Back to the future: Diego checks-in as Curran checks-out
A sign of intent, on and off the pitch
The English Football League transfer window may have ‘slammed shut’ on Monday evening, but Macclesfield were only getting warmed up in a week which has seen one arrival and two departures.
For clubs at Step 3 and below of the non-league pyramid, transfer deadline day typically falls on the 31st or the fourth Thursday of March. The 31st March lands on a Monday this year so that should be the Northern Premier League’s transfer deadline.
After being frustrated in his attempts to sign a striker last week due to an unnamed player’s excessive wage demands, Robbie Savage has struck gold after persuading Diego De Girolamo to join the Silkmen on loan from neighbours Buxton until the end of the season – Diego wasn’t Savage’s original target, just to clarify. Those with longer memories will recall that De Girolamo was previously signed by Macclesfield Town in 2018, but failed to make a single appearance during his spell at the Moss Rose.
After leaving Macc, Diego has flourished at Buxton, scoring 120 goals in 229 appearances to play a pivotal role in one of the most successful spells in their history. De Girolamo smashed 27 league and cup goals to help Buxton seal promotion from the Northern Premier League in 2022, and has regularly been on target to help the Bucks establish themselves in the National League North, where they currently sit in play-off contention.
His best season in the NLN saw him score 16 in 32 appearances in 2023-24. Opportunities have been harder to come by this campaign, restricting De Girolamo to only three goals in 17 games as Buxton have switched to a full-time model and strengthened their forward options. That said Diego is still only 29, and with regular game-time should prove to be a shrewd acquisition for Macc after five seasons at the Silverlands.
Understandably, Savage is delighted to have captured De Girolamo to boost the Silkmen’s goals column, a reliance which has weighed heavily on top scorers Danny Elliott (27) and D’Mani Mellor (15). Diego’s skill, hold-up play and clinical finishing should provide a welcome tonic to a team that has been guilty of squandering routine chances on occasion. This is despite a superb season thus far which has seen Macc go 17 points clear at the top of the Northern Premier League and stand on the verge of promotion.
It’s not just De Girolamo’s ability that is to be admired, but also his mental fortitude in forging a successful career in non-league after his hopes of hitting the big time were derailed by a serious injury he sustained as a teenager.
On the books of Sheffield United as a youngster from the age of seven, the forward was considered one of the hottest emerging talents in England and on the radar of Manchester United and Italian giants Juventus. Having just broken into the first-team as a 19 year-old with the Blades, De Girolamo suffered a horror anterior cruciate ligament injury while on international duty with the Italy U20 international squad, keeping him out for almost a year.
Sadly, Diego’s lofty ambitions were dashed and he gradually tumbled down the leagues with Bristol City, York, Northampton, Cheltenham and Macclesfield, before landing in non-league with a bump at Buxton. His fall from grace was as cruel as it was spectacular, but the gifted forward has done tremendously well to carve out a glittering career at Buxton over the past five seasons, as the following fans’ views highlight.
Buxton fans views in reaction to Diego De Girolamo’s departure
“Why on earth would you let Diego leave?”
“Good luck Diego, go there and notch up plenty more goals. Will miss your artistry on a Saturday afternoon at Buxton”
“All the best Diego in your new venture, goals will definitely come your way, thanks for the memories”
“Diego has been a great servant to the club, but time waits for no man. Good luck and thanks for the memories”
“Sorry to see him depart. As others have said, has been an integral factor in our club’s success over the last few seasons. Good luck Diego”
“Part of the furniture. All the best Diego”
“Strange one. Would walk into a lot of teams”
“Shame, doesn’t seem required”
“Wow, lost our king. Not a good day. Shame on Buxton FC”
“Are you mad?”
“Why??????!!!!!!”
“Smash it Diego! Then come back”
“The railway end king has gone. No, no. Thanks Diego fantastico. All those goals got us promoted. The fans loved you. All the best for your future”
“So sad to see you go. You have been amazing. Keep scoring those Diegooooals”
“Amazing memories, thank you”
“End of an era, been a pleasure, some great memories”
See you later or arrivederci?
