Why Chesterfield named unchanged line-up in almost four months against Eastleigh

Last season manager Paul Cook tended not to change a winning side but this term it has been very different with the squad rotated from game to game.

The thinking behind that has been based on the opposition, if they think a particular individual might be more of a threat against an opposing player, to ensure they go into each match with fresh legs and to use their squad to their advantage.

But on Saturday Cook named the same starting line-up for the first time since the middle of September and went with the players who beat Southend United 3-0.

Explaining why, coach Danny Webb told the DT: “Firsty, the manager and us felt that they had had a week’s rest, those same set of players. They have not had that in recent weeks.

"Secondly, we felt we were playing against a team with pretty much a bang on formation as Southend. So you are basically taking a team who have done well against a certain formation that you are going to face again – why would you disrupt that when you are going to be playing against exactly the same set-up when everyone is well-drilled? That is not neccessarily the only reason, but it was in the thinking that we were going to be playing against a 3-5-2 with two big centre-forwards.”

However, with another match on Tuesday night away at 14th-placed Dagenham and Redbridge, there are set to be changes again.

Webb added: “Believe me, the team will change on Tuesday. The players who did not play today certainly know that. The gaffer has always been true to his word with stuff like that. “