Cobblers striker Platt tells team-mates they have to turn up the volume

Town travel to Bristol Rovers tomorrow (Sat) having lost three of their four league games to date, with the latest coming in last weekend’s 2-1 Sixfields defeat to Torquay United.

That match saw Platt, who missed pre-season with a calf problem, make his second cameo appearance of the season as a second-half substitute.

It meant he had a close-up view of what went wrong in the second half, as Town surrendered the 1-0 interval lead given to them by Jacob Blyth, and he believes a simple solution is that players need to help their team-mates more by opening their mouths and talking at the right times.

“We have the loudmouths, and we have enough people who are very vocal,” said Platt.

“But it is all about doing it on a Saturday, and doing it in the right way.

“If you look at Saturday’s game against Torquay for example, in the second half there were a lot of people, through no fault of their own, that were just concentrating on their own jobs, and to get their own job done right.

“That is great, but you still need to work as part of a team as it is a team game. Just concentrating on your own game is not enough.

“Although doing that will help the team a little bit, it is not going to help the team as much as we need.”

One player who has impressed Platt is loan striker Blyth, who scored his second goal of the campaign against the Gulls.

“I think Jacob has done well, he has acquitted himself well,” said Platt.

“He has come in and put himself about, he has got on the end of crosses and got himself a couple of goals.

“He has worked hard and I think he is completely match fit now, because he hadn’t had a full pre-season with lots of games behind him.

“He has fitted in well, but is another one that probably needs to find his voice a little bit more.

“He needs to not only do his own job, but also help his team-mates around him.

“That is part of what makes a team, but then I think everybody who has come in has done well on an individual basis in parts.

“But to be a successful team you need to be as a team for 90 minutes.

“If some individuals do a little bit better some weeks, then that’s all the better, but first and foremost we have to get the team performance right.”