Chesterfield: Suck it and see for Smith and the Spireites

In his first game after taking the reins following Dean Saunders’ dismissal, Smith opted for a 3-5-2 formation, earning a FA Cup replay against Walsall.

And he admitted his task is to find out what works for the Spireites.

“It’s very much suck it and see at the moment,” Smith said.

“It could have come off but on the other hand it might have gone spectacularly wrong.

“I thought it was a system that might just stop it bulking up in the middle of the pitch where we have conceded a few goals.

“I just wanted to balance it off. I didn’t want to go with the same shape, formation and the same players that played the last game.

“I wanted to freshen things up and I thought it went all right.”

Smith confessed personnel issues influenced his thinking over the system he would deploy with Dan Jones ruled out with a fractured ankle.

And he also revealed he would not necessarily be sticking with the 3-5-2 system despite its success against the League One high-flyers.

Smith said: “We lost Dan Jones in the last game though I might still have gone with three at the back because the wing back situation would suit him.

“It certainly suits Drew Talbot.

“Dion Donohue came in, he’s left footed on the left side and I think he’s got the energy to go up and down the pitch as a wing back if he has to.

“He has a lot of quality which we saw with some of the corner that he put in.

“There’s still a lot of work to do on the team and whether we play three at the back all the time is another matter.”

Chesterfield will travel to Gigg Lane to face Bury this weekend.

Smith has no fresh injury worries ahead of the trip.