De Girolamo’s move to Macc is officially a loan until the end of the season, but effectively amounts to a short-term engagement whilst both parties consider tying the knot in marriage. At the very least, it’s a timely shop window for De Girolamo to impress potential suitors of which there are likely to be many.
The Italian is out of contract with Buxton in the summer, and if we are to read anything into his social media posts, it suggests he was saying ‘farewell’ rather than ‘see you later’ to Bucks supporters.
The Silkmen are in pole position to acquire Diego’s services as they contemplate life in the NLN next season – a sure sign that the club’s plans have already begun in earnest before promotion is officially rubberstamped.
The elephant in the room – Robbie Savage’s future
Whilst we’re on the topic of discussing plans for next season, it would be remiss not to speculate on the elephant in the room - Head Coach Robbie Savage’s future, amidst EFL clubs closely monitoring his progress at Macc.
The capture of De Girolamo, even though it’s only on loan for the final 12 games of the season, is a statement of intent which suggests Savage is already assembling Macclesfield FC’s squad for next season. But it remains to be seen whether it will be HIS squad…
Both through his actions and his words, Savage has been fully committed to leading the Silkmen to promotion to the National League North. His tireless work ethic and meticulous attention to detail has left no stone unturned in masterminding our seemingly unassailable lead at the top of the NPL.
However, the Silkmen Head Coach’s plans beyond the summer remain up in the air. If I had a fiver for every time Robbie said, ‘….no matter what happens at the end of this season….’, I’d be able to… afford a round in Bar 27 (or thereabouts).
But maybe, just maybe, Robbie will be tempted to stay on and have another crack at promotion with Macc? Whether he needed to draft in De Girolamo now is a matter of opinion but this decision, combined with Savage being in attendance to watch Chorley beat Buxton 3-0 at home on Tuesday, are not the actions of someone who sees his immediate future elsewhere. Or am I putting 2+2 together and getting 5?
Is Savage taking every opportunity to scout Macclesfield’s potential opponents next season, or could he be lining up another transfer swoop for a Chorley or Buxton player? Time will tell.
3UP Campaign could benefit Macc IF given green light
Macclesfield will be keeping a close eye on the National League’s 3UP Campaign which could have future implications for the club.
Earlier this week, it was announced that all 72 National League clubs have written to the EFL Board demanding the introduction of three promotion and relegation spots between the two leagues from next season. Currently, promotion and relegation from the National League to League Two is two-up, two down.
If the National League’s 3UP campaign is successful what effect, if any, will it have on promotion to the National League from the National League North (NLN) and National League South (NLS)?
At present, four teams are relegated from the National League and replaced by two promoted teams each from the NLN and NLS – the champions of the divisions are automatically promoted, whilst six teams placed 2nd to 7th enter a play-off format to determine the second promoted club.
It’s difficult to see how an extra promotion spot could be allocated to the NLN and NLS given there are four relegation places in the National League, but three promotion spots in any league seems much fairer even though it would present a logistical and operational challenge for non-league officials!
A classy goodbye from a classy player
There were more than a few tears shed yesterday following the announcement that Alex Curran has rejoined former club Curzon Ashton in a permanent transfer. Speculation over Curran’s future had been rife after Savage revealed in his weekly column for Football365 that a Silkmen player was seeking to leave the club in pursuit of more regular first-team football.
The rumour mill went into overdrive when Curran withdrew from Macclesfield’s squad to play Hebburn at the weekend. But in a heartfelt and typically classy statement to supporters, Alex has since cleared up that his absence was sadly due to a family bereavement.
It is with a heavy heart, both from the player, coaches and fans that the time has come for Curran to move on. Signed in 2022, Curran’s arrival from Curzon was a major statement as he swapped a successful season in the National League North to drop down two divisions to spearhead Macc’s promotion from the NPL West.
