The ideal squad size John Pemberton wants at Chesterfield next season

The 55-year-old is in temporary charge until the end of the campaign but he is already making plans if he gets the job on a permanent basis.

Chesterfield have a squad of 28 players and Pemberton would be keen to cut that down next campaign.

“I would like 20 players maximum,” he said.

“I don’t particularly like a huge squad because it is very difficult to manage. You can’t keep them all happy.

“At Bristol City we won the league using 18 players and we played 64 games but you have got to be lucky with injuries.

“I think first and foremost you want your own players. I think it is important that you have Chesterfield players, who it means something to, and then you have got to use your contacts to get a few players on loan or players you know.

“We have not had a scout network if you like. There has been nothing like that really so we are almost starting from scratch.”

Pemberton also said that he is focusing on this season but does have next term in the back of his mind but of course a lot depends on what happens with the takeover.

He added: “What I don’t want to do is get caught out so I am looking at that whether I am here or not because I think I have a duty to do that now as current manager and then we will see where that lies in the end,” he said.

“I think the first thing is we need to know what division we are going to be in and then the new owners need to decide what vision they want for the club and it it may be that they see it in a way that I can’t take it there so I think it is only fair on them that they can get somebody that can get it going in the direction they want it to go.”