Entering The Unknown

Game 45: Lincoln (VC)
Again...
We will look to get revenge over them for the way they knocked us out of the FA Trophy and can hopefully send them closer to relegation by beating them.

View attachment 200244
A few changes today due to fitness with Heath coming in and a couple of changes to the back 4.

View attachment 200240
I only have 2 things to say about this game...
1) HA!
2) I hope you get relegated Lincoln

Despite the main focus being on getting revenge it was an important game as it was one of two games in hand on the top 5 and it puts us just 3 points off of the playoffs. If we win our other game in hand against Eastleigh we will go into the play-off's by the looks of it on goal difference.​
 
Game 46: Aldershot (VC)
Another important game as a win for Aldershot today puts them right into the thick of the play-off places. Realistically there are currently 8 teams fighting over 2 play-off spots as the top 3 are miles ahead. The last thing we need is to allow Aldershot into the mix as well.

View attachment 200225
A side which I would argue is our strongest possible starting 11 and bench for today's game as we look to close the gap on the play off places.

View attachment 200221
We slip to 4 points off of the play-off's as Aldershot pull themselves in to contention. We need to win our game in hand against Eastleigh really to have any chance of breaking into the top 5 now but at the moment it is looking unlikely.

We lost this game because we couldn't defend long balls from free kicks. Their two goals were simple free kicks from the half way line where they just kicked it into the mix and climbed high and it worked twice to see us lose 2-1.​
 
Game 47: Eastleigh (VC)
Our game in hand and possibly the make or break point of the season. A win for Eastleigh would see us move to 6 points off of the play-off's where as a win for us would see us move to just a point off of the top 5.

View attachment 200216
A win here boosts confidence and sees us push for promotion where as a loss settles us as a mid-table team in all likelihood so I start our strongest available side for the game.

View attachment 200212
We had 66% possession but only managed to have 1 shot. That sums up the game.

Play-off's look unlikely now.​
 
Game 48: Gateshead (VC)
Top of the league Gateshead were up next and they were in fantastic form so a win looked unlikely. We would have to be at the top of our game to get a point in all honesty so I was just hoping for a strong performance.

View attachment 200202
Somehow we managed to pick up all 3 points! What a win! Fairhurst and Holroyd were fantastic and our substitutions helped to close out the game. Gateshead didn't look great and the result saw them slip from top spot.

View attachment 200201
An important win for us as it now seems that 9 teams could fight for the 2 playoff spots. We now sit 4 points off of the top 5 and will have to be close to perfect for the rest of the season to make it.​
 
Game 49: Nuneaton (VC)
A side who looked destined for relegation visit today so we should look to take all 3 points with any other result being seen as a disappointment.

View attachment 200191
What a game and result! We could have had more but seemed to pull back a bit when we got the 3rd. Once again we conceded from a long ball in from a free kick though.

View attachment 200189
There is still a large chasing pack but we now sit just 3 points off of the play-off's, how different things could have been had we beat Eastleigh though!​
 
Game 50: Bristol Rovers (VC)
Before the game Rhys Taylor was announced as out for 4 weeks forcing me into the deadline loan signing of Crocombe from Oxford to fill in. Bristol sit 4th so it would be a massive win but I would take a point.

View attachment 200175
This was fantastic. After Bristol pulled it back to 1-1 we looked like we were going to lose but a fantastic counter involving just 2 passes saw Fairhurst win it for us!

View attachment 200173
Just a point off now as the top 10 seems to get tighter every week! It still upsets me that had we beaten Eastleigh we would be in the top 5.​
 
Game 51: Wrexham (VC)
A game against top of the league today and a game I would be happy to get a point from.

View attachment 200164
Fairhurst is unstoppable at the moment scoring 2 and setting up the other 2. To put this win into perspective; we beat top of the league playing the final 25 minutes with 10 men because of injury!

View attachment 200163
We remain a point off but have a game in hand on Bristol Rovers.​
 
Game 52: Forest Green Rovers (VC)
A win today guarantees us a spot in the top 5 by the end of the day but it won't be easy as FGR are 3rd in the league.

View attachment 200162
Another MASSIVE win that puts us into the top 5! We were the better of the 2 sides but gave FGR too many chances to pull it back late on and it almost cost us.

View attachment 200161
We now sit in 5th and with a game in hand our fate is up to us. 3 wins guarantees play-off's but lose the game in hand to Halifax and we need help elsewhere.​
 
Game 53: Halifax (VC)
With FC Halifax chasing the play-off's we can't accept anything but a win tonight.

View attachment 200160
Who needs to keep a clean sheet when you have strikers scoring for fun?! What a win! We let them stay in it for too long but the second half was fantastic as we just took control.

