Manager Paul Cook thinks Chesterfield will be competing in a wide open League Two this season and the bar for promotion could be lower as a result.

Only twice in the last five seasons has 80 points or less been enough to claim the third and final automatic promotion spot.

Bradford City sneaked up with 78 a couple of years ago and Bristol Rovers with 80 just after the Covid pandemic.

That’s in contrast to the tallies of third-placed Mansfield (86), Northampton (83) and Cambridge (82) in other recent campaigns.

After back-to-back appearances in the play-offs, Chesterfield are tipped to be up there again with the likes of well-backed Salford, Bristol Rovers and Port Vale but Cook believes it is an open division.

"Last year we ended up with 79 points. I always thought 80 would be a good knock,” he said. “I do think this year that that if you get 80 then you will be promoted because a lot teams are going to take points off each other. It is dead open.

“I have managed to see quite a few teams in pre-season. I’ve seen Fleetwood, I’ve seen Accrington, I’ve seen Oldham, I’ve seen Rotherham and I’ve seen Salford, all good sides.

“They’re all well coached now. There are no secrets in football no more. There are no marginal gains through tactics really because everyone knows what each other is about.

"Every team will have its runs, good and bad, and it will be about staying the long course.”

Cook puts the tougher landscape down to the increasing expertise filtering down to the lower divisions.

“Every league is tough now," he said. “Football is improving in each division so much due to the level of analysts coming into the game and the coaches coming through the programmes at St George’s Park.

"It is a more difficult playing field and success is so much harder to get.”

After Saturday’s league opener at home to Fleetwood Town, Chesterfield go to fancied Salford and then have a local derby at home to Rotherham United, who snapped up the prolific Paul Mullin last week.

While it is a testing start and patience might be required from supporters as the early weeks unfold, the experienced Cook is past the point of asking for it.

"The days of asking fans for patience are gone,” he added. “You’re insane asking for it now.

"I don't enjoy how football is any more and it’s something we all have to live with in the football world.

"After every defeat there’s a post mortem and I find it insane and ridiculous. But that’s my way.”