Record
transfer Pablo Hernandez will have a lot to prove given his price tag
Player
transfers are always met with hope and scrutiny however the Spireites summer
spending has raised a question thought by many but raised by a few; what
direction are Chesterfield headed?
Chesterfield
summer transfers centred around two major signings; English striker Rickie
Lambert and Spanish winger Pablo Hernandez however what caught the public’s
attention was the considerable transfer outlay of $14.5 million, especially
compared to last season’s spending which was $6.5 million.
As
past experiences have shown, Glory Days management assigns a certain ‘value’ to
a player but value may not necessarily be dependent on the financial, you would
have to include quality of the player and how they would improve the football
team.
The
majority of the amount spent on transfers was the record breaking purchase of Pablo
Hernandez for $8.5 million. The 28 year old arrived from newly promoted Norwich
City and was a part of the Canaries clear out however Chesterfield jumped at
the opportunity to sign him. Some suggest that the high profile purchase was
manager Glory Days’ desperate attempt to take attention away from the Spireites
poor form last season.
However
if you dig deeper, Hernandez is a proven achiever in Division Three. His 9
assists in Norwich City’s relegation season and his past experience performing
in Division one and two, the signing doesn’t seem to have weakened the overall
strength of the midfield. In fact, the
signing may be an astute piece of business, replacing the petulant Miraleum
Sulejmani with the proven quality of Pablo Hernandez and improving the quality
of the midfield.
Rickie
Lambert was another purchase that came under intense scrutiny, a 32 year old
striker being bought in for $6 million. Considered a real risk by manager Glory
Days especially when he was carrying a six week injury from his previous club,
Preston North End and with no real resale value for the big English front man,
many questioned Chesterfield’s acquisition of the aging striker.
The
main concern was the longevity of Lambert, how many seasons can one get out of
those aging legs? But manager Glory Days has added proven quality to an area
that Chesterfield clearly lacked last season. Lambert had break out
performances last season with 15 goals in Division Two and compared to other
striker purchasers in the same Division such as Andy Carroll (10 million to
Plymouth Argyle) and Marko Devic ($7.5 million to Gillingham), this may be an
interesting acquisition when the season finishes.
Only
time will tell whether manager Glory Days signings will pay off but if the end
of last season and the preseason performances gave any indication, both older
players are playing with a point to prove and a chip of their shoulders, this
may bode well for the Spireites.
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