Paul Cook on Chesterfield's improved defensive record ahead of Tranmere Rovers clash
Paul Cook puts Chesterfield’s improved defensive record down to players carrying out instructions better.
The Spireites have won all of their last three games 1-0, a run which has got them back into the play-offs. After conceding two or more goals in their previous three matches, the shutouts have been much-needed and very welcome.
There doesn’t appear to have been any big tactical changes which have led to the improvement although there have been one or two selection swaps like goalkeeper Ryan Boot coming in. Cook himself says that his instructions have not changed from when they were conceding regularly to now having not let a goal in for in almost 300 minutes.
He explained: “One of the things in football is that a lot of managers’ messages are consistent. Our message didn’t change from when we went to Barrow (won 1-0) and to when we went to Colchester (lost 6-2). It is the lads having the ability to take the information in and and carry out instructions. And when the instructions go well everyone looks a good manager and unfortunately for us all when it doesn’t go so well, we don’t look so good.
"In League Two, it is a probably really difficult commodity to get into your team, consistency, because in general League Two players are not consistent. So somewhere along the lines you have to marry all these things in. For us, I don’t look at the last three games like we have done well, the same way I don’t look at the previous three games and the negative side of it. I just move on to the next game and try to get as many points as we can.”
Down the other end, Chesterfield have had lots of opportunities in the last three matches to win by bigger margins and make life less nervy in the latter stages. They hit the woodwork four times in the second-half against Cheltenham Town and had good counter-attacking moments late on against Barrow but the results remained in the balance right up to the final whistle. So the next step is to start being more clinical.
Cook told the DT: “If you score goals you take the game away from the opposition. Certainly in the Barrow game late on, and the Cheltenham game late on, we have left ourselves susceptible for the other team to equalise. Until you take the game away from teams you will always live in those moments.”