Thetownend.com

Evening chaps,
A spireite here...just wanted to pop on over and give you my thoughts on yesterday, for what they're worth. Firstly, you have a very talented side and the league is pretty much yours from what I can tell. There has been talk over on our board of a gulf in class between leagues 1 and 2, and in a roundabout way, I think the point is valid. We had a gameplan yesterday and it worked wonders, but all in all, you guys were the better team. The significant difference from what I can tell is that defensive frailties can be brutally exposed in league 1...something we have experienced first hand, hence our position at the bottom of the table. If STFC strengthen defensively, you should be absolutely fine next season and, fingers crossed, we'll be playing you again in the league! Still, a good day out and a much needed boost in the confidence dept for us, and I truly hope that you guys can hold on to the top spot. With the kind of smooth passing football you play, you should walk it!
Best wishes,
Greg.

Thanks for the message. I don't agree there is a gulf in class - don't forget we beat Huddersfield (4-1), Exeter and Colchester in the cups. We were in the L1 play-off final 2 seasons ago so we kind of know the quality of that league! Plus the likes of Ferry, Foderingham, Ritchie etc are Championship class, not L1. Yes you deserved to win yesterday. That was as bad as we've played this season so you can't judge us on one game. We just keep freezing on the big stage! You seemed a nice enough bunch so good luck for the rest of the season.

Cheers.

The team isn't defensively frail. Our goals against and clean sheets record proves that.  If the squad was fully fit it wouldn't have had a centre back as right back, and a central midfielder as centre back. Well it might, who can tell with PDC.

I realise your back 4 was not the regular lineup too. They coped admirably.

What disappointed me more was our approach play/lack of cutting edge in the final third and how easily you coped.

Anyway I can't really find dislike of Chesterfield, even after a Wembley loss. So good luck for what looks like a difficult great escape.

The gulf in class comment is a bit of an odd one - we've beaten several higher league teams this season in cup competitions, including three League One sides. To judge our League One credentials on a one-off cup game is a bit unfair to be honest.

But on the game, your gameplan worked a treat. Our biggest threat is on the wings and you can tell just what a good a job Hurst and Smith did on Ritchie and Holmes by the amount of chances I can remember Benson (who always seems to be on the end of a cross/ball in) had - 0. The rash change in formation after the first goal left us short at the back, which of course allowed you to kill of the game in injury time.

For all of our possession, we really created very little which again is a compliment to your defence. Even when we did create, we lacked that cutting edge up front that could've won us the game. I stayed to watch your guys lift the trophy at the end; I really, really hope I get to see my team lift the League title at the end of the season so I can empathise with you!

It's strange how we see games isn't it.

I had friends at work who watched the game who also thought we were the better team, it's only us that don't think so as we know we could play much better.

As for our defense, I guess you just have to look at it that our back four was made up of two central midfield players at centre half, a centre half at RB & someone who had never played for us at LB.  Even with that it was only after PDC decided to swap Risser for Murray & play with three at the back that we looked in any real danger.

The defence was frail based on yesterdays performance.

Shakier than Michael J Fox on a bad day. Even Alan Mc looked dodgy, and he's been rock solid all season.

Victorious Spireite in non-gloating shocker.

You make some valid points Greg, i think our board and manager know where we need to improve if we make league one next year, i think its fairly obvious that we are planning an assault on league one next year rather than trying to get there and stabalise.

The only comment i can offer on our defence at this moment in time is the left back was making his debut, the right back is a centre back and the 2 central defenders are both central midfielders.

I do actually hope Chesterfield stay up as i am yet to visit the new ground, doubt it can be anywhere near as accomodating as the old place though

Our defence has been great for the majority of the season but has looked suspect following injuries and personnel changes.

I think it highlights the need for more backup, I'm sure our defence is decent enough for league 1. When he's played at centre back for the past couple of months Devera has been brilliant and really a far cry from the start of the season. I think he's been better than Flint personally.

'Defensive frailties brutally exposed in league 1?' Are you quite sure? Didn't realise Barca, Milan and Utd were playing in L1 next year.

Fuck off you patronising northern cunt

 :D

Harsh.
He made a valid point based on yesterdays game. Chesterfield carved out 4-5 clear cut scoring chances and they are a struggling side in league 1.

In case you'd forgotten we have spent plenty of time in L1 ourselves. Fuck me we werent a million miles from winning the cunting thing a couple of years ago, I'm sure those of us who aren't retarded can formulate our own ideas on what the standard is like.