According to the excellent @SilkmenStats on X, Curran made 118 appearances for the Silkmen, contributing 46 goals and 21 assists, and last season finished top scorer with 23 goals despite missing 10 games in the second half of the campaign due to injury. Based on those numbers, quite rightly Alex will go down as a Macclesfield FC legend who Robbie Savage has stated as one of the top three players in the re-formed club’s short history. It would be interesting to know who Robbie views as the other two players, James Berry will be one, but the other? Laurent Mendy, perhaps?
At his best, Curran is such a clever player – a creative attacking midfielder with excellent vision, skill and an eye for goal. Sadly, for everyone concerned, we’ve not seen the best of Alex this season which has inevitably led to his departure.
Did Savage give Curran a proper chance this season?
Curran made 34 appearances for Macc this season, just four behind frontrunners Luke Duffy and Dany Elliott who have made 38.
However, only 18 of Curran’s 34 games have been as a starter, and in some of those he has been substituted early – on three occasions at half-time (Hyde h, Basford a, Leek h) and after only 27 minutes in the FA Trophy clash against Altrincham when he was sacrificed following Paul Dawson’s red card. Whilst in other games against Witton, City of Liverpool and Lancaster, Curran lasted a total of 54, 55 and 52 minutes respectively.
But why might that have been the case?
A disrupted pre-season due to a niggling injury certainly restricted Curran’s first team minutes at the start of this campaign. Alex had to wait until Whitby away in late August to be handed a starting berth. From there, Savage named him in the starting X1 for eight consecutive games, which subsequently became 10 in 11 matches, until Curran invariably found himself coming on from the bench, aside from solitary starts here and there.
I think it’s fair to say that the Silkmen gaffer did try and give Curran as many opportunities as he realistically could to recapture his dazzling form of old. Yet something wasn’t quite clicking, as highlighted by Curran only finding the net three times this season.
The only criticism I would lay at Savage’s door was his decision to bench Curran for the home game against struggling Blyth Spartans in November after he had scored two goals the week before, ironically against Curzon in the FA Trophy, which can’t have done Alex’s confidence any good.
In hindsight, Savage’s post-match comments after Curzon to veteran journalist Tony Bugby for the Manchester Football website suggested Curran had been anchoring for more minutes for a while.
“Alex has had a tough season with injuries, but keeps smiling, and I am his biggest fan. Why should I let one of our best players go out on loan?”
Ultimately, it was Savage’s admiration for Curran which meant he could no longer stand in the popular player’s way. At 26, Curran simply wants to play and has found himself behind (on merit) D’Mani Mellor and Luke Duffy in the number ten position lately . He has joined Curzon in an ‘undisclosed deal’ until 2027, which probably equates to Macc receiving a modest five-figure transfer fee in a move which has been in the works for a few weeks.
The strength and depth of Macclesfield’s squad at this level is immense. It says everything that a player who is no longer a guaranteed starter has been bought by a team in Curzon who currently reside in the play-off places in the National League North.
Dontai heads off with a point to prove
With all the spotlight on De Girolamo and Curran, it’s almost been forgotten that Dontai Gabbidon has also departed the Leasing.com stadium this week on a 28-day loan to Warrington Rylands – one of the form teams in the NPL. There, Dontai will be reunited with Neil Reynolds – his former manager at FC United of Manchester who Macc signed Gabbidon from in September.
It’s a move that suits all parties with Gabbidon eager for match action after being sidelined from November to January, restricting him to only 11 appearances and three starts in a Silkmen shirt. Without wishing to sound like a broken record, regular readers will know that I believe Macc’s left midfield / left wing-back position is up for grabs. For now, Gabbidon is behind Brandon Lee, Neil Kengni and Sean Etaluku in the queue, but I’m intrigued to see him try and stake his claim when fully fit.
Robbie Savage’s squad update interview on YouTube yesterday suggested the door for Gabbidon remains open. Following the end of his loan with Warrington, Dontai should be back in contention for Macc’s final eight games of the season, starting away at Morpeth on 15 March.