Chesterfield FC transfer strategy has had mixed success - Newcastle United frustration may follow in summer review | OneFootball

Chesterfield haven't been afraid to dip into the loan market this campaign, and this strategy has seen it's success stories, and also failures too.

Paul Cook has completed the signings of 18 different senior players at Chesterfield in their first season back in the EFL, with the 58-year-old’s scattergun approach seeing mixed results.

The Spireites have suffered from a season-long injury crisis, which has seen marquee signings such as John Fleck, Kyle McFadzean and Chey Dunkley struggle for minutes.

Left-back Lewis Gordon has played more league games than any other Town acquisition, just 23.

Despite the high amount of turnover in Town’s squad throughout the season, only three players signed this season started the Spireites’ recent 2-1 win over Notts County, suggesting many of Cook’s signings haven’t had their desired impact in Derbyshire.

Cook has reverted to a similar team that helped lift the National League title last season, and it has resulted in Chesterfield picking up three wins in a row, leaving the door slightly open for a late play-off surge.

Fans have questioned Cook’s recruitment at times this season and, while that may be a fair criticism, a mixture of frustrating loan deals and injuries have no doubt played their part in what has been an inconsistent first season back in League Two.

Cook’s loan strategy has seen different amounts of success this season

Excluding Dylan Duffy, who was originally signed on-loan, but later made permanent, Chesterfield have signed eight players on loan deals throughout the season, and with the maximum number of loans allowed in a match-day squad being five, it implies some didn’t work out as planned.

Young Fulham duo Devan Tanton and Harvey Araujo both joined the Spireites at the start of the season, and despite showing promise early in the season, the pair both failed to stay fit, with Colombian international Tanton recalled after making just eight League Two appearances.

Araujo became a key member of Cook’s squad in the Autumn, making 18 appearances, but he was ruled out with a long-term injury in December and hasn’t featured since, although he has been pictured out running on the training pitch in recent weeks.

The duo were set to play a key role in Town’s season, with The Derbyshire Times suggesting Cook’s preferred back-four for the season was the one used in a 3-0 away win at Doncaster (Tanton; Dunkley; Araujo; Gordon), but the quartet have all been plagued with injury issues.

Cook finally looked like he’d found a loanee that could stay fit in the way of Blackburn Rovers winger Dilan Markanday, but after impressing in Derbyshire, where he racked up six goals and three assists in 22 games, he was recalled and sent to League One outfit Leyton Orient in January.

The loss of Markanday, who was the leading contender for Chesterfield’s player of the season up to the point of his recall, certainly hurt the Spireites’ attacking output, and speaking at a Fans’ Forum, Cook said he would use the loan market next season but would prefer to have his own players.

With injuries to Will Grigg and Paddy Madden failing to set the world alight in Derbyshire, Aribim Pepple, who impressed at National League Southend United, was brought in on-loan from Luton Town, and despite a slow start, the 22-year-old is starting to find his feet.

In 10 starts for Chesterfield, Pepple has netted five goals, including one in each of his last three games, which the Blues have won, and if he can continue his scoring form into the run-in, fans will start to believe a late play-off push is possible.

Also hitting fine form was fellow January acquisition Jack Sparkes, who has notched up three assists in 10 appearances from left-back, but such as Chesterfield’s luck with loanee defenders, he was forced off against Salford City and will miss a month of action.

Michael Olakigbe and Jenson Metcalfe round off the Spireites’ outfield loan players from this season. Both have proved handy squad players in recent months, and will be a part of Town's run-in.

Overall, when it comes to loans and talent acquisition, Cook very rarely signs duds, but injuries and a frustrating recall in Markanday’s case might make it seem as though the Spireites have struggled in the loan department, but once again, Cook managed to unearth some gems, but unfortunately some didn’t get the chance to shine for long enough.

Newcastle United will be concerned by recent Chesterfield developments

The battle for the goalkeeper spot in Derbyshire has raged on all season, with Ryan Boot and Max Thompson sharing the spoils, but in recent weeks, it appears former Solihull Moors keeper Boot has gained the upper hand, which may concern Thompson’s parent club Newcastle United.

The 20-year-old last played for Chesterfield in their 3-1 away defeat to Walsall in February, and has played 18 league matches this season, keeping five clean sheets.

Thompson played in 13 consecutive games between late November and February with there being seemingly little to split the two goalkeepers in terms of ability.

In the middle of a bad run of form which saw the Spireites win two of their previous nine games, Cook made the switch to Boot, who has been one of the Blues' stand-out performers since returning to the side.

Boot made four saves in Town’s 2-1 away win over Notts County last weekend, including two 1v1’s against Alassana Jatta, and he was named Fans’ Man of the Match via an X poll after the game.

A first Spireites clean sheet in eight matches against Salford, and another big display in their 2-1 win over Newport, where his heroics in a 2v1 situation stopped what looked like a certain goal, have all helped the 30-year-old cement himself as Cook’s number one.

The two-time title-winning manager at Chesterfield has called for consistency in his starting 11, and with the trio of Grimes, Palmer and Boot starting the last five matches, which has led to three straight wins, it’s hard to see Cook making too many unforced changes in the coming weeks.

Thompson’s loan spell has been beneficial to all parties, with the youngster gaining experience in an EFL dressing room, where he looks right at home, and the Spireites gaining a League Two quality goalkeeper.

The Magpies may have a slight worry that Thompson may only manage 18 League Two appearances, but from the Spireites’ point of view, he can be placed in the same category as fellow loanees Metcalfe and Olakigbe as ‘handy’ squad players, getting their first taste of senior football.

With 16 senior players out of contract this summer, and five loans expiring, Town are set for a busy summer in the transfer market, but next year they may look to focus on signing players on a permanent basis to fill out their squad.