Cook: I want a tight squad

Chesterfield boss Paul Cook will work with a "tight squad" this season as he feels large groups could potentially cause unrest.

Ahead of his first full season in charge Cook has embarked upon some major rebuilding at the Proact Stadium this summer. Seven players were released at the end of the last campaign, which saw the Spireites finish eighth in League Two and miss out of the play-offs by two points, and this week Mark Randall was also told he is free to find another club. To date, five new players have been signed and Cook still has one or two more targets he would like to acquire as he aims to work with a squad of around 20 players. The former Accrington and Sligo Rovers manager said: "I want a tight squad. One of the problems these days is players' egos because when they get left out they can become a negative influence at the club. "What I like to do is try to go with a very tight group in terms of numbers and then if required we can go into the loan market to get us by for a month. "For example, if an injury comes up - like Nathan Smith isn't fit yet - that becomes a bit of a worry. "We think Nathan is the best left-back in the league, so if he's not ready to start we go into the loan market and bring someone in to cover him. "Our recruitment process is an ongoing thing, it's day-to-day, and that means bringing players in as well as players going through the exit door - as is the case at every club."