John Brady: Northampton Town boss says strong belief in squad was key to finding form
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John Brady was appointed Northampton Town manager on a permanent basis in May 2021
Northampton Town manager John Brady says the belief his squad maintained during their difficult start to the season has been the "catalyst" to their recent resurgence in League One.
The Cobblers have won their past three games after claiming only two victories in their first eight league matches.
The improvement also halted a six-game winless sequence in all competitions.
It has lifted Brady's side from outside the relegation zone on goal difference alone to seven points clear of trouble.
After beating Burton and Cambridge at Sixfields, Northampton won at in-form Blackpool - who had just hammered then leaders Portsmouth in their previous game - on Tuesday evening.
"It gives you a lot of confidence that we can compete with those teams - it's the consistency in trying to do it we need to maintain," Brady, who is preparing his side to face Pompey at the weekend, told BBC Radio Northampton.
"We have to get a certain amount of points in certain sections and we're on target for that."
Eight of the Cobblers' nine defeats so far this term have been by a single goal - with the exception being a 4-0 loss to Derby.
But the Rams reverse was followed by a run of nine points out of nine and Brady says he was never too worried their form would not pick up.
"I think a perspective needs to be made overall," he said. "We were playing well, I know everyone says about the Derby game - it was a game against a top side in good form.
"Apart from that, in the early part of the season we were playing really well and not picking up points.
"To keep the belief and to now be picking up points, I think that's been the catalyst for the way we played - we've never stopped believing in the way we play.
"All the performances up to and before the Derby game were top quality but we didn't get the win or draw we deserved - it's such fine margins.
"Since then we've really kicked on with some form and it sets us up for Saturday with a lot of belief."
Cobblers 'in a good moment'
Brady concedes second-placed Portsmouth and his side are at "opposite ends of the spectrum" in terms of expectation this season.
"With the players they've recruited, their aim is to get promoted and ours is, not wanting to sound negative, if we can stay above that red line and keep our League One status," he said.
"Overall we don't just want to do that - we want to be competitive and we've proved we can compete with everyone in this league."
Having won promotion into League One last term, Brady says their experiences so far this season have not come as a surprise.
"Speaking to a lot of clubs at this level who have been in a similar position to us - both in terms of having just come up and also financially - we were told you might go a month or so without picking up points and you might get beaten heavily but you've got to believe in what you're doing and keep going," he said.
"We've ridden through a couple of those storms and we've come out the other side and we're in a good moment right now.
"Why not have that belief we can take on the top teams?"