6th - Chesterfield

Arguably, they went into last season with two players of that calibre. For far from being Jack Lester FC as they get portrayed in certain quarters, they also had the free kick preventing Jamie Ward who buggered off in January having scored sixteen goals up until then.

With them in the side, how on earth were they not challenging up for automatic promotion nevermind falling short of the play offs? Indeed, having witness the Spireites at Saltergate against Dale in March of this year, whilst it was an off night for Dale, few could claim that the 3-0 scoreline flattered the home side, when if anything it could have been more. It beggars belief.

Well if you asked supporters of Chesterfield, then they'll lay the blame solely at the door of former manager Lee Richardson and from the outside, it's hard to disagree with them. Perennial underachievers for the past couple of years, they made key signings such as Darren Currie that should have catapulted them into the play off places at least. They went backwards.

So at the end of the season, they decided not to renew the contract of Richardson, which has to be the most polite and cheapest way of sacking anyone, and appointed former Oldham boss John Sheridan for what is due to be their final season at Saltergate/

It all seemed to be going so well for Sheridan at Oldham. On the verges of the Play offs, and one team building trip to the greyhounds later and it all goes pear shaped for the former Leeds and Sheff Weds midfielder.

Whilst it was no doubt more than just being stuck in a headlock from Lee Hughes which got him the boot, the Latics' form after his dismissal suggest that he wasn't exactly holding them back during their time, though it has been suggested that he just ran out of ideas for our neighbours from down the A627M.

As manager of Chesterfield, he'll have a great chance to rebuild his managerial career at a side that by all accounts was being significantly held back by the previous manager. Under achieving sides are always the best ones to take over, and with a number of match winners at his disposal at Saltergate, he may just have picked the perfect club to get things back on track.

If there is any concerns about how Chesterfield will do this season, it's that bringing Sheridan in might just be a year too late. We remarked a year ago that there was a touch of Dads Army about the Chesterfield squad, well here we are twelve months on, and they are all still here, contracted up. And they've signed Mark Crossley as well.

It's common sense to assume that Jack Lester won't be quite as good as he was a year ago. Of course, that's not writing him off as a player, far from it, but there's just a nagging doubt that the Spireites have effectively wasted the first two years of having Lester at the club.

Ian Breckin looks to be another classic Chesterfield signing. 34 at his next birthday, he comes with pedigree of being a regular for Notts Forest last season, with his performances meriting a standing ovation in the last game of the season, and its only just over a year since he helped Forest break the league record for clean sheets in a season. Older he might be, but he should easily be able to cope with dropping from the Championship to League Two.

The return of Mark Allott to the club should be a massive boost to them. Another player the wrong side of thirty, he did enough for Oldham last season to be offered a new contract, before eventually taking up a two year deal with Tranmere in June. Circumstances behind the scenes saw Allott rip up that contract and commit himself to Chesterfield. If promotion chasing sides in League One were after him, you'd expect League Two to be a walk in the park for him.

There's clear improvements at Saltergate and with a new manager at the helm, new stadium on the horizon at long last, there's a real feeling of optimism about the place, or at least there should be.

Despite their ability to name the oldest side ever known at this level since the days when Frank Worthington was calling last rites on his career, we think there's a touch of either now or never for the Spireites, and the board will be keen to start the new season in a higher division which could be the difference between pushing on and consolidation when the January transfer window comes along.

Either way, it's a step up for Chesterfield as they put the Richardson era well and truly behind them.

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