Sky sources: Chesterfield boss Paul Cook wants to join Portsmouth
Sunday 10 May 2015 17:25, UK
Chesterfield manager Paul Cook wants to leave the club and join League Two Portsmouth, according to Sky sources.
Cook, whose side were beaten in the League One play-off semi-finals by Preston on Sunday, was the subject of an approach from Portsmouth last month, which was turned down by the Derbyshire club.
But the 48-year-old now wants to make the move to the Hampshire coast to replace Andy Awford, who was sacked in April.
The Fratton Park club have discussed a number of names including free agent Uwe Rosler and Southend boss Phil Brown, according to Sky sources.
Rosler was sacked by Wigan earlier this season while Brown's Southend are currently contesting a League Two play-off against Stevenage.
Portsmouth are determined to get Cook, who led Chesterfield to the League Two title last season and a successful first term in League One, finishing sixth.
Cook joined the Spireites from Accrington Stanley in 2012, having previously managed Irish side Sligo Rovers and Southport.
Chesterfield assistant Leam Richardson conducted his club's post-match interviews after the Preston defeat and he would not be drawn on whether Cook - and potentially the rest of the back-room staff - would still be there next season.
He added: "I think regarding questions such as ourselves, it's not the time.
"It's time to reflect on what the lads have done and I don't want any more negatives surrounding how hard they have worked and the two legs. I want the plaudits to be on them."
Pushed on whether this was their last game in charge of the Spireites, Richardson continued: "That would be unfair for me to answer. We've just walked off the pitch and we're disappointed because we thought we'd win. We thought we
had enough energy and quality to hurt them.
"Until something is done it's never done, whether it's players moving, management, everything else.
"Firstly, we'll tell the lads how well they have done and tell them how to treat this situation again to go one step further."
