Thursday 25th November 2010
by PAUL FISHER

If someone had said to me that we would be second in the table coming into the league programme in December, I would have said thank you very much.

But, because we have been top and are now in the said position, all of a sudden cracks appear to be arising.

Sometimes harsh reactions are a question of previous as opposed to future.

Chesterfield has notoriously been a good first half of season team in say the past ten years, maybe even more.

So the supporters who were shocked into last nights defeat, are all too aware that this setback had a little bit of previous about it.

We only have to look back to last season when the Spireites were sitting pretty in the top seven for most of the season. Then the February blues hit and we won only three of the last fourteen league games. To say we slightly choked the position we were in perhaps is a little harsh; after all we aren’t the South African cricket team. To put it down as frustrating would be a correct term to use perhaps.

The loss of Aaron Downes was apparent and the lack of players such as Jamie Lowry and Gregor Robertson may have been a factor also, along with the appearance of too many loanees that helped unbalance the squad.

Chesterfield's unbeaten home record has been smashed within ten days. Two sides with dominant midfields, and largely sides that kept hold of the ball effectively have outwitted the Spireites.

The league leaders have failed when trying too hard against sides with only one man upfront, the dominance of an impressive midfield has squeezed up against the less mobile midfield that the Spireites possessed. Mark Allott and Danny Whitaker for all their hard work were up against a bank of four plus an extra floating in front of the defence.

Too many times the option to try to play wide was condensed, and the ability to go through the middle wasn’t apparent.

To state that Chesterfield were poor maybe a slight slur on Oxford's approach, they came with an almost 4-1-4-1 formation and to large an effect in the first half it failed, as after 14 minutes they went down to an Ian Morris strike, his first for two years and some.

Chesterfield though with the crowd losing patience with every misplaced pass, tried to gain ground despite having the advantage.

It wasn't until a new centre half came on for the University City and they pushed an extra man forward that the Spireites started to struggle to cope with that.

United bagged two goals in quick succession and we had no answer to grab an equaliser. So tactically, Oxford came with a game plan and it worked to effect.

Look, let's be realistic about it, not many sides win all their games, not many sides lose home matches, and if two is all Chesterfield are going to lose all season, then that betters last season.

At the moment though, the Spirietes are having a little injury crisis that is not enjoyed by the supporters, players and management, fingers crossed some injured or poorly are back for Saturday.

Lets enjoy the FA Cup Round Two at the weekend - forget all the hullabaloo of the last time the Spireites played Burton, as this time a different approach by the visitors may play exactly into Chesterfield's hands.

For more information and other CFC news, go to www.chesterfield-fc.co.uk

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