Paul Cook aware of need to improve Chesterfield defensively for EFL return

Town conceded 65 goals on their way to winning the National League, with 12 other teams having better defensive records.

Leicester City won the Championship having conceded 41 times, League One winners Portsmouth also conceded 41, and Stockport County topped League Two with 48.

Scoring goals was not a problem for the Blues, with 122 bagged in all competitions. Their first two signings of the summer have been attacking players in Kane Drummond and Paddy Madden, but Cook is fully aware of the issues that need to be addressed, whilst also being mindful of how well the players did last season.

“As our supporters, I am sure, don’t need telling, we are obviously looking to strengthen in other areas of the pitch,” he told 1866 Sport.

"We know there are areas of the pitch where we have to improve. It is probably ironic that we have brought in two players at the top end of the pitch but our supporters can be rest assured that we are working hard to lessen the amount of goals we concede shall we say.

"We will keep working away, our fans know we are active.”

Overall, Cook believes the club is in a great position on and off the pitch.

"We go into League Two ready, equipped, looking to sign players, looking to build the squad up, and a fan base which is growing. It is so good to see younger fans at games. The attendances, home and away, is not something I had not seen in my previous time here. There is so much happiness around our football club. It is all working hand in hand and in tandem. It is a great time to be around the club, isn’t it? So long may it continue. We are building the club to be better and stronger and certainly equipped to go back, one day, to League One, where we feel our club should sit.”