PREVIEW: Chesterfield with point to prove in survival bid at Northampton

Oldham defender Anthony Gerrard came out with the type of material one suspects managers love to plaster on the changing room walls.

Gerrard, who was sent off in the Latics’ 1-0 smash and grab win at the Proact last Saturday, reckons the Spireites are destined for the drop.

In response to comments made post-match by Chesterfield manager Gary Caldwell, Gerrard didn’t hold back in his assessment this week.

“They haven’t got it and for me, personally, I think they will go down,” Gerrard told the Oldham Chronicle, amid a forthright interview.

Caldwell might just have his pre-match team talk written for him as the Spireites prepare for a trip to Northampton Town on Saturday.

The Cobblers are on a similar run to that of Chesterfield, having won just once in their last seven outings against the same side in basement club Coventry City.

Northampton, despite being five points clear of the drop zone, have lost the other six in that sequence and are in danger of getting dragged into the relegation scrap.

They too had a change in manager in January. Justin Edinburgh took on the job shortly after former Spireite Rob Page’s dismissal.

Edinburgh has voiced concerns over the mentality surrounding the club.

“Rather than being a team unlucky in defeat, we need to be a team which is lucky to win and we need to change our mentality,” he said.

“We need to flip that on its head, but it has to come from within and we have to start seeing games out.”

Leading scorer Alex Revell is out with a calf injury while another familiar face in Marc Richards could lead the line.

The Spireites got the better of Northampton in the reverse fixture in September, with a brace from Conor Wilkinson and a Kristian Dennis goal sealing a 3-1 win.