Sheridan plans low-key return

IT is tempting to scoff at John Sheridan's assertion that his return to Boundary Park on Saturday represents nothing out of the ordinary.

The Chesterfield manager (47) spent 11 mainly-successful years with Athletic, first as a distinguished midfield general in the twilight of his playing days and then as a manager.

Things ended sourly for a man regarded by many fans as a club legend. After guiding Athletic to the play-off positions in his first campaign in the hot seat, he was dog-gone near the end of a turbulent year on and off the field in 2008-09, with the infamous Belle Vue races incident and a six-goal thrashing at MK Dons precipitating the former Republic of Ireland international's departure.

If he feels he has unfinished business to attend to, Sheridan continues to be adept at keeping such feelings to himself.

It was a similar "just another game" story when his Spireites visited Sheffield Wednesday in October — a club where Sheridan made over a double-century of appearances, gaining the fans’ vote as the finest player to have worn the shirt for the Hillsborough outfit in the 20th Century.

Chesterfield lost that clash, 3-1. And the fortunes of the North Derbyshire club, promoted in such style last season, have not improved much since, putting Sheridan's very position under scrutiny.

His mind, and that of the five former Athletic players under his current charge who show up on the team sheet just after 2pm on Saturday, will be fully focused on the need to quickly start picking up league points, rather than sentiment.

The Spireites have won only three npower League One games all season, all back-to-back, before the current barren run of eight matches without victory.

While the goal-threat chasm created by the twin loss of ex-Athletic men Deane Smalley (Oxford) and Craig Davies (Barnsley) in the summer — the pair scored 37 times between them on the way to the League Two title — has been filled, the team's woes have been concentrated in defence.

"The amount of goals we're conceding, it's like some of the players have never played before and I've never coached a team before," Sheridan said, following the awful 3-1 home defeat to Torquay in the FA Cup first round. So I'll take responsibility and I hope the players take responsibility as well."

Neal Trotman is expected to feature from the start at Boundary Park for the second time as a visitor this term, following up his red card for Rochdale in August.

Who will play alongside him is anyone's guess, with Chesterfield already having fielded seven different centre-back partnerships already. It may be a case of the visitors simply trying to outgun Athletic.

Up front, Leon Clarke has found the net eight times in 12 appearances since joining on loan from Swindon, while home-grown prospect Jordan Bowery (20) — son of Burt, Brian Clough's first signing for Nottingham Forest — has been a revelation, scoring five times in his last three starts and showing off all the attributes of a rounded, modern striker.

History suggests Sheridan's side will struggle to gain that much-needed three points. Third-from-bottom Chesterfield have visited Boundary Park 26 times in league clashes over the years, but have only once come out on top.