And if for some bizarre reason you did want it reiterating, why would you want it from some mug whose team are fucking bottom of it.

Goodnight,
DMR
X

 :soapy tit wank:

Frankie Boyle has left the building.

I'm with DMR on this one (minus the abusive comments  :) ). We've only been in league 2 for one season and quite a few CFC fans have judged us on one game. They talk about league 1 as though we've been out of it for 20 years! I wonder if they are "bigging up" league one as some excuse for the fact they are bottom of it?  :hmmm:

Fuck off.

At the same time we've lost to Macclesfield (currently 23rd), Dagenham and Redbridge (21st), and drew with Herford (24th) and Bradford (19th), but that doesn't mean we should be at the foot of league 2.

In addition all our victories over higher league opponents have been in Cup games, which teams often put out squad players.

Personally I think he makes some valid points; after all Chesterfield walked League 2 last season, look where they are now; we struggled in league 1 after we sold our Captain and key defender (where are Brighton now with Gordon Greer).

With the exception of a few players we have basically a totally different team to the last time in Division 1, I think we will need to strengthen at the back, we have been playing Midfielders in the centre of defence; whether we can get away with this next season who knows. I think Di Canio realises this as he wouldn't have brought in McEveley.

Ouch! Back in the knife-box tiger!  :D
To be fair though, I must apologise...I didn't mean that you guys were frail defensively or that there was a gulf in class between us...actually, I still maintain that you played by far the better football, far more attractive to watch anyway. We were oddly hoofy, but it worked I guess.
If anything, my comment served as a warning. A lot of Spireites thought we'd waltz it this year and as it turns out, the slightest weak link is focussed on reet heavily in L1. You guys played a lot like we did last season; confident attractive attacking football, which served us very well last season. We've been given a quality slap in the chops this year is all, and I would hope that you manage to avoid a similar fate, cos lets face it, you're going up. I'm gonna f*ck of now anyway, there's some kids outside playing in the street and I need to make sure they're clued up road safety-wise haha. Good luck for the rest of the season.

DMR is like that with everyone so don't take too much notice!!

I personally think its good to have opposition fans on here and hear their opinions. (not Oxford fans though)

If we get rid of Benson, Ritchie, Caddis and Ferry and don't replace them, then we may very well have to heed your warnings but I'm pretty sure we'll be strengthening in the summer. Something which you guys failed to do?

We failed MASSIVELY in that dept Benzel. And we've paid for it ever since. Again, apologies for the patronising tone, I've read it back and it does come across as a tad snooty, which was not my intention at all. If anything, I just hope that you avoid making our mistakes because I've always had a soft spot for Swindon. It all stems from when you guys had the twin brother of our key striker (Reevesy) and you were a Premier league team when I first developed a love for football.  ;D
But anyway, it's none of my beeswax is it really? Enjoy the rest of the season anyhow, hopefully we'll meet again next season....hopefully.

I think they lost their main striker (not Lester) and didn't replace him, hence why we had to score for them Sunday.

I think that advising us on league 1 will obviously met with "we've played there for 8 of the last 10 years so can probably work out what we need ;)".

No biggy, nothing wrong with a bit of discussion between fans. Makes a nice change from the usual abuse and fuck off Di Canio that we get week in, week out.

What a lot of people seem to forget is that we were in L1 this time 12 months ago, only now we have a chairman who will not repeat the mistakes of the last one - which he has already proven this season. You only have to look at the loanees that we've just brought in, two of which are with a view to signing when their current deals expire in the summer (Holmes and McEveley) I think we need a big powerhouse centre mid, as well as another Ferry-esque ball playing CM, a ruthless CF and a bit of back up in a couple of other positions.

Had a sing song with some of your boys pre game and sunday..discovered that we both have a loathing of yellow and blue, so sang chimm chimmernee together!

I think we may have been fooled somewhat by the absolute dross that is the majority of sides in L2 - makes us look like worldbeaters.

It is nice to think that our 'superior' football will be better suited in a higher league, but those who think next season will be a bit of a stroll will be rudely awakened I reckon.

For want of a better analogy, we would be a Brentford in League 1 I think.

:girlgiggle:

Fuck me....i really reckon you must have been bullied at school or something.
I would hate to be you,so agresive all the time..........so sad that a bloke who can make some darned good points always seems to have a snarl in with it.

Oh well takes all sorts i suppose.

I think you are taking DMR too seriously Leefer.

You wouldn't hate being me I'm the dogs danglies