Caldwell: I’ve developed a harder edge

(Photo: PSI)

By Chris Dunlavy

NEW Chesterfield boss Gary Caldwell says being sacked by his beloved Wigan has made him a more ruthless character.

The 34-year-old spent five years at the DW as a player, before stepping into the managerial hotseat in April 2015.

Having rebuilt a squad that had been shattered by two relegations in three years, Caldwell then capped an impressive first full season by romping to the League One title.

Yet those years of service counted for nothing as a stuttering start to life in the Championship prompted Wigan chairman David Sharp to pull the trigger in October.

“It hurts when you get sacked,” admits the former Celtic and Newcastle defender, who replaced veteran manager Danny Wilson at Chesterfield.

“First and foremost, there’s the emotion. It leaves a big hole. It was the first time I’d ever been sacked and the first time I’d not had a job since I was 16. It’s not a nice feeling.

“But it gives you that bit of motivation to come back. You see how brutal this business is and you become a bit more single-minded and ruthless. Now I want to channel that into success here because I did feel hard done by at Wigan.

“I just didn’t feel there was much wrong. I saw improvement every day, in players, in performances.

“That’s not my opinion. That’s a fact, based on stats, numbers, analysis. The results were coming. I’m sure of it.

“I’ve got no hard feelings. Wigan is a fantastic football club and I’ll always remember my seven great years there.

“But the way managers are sacked now it’s crazy. Clubs are so short-sighted and don’t give managers a chance to build anything, at any level of the game.

“People talk about ‘the next six games’ being important, but if I’ve learned anything these last couple of years, I’d say it’s about the next one.

“You obviously need a plan and an idea of where you’re going as a club, but the reality for a manager is that the next game could be your last. That’s probably the best philosophy for a successful career.”

Caldwell has swapped one relegation battle for another, taking charge with Chesterfield in the bottom four after a run of just seven wins all season.

Will Caldwell be able to turn Chesterfield’s season around? His appointment may be seen by some as a gamble…

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Good times: Gary Caldwell guided Wigan to the League One title last season – but it counted for little this term (photo: Action Images)

Yet, despite having the riches of Dave Whelan to call on last term, the Scot insists the task is no more difficult than leading Wigan’s title charge.

“I didn’t feel like I needed a break,” he explains. “I didn’t feel the experience at Wigan had been traumatic. I still had so many ideas and I was desperate to try them out. That’s why I jumped at this chance, but I wouldn’t have taken it if I thought it was an impossible job.

“The players just need some guidance, some belief. I’ve been in that situation before. You get off to a bad start, lose a lot of games and find yourself down the bottom of the league. Ability isn’t the issue. It’s confidence, and my job is to get that back. A bit of energy, a bit of structure.

“People said I had money at Wigan  and I’d agree with them. We should have gone up with our budget.

“But I’d also say it’s not quite as easy as that.

“Plenty of teams in the past have had money and failed to deliver. We had to build a squad, come together quickly and we ended up playing an expansive, exciting type of football.

“Is this harder? I don’t think so. It’s the same process.

“While you might not have the money to bring in the kind of numbers we did at Wigan, the basic challenge is the same: can you bring a group together and find a style that suits them? I believe I can.”