Clouds looming over manager Glory Days

Reports have circulated that either manager Glory Days is about to quit Chesterfield or that the Chesterfield board has grown tired of Glory Days’ management and are looking for other options to take over the West Yorkshire club for the remainder of the season.

Recent dour performances and lack of results have put pressure on the Australian manager, Chesterfield have only registered one win in the last five which was against bottom club Dagenham and having three losses against Leicester City, Scunthorpe United and play off rivals Barnsley with five points from a possible 18. Central to Chesterfield’s lack of success stemmed from the scoring drought of Italian striker Alberto Paloschi who has 11 goals in 22 games but hasn’t found the back of the net in his last five games.

After high profile departures from Northampton Town, Brighton Hove and Albion and Plymouth Argyle, some sources within the club have suggested that manager Glory Days may be heading out the door however these reports have been vehemently denied by manager Glory Days.

“I was astounded when I heard the reports that I wanted to leave the club. It’s simply not true, I am here for the long haul including the periods when we are struggling but there are encouraging signs in our last game”

However what may be a concern is that the Chesterfield board have yet to make a comment which could swing either way.

Manager Glory Days may be a victim of recent success, being promoted two seasons in to Division Three then overachieving by finishing in fifth spot however fans must remain realistic that Chesterfield have continued to overachieved this season with 35 points from 25 games and the first goal should be to secure their Division Three status. 

Marcos Rojo set for return

 Marcos Rojo set for return

Argentine defender Marcos Rojo is set to return from a two week injury and may be in line for a start against Scunthorpe United. The return of Rojo will come as a welcome relief for Chesterfield whose league form has stuttered with a dour draw against Birmingham and loss to Leicester City.

Last season’s fan favourite player Rojo, 23 has been an ever present in the Spireites line-up with 19 appearances and had missed the last four games as a result of a troublesome sprained ankle. However Russian defender Vladimir Granat has provided more the sufficient cover but manager Glory Days is pleased to have the towering Rojo back in his fit squad “Marcos has been training and he looks to be set in being in the match squad. It great to have him back in the team, his leadership and command of the team is second to none”

It’s a much needed boost for the Spireites who have suffered a bout of inconsistent form with a loss to Leicester and two draws against Birmingham and Queens Park Rangers.

Despite overperforming for the second consecutive season, Chesterfield will need to consolidate their play-off spot with Coventry, Swindon Town and Birmingham less than three points away. Needless to say the upcoming encounters Scunthorpe Unite and Barnsley will be important to poise the Spireites on another promotion run.   

Determined Spireites outfox Leicester to grab a point

Leicester City 1 Chesterfield 1

Determined Spireites outfox Leicester to grab a point

Chesterfield grabbed an unlikely point against Leicester City at King Power Stadium.  In a game where the Foxes dominated proceedings with 58% possession and 9 shots on target, the Spireites got an undeserved draw.

Coming into matchday three, Chesterfield were up against it with numerous omissions including Mikel San Jose and Denys Garmash out with short term injuries, Vladimir Granat returning back to match fitness and Mehmet Ekici who was serving a three game suspension.

Leicester City bossed the opening half hour and capped off their dominance with Spanish winger Gerard Deulofeu playing past the defender to hit his shot past the keeper and into the back of the net.  The 19 year old Spanish starlet on loan from Northampton Town is tipped for big things and looks to be making the best possible impression on Foxes’ manager Gozzy Raikkonen.

Leicester looked to the have sealed the match when Argentine play maker Rodrigo Fernandez doubled their lead in the 73^rd minute only for the goal to be denied by an offside flag.

Chesterfield capitalised on their good fortune by grabbing a crucial goal through a headed effort by Argentine central defender Marcos Rojo. The goal came against the run of play and the Spireites almost snatched it late with a long ball dispatched by Vladimir Granat which was latched onto by Alberto Paloschi, rolling his shot into goal only for it to be denied by German keeper Roman Weindefeller.      

For Chesterfield, the draw felt like a win after the Foxes dominated proceedings yet weren’t able to find the killer blow to knock out the resilient Spireites.

