Paul Cook sat down with the media on Friday morning to discuss the first fixture between Chesterfield and York City in League two since 2014.
The Spireites manager began his interview by reflecting on what was a positive week with two victories whilst fielding two very different starting XI’s.
He said: “Like most other clubs it takes a while to get up to speed, it’s just the nature of football. I was really pleased with the lads on Tuesday night.
“Their application to the game and their attitude has certainly given us food for thought surrounding the squad. It probably only emphasises what we knew about them because we see it all in training.”
Cook then turned his attention to the home fixture on Saturday and provided his thoughts on the opposition. “We are now off the back of a couple of good results, but we are under no illusions about how difficult the game will be tomorrow.
“Having watched York over the last couple of days, they are a very good side, really strong so it will be a good game tomorrow but a really difficult one.”
After the enthralling 5-3 victory over Manchester City U21’s in midweek, Cook was asked about the number of scouts at the ground and how it highlights the talent that is on show from the Chesterfield setup.
He said, “I have been around football long enough to know that you don’t get carried away one game. It is about longevity and time for young lads working hard at the game. We knew whatever team Man City put out, they would be strong, they have elite players at every level, it was a really good night, a good match played in a good spirit.”
Cook took the opportunity to show his appreciation towards a number of ex-Spireites who may make an appearance at the SMH Group Stadium tomorrow. “We are probably going to see two or three lads in Ash Palmer, Ollie banks and Jeff King, I just need to pay them a compliment as lads, not just players, for what they have done for this football club, at a time in need and how they conducted themselves on and off the pitch, and how they were, just as people.
“I am sure our fans will give them a really good reception because the three lads deserve that and it should be a little bit of a special mention to them for what they did for the club and how fondly we remember them.”
As the early international break arrives, Cook commented on the impact on the squad it may have and the games that are coming up. “As a manager I don’t like games being called off. We are doing good, and we certainly have a really healthy amount of squad depth. Even going into the weekend, we are aware we have call-ups and have a couple of lads on standby.
“We are aware the games could be called off if that is the route we want to go down. At the minute we are very focused on playing games and getting more points on the board. If it transpired into more call-ups and more lads going away, then we would look at, but at the minute we fully expect our games to go ahead.”
