Jon Brady: Northampton Town manager says team need 'energy and spark' back
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Northampton Town appointed Jon Brady as their permanent manager in May 2021
Manager Jon Brady says Northampton Town are going through the "toughest period" of his two and a half years in charge.
Brady guided the Cobblers to promotion from League Two last season after missing out in the 2021-22 play-offs.
But they have only taken one point from their past five league games - and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Barrow.
"We've lost, in the last two games, that energy and little bit of spark that we've mostly had here," Brady told BBC Radio Northampton's Cobblers Show.
"We've had some blips in the past, or bumps in the road, whatever you may call it, but we've always bounced back."
Northampton have conceded a goal inside the first 15 minutes in their past five matches in all competitions and are 20th in League One, above the bottom four on goal difference only.
"Momentum is huge [in games] and we need to gain that momentum and use it and continue that through the game ... that's what we've got to get back to," Brady added.
"With the constraints we've had and the injuries we've taken, it's been tough.
"We knew we were potentially going to go through a tough period, but over the next week or two we'll start getting a full group back. In the meantime players have to step up and make sure they deliver."
Northampton are at home to Burton Albion on Saturday, a team beaten only once in their past nine league games - but that was on their most recent away trip to Carlisle.
Brady said: "They've turned their form around - they've got their best players back. Prior to that, at the start of the season, they had six out and it really affected them.
"We've proven, at times, that we can take on the best in the league at this level - a team like Peterborough, at home we beat them and probably weren't at our best that day.
"Burton will be a tough challenge, they've been doing well at this level for a number of years, but if we're at our best we can get the result."