Is Milan the man and which two players have got fresh starts? - big talking points from Chesterfield's win against Belper Town

Milan could be the man

He looked good, didn't he? It was a composed first outing from the 22-year-old. Town have been crying out for someone to get on the ball and dictate play in central midfield for a number of seasons but he could be the answer. He sat deep just in front of the back three and demanded the ball. He looked to pass it forward at every opportunity and he intelligently dropped into defence when Josef Yarney and Laurence Maguire came out from the back. We haven’t even mentioned his goal. He ran off the back of his marker and finished clinically with his right foot from just inside the area. John Pemberton says he will only get better as well. We like the sound of that.

Fresh starts for Maguire and Rowley

Having an injury-free Maguire and a reinvigorated Joe Rowley will be like having two new players for Pemberton. Maguire played an hour on the left of a back three and looked assured. His ability to bring the ball out of defence was impressive. In terms of Rowley, he’s had a rough couple of seasons and no doubt he has lacked confidence. He played just in front of Butterfield and Jonathan Smith and did fairly well. If he can bag himself a goal or two during pre-season then we could see the same Rowley who burst onto the scene as a teenager.

Could the youngster plug the gaps?

As we know, Chesterfield’s academy has had a restructure due to a drop in funding meaning many of the youth players who were at the club have now left. But at the Raygar Stadium we saw a couple of those youngsters return. Goalkeeper Dylan Wharton and midfielder Brandon Bradbury came on along with current academy players Harrison Beeden and Callum Brook. Wharton and Bradbury are not contracted to the club but have been training with the Blues to keep fit. With the budget much reduced compared to previous years, and with goalkeeper Luke Coddington expected to be out for around another two months, it would make sense to sign Wharton as a back-up to Kyle Letheren before Coddington is ready to return.

Incomings

The Spireites have been looking at Swindon Town midfielder Cameron McGilp but Pemberton said in his post-match interview that they do have good numbers in that area already. The Blues boss is trying to balance the squad so if he can only bring in two more additions I think he will opt for a back-up goalkeeper and a natural left-sided player.

A point to prove for Smith?

Opinion appeared to be divided about Smith re-signing for the club but he answered any critics in the best possible way with his two excellent goals against the Nailers. His all-round performance was good too. With Butterfield sitting deep, it will allow the likes of Smith and Curtis Weston to bomb forward which is what their game is all about.