Manager Glory Days commented on their most recent performance

“We won’t make any excuses, we just weren’t very good on the night but we managed to get something from the game. Leicester had the game by the scruff of the neck but just didn’t have the killer blow. They have a quality squad there with Raikkonen but if you had offered me a point, away from home I would have taken it.  

We don’t have a magic formula to make things better instantly, it’s a work in progress and the players know that but it is some comfort that we are still managed to get points despite not playing very well.”

Despite a reasonable start to the season for the Spireites with five points from nine, manager Glory Days has been disappointed with Chesterfield’s recent performances however captain Claudio Bravo finally came out of his slumber and made an impressive Man of the match performance between the posts which subsequently improved the Spireites defensive record which had conceded 6 goals in the opening two games. 

However perseverance paid off for young central midfielder Alfred Duncan who received his first start of the season after some positive performances from the bench. Recent signing Felix Kroos debut from the bench and in a good news story, Russian defender Vladimir Granat made a happy return back to first team action but looked a bit rusty after an 8 week metatarsal injury.  

Chesterfield pulls off transfer coup with the signing of Spanish forward Rodrigo

Chesterfield completed the stellar swoop for highly coveted Spanish striker Moreno Rodrigo for Fedor Smolov and $1.55 million. In light of the recent clear out at Northampton Town, Chesterfield have snared an absolute bargain in young Spanish starlet Rodrigo.

The 22 year old is highly regarded in many circles and has an impressive under21 Spanish career, scoring 15 goals in 16 matches. Rodrigo bids farewell to Northampton Town where he made 93 appearances, scored 36 goals over five seasons. However last season, Rodrigo was considered a fringe player making only 6 appearances but a move to Chesterfield is deemed a significant coup for the small Derbyshire side.

Rodrigo will add another dimension to the Spireites attack with pace, technique and control to apply the clinical finish, predominately playing up front or behind the striker, Rodrigo may be the missing piece to the Chesterfield puzzle for another tilt at promotion.

Glory Days will hope to revitalise his previous scoring form where he scored 30 goals over 3 seasons

“We are delighted to welcome Rodrigo to Chesterfield, the lad is an extremely talented professional and we hope that he will continue to grow as a player and as a person while at the club. He’s a prime example of a player who benefits from regular games and he’s a proven goal scorer in Division Three and we hope to tap into some of that striking talent”

However Rodrigo will face stern competition from incumbent Italian striker Alberto Paloschi who scored 15 goals last season in a Glory Days system that predominately uses a solidarity striker. Regardless of that, the signing of Rodrigo will strengthen Chesterfield’s front line which hasn’t look this strong since the Rodallega-Paloschi era.  

Spireites add exciting youngsters Angelo Henriquez, Felix Kroos and Frank Bagnack

Chesterfield has continued their youth recruitment policy with the signings of former Northampton Town duo Angelo Henriquez and Frank Bagnack along with Weder Bremen midfielder Felix Kroos. The Northampton Town pair Henriquez and Bagnack arrived for $1.85 milllion and $800,000 respectively while Kroos came from Werder Bremen for $1.4 million.

It’s widely known that Chesterfield have little to spend in the transfer market but manager Glory Days has spent wisely on talented youngsters with an eye on the future. It was something of a transfer coup to grab talented duo of Henriquez and Bagnack from the talented Northampton Town youth academy.

Henriquez, 18 is touted as a talented forward prospect with an ability to finish however is still raw but will bolster Chesterfield’s very thin forward line with only Alberto Paloschi and Fedor Smolov.  

Bagnack, 18 is a similar talented prospect who predominately plays in central defence and was considered the best Cameroonian defensive prospect at the Barcelona youth academy, La Masia. He will likely replace the departed Christopher Avevor who left for Hannover last season.

Kroos 22, is widely known as the younger brother of Arsenal starlet Toni Kroos however Felix is a solid player in his own right, playing a deeper central midfield role impressing manager Glory Days enough to purchase him and strengthen the central midfield.

