With the new League Two season scheduled to kick-off in just over two weeks' time, preparations at Northampton Town are well underway for what their supporters will be hoping will be a year to cherish.

After the Cobblers suffered a disastrous start to the previous campaign under then-manager Dean Austin, Keith Curle was appointed as the 49-year-old's replacement last October and managed to steady the ship by securing a 15th place finish in the fourth-tier.

Having already launched a major overhaul of his squad which has seen 12 players make their departures from the club and a further 11 arriving at the PTS Academy Stadium, Curle will unquestionably be wanting to take his side to new heights in what will be his first full-season in charge of Northampton.

Here, in our FLW Six Pointer, we take a look at whether Northampton have what it takes to launch a serious push for promotion in League Two during the upcoming campaign.

Firstly, how key was it for Curle to cut some of the deadwood from the Cobblers' squad?

"When you consider that Northampton endured somewhat of an underwhelming season in League Two, it is no surprise that a whole host of players have moved onto pastures new.

"Whereas the likes of David Buchanan and John Joe O'Toole will be sorely missed by the majority of the club's fan-base due to their contributions in the club's title winning campaign in 2016, the same cannot be said for Ash Taylor, Dean Bowditch and Daniel Powell who flattered to deceive to during their time in Northamptonshire.

"With Curle now having his own group of players, it will be intriguing to see just if he alters his tactics from a more direct style of play to a possession-based 3-5-2 system."

Who has been the signing of the summer so far?

"Although Curle has done extremely well to secure the services of experienced central-midfielders Alan McCormack and Chris Lines for the upcoming campaign, there is no doubt that the most eye-catching signing of the summer so far has been Nicky Adams.

"Brought in from Bury on a two-year deal earlier this month, the 32-year-old could finally be the answer to the issues that the club has suffered from considerably in the wide areas since his, and Ricky Holmes' departures three years ago.

"Utterly magnificent last season for the Shakers, Adams helped the club seal promotion from the fourth-tier by providing 19 goal contributions in 46 appearances, a feat which if repeated for the Cobblers over the next 10 months could put his side in with a real shout of returning to League One in 2020."

What specific area do the Cobblers need to improve upon from last season?

"Whereas only five teams lost less games than Northampton (13) in the 2018/19 campaign, the fact that Curle's side managed to draw a mammoth total of 19 of their clashes in League Two really limited their progress.

"If the former Carlisle boss can rectify this issue by adopting a more positive approach to the Cobblers' home and away fixtures, he could end up securing a significant tally of points which in turn will do no harm to the club's chances of promotion whatsoever."

Do the club have enough firepower at their disposal to blow their opponents away?

"Considering that Andy Williams was the only player who was able to reach double figures last season, it is hoped that the arrival of three new forwards in the form of Vadaine Oliver, Harry Smith and Matthew Warburton will result in the Cobblers scoring an abundance of goals.

"Yet given that Warburton has never played at this level before in his career and Oliver's best fourth-tier goal total for a single campaign is 7, the jury is still out on whether Northampton have enough firepower to sustain a bid for promotion."

How big of a blow will losing Aaron Pierre to Shrewsbury Town be for Northampton?

"Unquestionably one of the club's star players during the previous campaign, Pierre's departure to Shrewsbury Town has left a huge void at the back for Northampton which arguably still needs to be filled despite the recent signing of Charlie Goode.

"With Jordan Turnbull set to continue in his central-midfield role, the club's only other viable option is to field academy product Jay Williams in the heart of defence.

"Despite illustrating some real signs of promise earlier this year, it may be too early to give the 18-year-old a permanent run in the side and thus it is paramount that Curle uses the next few weeks to bring in a defender who is a proven performer at this level."

Does Curle have what it takes to lead the Cobblers to promotion?

"Although Curle has been a manager for 17 years, the fact that he has failed to achieve a single promotion during this period of time is somewhat of a concern.

"Whereas he did come extremely close to doing so at Mansfield in 2004 where he lost in the fourth-tier play-off final to Huddersfield Town, the best he has achieved since this season is a 6th place finish with Carlisle United in 2017.

"With a point to prove next season at Northampton, Curle will have to be at the top of his game if he is to to be the man to take the club back to League One."