National League 2023/24: How Paul Cook has orchestrated Chesterfield’s triumphant start to the season – tactical analysis

Chesterfield F.C. have endured a rather tumultuous recent history. Since winning the EFL Trophy in 2012, the club went on to win League Two for a record fourth time in 2013/14. However, after three seasons in English footballs third tier, The Spireites suffered two consecutive relegations, which saw them drop out of the football league in 2018. 

The club failed to bounce back instantly, and the club narrowly avoided relegation again in 2019/20, finishing just two points above the relegation zone. However, the season came to an end after 38 games due to the pandemic. Although their fortunes have started to turn around, in every season since then, the club have reached the National League playoffs. 

In February 2022, Paul Cook returned to Chesterfield, having previously guided the team to that aforementioned record-breaking League Two title back in 2014. During the little time he had in the 2021/22 campaign, Cook guided the team to a seventh-place finish in the league, sneaking into the playoffs by a single point. However, it wasnt meant to be, as the team from Derbyshire lost to Solihull Moors in the semi-final. 

Last season saw the club get off to an impressive start; however, as we know, Wrexham and Notts County charged well ahead, engaging in a remarkable title battle that saw both teams pick up over 100 points. Cook guided his team to third place, which again saw them into the playoffs. 

This time, they advanced to the final, where Notts County were waiting, having fallen short in the race for the title. With the scoreline 1-1 after 90 minutes and 2-2 after extra time, it went to penalties. The shootout ended in heartbreak for the Spireites, with victory belonging to the Magpies on this occasion. Chesterfield remained in the National League for another season. 

However, the 2023/24 campaign has gotten off to a promising start. Chesterfield are currently top of the league by five points and scoring goals for fun, having notched up 32 already. There are issues at the other end of the pitch as they have conceded 21 goals, double that of third-place Solihull Moors. 

With plenty of loanees from Premier League clubs and former EFL Championship players, the level of talent in the National League has never been higher. Safe to say,  Chesterfield are flying, and in this tactical analysis, we will look at the tactics Paul Cook is implementing in his second spell at the helm. We will dissect why they can create so many goalscoring opportunities and look into why they struggle to keep clean sheets. 

Preferred formations

We can see from the graphic above that Paul Cook has mostly sent Chesterfield out in a 4-2-3-1 formation this season. This system plays to the players strengths as it allows them to utilise the wide areas in the attacking phase, where the skills and speed of Colclough are an excellent outlet. 

Chesterfield likes to dominate possession, averaging 58.78% per 90 this season. This is mainly accomplished by the double pivot in defensive midfield, whose primary role is to win back possession and distribute the ball efficiently. They provide passing options for the defenders, creating a secure platform from which the team can build its attacks.