View attachment 200159
5 points clear off 6th place now and it looks as if we are making the play-off's! However until the number 1 spot is out of our reach that is what we are aiming for!​
 
Game 54: Dartford (VC)
All we need is a draw today and we should be safe in the play-off's no matter what happens elsewhere.

View attachment 200149
A draw is all we needed and that is what we got. Fairhurst and Paulo Jorge both went off injured in the first 10 minutes so I am very happy with the point.

View attachment 200143
I am even happier to have booked our place in the play-off's! Bristol Rovers failed to win meaning we are definitely in the top 5! We are just waiting to see if it will be Gateshead or Wrexham who join us, Forest Green and Easleigh.​
 
Game 55: Torquay (VC)
Already in the play-off's we are just looking for a win to keep confidence high as we head into the semi-final's fighting for promotion!

View attachment 200111
A good win which sees us heading into the play-off's in a good mind frame. Wrexham and Forest Green lost so they will be down a bit as we head into the promotion battle. One bit of bad news is Pilkington who has been fantastic is out for 2-3 weeks after landing awkwardly on his ankle.

View attachment 200109
Gateshead won promotion with a draw but even if they had lost they would have gone up due to Wrexham losing. We finish 4th on the season, despite us being in the relegation zone when I arrived back in late October.​
 
Which is the better sight?
View attachment 200104
Whilst we claimed the play-off spot after a fantastic turn around since my arrival where we not only went from the relegation zone to 4th but also went from the leagues lowest scorers to the highest with 80 goals!

View attachment 200102
Lincoln who not only robbed us of a place in the FA Trophy Final but failed to beat Weston-Super-Mare to win it got relegated as they dropped from around the play-off places!​
 
Play-Off Semi-Final First Leg
A massive game as we first host Eastleigh and need to take a lead to their place as our last loss came away to Eastleigh when we lost 1-0.

View attachment 200091
What a win! After Fairhurst went off injured in the first 15 minutes our attack seemed to lose confidence but back up striker Shariff did fantastically again as he set up Lewis with a point perfect pass to give us a lead going into the away tie.

Fairhurst's injury doesn't look too bad and he should be available for the second game. Our back 4 won us this game limiting the visitors to just 2 shots all game.

View attachment 200087
A great day got better as after the game I was told I was April manager of the month.

In the other tie Wrexham took a 1-0 win against FGR.​
 
Play-Off Semi-Final Second Leg
After taking the one goal advantage from the home leg we needed to just shut them out today. A strong defensive performance would be key to making the final.

View attachment 200084
GET IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CHRIS HOLROYD! A name that get's forgotten amongst a team of goalscorers gave us a 2 goal advantage before they pulled one back. It was a fantastic all round performance that get's us to the final!

View attachment 200083
Wrexham won in extra time at 3-2 on aggregate in order to get past Forest Green. We will face off against the team who only missed automatic promotion on the final day of the season at Wembley on the 17th May!​
 
Play-Off Final
View attachment 200075
I don't even know what to say, 7 months ago I took over a team who were 23rd and the lowest scorers in the division. Today I have got them promoted!

Wrexham should have won it in regular time but they missed a penalty in the 85th minute and we went to extra time. We were at 9 men at this point as we had received a red card and had a player forced off with injury.

The extra time period began fantastically. Going 1-0 up after Wrexham had a man sent off 10 minutes before. However they equalised but with 2 minutes left Mo Shariff made it 2-1. 3 minutes into the "1 minute added time" they equalised from a corner and we were heading to penalties.

With Turnbull being subbed off through injury we were without our number 1 penalty taker. When we missed our 4th penalty we seemed to be heading towards a loss but Morris missed their next one and we went to sudden death.

Nobody missed up until Moult took their 9th penalty and hit the crossbar. That left Rhys Taylor, yes our goalkeeper(!), to score the final penalty and he hit it straight down the middle to give us the win!!!

View attachment 200074
It was definitely a scrappy affair but I think we deserved the win. We had 2 goals disallowed earlier on in the game unfairly and Taylor should never had been sent off. We coped well with the 2 man disadvantage and controlled the game and deserve promotion after a fantastic turn around from when I first arrived.

View attachment 200073View attachment 200072
And YES! That means we are going to be playing in league 2 next season!!!

View attachment 200071
Even better for the club is that the financial boost from promotion of £105k plus the money in the football league should keep the club alive financially. We know survival won't be easy but we are confident we can stay in the football league!​
 
End of Season
So what a season that was. After starting off at Barnsley and being sacked despite all things going against us to do well I made my move to Macclesfield at the end of November. With Macclesfield's season looking like it was going to be a poor season I had been given the goal of survival.

View attachment 200063
Having taken over 18 games in it looked as if it would just be a battle for survival after an awful start left them in 20th. However we quickly turned the season around after losing my first game in charge against Wrexham in the FA Cup Qualifiers.

