for improvement but we’re starting on the simple things because some of our play against Swindon was very good.

“We looked a dangerous team when we got on the front foot and we need more of that, but we have to keep our shape and be an attacking team because there a couple of times in the first-half (on Wednesday) when we got on the front foot and we got the momentum and we looked a very dangerous team.”