Yet another good result for the mighty blues...

As we all know, the squad spent last week in a training camp in Portugal. The training was mainly aimed at getting the players used to high intensity exercise in high temperatures, and also to take advantage of the great facilities. Also, the week of training was rounded off by a friendly at local team SC Olhanese, who played in the Portuguese Second Division.



This match was bound to be a much greater test for the players than the Buxton and Matlock matches, as it was against a better opponent, and in far more testing conditions, with temperatures in Olhanese regularly reaching north of 30 degrees centigrade. Much hotter than the luke warm summers we have here.

However, we put out yet another good performance, even after a full week of training in 30 degree heat. We won the game by two goals to nil. The goals came from newboy Ebanks-Blake, who has now scored two goals in a spireite shirt, while big man Armand Gnanduillet netted the other.

This was a good result for the spireites as SC Olhanese were in the Portuguese first division alongside teams like Porto and Benfica, only two seasons ago. They also managed to finish 8th in the first division in 2011-12, so they are a team with a strong recent history. Here is the link to their website if you would like to find out more: http://somosnos.scolhanense.com/

That is all i can offer for a review as the match was behind closed doors and neither club's website really had any information on the game. However, join me again on Tuesday as i will be doing a preview of the Hull match, followed by a review the next morning. I will be at the Hull match as well, so the review will be much more thorough than this. Thanks for reading as always, bring on Hull City!

Matlock review

Now, yet again i do apologize as i wasn't at the match last night due to family reasons. This means i have to go on what's been said by people i know who were there last night, and what's been said by the club. However, as always i will do my best to give you a proper review!

Well we're on fire aren't we!? Seven goals scored and no goals conceded in the first two games. A solid 4-0 win for the mighty spireites last night. Jones, O'Shea, Orell and Dieseruvwe with the goals this time. I know this is only pre season and we're only playing non league sides, but still we're banging in the goals and keeping a nice solid defense even despite there being reserves on the pitch for half the time.

I believe we played a 4-4-1-1 formation last night. In the first half, a Triallist was in goal (apparently it was Alex Cairns, the young Leeds keeper), Darikwa RB, Evatt and Hird CB, Jones LB, Ariyibi RM, Morsy and O'Shea in CM, Gardner LM, with Clucas playing in a free role, behind Evans-Blake who was in striker. Danny Jones started the scoring in the 25th minute with a powerful effort and then around ten minutes later O'Shea finished off a square ball sent in by Gboly Ariyibi to make it 2-0 before half time. It sounds like we played a more attacking game than what we played last season, with players crossing the ball into the box instead of just passing it around the edge of the area, which was a frustrating tactic to watch for me and many other fans last season. 

In the second half we reverted to a 4-4-2 with two up top. We had the same keeper as the first half, Humphreys in RB, Raglan and Ovenwigum in CB, Triallist in LB (apparently it was Liam Nolan, a young midfielder who played under Saunders at Crewe last season), Dieseruvwe out on the left, Banks and Triallist (Ryan Edwards) in the middle, Byron Harrison out on the right, with Gnanduillet and new boy Jake Orell up front. A few minutes in to the second half, town opened the scoring, after some good work from Gnanduillet on the right, he crossed it in to the box and Jake Orell slotted in from six yards out. Then in the 60th minute Mani Dieseruvwe fired in a low strike from just outside the box to make it 4-0 and seal off a good night for the CFC. Yet again, it sounds like a good performance from potential new midfielder Ryan Edwards, with most of the play going through him in what sounds like a very free flowing second half.

So guys i personally am very happy with the start weve made to pre season, so bring on Hull City! Yes, i will be at that game, so i will be able to give you a proper review for that game.

Matlock review and Buxton preview

Right guys here it is, the Matlock review followed by the Buxton preview. Enjoy, and as always i'd love it if you could leave a comment telling me whether you agree or disagree with my opinion.

Matlock review:

Now, unfortunately i wasnt at the Matlock game last night due to work, i was planning on going next tuesday but then the club changed the date for whatever reason. However, i was happy to see that we kicked the pre-season off with a nice solid 3-0 win in the Autoworld cup. You may remember, in my preview to this match i said we should be looking to win by atleast two goals, and we did. Jay O'Shea with a penalty, new boy Evans-Blake with a header, and the big man Gnaduillet (also known as Dave) getting the third. Overall, i'm happy with the result. I know it was only a friendly against a non-league team, but still we scored some goals and kept tight at the back, even though the second half featured many youth players and even a few trialists. Also, iv'e heard that one of the trialists was the young Australian midfielder Ryan Edwards who we have been linked with recently.



