Chesterfield boss Paul Cook suggests who are the teams ‘everyone wants to beat’ in the National League next season (2023/24).
There will be a lot of expectation for the Spireites to go up this season having boosted the strength of their squad with the signings of Harry Tyrer, Will Grigg, Tom Naylor and Bailey Hobson along with Kieron Dyer joining the coaching staff.
They are also favourites to return back to the English Football League, having not been in League Two since 2017/18 and lost the playoff final to Notts County last season.
It does feel like Chesterfield are ready for a return to the EFL now. Everything is in place. After being on life support, the club has now healed. It’s big, strong and fighting back.
Some thoughts:https://t.co/ZQsbSiAaL8 #Spireites
— Liam Norcliffe (@LiamNorcliffe) June 28, 2023
Paul Cook said, as per DerbyshireTimes: “Wrexham have gone, and Notts County, they carried the same mantle as us.
“Wrexham have gone, and Notts County, they carried the same mantle as us. Next year, possibly Oldham a little bit, the EFL clubs that have come down [Hartlepool and Rochdale], but we will be the one, we are going to be the big scalp in the league next year and we have got to make sure we turn up as much as we can and as regularly as we can and as consistently as we can.
“I felt the town was a really good place to be at the end of last season, and let’s carry that on into this year.”
On Naylor and Grigg joining the club, Cook told 1866 Sport: “Both CVs and there for everyone to see, in being successful players, in being promoted, and racking a lot of games up in the Football League.
“I got to know Tom more through Leam Richardson, who was Tom’s manager at Wigan Athletic. He is an exemplary professional, he conducts himself great, he is a leader, a really strong defensive midfielder who can also play centre-half. He is a very competitive lad.
“I don’t think Will Grigg needs loads of introduction. I managed him at Wigan. I know him as a person and how hard he works in training.”
“He is an exciting one,” Cook said on Hobson. “He is a really bright, young player. He is a midfielder who can score goals and he is athletically good. We have got great hopes for him.”
“We have brought in three different types of players and we feel, looking forward to next year, it is only going to help us.
“I think it speaks volumes for us as a football club.
“I hope next season we can put a team on the pitch that the supporters can be really proud of.”
CHESTERFIELD’S PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE:
Matlock Town v Chesterfield – Tuesday 4th July
Alfreton Town v Chesterfield – Saturday 8th July
Chesterfield v Sheffield Wednesday – Tuesday 11th July
Chesterfield v Sheffield United – Saturday 15th July
Chesterfield v Derby County – Wednesday 19th July
Accrington Stanly v Chesterfield – Saturday 22nd July
Loughborough Dynamo v Chesterfield – Saturday 29th July
Bristol Rovers v Chesterfield – Saturday 29th July
Two players whose current deals are coming to an end have been offered new contracts, with an option triggered to keep another player at the club.
Mike Jones and Luke Chadwick have been given an opportunity to stay at the Technique Stadium while a new contract has been given to Jesurun Uchegbulam.
Three players whose contracts are due to expire, Jack Clarke, Manny Oyeleke and Ross Fitzsimons, are leaving the club.
The club would like to thank those players who will no longer be at the club for their service and wish them well for the future.
Under contract 2023/24
Jeff King
Ryheem Sheckleford
Ash Palmer
Tyrone Williams
Jamie Grimes
Laurence Maguire
Bailey Clements
Branden Horton
Ollie Banks
Darren Oldaker
Tom Whelan
Liam Mandeville
Armando Dobra
Ryan Colclough
Akwasi Asante
Joe Quigley
Danny Rowe
Michael Gyasi
Released
Jack Clarke
Emmanuel Oyeleke
Ross Fitzsimons
Offered new contract
Jesurun Uchegbulam – option triggered on contract extension
Mike Jones
Luke Chadwick
Loanees who have returned to parent clubs
Tim Akinola – Arsenal
Paul McCallum – Dagenham & Redbridge
Andrew Dallas Solihull Moors
Lucas Covolan – Port Vale
Fans reacted as the Chesterfield boss suggests the teams ‘everyone wants to beat’ in the National League next season…
Paul Smith: Fantastic club fantastic fans. Good luck this season from all at The Schooner in Gateshead. Hope this season you get you back where you belong
Liam Power: have to say who ever is in charge of recruitment, scoutin etc playing a blinder hobson naylor grigg ibe on trial and now tyrer great signings good pedigree how you go and win the league
Simon Wall: I’ll fall off my chair if we sign Ibe, I’d suggest it’s more giving him the chance to train and get his fitness up.
Richard Start: Really hope we go up next season but in the meantime, the National League is a really good league to be part of and is transformed from 15-20 years ago when you teams the drop. Can’t knock the fact we’re on TV quite regularly and that disappears until you get to Championship or above.
John Wallace: I’m starting to get excited too. Still think we need another proven striker
Roger Smith: I want us to have a upper mid table start and throttle the season to death at the end 😄
Ian Jen Jerram: Another striker in and I’m very very confident
Nick Cannon: People underestimate the impact Paul Cook is having on the club. When he came in he said he’d been asked by John Croot to look at all aspects of the football side. We now have proper recruitment for the first time since he was last here, we have the training ground being re-done funded by the Kirk’s, we are attracting players like Grigg. Long May it continue. I hope he’s signed a very long contract as Paul Cook is nothing but good for this club.
Richard Smith: The first cut back when clubs are struggling financially is scouting and this is to me the most important because you need to get the right players in Paul Cook has talked so much sense and acted on it!!
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