Cobblers boss Justin Edinburgh previews Saturday’s season opener away at Shrewsbury Town.
“It’s come round very quickly as it always does but we feel ready,” he said.
“Our preparation has been excellent but we know we are still bedding a lot of players in and as much as we want to hit the ground running that may not be the case.
“The character of the group is key and any success is built on team spirit and the dressing room being right. I felt from day one in Spain that we’d got that and the chemistry and the dynamic of the group is really positive.
“Shrewsbury have had a good pre-season and both sides have had quite a big turnaround in players over the summer.
“I believe Saturday is going to be a tough encounter, there is no form to go on and I don’t think you can really look at that until at least 12 games into the season.”