By the sounds of it he was quick and skillful. However, he was said to be more like a player who is suited to the number 10 role, than a deep lying midfielder like Ryan was. So he might not be a good replacement for Jimmy, but still it would be nice to get a young exciting player into the squad, and this deal sounds all but confirmed.
So then guys as i wasn't at the match last night, that's all i can offer, hope you enjoyed reading though.

Buxton Preview:

Just like the match least night, the Buxton match will feature the same 25 man squad with fringe players and trialists being given a go. After a strong performance last night, i think we should be expecting to win by three goals. Buxton are around the same standard as Matlock, as they both featured in the Evo-Stik league northern premier last season, and they both will in the upcoming season too. Buxton maybe have the slight upper hand though as they finished 10th, with Matlock finishing 14th last season, 15 points separating the two teams. Also when the two sides met last year, Buxton beat Matlock 3-2 at their place, and then the two sides played out a 0-0 draw when they met at Matlock's ground. So overall, Buxton are the slightly stronger of the two sides, but i think we should still be looking for a solid 3-0 or 4-0 win, especially with new striker Evans-Blake confident after finding the net for the first time in a Chezzy shirt last night. With Saunders promising a few of the reserves a chance in tonight's game, i think this is the team we should start with tonight:

GK: Tommy Lee
LB: Jones
CB: Broadhead
CB: Raglan
RB: Darikwa
LM: Ariyibi
CM: Ovenwigum
CM: Ryan Edwards (Triallist)
RM: Gardner
ST: Gnanduillet
ST: Beesley

Last season we only managed a 1-1 draw, which would be very disappointing this time out. Hope you agree with what ive said here guys, the review of this match will be up tomorrow.

Potential transfer targets for the CFC

Right guys as promised i am going to talk about some players i think we should look into bringing to the club.

First Player: Genseric Kusunga

Fact File:

Position: Defender
Teams Played For: Servette, FC Basel, Oldham Athletic
Height: 6ft 1
Age: 26
Nationality: Angolan



I think Kusunga would be a brilliant signing for town. He's big, strong, good in the air, solid and fast. He is also only 26, so he has time to improve and could be a good replacement for the aging Evatt. He is also a free agent, which means the club wouldn't have to fork out money for his transfer. He already has league one experience, as he played for Oldham Athletic last season and was a regular first team player. In total, he made 30 appearances and also chipped in with two goals. He also spent a season at a top European club, FC Basel. He made seven appearances in the season he was there, six of which were from the bench. I think he would be an important signing for us as last season our defense was a weak point. We had Evatt who was big and strong, but too easy to outrun. Then we had Hird, who was technically brilliant, and quick, but he wasn't big enough to win enough arial duels or to stop big strikers. However, with Kusunga i think we would avoid either of these problems.

Second Player: Ricardo Fuller

Fact File:

Position: Striker
Teams Played For: Crystal Palace, Tivoli Gardens, Heart of Midlothian, Preston, Portsmouth, Southampton, Ipswich, Stoke, Charlton, Blackpool, Millwall
Height: 6ft 3
Age: 35
Nationality: Jamaican



Fuller would no doubt be a great signing for us. He has experience at the top level, having played for various premier league clubs. Also, i imagine Saunders will play two up top this season, and i think Fuller would make a better partner with Evans-Blake that Clucas. Even though he is 35, he is still class and probably has at least one more season left at this level. He was a regular starter for Millwall in the championship last season, playing 40 games and also scoring six goals. Even though his goals return wasn't overly impressive, he would still be a good target man and would be a good player to supply chances to Evans-Blake. Just like Kusunga, he is a free agent, which means the club wouldn't have to worry about spending money on his transfer. This signing could be a long shot for us, but I think if we pulled it off, it would be a fantastic signing.

