Keith Curle has come to the defence of Steven Pressley, saying the current Carlisle United boss is being "honest" in trying to protect his players.

Curle, now Northampton manager, is back at Brunton Park tonight for the first time since his four-year reign ended in 2018.

His successor-but-one, Pressley, is under pressure after a poor run of results.

The Cobblers sit five places above 20th-placed United.

Pressley has maintained his team will turn the corner but the Scot cut short his post-match radio interview after Saturday's defeat at Plymouth as he faced questions on Carlisle's form and his own future.

Curle, speaking in the Northampton Chronicle & Echo, said: "I don't really know Steven, but I have a lot of respect for him and how he conducts himself.

"He is a passionate person, he cares about football and he cares about his team, which comes across, and he is trying to protect his team.

"Every manager has to face difficult questions when your team is not getting the results they want, but I think he has come across as very honest.

"He is simply giving an honest appraisal, and trying to protect his changing room, and quite often you have to do that.

"If you are not getting results then the only people who can get results for you are the people in that changing room.

"So you have to protect them, you have to give them belief that what they are trying to do through the week will get them results.

"We have all been there, and I have gone through spells where things aren't going right and you need things to change."

The 55-year-old was in charge from September 2014 to May 2018 and guided United to Football League safety in his first campaign before leading them to 10th, sixth and 10th in his three full seasons.

That included a run to the play-offs in 2016/17 while he also oversaw cup runs which included major ties against Liverpool and Everton.

Before last season's encounter at Sixfields, Curle said there had been an "extra cog in the wheel" during the latter stages of his Brunton Park tenure when it came to decision-making at the top of the club.

The Cobblers manager, though, said he had full respect for some of the owners and directors he worked closely with at Carlisle.

He also spoke in defence of the bonus structure in place during his time in charge which has since been cited by some at United as a reason the club was spending more than it could afford.

"I had four fantastic years at the club," Curle said.

"They are going through a period of change and transition, but there are still a lot of people there that I have a lot of time for.

"[There is the] chairman, Andrew Jenkins, then there is [co-owner and former managing director] John Nixon and [chief executive] Nigel Clibbens, and they were instrumental in the work that I was able to do when I was there.

"Lately, I think there has been criticism of the bonus structure that was put in place, but what I would say is that bonus structure was based on success.

"We managed three top 10 finishes, a play-off finish, we played against Liverpool and Everton, the likes of QPR and Derby, and selling players as well.

"We created a changing room that had players that were assets to the football club and able to play at a higher level, but sometimes you need to have a balance of what you want to bring into the football club, and where you want to go.

"I thought we had the balance right when we were there, with three top 10 finishes, increasing attendances and increasing revenue."

On facing United's fans tonight, Curle added: "I think the biggest challenge I will face is not reacting to the Paddock.

"They have the Paddock up there where I think they buy their tickets just so they can get in earshot of both the home and away team managers and have a pop!

"But I had four fantastic years representing the football club, and never had an altercation with the Paddock, and I don't see that changing."

Curle repeated some of his old United mantras when he weighed up the challenge of facing Pressley's team tonight.

"Carlisle have got quality, and going forward in the attacking third they can be creative and they can score goals," he said.

"Individually and collectively they have got strengths, so we know we need to stop them from playing how they want to play, and we need to enforce our style of play on them.

"We have to earn the right to play our way."