The departure of Jack Cork will serve as an interesting aspect of the Chesterfield midfield leaving the door open for youngsters Alfred Duncan and Kevin Vogt to fill the void.

With two successive top 6 finishes in the last two seasons, some Spireites fans may be forgiven for thinking about another promotion run but lofty expectations must be reined in. On the back of a remarkable 5th spot, manager Glory Days has performed a Houdini act by motivating a relatively young side with the fourth lowest wage bill in the Division to perform out their skins. Chesterfield has produced some scintillating football at times however with a largely unchanged squad and limited resources, manager Glory Days will need to find another gear.

Coming down to Division Three are Coventry City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Rochdale who have had disappointing seasons, Derby County proved that a big club can immediately bounce back while coming up from Division four are former promotion rivals Rotherham United who won the Division at a canter with their daring attacking mentality, Scunthorpe United and Brighton and Hove Albion. Suffice to say, the Spireites will be up against it to replicate last season’s exploits.

Season in Review: Chesterfield

Final Position: 5^th

Overview

Chesterfield’s remarkable rise in Division Three was epitomized by their surprise fifth placed finish. Although their season ended in disappointment with a 3-1 loss to Barnsley in the play-off semi-final, they should be proud of their extraordinary efforts in the regular season, grabbing a play-off berth in their first season back in Division Three, when many considered they would be fighting in the relegation battle.

The Spireites were in a rebuilding phase following the key losses of leading scoring duo Dmitri Torbinsky and Hugo Rodallega but found solace in  new attacking trio of Alberto Paloschi, Miraleum Sulejmani and Mehmet Ekici who combined for 34 goals and 28 assists.

The Derbyshire club began with an impressive 2-0 win over Leicester City and 7-2 win over relegated Norwich City however the 3-1 victory over relegation candidates Swindon Town was a more significant result. Their excellent season continued after securing of safety in record time (24 games) and impressive wins over promotion candidates Northampton Town, Tranmere Rovers and Hull City. The Spireites were poised for a promotion play-off spot however their hopes were dealt a blow after newly signed Russian defender Vladimir Granat suffered a season ending metatarsal injury. But Chesterfield rallied to a 10 game unbeaten run and secured a play- off spot only to be beaten by Barnsley.     

Despite a disappointing finish to the season, it cannot mask the incredible over achievement for the second consecutive season.

Most Valuable Player:  Denys Garmash

 

One doesn’t know the value of a player unless they are gone however ironically in Denys Garmash’s case, his value wasn’t known until an injury to a fellow team mate. Last season, former Spireites player Nemanja Matic was a quintessential part of Chesterfield’s ascent into the play-off spots unfortunately a season ending injury firmly put a halt to any impending promotion hopes. But in came the versatile Ukrainian international Garmash who seamlessly fit into the all-important defensive midfield role and the rest was history, Chesterfield won the play-off final and made another play-off semi-final a division higher this season.

Steady Eddies don’t always get their due; they do their job consistently yet unspectacularly. His ability to tackle and pass along with his versatility are all part of the reason why Garmash is so important to Chesterfield. This season, although his statistics don’t look impressive, he provided a crucial goal against Northampton Town to run out 2-0 surprise winners but his value was demonstrated when manager Glory Days commented on his omission “We simply cannot replace Denys in this team, he is the heart of what it means to be Chesterfield”    

Golden Boot: Alberto Paloschi 15 goals

When Columbian striker Hugo Rodallega left the club for Tomila, there was bemusement and confusion from fans and media alike, why would you let go your leading striker especially with a difficult season in Division Three ahead? It would have been somewhat understandable that the move was dictated by finances but it was also because of manager Glory Days belief that Italian striker Alberto Paloschi would be able to step up.

Often in the shadows of Hugo Rodallega last season, Paloschi was able to make his mark on the team. A crafty central striker who has the ability to run in behind the defences, strength to hold up play and strong in the air, the Italian hitman showed what he was capable of grabbing important goals against Tranmere Rovers, Hull City and Reading. Although he has a tendency to drift offside a bit too often, there is significant upside to Paloschi’s game and having secured a first team place, he could look forward to leading the line for another season.

