Upbeat Revell confident improved Cobblers will turn their form around

Despite back-to-back 1-0 defeats, Cobblers striker Alex Revell has every confidence his side will turn around their indifferent form sooner rather than later - providing they maintain their recent performance levels.
Alex Revell stretches for the ball during Saturday's defeat to Bradford at Sixfields. Pictures: Kirsty EdmondsAlex Revell stretches for the ball during Saturday's defeat to Bradford at Sixfields. Pictures: Kirsty Edmonds
Alex Revell stretches for the ball during Saturday's defeat to Bradford at Sixfields. Pictures: Kirsty Edmonds

Northampton’s performances have improved markedly since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s appointment earlier this month but, having followed two wins and a draw with successive defeats, they remain teetering just above the Sky Bet League One relegation zone in 20th.

There has been enough encouragement in those defeats to remain positive though, particularly as both have come against teams who are expected to challenge for promotion this season, with Bradford and Wigan sitting in the current top three.

Town had their chances to take at least a point from Saturday’s clash with the Bantams, however several missed chances proved costly as Tony McMahon’s sweet first-half free-kick proved the difference.

“I think we definitely deserved at least a point,” said Revell. “There’s a lot more positives than negatives from the game and since the gaffer’s come I think every game has been like that.

“That’s what he said when he first came in - that we want to get out of the bottom four as quickly as possible and we did that.

“Now it’s about getting some consistency and what the gaffer said after the game was right; if we play like that and keep that commitment, we’ll win a lot more games than we’ll lose.

“It’s been a tough start but I don’t think we got blown away on Saturday and we didn’t get blown away at Wigan and that’s a massive positive.

“I think beforehand it was a difficult spell, whereas now there a lot more positives and we just have to keep working like we are.

“We’re working hard to grind out the results and the games keep coming and that’s probably a good thing.”

Revell was one of those players guilty of missing the target on Saturday, heading wide in the closing few minutes, but his hard-working display would have pleased his manager.

“The manager wants everyone to work hard and he said he doesn’t enjoy lazy strikers and that’s one thing he hasn’t got here,” added Revell.

“He’s got energy in abundance and I’m enjoying it. We’ve all said that we’ve played well.

“We know we weren’t playing well enough before but people playing against us now have said that we’re a good team and that’s good for us.

“But we need to turn those 1-0 losses into draws and wins and hopefully you’ll see us rise up the table. It’s just around the corner and we all have to believe.

“Everybody can see that and everybody who went to Wigan can see that. We have to keep plugging away and keep grafting.”