'We're like a broken record' - Paul Cook frustrated after familiar habit leads to defeat for Chesterfield

Manager Paul Cook slammed his Chesterfield side after their avoidable loss at Port Vale.

This season’s habit of sometimes mixing some flowing attacking play with charitable defending continued in the 1-0 defeat, decided when a moment of dithering let Onel Hernandez in to poke home the only goal of the game.

Coming after the surrender of a 2-0 lead at Crawley last week, the result prompted a strong response from the boss.

“We’re like a broken record,” he said. “Port Vale haven’t been in our half, they haven’t threatened first half and then they score and the whole emotion changes at half time with the stadium bouncing.

“It’s got to stop. I’ve just told them I keep picking the same team and keeping trusting them.

“I feel sorry for our supporters. We’re trying, they can see that. There is so much good in the team, so much good about them, but fundamentally there’s a problem.

“You can’t be coming to Port Vale and Crawley and taking a point. It’s not good enough.”

The hesitancy between goalkeeper Ryan Boot and centre-back Jack Simpson that led to the winner was in contrast to the often slick work on the ball from Chesterfield before the goal.

Cook said: “We have this lovely, happy club at the minute and I enjoy watching us to play. At times today I enjoyed watching us play. I just don’t enjoy the gifts we give teams. It’s like pass the parcel. It’s always someone else’s turn.

“That should be a 0-0 draw, we take our point, we shake hands and move on to Tuesday night.

“We find a way to keep handicapping ourself and it’s not good enough.

“I’m not making excuses, because even in the second half I felt we didn’t look like scoring.

“Port Vale were comfortable in what they were doing and that hurts because they’re a goal up and how they got a goal up is beyond me.”

Chesterfield remain seventh in the table ahead of Tuesday’s visit from Colchester United and home supporters can expect to see a different starting 11 after four league matches with the same group.

“We all know what’s about to happen. It’s got to change,” added Cook.