Chris Hogg has called for patience as Northampton Town handle a challenging start to the League Two season and an impending change of ownership. The manager, in his first permanent head coach role, stressed that progression is rarely straightforward after the club's relegation and a pre-tax loss of nearly £3 million last season.
Hogg replaced Kevin Nolan in the summer following a campaign that ended in relegation. The new era has begun with a single win from six league games, leaving the Cobblers 17th in the table with six points. Their recent form shows one win, two draws and two defeats from the last five outings, including a 2-0 loss at Shrewsbury Town last weekend. The team's goal difference, which can be tracked in the stats section, stands at minus two, having scored three and conceded five. This leaves them six points behind the early leaders in the standings.
Hogg acknowledged the difficulties but urged supporters to see the bigger picture. "We're on a journey as a team and as a club," he said. "We're going through lots of things on the pitch and off the pitch, and it's a normal part of any journey." He added that the fundamentals of effort must never drop. "In this league, you have to be at it every single week. If you come off it even 2% you get hurt."
The off-pitch element is a pending takeover by a consortium that includes former AC Milan and Chelsea forward Alexandre Pato. This potential investment comes after the club announced significant financial losses in April. Hogg's task is to build a competitive side while this background process unfolds, with signings like striker Matty Warhurst from Manchester City representing part of the rebuild for the squad.
Northampton have scored just three goals while conceding five in the league so far, sitting six points behind early leaders Barnet. Hogg stated he is relatively happy with the project's direction, emphasizing that the team must learn to win and grow through the current challenges. The immediate focus now turns to the next fixtures, where the team will look to convert their effort into more points.
