How Sheridan's turned things around

When John Sheridan was appointed as manager of Chesterfield Football Club for the second time, Town fans had seen their team sink to the relegation zone in the clubs debut season in the National League. The Spireites had only won four games in the league all season and had failed to replicate the attractive football on display in the first home game against Aldershot Town. However, with Sheridans’ return saw a renewed optimism throughout the Town faithful. In the four league games that would follow, Chesterfield have won three and drawn one, conceding no goals in the process.

The most notable difference has been in the defence. The form of Will Evans, as well as veteran goalkeeper Shwan Jalal, has seen the Spireites keep four clean sheets out of four since the former Carlisle boss came in. In the last couple of games Sheridan has opted for a 3-5-2 formation, with loan signing Josef Yarney accompanying Will Evans and Hayden Hollis in a back three. With Lee Shaw and loanee Ellis Chapman supplying the width from wing-back, the Spireites now possess genuine pace and directness out wide, something they have lacked all season. With the defence expected to be bolstered with a returning Laurence Maguire imminently, Sheridan will be faced with a positive selection crisis, as it is hard to change a defence that is yet to concede a goal under him. 35 year old ‘keeper Shwan Jalal has also impressed since his return to the side, finally showing why he was a mainstay throughout Macclesfield’s title winning campaign last season.

In the middle of the park, experienced heads Curtis Weston, Robbie Weir and skipper Jonathan Smith have provided some much needed consistency in the midfield. All three have great engines and where they perhaps lack in technical ability, they make up for in work rate. Smith in particular has impressed since joining from Stevenage, scoring some vital goals in the Spireites lengthy drawing streak. One player who has suffered from a lack of game time however is Joe Rowley. The youngster has been deployed in a deeper role at times this season, as a sitting midfielder, starting moves from deep. However, in a team that has failed to win midfield battles all season, it is perhaps more beneficial to keep the grit of the current trio in, with Rowley offering a spark off the bench if needed.

The long anticipated return of Scott Boden came as no surprise when the 29 year old re-signed in January. Boden was apart of the 2010/11 League 2 winning squad, managed by Sheridan, which also contained the likes of Jack Lester, Craig Davies and Tommy Lee. In recent weeks, Boden has joined the experienced Marc Antoine Fortune in attack, with the latter scoring the winner in an impressive victory over AFC Fylde at the weekend. Both strikers have linked up well so far and seem to be forming a partnership that will please the Chesterfield boss. With Fortunes’ proven quality and Bodens’ endless work rate, the two have been a nuisance to defences in the games they have played together. In reserve, Sheridan has the option to bring on the man mountain Tom Denton, who is always likely to give National League defences something to think about. While Denton has come under criticism from Town fans for the style of play his introduction encourages, it is indisputable that, when used correctly, Denton can be an invaluable option in this squad.

With the Spireites jumping from 22^nd to 17^th since his return, John Sheridan will be pleased with the improvements his team have made thus far. The Town boss also has the returns of youngsters Laurence Maguire and Charlie Carter to look forward to, and with Carter playing so few times this season, he’ll feel like a new signing. It will be intriguing to see how Sheridan will alter his starting XI to accommodate the 21 year old if he chooses to do so. But if nothing else, then the foundations have been laid for Chesterfield to kick on and hopefully start to put some distance between them and the relegation zone.