Football Season Guide

Chesterfield are entering the new season with confidence, after winning promotion from League Two in some style, topping the league all the way from October until the end of the season. Manager John Sheridan needed two years to stamp his authority on his squad, bringing in a lot of his own players and getting his Spireites to play uncompromising football, showing a high work rate on both ends of the pitch. Chesterfield also proved themselves against League One opponents last season, completely outplaying Sheffield Wednesday in the JP Trophy at the Hillsborough stadium, only to crash out of the competition on penalties after conceding a late equaliser. With former Walsall man Dwayne Mattis and former Oldham man Danny Whitaker providing much needed League One experience in midfield, and players being well used to playing together, the Spireites will expect to play an important role in the upcoming League One season, and not just fight against relegation. Midfield has been further strengthened by the arrival of former Arsenal man Mark Randall, a versatile midfielder who has League One experience with MK Dons, where he was on loan a year ago. Former Yeovil defender Nathan Smith will offer further quality in defence, but there is a big hole Sheridan needs to figure out how to fill, as Chesterfield lost their top scorer Craig Davies to Barnsley. Davies previously played for Oldham and Brighton in League One and struggled with both clubs, but exploded last season, earning him calls from several Championship sides, making it impossible for Chesterfield to keep hold of him. The importance of a good striker at League One level is well known, and the only player that seems like being able to score on a consistent basis for Chesterfield at the moment is 35 year old Jack Lester. Due to this, the Spireites will be expected to strengthen in attack, either by signing someone permanently or by a shrewd loan deal. If this doesn't happen, they could struggle somewhat.