[Lincs Spireite]

Could this set of players be the best Chesterfield team ever ? The stats suggest it could be. Could the pairing of Naylor and Oldaker match Morsy and Ryan ? it would be a close call. The 3 behind the striker are on top form making it almost like having 4 strikers. No wonder we blow teams away. What a time to be a Spireite and all this thanks to a certain Mr.Paul Cook. Watch out League 2 we are coming for you.

[Zigsuk]

Possibly. Statistically definitely.
However, and it’s a huge however, Cook ‘s previous team and Cox’s were performing two levels higher.

For those too young to have seen.Cox’s team they had a quartet of fabulous players in Wilson, Birch, Bonnyman and Salmons. Salmons was perhaps past his best but still a wonderful talent, whilst Birch and Wilson were the two best outfield players I have seen at town. Birch was on fire throughout. Bonnyman was a ‘marmite’ player, but those of us who knew football recognised his class
On top of that we had a pair of excellent centre halves in Green and Ridley. Definitely did not possess the strength in depth of this squad though.

[rodney]

Lincs Spireite, on 04 February 2024 - 09:12 AM, said:

Could this set of players be the best Chesterfield team ever ? The stats suggest it could be. Could the pairing of Naylor and Oldaker match Morsy and Ryan ? it would be a close call. The 3 behind the striker are on top form making it almost like having 4 strikers. No wonder we blow teams away. What a time to be a Spireite and all this thanks to a certain Mr.Paul Cook. Watch out League 2 we are coming for you.

Compared to other teams in our league - yes. The stats reflect that. But we are currently a national league team not L1.

[firedodger]

Lincs Spireite, on 04 February 2024 - 09:12 AM, said:

Could this set of players be the best Chesterfield team ever ? The stats suggest it could be. Could the pairing of Naylor and Oldaker match Morsy and Ryan ? it would be a close call. The 3 behind the striker are on top form making it almost like having 4 strikers. No wonder we blow teams away. What a time to be a Spireite and all this thanks to a certain Mr.Paul Cook. Watch out League 2 we are coming for you.

Make no mistake Cook has put together an excellent squad and they are performing very highly.
But.
Ryan and Morsy were better, no argument about that. (We are also matching people up against players like Clucas and Roberts!).
As for the Arthur Cox side, I’m still convinced that’s comfortably the best and strongest starting 11 I’ve seen here, I believe we’ve had better fullbacks that Stirk and Tartt but the rest of that team was easily good enough for the second tier.
Our current side is a pleasure to watch but it’s unfair to compare them to teams built to play much higher up.

[Fit as a Nelson]

firedodger, on 04 February 2024 - 10:39 AM, said:

Make no mistake Cook has put together an excellent squad and they are performing very highly.
But.
Ryan and Morsy were better, no argument about that. (We are also matching people up against players like Clucas and Roberts!).
As for the Arthur Cox side, I’m still convinced that’s comfortably the best and strongest starting 11 I’ve seen here, I believe we’ve had better fullbacks that Stirk and Tartt but the rest of that team was easily good enough for the second tier.
Our current side is a pleasure to watch but it’s unfair to compare them to teams built to play much higher up.

People seem to struggle with levels. Our squad this season is exceptional everybody knows that but we are in the fifth tier with the biggest budget in the league. It’s a lot easier to build a squad full of quality in the national league than it is in league 1 as we just can’t afford it. There was a suggestion that Oldaker could be mentioned in the same breath as Morsy recently, Oldaker is quality player at this level but blows hot and cold, Morsy is captaining his team in pursuit of the premier league currently.

[Cum on u blues]

Zigsuk said:

1707039089[/url]' post='1801342']
Possibly. Statistically definitely.
However, and it's a huge however, Cook 's previous team and Cox's were performing two levels higher.

For those too young to have seen.Cox's team they had a quartet of fabulous players in Wilson, Birch, Bonnyman and Salmons. Salmons was perhaps past his best but still a wonderful talent, whilst Birch and Wilson were the two best outfield players I have seen at town. Birch was on fire throughout. Bonnyman was a 'marmite' player, but those of us who knew football recognised his class
On top of that we had a pair of excellent centre halves in Green and Ridley. Definitely did not possess the strength in depth of this squad though.