View attachment 200061
41 games later we had won the play-off final in emphatic fashion to earn promotion. When I had arrived we were the lowest scoring team in the league but we finished as the most prolific with a total of 81 goals to our names. We had won 65% of our games by the end of my first year in management having lost only 8 for the Silkmen.

View attachment 200060
However not all credit can go to my tactics as we had 5 double digit scorers to lead us to this success. The most impressive of them being Waide Fairhurst who ended up scoring 25 goals on the season including 12 in the final 8 league games which fired us to a 4th place finish.

View attachment 200058
However it was Paul Turnbull in the middle who controlled the games for us ending the season as the highest rated player in the division. His 11 goals and 9 assists earned him the player of the season award which he dedicated to manager Darren Wrack for turning the season around.

View attachment 200055
I also won the manager of the season award after doing the impossible of getting Macclesfield promoted. This seemed set in stone after winning manager of the month in April for getting the Silkmen into the play-off's.

View attachment 200054
The end of the season saw Wrack being told he was untouchable at the club for what he had done installing an attacking passing style of play whilst leading them to a semi-final and a promotion from the conference.

Next season will see a tougher challenge though as the leading man will have to focus on keeping the silkmen up against all odds. He is expected to recruit strongly with an increased budget but also bring in young talent to build for the future. With the summer providing many managerial sackings it is unknown as to whether the former Saddler will still be with Macclesfield in August despite saying he was here for the long run after beating Wrexham on penalties in the play-off final.​
 
Financial... Stability?!
Earlier in the season it was reported by Macclesfield's board and manager that the club were in financial struggles. The club were worried that a bottom half finish and an early cup knockout could see them head towards administration.

However the club have today announced that thanks to the cup run, promotion and merchandise sales, which were more than likely boosted by the trip to Wembley, the club has actually recorded a profit of £325k for the last financial year.

More details can be seen below...
View attachment 200047​
 
End of Season Fan Awards
So it was the end of season ceremony and after a fantastic year we were about to here the fan awards.

View attachment 199973
Waide Fairhurst won the player of the season award mainly due to his 25 goal haul including a fantastic run in that earned our play-off spot. To be honest I expected Turnbull to win the award but he finished with 9 less votes than the front man; I suppose that goals do win awards.

View attachment 199972
The team of the season was as expected with what was basically our best team in terms of ability throughout the season. ​
 
TV Money!
View attachment 199971
The football league money is fantastic compared to the conference money. We will be raking in £293k for the season in TV Money and this will definitely help the finances moving forward. We are also hoping for increased attendances so that we can build for the future and look to move up the league system.​
 
Pre-Season
View attachment 199597
So pre-season went quite well in my eyes. I had set up a range of games which I thought would suit the club. The Everton, Huddersfield and Norwich games not only brought a bit of money into the club, but they also gave the fans something to look forward to AND it gave us a couple of games to get used to life against tougher opposition.

Macclesfield 6-3 Under 21's
We started off with the U21 game and whilst the score line looks interesting it was just a fitness game. It gave me a chance to get a look at some prospects and get the team back into the swing of things.

Macclesfield 0-2 Everton
Then we had the Everton game. This was more for the fans to get a chance to see some of the big names of football but it also allowed the players to get back into tough games. Everton were fantastic and so were we as we only conceded 2 corners.

Macclesfield 2-1 Rochdale
Rochdale was next and a chance for some of the new players to bed into the squad. We played well and continued to use last seasons tactics as we passed the ball around nicely and created a few good chances. It was a good result against a league 1 opposition.

Stockport 1-2 Macclesfield
A big game against big rivals next as we face local rivals Stockport. This was a chance to get a real competitive game in as a win was the only option against our biggest rivals. Stockport gave us a good game but in the end we were too good for the Conference North side as we just passed around them.

Macclesfield 3-1 Johnstown
Our easiest game and one that was all about fitness. We came up against the amateur side with the hopes of boosting confidence, fitness and letting the team gel together. It worked as we went 3-0 up in 20 minutes. After this players got complacent but we continued to dominate until we had a sending off in the second half which allowed the visitors into the game a bit.

Macclesfield 0-2 Huddersfield
Similarly to the Everton game this was just a chance to play a big opposition and get back into tough games. We once again did fantastically for 90 minutes as the 2 goals we conceded were just long range, unstoppable efforts from Nakhi Wells.

Norwich 4-0 Macclesfield
Final game of pre-season and we started with our "best 11" although I never expected a win against a premiership Norwich side. The main reasoning for this was the money and the chance to give the fans a fantastic away trip to round out pre-season. As expected we couldn't keep up but we did create a few chances for ourselves so it wasn't all bad.
​
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

FMBase

Beta

Resources

Top