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da lvbet： Take a quick glance at the League 1 table and you’d be forgiven for thinking that most followers of Chesterfield FC would be down-in-the-dumps right now. After all, Derbyshire folk are hardly known for their happy-go-lucky nature (just ask the Bournemouth fans whose coach got bricked after a game at the B2Net last week that the Spireites had won!).
Go back to the 7th of January and you’d be spot on with that gloomy assessment.
Following a 0-2 home reverse against Exeter City there were calls for the manager, John Sheridan, to resign, people in the ‘popular end’ were questioning the club’s owners and their commitment to the cause and quite a few, previously heralded players, midfielder Danny Whitaker included, were getting all manner of unwarranted abuse.
Exactly four weeks later and things suddenly look a lot brighter. Chesterfield are no longer bottom of the league, they’ve won four games on the bounce, they’re off to Wembley in March for the Johnstone Paint’s Trophy final and, wonder of all wonders, they’ve signed a striker. It’s a remarkable turnaround and much of it is down to the impact of the transfer window. While the big clubs only spent £60m on players, smaller ones, like Chesterfield, were bringing in players on loan that could potentially turn their whole season around.
This is why.
During a deeply unpleasant 17 match run where the Spireites didn’t win a single game of football, several things were lacking: energy and tenacity in midfield, full backs that could get forward with purpose, a strong, regular centre half pairing and, most pressing of all, someone who could regularly put the ball in the back of the net.
The transfer window couldn’t have come soon enough. And when it did, fortunately, Mr Sheridan proved to be exactly what most people had hoped he was: a half decent football manager. He filled the gaps accordingly. But whereas in pre-season he had opted for players with League 1 experience he, instead, sought out quality from higher divisions.
David Davis from Wolves has instilled some steel and voracity into the midfield. Young West Brom defender James Hurst has brought pace, enthusiasm and attacking intent – not to mention decent delivery – to right back. And Josh Thompson, a Celtic player previously, has brought speed, power and big match experience to a central defence that now includes the revitalized (and fully fit) Neal Trotman.
All of sudden Chesterfield look like they can compete at this level. They’ve kept a couple of clean sheets, they’ve won football matches and they’re playing with pride. It might not be pretty at times but at least they’re fighting. The only thing lacking is a striker.
True they have the ‘Old warhorse’ Jack Lester (copyright Sky co-commentator Garry Birtles) who is one of the best players to ever have pulled on a CFC shirt. But while he still has brilliant touch, a neat trick and an eye for goal (not to mention some wiley ways) he lacks pace and cannot play every week. They also have the young but raw Jordan Bowery who ‘looks the part’ one minute but seems destined for Matlock Town or Stavely Miners Welfare the next. And there is Scott Boden who has his talents. But between them there are not enough goals there to keep Chesterfield up.
In hindsight the Spireites have sorely missed last season’s top scorer Craig Davies, a player now plying his trade down the road at Barnsley. A contract was offered but terms were not agreed. Perceived wisdom suggests that just a few pennies more would have kept him at the club and much of the pre-Christmas mess could’ve been avoided. To fill the void early in the season Sheridan took a chance on Swindon’s Leon Clarke after he fell out with his own manager Paulo Di Canio. It paid off with nine goals. But his wage demands were said to be too high for that loan to go any further.
In the end Chesterfield have signed young Nicky Ajose from Peterborough, a former Manchester United player who was as brilliant at Bury last season as he was anonymous at Scunthorpe this. He’s not a big name but he’s the kind of forward that is required. Quick, lithe and with a decent scoring record. A younger Craig Davies (it is hoped). Whilst on loan at Bury last season he tore the eventual League 2 Champions to shreds at the B2Net. This alone probably makes him a good signing.
It’s only a loan deal, as are the agreements for Curtis, Davis and Thompson. But as they’re all young, keen players from higher divisions who are (based purely on several recent tweets) ‘up for the challenge’ they’ve provided great dollops of enthusiasm for followers of the team currently 23rd in League 1.
For once, weather permitting, a 330 mile round trip to Carlisle (the next league opponents) seems like an alluring prospect.
You’ve got to love the transfer window.
By Will Strauss. As well as writing about his first love, Chesterfield FC, he is currently coming up with cooker spares articles for the Leeds-based appliances company ASD.
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