Cobblers boss Keith Curle is looking for a 'front foot' performance in the New Year's Day game with Stevenage at the PTS Academy Stadium, kick-off 3pm.
“We need to earn the right to play and we know we are at our best when we are on the front foot,” he said.
“I know Graham Westley and I’ve coached against his teams before and I’ve never had a problem with him.
"We know what to expect, Stevenage will be well organised, they will be well drilled and we need to be at our best."
Looking back at the first half of the season and looking back on 2019 and ahead to 2020, Curle continued:
“We’ve improved but there is still a long way to go.
“The attitude in the changing room has changed massively but there still needs to be a level of improvement on the pitch.
“We are on an upward curve but our quality can still improve and we are always looking at where we can improve the squad.
“Off the pitch the club is run very well and the support we’ve had to implement the changes we’ve wanted to make has been excellent.
“The Chairman and the board have been very supportive in everything we’ve wanted to do."