Agree. Still think it was the best Town team and bitterly disappointed we didn’t go up to the 2nd as we were as good as any other team in the division at the time.

[Goku]

Fit as a Nelson, on 04 February 2024 - 10:48 AM, said:

People seem to struggle with levels. Our squad this season is exceptional everybody knows that but we are in the fifth tier with the biggest budget in the league. It’s a lot easier to build a squad full of quality in the national league than it is in league 1 as we just can’t afford it. There was a suggestion that Oldaker could be mentioned in the same breath as Morsy recently, Oldaker is quality player at this level but blows hot and cold, Morsy is captaining his team in pursuit of the premier league currently.

Correct answer. Cook’s League 2 winners/League 1 playoff teams were better overall, probably quite comfortably, but this is a very good team who would be pushing automatic promotion in L2. Morsy miles ahead of anyone we currently have.

This post has been edited by Goku: 04 February 2024 - 12:44 PM

[spireitetoo]

Fit as a Nelson, on 04 February 2024 - 10:48 AM, said:

People seem to struggle with levels. Our squad this season is exceptional everybody knows that but we are in the fifth tier with the biggest budget in the league. It’s a lot easier to build a squad full of quality in the national league than it is in league 1 as we just can’t afford it. There was a suggestion that Oldaker could be mentioned in the same breath as Morsy recently, Oldaker is quality player at this level but blows hot and cold, Morsy is captaining his team in pursuit of the premier league currently.

Oldham budget especially given their recent signings and those at the start of the season must be matching if not bigger than ours?

[Fit as a Nelson]

spireitetoo, on 04 February 2024 - 11:03 AM, said:

Oldham budget especially given their recent signings and those at the start of the season must be matching if not bigger than ours?

I thought about Oldham as I was typing to be fair yes you’re right.

[Zigsuk]

firedodger, on 04 February 2024 - 10:39 AM, said:

Make no mistake Cook has put together an excellent squad and they are performing very highly.
But.
Ryan and Morsy were better, no argument about that. (We are also matching people up against players like Clucas and Roberts!).
As for the Arthur Cox side, I’m still convinced that’s comfortably the best and strongest starting 11 I’ve seen here, I believe we’ve had better fullbacks that Stirk and Tartt but the rest of that team was easily good enough for the second tier.
Our current side is a pleasure to watch but it’s unfair to compare them to teams built to play much higher up.

Agree that Cox's team was the best, just shading Cook's previous team. However it was really built around the six players I mentioned.Tartt and Stirk were no great shakes but O Neil was a decent left back. The real problem was up front as, despite having the best midfield in the division, we didn't possess a decent striker. Ernie wasn't on form and struggled at that level - he would come back effectively in Duncan's team a few years later in the fourth division - whilst Walker and Crawford weren't quite good enough. I believe Birch was the top scorer. Didn't we try to sign Keith Edwards who might have made all the difference. Also with the likes of Kowalski, Hunter, Stirk as back up there wasn't a great deal of strength in depth.

This post has been edited by Zigsuk: 04 February 2024 - 11:20 AM

[ronpowellsbutler]

Might not be the best team we have ever had but for me the most watchable was 1969/70.

[Zigsuk]

ronpowellsbutler, on 04 February 2024 - 11:19 AM, said:

Might not be the best team we have ever had but for me the most watchable was 1969/70.

Although I saw virtually every home game as I was 11/12 I can't really remember it or judge it that well. I do however remember captain 'Dan' Archer being criticised frequently and thinking why, he's a good player? I also remember the great striking partnership of Randall and a young Ernie, and of course the great Albert Holmes and Alan Stevenson, the best full back and goalkeeper we have had.

This post has been edited by Zigsuk: 04 February 2024 - 11:28 AM

[essexspireman]

Cox's team the best for me, but this was a decent Cook team https://www.football...sterfield/66879

[Osborne again]

Zigsuk, on 04 February 2024 - 11:27 AM, said:

Although I saw virtually every home game as I was 11/12 I can't really remember it or judge it that well. I do however remember captain 'Dan' Archer being criticised frequently and thinking why, he's a good player? I also remember the great striking partnership of Randall and a young Ernie, and of course the great Albert Holmes and Alan Stevenson, the best full back and goalkeeper we have had.

