What Chesterfield manager Paul Cook is saying behind the scenes as unbeaten Spireites top National League

If Chesterfield carry on as they are, we might not hear from Paul Cook again this season, or not very often at least.
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The Spireites boss is superstitious and prefers to keep things the same when they are going well.

This even goes as far as his media duties, with Cook keen for first-team coach Gary Roberts to continue to do pre-match interviews, while assistant manager Danny Webb takes care of post-match, especially during this brilliant unbeaten start to the season.

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Meant in the nicest possible way, if Town fans don’t hear from Cook again this season, they will be over the moon because it will mean they have been successful.

Chesterfield are top of the National League after going eight games unbeaten.Chesterfield are top of the National League after going eight games unbeaten.
Chesterfield are top of the National League after going eight games unbeaten.

So while Roberts and Webb speak to the media regularly, what is Cook saying to the players behind the scenes?

“Pretty much what goes through the club – consistency, habits,” Roberts said.

"His beliefs in the game are if you stick to your habits, if you stick to the plan, if you work hard, we will go to where we want to be.

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"At the minute it is just keeping players’ feet on the ground and the lads who are not in the team keep working hard. Those are the habits that go through the club and, at the minute, the lads are doing more than enough.”

And those good habits paid off in a spirited fightback against Southend United in midweek despite playing half the game with 10-men.

On the terrific comeback, Roberts said: "It really doesn’t surprise me with this group.

"One thing about them is that they will stick together and they will fight and they will work.

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"I think once they came through the spell after half-time after we conceded a goal at a terrible time, they (Southend) had a couple of half chances here and there, but I thought we controlled the game with 10-men and that is credit to them.”