AFTER tonight’s game with Chesterfield we’ve reached the half way point of the season and I think it’s safe to say League Two is even more competitive this year.

It’s certainly come as a surprise to me but with the finances in football these days it means players of much better quality are coming down in to our division.

And that is making things very tough.

That’s why the league is so tight and teams in mid-table to lower table are still only four or five points off the play-offs and will be fancying their chances.

It makes things interesting and difficult at the same time and Chesterfield will definitely be up there this season.

I’ve been studying their matches this week and I’ve been very impressed by what I’ve seen.

They’re well organised and have some very good players going forward so this will definitely be a very difficult game.

We’re going in to it in good shape though but I would like to see us getting back to winning ways after a few draws.

I would rather win one then lose one rather than get two draws and you obviously get more points that way.

Draws can kill you sometimes but the one against Bradford last weekend felt like a victory.

We were up against a very good side yet we were able to come back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with two goals in the last 10 minutes and we were all very pleased about that.

COMPARING TWO TEAMS

IT has been interesting to read comparisons between this season’s side and last in the past few days.

I think the main difference between the teams is that this year we have real team spirit whereas last year’s had game spirit.

The day to day camaraderie is there now too and they will really roll their sleeves up and get stuck in but, at the same time, we can’t be too critical about a side who ended the season with 83 points.

I want to get to close to that again this year in pursuit of promotion and I do still think we’re capable of doing better.

I would like us to start recording a few more clean sheets and that’s certainly something I will be working on.

Things have improved a great deal with the goalkeeper and back four becoming more settled but I want to see us doing even more defensively.

TRAINING ON CHRISTMAS DAY

WE will be in training on Christmas Day again but that’s the norm in football and something you get used to.

We face a tough test at Dagenham and Redbridge on Boxing Day so it’s important we prepare for that in the right way and that means being in on Christmas Day.

After that we’ll be heading home and I’m not too sure if I will be cooking for any of the players this year.

The offer is there but I’m waiting to hear if they’re spending the day with their families or not.

Each year I do normally take in a few waifs and strays though so I’m sure this time won’t any different!

FULL COLUMN IN FRIDAY'S ECHO