Leading Assists:  Miraleum Sujemani 11 assists in 24 appearances

 

Much fanfare came with the arrival of Chesterfield’s marquee signing Miraleum Sujemani who was known for his off the field antics as much as his talents on the field. Rumours persisted that the troubled 24 year old moved to the Derbyshire club for a change in scenery but what he got was a change in discipline, manager Glory Days instilled a belief in him that when the time came, he would be ready to step up.

Despite constant cries from the media and fans alike for the Serbian star to start, manager Glory Days held firm and he was given a start on the left wing against Crystal Palace. Although he didn’t sparkle initially, it wasn’t until he was given the central playmaking role that Sujemani really shone.  Most notably against Hull City, Sujemani turned in a Man of the Match performance with two lovely assists for front man Alberto Paloschi and sealed the game with the final goal. What makes Serbian playmaker’s achievement of leading assist man even more impressive is that he missed the first third of the season yet was still able to get 9 goals and 11 assists.

  

 Fan’s Favourite: Marcos Rojo

Strong in the air, consistent and solid are all attributes that Argentinian defender Marcos Rojo has in abundance. Rojo who is only 23 years old has maturity and composure beyond his years and has proven to be vital member of the defensive unit. It’s an interesting contrast to the player that Rojo was three seasons ago where the young Argentine was considered to be surplus to requirements after putting in some horrendous performances, the most notable being his studs up tackle to the knee of an opponent which saw him duly sent off within the opening ten minutes of the game, not only did that rash tackle result in Chesterfield having the numerical disadvantage but the sending off cost Chesterfield all three points. Rojo was endemic of the culture at Chesterfield at the time: ill-discipline.

Fast forward to the current season where Rojo has become a pillar of the three man back line which has chopped and changed for various reasons but the one constant remains: Marcos Rojo. One of the most noticeable changes to his game is his ability to read the game and to execute a well-timed tackle, another is his discipline which has completely turned around with only two yellow cards to his name in 33 appearances.    

 

Surprise Packet: Koo Ja Cheol 5 goals, 2 assists (8 appearances)

 

Since the arrival of Koo Ja Cheol, he has given new life to Chesterfield especially towards the back end of the season.  Koo’s debut off the bench couldn’t have been any better with the South Korean captain grabbing a match winning brace against fierce rivals Barnsley at Oakwell Stadium.

His excellent technical ability coupled with his eye for a pass and foraging runs into the opponent’s penalty box made him an ideal Glory Days signing. Known as the utility man, Koo has produced some fine performances scoring a goal in every position he was given, employed in the central midfield, right wing, attacking midfield and supporting striker, he gives manager Glory Days great tactical flexibility. With such a remarkable impact in his first season, one wonders whether he can replicate that success next season.    

Trio of defensive reinforcements poise Chesterfield for play-off run

Chesterfield made a triple swoop for Fabian Johnson, Hiroki Sakai and Domagoj Vida bolstering the Spireites defensive ranks while reinforcing their hopes of a play-off position. Manager Glory Days has done a splendid job to fill the void left by Lorenzo De Silvestri and Matthias Ostrozolek, the management sought to not only improve on the first XI but enhance the team’s depth as well.

Fullback Fabian Johnson, 26 arrived from Notts County for 6.5 million. The American international was frozen out after a change of management at his previous club.

“It felt awful to be where I wasn’t wanted and what made it worse was that I couldn’t find a way out since I signed a new contract. To just be put on the bench and rot is something I don’t enjoy. They transfer listed me at the start of the season but no teams were interested and this left me in limbo, it was a very uncomfortable situation I faced”

However Johnson spoke of his delight in signing with a new club:

“I felt like a kid at Christmas, eagerly waiting for when and if the deal was still happening. When I met with manager Glory Days, he sold the club to me, his ideas and his philosophy, he made me feel wanted and that I would have my part to play this season.