Third Player: Michael O'Connor

Fact File:

Position: Midfielder
Teams Played For: Crewe, Lincoln City, Scunthorpe, Rotherham, Port Vale
Height: 6ft 1
Age: 27
Nationality: Northern Ireland



In my opinion, O'Connor would be a perfect replacement for Jimmy Ryan. He is a well rounded box to box midfielder, who can also play in a more attacking role, or out on the right. He was one of Port Vale's main players last season, making 44 appearances and scoring 6 goals from midfield. He also showed his quality at Rotherham, playing 48 games, and scoring 8 goals from the central midfield area. He could be looking for a move away from Vale, after their disappointing season, as he is a quality player and could be playing at a higher level. His market value at the moment is around £140,000, which after the sale of Roberts, we could definitely afford. He would be an essential signing for us, as at the moment the only players we have capable of filling the central midfield role are Morsy, O'Shea, Banks and Humphreys, and neither Banks or Humphreys are anywhere near good enough for this level. So overall he is a solid midfielder who is athletic and strong, good in a holding position, but also good going forward and has a good eye for goal. Sounds a lot like Ryan doesn't he?


So there you have it. These are three potential transfer targets that could do wonders for us next season. Like always though, their wages could be an issue. However, if Dave Allen pulls his finger out his arse and decides to put the club before himself for once, then these moves could be made possible. Thanks for reading guys, please leave a comment telling me if you agree with these, or maybe suggest some other transfer targets.

Changed my mind...

Sorry guys, at the end of my last post yesterday, i said i would do a preview for the Buxton match sometime today. However, i changed my mind and have decided to do it tomorrow. So now tomorrow, i will be posting a review of the Matlock match, and a preview of the Buxton match.

Keep an eye out for my page today because quite soon i will be posting some potential transfer targets for the mighty blues.

Matlock preview

For us football fans summer is quite a boring time. Yeah there's better weather and all that, but there's no football! The last Chesterfield game was on the 10th May, almost two months ago. However, we finally have another game tomorrow against Matlock Town, an annual fixture which usually turns out to be a top day out.

Saunders has said that all the senior players that are available for selection will be given playing time over the Matlock game tomorrow, and the Buxton game on friday. This is a good thing in my opinion, as it will give fringe players like Ovenwigum and Broadhead a rare chance to show us what they're all about.

Personally, I think we'll see an attacking yet solid performance from the spireites. I think Saunders will put two up top as he has done at former clubs, which could give us the attacking edge that we sometimes missed last season. I think we should be looking to win by atleast two goals.

By the sounds of it the only injury worries are Tommy Lee, with a slight groin issue, and Talbot, who is still suffering from his injuries last season, but apart from that we have a fully fit squad. I would like to see Saunders put out our strongest squad to start with so that we can see how our best players are at the moment.

In my opinion this is the squad we should be watching tomorrow night:

GK: Lee
LB: Jones
CB: Raglan
CB: Hird
RB: Darikwa
LM: Ariyibi
RM: Gardner
CM: Banks
CM: Morsy
ST: Evans-Blake
ST: Clucas

I will also publish a preview for the Buxton game sometime tomorrow, and a match review of this match on Friday morning, so be sure to check that out!

A bit of player news for you

It seems Aaron Chapman could finally be making a return from his ankle injury!

The young spireite who is our back-up keeper, behind the CFC legend Tommy Lee has been out for quite a while with an ankle ligament injury. His last match for the club came last september in the JPT against Scunthorpe United, which we unfortunately lost 2-0, McAllister and former spireite Gary McSheffrey with the goals, and Jack Broadhead seeing red. This was also his only ever senior match for the club, however he did spend a while on loan at Accrington Stanley last season.

He has been doing some light training recently, and according to Rodger Wylde, he should be able to return to full training in around a month. Wlyde said " I am happy with Aaron's Progress. He has worked hard and he will be fitter and leaner when he comes back, ready to challenge for a first-team place."

Personally, I think this is great news. Partly because i like the lad and think he deserves to be able to play the sport he loves. Also, I think with Chapman back to full fitness, Tommy Lee could feel the pressure and maybe feel the need to up his game and improve his performance in order to keep his first team place.

Welcome!

This blog will be all about the mighty CFC. I will give my opinions on transfers, big news and anything else like that. I will also give match reviews for EVERY SINGLE game. I'll be there most games, but when i'm not i'll just talk about whether i think it was a rate good result or a shit result. Please let me know what you think of my posts, negative or positive, and feedback is welcome! Hope you enjoy my posts.

Come on you blues!