"What's that all about?": Chesterfield boss John Sheridan lets rip at players for changing set-piece instructions

The Spireites had won four out of six in the National League before last weekend's 3-2 home defeat to bottom club Chorley.

The second of Chorley's goals was a header from a set-piece and Sheridan today strongly criticised the decisions made which led to Courtney Meppen-Walter finding the net.

During his pre-match press conference, Sheridan said: "You can't be giving teams a 1-0 and a 2-0 lead.

"It is about the mindset, about being switched on more.

"Get closer to people, instead of five yards off, get two yards off.

"Know your jobs.

"Everyday I am giving them who marks who when we go through set-plays, and then they decide on the day that they change round.

"What's that all about?

"I don't understand the mentality of that.

"I am telling my best header of the ball to mark their best header of the ball, but when we go out on the pitch last week, my best header of a ball decided to go and mark someone else and it has cost us a goal.

"I asked them the question and they said 'we decided to change'.

"It is not on, you can't do those things.

"If you keep doing it you won't be in the team.

"You can't be doing it and that is why instructions go up.

"They tell me they have done it before and they have kept the ball out of the back of the net but you don't do it."

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"I watch goals in the Premier League and higher up the league and sometimes you say 'what are you doing there?' or 'what are you seeing there?' but it is just part and parcel of the game, but I am bringing it up because it cost us last week.

"We watched them and I asked them why did they do it and I have told them they should not have done because it has cost us."

Work ethic

The players themselves said an increased work ethic has been one of the reasons why they had seen an upturn in results in the last month.

The criticism cropped up again after the defeat to Chorley but when asked about it by the DT the Spireites boss said he wants more than just players working hard.

"I think it is down the players but it is not all about running around, not for me anyway, I don't see the game like that," he said..

"We need to work and think harder about the game and instruct each other on the pitch more.

"Someone running around at 100mph and doing 15 miles every game does not impress me.

"I would rather see someone take care of the ball and move the ball quickly.

"If you keep the ball you don't run around as much.

"We need to keep the ball more."

Motivation

Sheridan has said a number of times that he would like his team to be louder and 'dig each other out' more and he repeated those calls again today.

"I can try and motivate them as much as I want, I would like them to try and motivate each other on the pitch," he added.

"At any level you have to have winners out on the pitch, winners in the dressing room, winners during training.

"If something is poor in training and you don't put a ball in the box between the posts you need to tell them, all the time, week in, week out, and we don't.

"I just think that is today's game.

"I used to play with two 6ft'2 centre-halves behind me who wanted to knock me out after every game.

"I used to shout at Chris Waddle, best player I have ever played with, and if I did something wrong someone would be on my case.

"You just have to do it and I am doing it for a reason.

"It has got to go on all around the pitch."