The boss had such conviction and has made Chesterfield into solid team. To be honest, I didn’t really know much about Chesterfield but their recent rise in Division Three has made everyone notice them” 

Another addition was young Japanese fullback Hiroki Sakai, 23 who moved from Division Three rivals Barnsley for $5.5 million. Like many of Glory Days signings, Sakai is very versatile with his primary position being right fullback but he is fully capable of playing as a left back, right wing back or on the right wing.

Sakai 23, spoke of his enthusiasm in joining Chesterfield:

“I was impressed with Chesterfield’s inspiring first season in Division three, they have only been promoted but they are challenging for promotion already. I’m excited about joining an up and coming club like Chesterfield; I want to make my mark on this team. I like how the manager gives young players an opportunity to shine in his side; I will do my best to show the boss that I am worth a shot in the first team”

The final addition made was Croatian international Domagoj Vida, 24 who joins from Division Three rivals Birmingham City for $6 million. Known for his ability to adapt to multiple positions, Chesterfield’s need for another central defender with Vladmidir Granant injured for the remainder of the season and San Jose not being match fit, Vida looks like an ideal signing.

Mainly used as a substitute at Birmingham City, Vida sought another team to try to break into the first XI “I wanted an opportunity to show what I could do and Chesterfield gave me such a chance. Chesterfield are a good side that has done very well in their first season, I hope I can contribute to help them in their promotion bid”

With subsequent additions, Chesterfield looks to be making a strong push for promotion this season.

Russian defender Vladimir Granat seals move to Spireite

Chesterfield have sealed the signature of Russian central defender Vladimir Granat from Dynamo Moskva. In what has been a furious week of transfers with the recent arrival of South Korean international Koo Ja Cheol, the signing of Granat would come as a surprise as they aren’t often associated with heavy transfer activity.

Granat, 26 is seen as the direct replacement for the departed Douglao and will slot in alongside Marcos Rojo and fellow new signing Mikel San Jose.  Journeyman Vladimir Granat is considered one of the most consistent central defenders in the Russian league and has had previous experience in England having played for Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Swansea City.

The arrival of Granat sees fan favourite Brazilian defender Douglao depart to the Russian  club. This comes  after Douglao  publically declared that he wanted a change of scenery and Chesterfield were quick to find possible targets to replace the big Brazilian centre half.

Manager Glory Days expressed his delight in sealing Granat’s move:

“There was no question we were looking for a replacement for Douglao but it’s rare when you are able to grab your top transfer target.  Unfortunately Douglao wanted to move on but we have done our best  to fill the void that he will leave. He’s a solid central defender and has a great pedigree from the Russian League.”

Granat commented on his move to the Spireites:

“I am excited to be here, I have heard great things about Chesterfield and although they have just moved up from Division 

Four, they are building something here. When I was last in England, I played a bit-part role in my team however manager Glory Days has assured me that I was going to be a big part of the team setup and I would have an opportunity to be a central part of the team”

Unfortunately as a result, Douglao who has played 100 games at Chesterfield in five seasons and was known for his uncompromising defending and his wonderful long range goals departs for Russia.

 Manager Glory Days spoke on the big Brazilian’s departure:

“We thank Douglao for his professionalism and his leadership  which has put our younger lads in good stead, Everyone at the club looked up to Douglao so it understandably sad to lose such a big figure at the club.”

Granat is expected to start in Douglao’s old position against Ipswich Town in front of the Spireite fans. 

South Korean Starlet Koo Ja Cheol joins Chesterfield

Chesterfield have secured the services of South Korean midfielder Koo Ja Cheol from Wolfsburg in exchange for Karim Ait Fana. The highly touted Asian starlet has been subject to constant speculation over his future with the most likely destination being England.

Koo 24, is been blessed with technique and vision coupled with an uncanny ability in finding the back of the net, displaying a knack of charging into the opposition’s penalty area. It has been considered quite a coup for the little Derbyshire side but they have  made some impressive inroads in transfer market with signings of Mikel San Jose, Miraleum Sulejmani and Jack Cork.

The South Korean captain is excited with another opportunity to play in England.

