Wilder: No chance of Cobblers becoming ‘big-time Charlies’

Town entertain Hartlepool United at Sixfields on Saturday off the back of last week’s superb 3-2 win at then leaders Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park.

Ronnie Moore’s team have won just one of their past 10 games, and travel south having conceded seven times in their past two home games, a 3-0 defeat to Bristol Rovers and a 4-1 loss to Luton Town.

The Cobblers will be favourites to claim the three points and stay in touch at the top of the table, but Wilder insists his players will be treating Hartlepool just the same as they would a team at the top of the table.

Asked if he thought over-confidence could become an issue at Sixfields, Wilder said: “No, I don’t.

“We have enough old heads in the dressing room, and enough experience in the staff, to ensure there’s no over-confidence.

“I really don’t like my teams to be arrogant, big-time Charlies, I don’t like it, and it’s not something my teams have ever been branded.

“That comes from how we talk to the players, and how we want them to go about things.

“I want them to be confident in their own ability, and confident in what we are trying to do, but I don’t like that (arrogance), and if we see any of it, whether it be in training or games, it will be quickly stamped out.

“We have the likes of Marc Richards, Dave Buchanan, Ryan Cresswell, Joel Byrom, Jason Taylor, and other people in and around, players that have been in the game long enough to know that if anybody thinks they have cracked it then there is trouble just around the corner.

“The next game is the biggest and the one to win, and we have got to work as hard, if not harder, than we have in the previous games to go and get a result against Hartlepool.

“This is going to be a different type of challenge to the one we have had in the past five or six games, as they might change their shape, and might sit in, and I don’t think it will be an open game.

“It is going to be up to us to break them down, but still be mindful of the fact they will have pace on the break and that they can still hurt us.”

Hartlepool arrive at Northampton looking for their first win in the town since 1969 - a run of 26 games without a victory at the old County Ground or Sixfields.

United boss Moore isn’t fazed by history though, and he said: “That is a good stat isn’t it?!

“All I can say is, the last time I managed at Northampton we won 5-1 - but that was against Coventry!

“Northampton are flying, and I know Chris and Knilly really well and they have done a fantastic job.

“We know it is going to be tough, but tell me where you can go at this level where it is going to be an easy game.

“It’s all about on the day, and I think a lot of managers will say that if their team turns up on any given day they have a chance of winning.

“If we turn up at Northampton and play, we are more than capable of going there and getting a win.”