Albert Holmes was a class above as a full back, and could have played much higher up the leagues. He was on a par with Len Badger, another great Town right back.

[ronpowellsbutler]

Zigsuk, on 04 February 2024 - 11:27 AM, said:

Although I saw virtually every home game as I was 11/12 I can't really remember it or judge it that well. I do however remember captain 'Dan' Archer being criticised frequently and thinking why, he's a good player? I also remember the great striking partnership of Randall and a young Ernie, and of course the great Albert Holmes and Alan Stevenson, the best full back and goalkeeper we have had.

I can still see DA taking corners a yard in, near post flick on by Tom Fenoughty, back post header by Ernie.
What I did a couple of days ago is a complete mystery.

[Sussex Spireite]

This Friday is the 50th anniversary of my first ever football match, 9th Feb 1974 Chesterfield 3:1 Charlton Athletic.

Though its difficult to compare teams from different divisions over the years, this feels to me to be the strongest squad of players we have ever had. In the past, if someone like (just for arguments sake) Ernie or Jack Lester where out with long term injuries we would struggle. This season we have decent cover for virtually every position. And we aren't reliant on one top goal scorer, we're scoring goals throughout the squad. Makes you wonder how Wrexham and Notts would have faired last season if Mullin or Langstaff had been hacked down by some Sunday league defender pre Xmas like Kabby was a couple of years back!

This post has been edited by Sussex Spireite: 04 February 2024 - 04:12 PM

[Osborne again]

ronpowellsbutler, on 04 February 2024 - 12:28 PM, said:

I can still see DA taking corners a yard in, near post flick on by Tom Fenoughty, back post header by Ernie.
What I did a couple of days ago is a complete mystery.

That move worked a treat. The near post flick-on has gone out of fashion with a lot of teams, but it can still be effective.

[Johnnyspireite7]

Sussex Spireite, on 04 February 2024 - 04:10 PM, said:

This Friday is the 50th anniversary of my first ever football match, 9th Feb 1974 Chesterfield 3:1 Charlton Athletic.

Though its difficult to compare teams from different divisions over the years, this feels to me to be the strongest squad of players we have ever had. In the past, if someone like (just for arguments sake) Ernie or Jack Lester where out with long term injuries we would struggle. This season we have decent cover for virtually every position. And we aren't reliant on one top goal scorer, we're scoring goals throughout the squad. Makes you wonder how Wrexham and Notts would have faired last season if Mullin or Langstaff had been hacked down by some Sunday league defender pre Xmas like Kabby was a couple of years back!

Bit like how Wrexham are doing so well this season when Mullin was out with broken ribs and a collapsed lung when he was assaulted in the preseason friendly v Man Utd in the US. they'd've coped as they'd just have bought someone to cover.

[Brookie]

You have to judge each team in the period they played.
69/70 was a really good team.
Cox’s side was good and if 3 points a win would have gone up
The modern players are fitter and the style of football is different.
All the best sides were good at their time but certainly the most stylish football has come from Cooks’s sides.

[Roussa spireite]

Zigsuk, on 04 February 2024 - 09:31 AM, said:

Possibly. Statistically definitely.
However, and it’s a huge however, Cook ‘s previous team and Cox’s were performing two levels higher.

For those too young to have seen.Cox’s team they had a quartet of fabulous players in Wilson, Birch, Bonnyman and Salmons. Salmons was perhaps past his best but still a wonderful talent, whilst Birch and Wilson were the two best outfield players I have seen at town. Birch was on fire throughout. Bonnyman was a ‘marmite’ player, but those of us who knew football recognised his class
On top of that we had a pair of excellent centre halves in Green and Ridley. Definitely did not possess the strength in depth of this squad though.

I agree it was a fabulous team but when we got an injury they probably had to play because of the small squad
I was thinking that even though cox's side was set up 442 in practice it was pretty similar to our present tactics because walker was really a link man and we had overlaping full backs
I think we have seen a little of the potential of the present squad in the cup especially against Portsmouth
It's hard not to get to optimistic but I really think we're only at the start of something great