“When I heard that Chesterfield was interested in me, I was excited at the opportunity of playing under manager Glory Days. I can’t wait for my chance to play, I will do my best to convince the boss that I am not going a bench player”

Manager Glory Days was delighted in his praise of the South Korean International:

“He is a lad with great technical ability who can not only play on the wings, behind the striker but can also play as a deep lying play making role, this will give us great versatility and accessibility to employ him in many different roles.  Another important attribute  is that he’s a midfielder that can score goals which will be vital especially in our system.”

As a result, Karim Ait Fana, 24 who made 80 appearances for the Spireites moves in the opposite direction to Wolfsburg.

“We would like to thank Karim for all his services for the club and we wish him the best for the future, it’s a tough business but we had to make the difficult decision”

Garmash sending off sours Spireites reaching magical 40 point mark

For any newly promoted side, their ultimate goal is to consolidate their status in their respective division. This was no different for Chesterfield who has surprised everyone by securing promotion through the Division Four play-offs against a much more fancied Rotherham United.

Tipped by some pundits to be facing the drop, the Yorkshire club has sprung another surprise by attaining the magical forty points mark in record time (within 24 games). Although forty points doesn’t guarantee safety from relegation, it does serve as an indicator on how well the side is doing.

Manager Glory Days has done wonders with a side on a very limited budget, reinventing Chesterfield through transfers and player development. Their financial  constraints meant that Chesterfield had to sell before they could buy, offloading two of their most pivotal players in their promotion, Hugo Rodallega and Dmitri Torbinsky. However Glory Days has done well to consolidate by replacing them with Serbian playmaker Miraleum Sulejmani purchased from fellow Division Three rivals Plymouth Argyle and promoting Alberto Paloschi into the starting XI.

Subsequent signings of Mikel San Jose and Jack Cork suggest that Glory Days has designs on staying in Division Three beyond this season.

The ongoing development of Mehmet Ekici continues to impress in only his second season with the Spireites, he has emerged as a quintessential cog in the Chesterfield machine providing seven assists and 9 goals, none of which were more important than his solidarity goal being the ultimate difference between the two promoted sides, despite Denys Garmash’s 79^th minute red card.

Swindon Town and Chesterfield serve as an interesting comparison of differing playing philosophies, Swindon Town earned their Division Four title by playing scintillating attacking football often at times looking like a  big fish in a little pond however when they came up to Division three, their defensive deficiencies were exposed and their over reliance on big front man Artjoms Rudnevs who was the Division’s golden boot winner with 25 goals proved to be their downfall as the Robins sitting in the relegation zone.

In contrast, Chesterfield concentrate on possession, movement and defensive solidarity. Manager Glory Days system isn’t dependent on a single goal scorer and it’s quite normal for the midfield cohort to  chip in with goals on a regular basis. Simply a ‘cog in a machine’ as it were and ingrained with the philosophy of “next man up” , their team isn’t dependent on any outstanding individual but a strong squad of players.   

With 40 points attained, the next goal should be to guarantee their Division Three status. 

British midfielder Jack Cork causes shock by moving to Spireites

In what has been an exciting week at Chesterfield, former U21 English International Jack Cork has chosen to move to Chesterfield instead of reuniting with former club, Bristol Rovers.

It was widely expected that Cork was going to Gary Mack’s revolution at Bristol Rovers however he surprised everyone by picking Chesterfield for $3.8 million.

Cork in his press conference shed some light with his decision “For me, it was a tough decision whether to go back to Bristol or take a chance at Chesterfield. Although in Bristol there was a complete overhaul occurring, I was impressed with what Chesterfield have been doing and what they hope to achieve in the future. He has overseen the development of some good players and I’m excited to be here”  

Cork, 24 has played 24 games in the last 3 seasons with Derby County and Bristol Rovers. He is the third British player to arrive in Chesterfield, although he plays predominately in defensive midfield, his versatility of playing right full back and central midfield would keep him in contention in a Glory Days side. Cork will be officially unveiled to the Chesterfield faithful when they play Leicester City.