Cobblers boss Wilder advises opposition managers against '˜prodding the bear'

Chris Wilder says his team will continue to do their talking on the pitch rather than in the media as the Cobblers close in on promotion from Sky Bet League Two.
Chris Wilder has been named the Sky Bet League Two manager of the month for FebruaryChris Wilder has been named the Sky Bet League Two manager of the month for February
Chris Wilder has been named the Sky Bet League Two manager of the month for February

Carlisle United boss Keith Curle grabbed the pre-match attention ahead of last Saturday’s match at Brunton Park, stating he was ‘surprised’ the Cobblers were top of the league, but he was made to eat his words as Town dismantled the Cumbrians 4-1.

Curle had also suggested before the match that Wilder might be a ‘lucky manager’ rather than a good one, and although the Cobblers boss kept his counsel in his post-match comments, he has now warned against opposition managers ‘prodding the bear’ that is his in-form team.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

People say silly things at silly times, and I don’t think my team needs winding up anyway, and I wouldn’t want to prod the bear,” said Wilder, who on Friday was named the league two manager of the month for February, his third such award of the season, and second in a row.

“We have been prodded a couple of times, but you just get your head down and go on.

“I don’t make ridiculous comments, and I don’t talk about stuff, we just get on with it and try and produce the best we can, and go about things in the best way possible.”

Curle isn’t the only manager to be less than complimentary about the Cobblers in recent weeks, with Plymouth’s Derek Adams another, but Wilder says he isn’t about to get involved in any sort of slanging match with any rival bosses.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It makes me smile at times when you hear some ridiculous things going on, but there it is, that is other people that talk about it, and it’s not just one manager, there are quite a few who do it,” said the Cobblers boss.

“You then sit back and watch your team go about things in the correct and right way, which is always on the pitch and going and getting results.

“There is a lot of talk going on about footbaling sides, and how good teams are, but we are all in it to win games of football, and we have consistently done that.

“In February I should imagine there were a lot of questions about us, about how we were going to go and the pressure was on, but the response was magnificent.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The response was shown, not in the press, not taking about anything else, the response and results were produced on the pitch, and that is how we go about it.”

The Cobblers will be aiming to stretch their unbeaten run to 14 games when Cambridge United come to Sixfields on Saturday.

The game has been a sell-out since Wednesday morning, and Wilder can’t wait to take the next step in this special campaign, admitting ‘there are not many seasons like this one’, and says he and his players believe it will continue.

“We have had belief that we wanted to go well all season, and we still have that belief,” said the Town boss.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We have not really talked about anything else, we move on to next game.

“We take great pride in winning games of football, and we want the players and everybody connected to the club to enjoy it.

“We have been in football for a long time, the supporters have been in football for a long time, and you look through the history of this football club and there are not many seasons like this one.

“The supporters have to enjoy it, we all have to enjoy it, but we don’t pat ourselves on the back, we don’t get carried away, and I think everybody knows how we roll, and it is on to the next game.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“But right the way through the players have produced outstanding performances and fantastic results, and I am not surprised because I know how determined the group are, how hard they work, how hard the staff work, and we haven’t been lucky.

“We have earned those results, and we feel we do the job to the best of our ability, and we are doing it well.”