Four big talking points as Chesterfield snatch defeat from jaws of victory against Notts County

When will the penny drop?

The sad thing is it was not even that surprising when County scored two goals in three minutes of stoppage time to win the game. The Spireites once again somehow managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. It was a film we had seen many times before. It is now seven defeats from the first nine games (all by a one goal margin). Town led in five of those seven (Hartlepool United, Wealdstone, Maidenhead United, Altrincham and Notts). To add to their woes, Chesterfield have conceded six goals after the 80th minute (90+4 v Torquay United, 85 v Stockport County, 81 v Wealdstone, 89 v Altrincham and 2x 90+ v Notts). They are mentally weak and do not learn from their mistakes.

Is there any hope?

If the new manager can make them better defensively then they can get out of it. The frustrating part is Chesterfield have scored in every league game so far and they have found the back of the net more times than five of the teams in the top 10. So although it feels like they are absolutely miles off, a few new additions down the spine of the team should see them heading in the right direction. They really need some leaders as well. They need someone to rattle a few cages and get them organised to help them see games out.

Need for speed

The interviews for the manager’s job will take place this upcoming week and this defeat should speed up the process even more. Chesterfield can’t afford to lose to fellow strugglers Weymouth on Saturday and a new man in the dugout might be the only way to prevent that from happening. This is arguably the biggest appointment the club has ever had to make. No pressure, then.

Experience is key

This defeat only confirms for me that the new manager has to be experienced and knows this league. Now is not the time to take a risk on an unproven boss. They need some know-how, and quick.