What would be a successful season for Chesterfield? Why John Pemberton already faces an uphill task

He turned a confidence-sapped squad doomed for relegation into a team which only lost two of the final nine games and, at times, played some decent football.

But he faces another uphill task this time around.

Chesterfield will always be seen as a club which has to win promotion back to the Football League due its size but I’m not sure that’s a realistic target for the new campaign, although stranger things have happened and it doesn’t mean they can’t set their sights high, every team starts on zero points after all.

For me Pemberton arguably will have one of the toughest jobs when the the National League kicks-off.

As it stands he only has 10 contracted players, he does not know for certain who is going to own the club and his own position is yet to be nailed down.

He is going to have a reduced budget whoever is running the club and will have to rely on free transfers and loans to bulk up his squad.

Other clubs - such as Stockport County who this week signed 20-goal man John Rooney from champions Barrow - are starting to do business now so it is important the Blues do not get left behind.

Pemberton is someone who is very proactive and has a clear vision for the club so no doubt he will be doing what is feasibly possible but he will be itching to get going to give himself a reasonable chance of doing well.

The takeover is the main sticking point so as soon as the deal gets over the line then things should start motoring. Both sides remain hopeful that it will be completed by the end of the month.

There is still no official start date for the new season - the middle of September seems to be the aim - and I believe the Spireites are aiming to start pre-season training in the first week of August, but that is yet to be confirmed.

So what would be a successful season for Town?

I think overall supporters just want to see some progress to give them hope that the club is finally moving in the right direction.

Given the previous two campaigns in the National League, I think most people would be happy with a top half finish with some building blocks in place for the following year. An exciting cup run would be an added bonus. But in the main, stay well clear of the relegation places, be competitive in each game and give the fans something to shout about at the Technique Stadium. Make it a tough place to go. Restore some pride in the shirt, give it everything.

Success can be measured in other ways, too. Do people feel a connection with the club again? Do they want to buy a season ticket for the first time in a while? Is there a positive atmosphere in the stands and hospitality boxes? Are local sponsors coming back? Are young kids wearing Chesterfield shirts around the town? For a lot of people, these will be the most important issues.

I’ve said it before but the hardest part will be managing expectations. If Pemberton is going to have a bottom half budget, then tell everyone that so that people know what he is working with.

What Pemberton won’t accept is having his budget cut in half but the expectation being promotion. He was sold a false promise in his last job at Kidderminster Harriers and he walked away, which nobody at Sheffield Road will want to happen.

It is set to be an interesting couple of weeks. Stay tuned.