What James Rowe's time at Gloucester City could tell us about how he will approach Chesterfield job

If James Rowe’s one year in charge at Gloucester City is anything to go by, then Spireites fans can expect to see a lot of goals. At both ends.

In 24 games in charge of the Tigers, Rowe won 10, lost 10 and drew four.

His team plundered 40 goals and conceded the same amount.

In those 24 games, Gloucester recorded just one clean sheet.

Their biggest win under Rowe was 6-1, and their biggest loss was the same scoreline.

Rowe’s record at the National League North side is the equivalent of ‘a game of two halves’.

He took over in November 2019 and in his first 14 games before the pandemic brought a halt to the football season, City lost nine nine and won just three. Two of those wins came in the final three fixtures before the season was curtailed. His first win didn’t come until his sixth game.

However, reading between the lines, it looks like this was a transitional period for Gloucester as Rowe brought in several players and was seemingly already starting to put a team together for the following campaign.

And it appears to have worked as the Tigers came roaring back in the new season with seven wins from their first nine games, sending them seven points clear at the top of the National League North.

So what can we take from the above? Looking at the stats, it is going to be a lot of fun. Both teams to score will be ‘banker’’ in Chesterfield’s matches.

Having said that, the Spireites are not really having that many problems finding the net this season but they are struggling to keep them out at the other end and that will need addressing or they will struggle to climb the table. But no one will care about the goals against column if they are winning, right?

Another takeaway from Rowe’s time at Gloucester is that he is clearly not someone who is afraid of making bold decisions and reshaping a team mid-season and, looking at the results this campaign, he reaps the rewards of that further down the line.

Hold on to your hats.