Chesterfield have options for dealing with Wrexham's '˜fantastic' passing football

Under new manager Sam Ricketts today’s visitors like to start their attacks from the back line, keeping the ball on the deck.

Martin Allen was particularly impressed when he watched them in FA Cup replay action this week, more so than when he’s watched anyone else this season.

“They played very, very well,” he said.

“I think they’re the best team I’ve seen so far this season.

“They’ve got goal threats all over the pitch, best Wrexham team I’ve seen for a while.

“The young manager Sam Ricketts has got them playing fantastic football, playing out from the back and moving the ball around.

“It’s going to be a really tough game for us.

“It’s a chance for our new younger team, after a good little run, going up against the best I’ve seen from any team in this division.”

The Spireites have done their homework, watching Wrexham in person and through analysis website Wyscout.

They’ve also had the benefit of former Dragon Sam Wedgbury’s insight and Allen says they’re ‘fully up to date’ with how the Welsh side play at home and away.

And when it comes to stopping Wrexham at source, Allen says there are two possible options for Town to explore – one of which his side did to good effect last week.

“You’ve got the option to high press and go after it, or like we did at Fylde for the last 20 minutes, sit back on the halfway line with five midfield players and just one up front.

“That’s something we’ve worked on, on the training pitch.

“Sometimes you can press and go after them, sometimes if people are out of position you can’t so you’ve got to retreat, set up and get your shape.

“That’s what a lot of teams have done here from the first minute of every game.

“People say why can’t you cut through them, well it’s not always easy to cut through 4-5-1 or5-4-1, when teams are playing deep and there’s no space in behind.

“When teams come to this ground every team does it.

“We did it last week for the last 20 minutes, which was a change of the game plan or the tactics.

“Then we scored on the counter attack and really looked dangerous on the counter attack because our subs that came on are both good players and give us something different.”

Allen insists his team are capable of playing more than one way – and they’ll have to today, with no Tom Denton in the side.

A knee injury to the targetman means Zavon Hines comes in, and Chesterfield will have to switch things up.

“We’ve got different ways of playing, we’re not just a one-trick pony and at times we have been direct in the first half and much more open and fluent in the second,” he said.

“Hopefully most people have recognised that.

“Sometimes it has been ugly and having watched the videos sometimes we’ve played some good stuff.”