Blessing In Disguise?

**spireitematt** · 07-01-2024, 23:53

Is losing to Watford in the 3rd round a blessing in disguise? If we had got a draw then it would have meant a replay and another extra game. We've got Gateshead at home on Wednesday and then back in cup action at the weekend against Welling in the FA Trophy, where I guess we will send out a mixture of youth players and rotational first teamers.

We had a real chance to get into the 4th round of the cup but I think getting back into the Football League has to be a main priority. We might have lost to Watford in the cup but Bromley could only muster a draw against our bogey team Maidenhead. We are still 6pts clear of Bromley with a few games in hand and if we win them then it would mean the lead over Bromley will be stretched.

The game against Gateshead on Wednesday will be a complete different team because they've lost there keeper, Archie Mair (remember him? Notts saviour in the playoff final) who has been recalled by Norwich to be sent on loan to Morecambe. They also have several players out injured and one of there player's has been recalled from Blyth Spartans to offer cover. There former keeper James Montgomery (Former Spireite as well) is not that far away playing for Spennymoor Town, so wouldn't surprise me if they end up signing him for his 3rd spell.

SaltergateBorn · 08-01-2024, 14:23

I agree, Matt. It was disappointing to lose at the death like that, but there`s no disgrace in losing 2-1 to a Championship team and a replay was the last thing we needed. Wednesday is far more important.

Devongone · (This post was last modified: 08-01-2024, 14:59 by Devongone.)

There aren't many non-league teams who visiting a Championship club in the third round of the FA Cup would choose to play not only the second choice keeper (who is at least as good as our first) but also a "third?" choice right back, whilst leaving out the most experienced defensive midfielder, AND both of our most potent goal scorers? Surely that shows Cookie's priorities?

As it was Sheckleford appeared to be excellent, made Quigley an ideal chance for the goal and we dominated for at least two thirds of the game .......

Losing is never a good thing. Had we made the Fourth Round we might have got Newcastle at home for instance? That surely would have been a great incentive for the entire club? I expect Matt is right that we will throw in a youth-based team at Welling. Now we've unexpectedly reached this stage my thought is we should go for the double. If Mansfield could do it, why can't we?

I've no argument with Cookie's team at Watford. It worked and we were VERY unfortunate. He does try anyway to freshen up his team so hey ho, you don't have to play Will Grigg just because he's on fire.

Gateshead will feed on their adversity. It may even make them stronger. I thought losing their manager would bring about a collapse, but they still seem to be pulling together. Are we doing predictions?

By the way Horton still looks incredibly dodgy defensively to me. Laurence Maguire and Bailey Clements are both less likely fkcu up than him and are proving it elsewhere, and we could play Williams at centre back and Freckleton at left back if Cookie saw fit.

**spireitematt** · 09-01-2024, 00:32

If we had beaten Watford or even got a replay then we would have been drawn to Southampton at home.

The team has a lot of quality in depth especially in midfield and upfront. With games coming thick and fast it will mean Cookie will have to rotate the team.

Yes Devon we are doing predictions as there is 2 games on Tuesday and our game on Wednesday.

I can see Laurence Maguire making his loan permanent this January, as he seems to be a first teamer and seems to be doing well with them. If he came back to Chesterfield, would he be in the first team? Or would he be sat on the bench?.

Devongone · 09-01-2024, 14:29

Loz never gets picked anyway for some reason. I'd want to keep him. He can play left back, centre back and defensive midfield all to a level at which you can mount an argument he is better than those currently making the team sheet.

Meanwhile Bailey Clements is probably going to get to mark Garnacho ...... or maybe Antony or Rashford ........ He defends, Horton can defend but quite often forgets to do it.

No we wouldn't necessarily have got Southampton because the numbers would have been different had we won. And they might anyway have talked for two minutes longer about our chances before making the draw so the balls might have fallen differently from Gary Mabbutt's bag, different numbers might have been chosen, and the moment of the new draw would not have been the moment of the old.

I agree with Cookie rotating and freshening up his team. I just think we should try and win the FA Trophy now we have surprised ourselves by hammering Southport. We are the best team in it and everyone will treat it as if Man Utd lost at home if we go to Welling and lose ...... even if we do it with seven youngsters in the team. Test our strength by all means, but not beyond breaking point. The more you win the more you keep winning. It's like discovering perpetual motion, just don't risk stopping the machine. Welling are well-capable of taking a weakened opposition apart.

SaltergateBorn · 09-01-2024, 15:33

The numbers were allocated before Saturday`s game, Dev, so it would have been Southampton at home.

Devongone · (This post was last modified: 09-01-2024, 18:45 by Devongone.)

Wow they didn't use to be did they Salts, fixed ahead like that....... but what's wrong with drawing Southampton at home? But would it have been the same moment, would the balls have fallen in the same way, was that moment fixed in time ...... I don't think so ........ Sliding doors, would the same words have been said? That draw is one unique moment frozen, repeated, frozen again ....... One word more spoken and that ball might have simply trickled beyond her little grasping hand ........ Infinitessimal changes can change everything, the butterfly's wings in Beijing and all that.

Us still being in the draw having beaten Watford would have been of much more interest than Watford sitting there. They might have been a flashing back and forth to Sheffield Rd to see Cookie getting pissed. "Gary, what did you think of Paul Cook as a player?" "Paul who would you like Gary to pull out of the hat for you?"

If you kept replacing those two balls for a redraw the odds would be massively against Watford v Southampton coming up again in 20 more attempts. Do moments matter? All the way to the 95th minute.

Devongone · 15-01-2024, 13:56

And so on Saturday we demonstrated the blessing in disguise principle and left out our entire team and substitutes in order to be certain of losing in the FA Trophy.

We demonstrated our lack of respect for non-league football, our fans, Welling's fans, the competition, our own youth players who we were condemning to certain defeat, Welling as a club and OURSELVES. Our inability to accept that we are a non-league team I'm sure means the rest of non-league football will be delighted to see the back of us if our lame strategy works.

With 16 weeks to the end of April I can't see the necessity to cram in National League games on the Tuesday night after an important round of the FA Trophy. No wonder this competition often features unheralded finalists. The 20 games we have to play should not cause a pile-up at the season's end ..... even if it does snow this week. Surely the FA and National League can make a better and more accommodating job of their programme, so blinkered and selfish clubs like us are offered no excuse for their lack of sportsmanship. We were the biggest and best team in the FA Trophy and look what we chose to do.

I'm in my 65th year of supporting this team and if this is what we have come to, then my interest will be very limited indeed. Saturday was NOT sport.

Dancingwilldoit · 15-01-2024, 18:28

It depends how you look it Dev. The youth team had a good run out and had a chance to show what they could do and we didn't have any injuries to cause problems with our tight fixture list over the next few weeks.
You can't have everything being wrong. The problem starts with Trophy games taking preference over league games. I'm sure that if given an option we would have told them not to put our name in the bag in the first place. It's been made clear that the league is our priority this year and so it should be. How can a tin pot trophy game or games take preference over league games. It's not even as if it's worth winning financially.. Do you really think it's worth a trip to Wembley to risk our best chance of escape from the non league quagmire?

**spireitematt** · 18-01-2024, 02:41

We weren't the only one's who fielded young teams, a lot of National League teams wanted to focus on the league and not on the FA Trophy. I think the FA Trophy needs to be looked at for scheduling and in my opinion it would make sense to start the trophy around July-August for the early rounds but then it could clash with the FA Cup qualifying rounds for the smaller clubs in non-league.