Cobblers boss ahead of Northampton Town v Mansfield Town
Chris Wilder says he is expecting a tough opening fixture for his side as Mansfield Town visit Sixfields in Sky Bet League 2 on Saturday.
"Mansfield did well last season and they are a tough side to play against. They are a competitive side and they were not far away from the play offs last season," he sadi.
"They will fancy their chances this time in an open league and they are one of the strong teams to look out for. Each team we play through the season will have different strengths and weaknesses and we have to try and overcome whatever challenge we face each week.
"We are all refreshed after the summer and we are ready to go. We are all looking forward to the start of the season. It has been a tough pre-season for the players, but we have worked hard and we want to be successful.
"All managers feel a sense of excitement at the start of a new season. We are confident we have prepared as well as we could have, but the real test comes at 3pm on Saturday.
"Everyone is positive and with the signings we have made we feel we should be. We can take the momentum from the end of last season into this season and that should give us confidence.
"There are some quality sides in League 2 who have done a lot of business this summer and they will be strong. Bury have recruited well, so have Portsmouth and the teams who came come down will fancy their chances, as will Luton and Cambridge who have come up. It is tough, but who knows what will happen, League 2 is very hard to predict."