Press conference round-up: Wilson on Gardner, McGinn, the new formation and an anxious Evans

Looking ahead to Saturday’s FA Cup trip to Colchester, the Chesterfield boss also talked about the pressure on managers like himself and reiterated his confidence that Town will not only reverse their poor form but go on a run of good results.

Addressing the seemingly never ending injury crisis, Wilson had two pieces of news for fans.

“Dan Gardner is going to have a scan today so I would think we’ll know by tomorrow,” he said.

“We’re hoping it’s going to be clear but we have to take precautions, especially with hamstring injuries.

“We’re taking every day as it goes, we have a roll call every morning for availability and it’s unlikely we get surprises that someone is turning up ready again.

“Paul McGinn is going to be out for six weeks or so.”

The players who have become available of late, Liam O’Neill and Ian Evatt for example who have both returned to full fitness, have allowed Wilson to try out a formation he first debated back in the summer.

The five-man defence, with O’Neil and Connor Dimaio in midfield, has pleased the boss.

“The fact of who was available for us enabled us to play in a different way and a different manner,” he said.

“With Ian Evatt coming back he gave us a different option.

“We spoke about it at the start of the season, what different options we’d have, what we could change it to. We muted playing three at the back during the early part of pre-season.

“I’m just glad we’re able to have a look at it and I think it’s worked quite well in the last two games.”

The club’s goalscoring woes are well documented after six league outings without finding the net.

Centre forward Evans looked like a man feeling the burden of expectancy on Tuesday night at Coventry, missing a number of chances you’d normally expect him to bury.

Wilson admits the drought may be playing on one or two minds.

“I think he’s snatched at a few. He’d normally put them away with aplomb but I think he’s feeling a bit like everyone else, a bit anxious at the moment.

“But we’ve just got to go the other way and calm them down in front of goal in training.

“He’s a very cool finisher Ched and so is Kristian but obviously it gets a bit uptight and when pressure mounts one or two players tend to snatch a bit.

“It’s up to us to give them the confidence they need to get back on the scoresheet.”

The seven-game losing streak has taken its toll on the morale in the stands, but Wilson firmly believes his players have what it takes to arrest the slide.

And not only that, he’s expecting a run of positive results in the near future.

“It’s only a matter of time before the lads click,” he said.

“We’re quite buoyed by the last two performances away from home. I think at Coventry the only thing missing from the performance was a goal.

“We’ll get the shooting boots on and it’s only a matter of time before it comes.

“The performances are nothing to worry about, it’s only a matter of time before it turns the corner and once it does I think it’ll be a fantastic run we go on.”

Earlier in the week Wilson told the media he would not be resigning from his position.

Today he admitted there’s pressure on him, but no more than at any other time in a season.

“Every game, there’s pressure, it doesn’t matter when,” he said.

“As soon as you get a defeat there’s people asking questions.

“If it’s a defeat it’s pressure, if it’s a win ah it’s only one, what about the next one?

“A win might dissipate one or two people’s opinions but they’ll soon be back if we lose one or two.”

And talking about the frustrations felt by the supporters, he expressed empathy but again appealed for patience.

“I feel that a lot of people don’t understand what type of pressure is going on within your club and what you have to do to get a result.

“I do understand the frustrations of fans because I am a fan myself, believe it or not.

“It’s not that we want people to sit back and not offer an opinion because that’s not right either.

“There has to be an understanding as well.

“We know what’s not happening, we’re not scoring enough goals and once that’s turned around hopefully it’s onwards and upwards.”

Wilson’s legacy at Chesterfield was built as a player and he lives in the town.

But he insists his love for the Spireites doesn’t make his job any harder than it already is.

“If you’ve got an affinity for a club then you’ll try even harder,” he said.

“It doesn’t make it more difficult because it’s tough anyway, at any club anywhere in the country, when you’re not having the results.

“The one thing it can’t do is sidetrack you or deflect from what you have to do on a weekly basis, making sure the boys are better, well prepared for any game in front of them.

“The players have been brilliant, they’ve had a tough time of it and handled it very well.”