Clearing the decks for the National League North?
Savage prepares to mastermind Macc’s next promotion assault
The first rule about next season is that you don’t talk about next season. Except we can, here at least. Shhhh.
Despite Macclesfield’s coronation as champions of the Northern Premier League being almost guaranteed, Head Coach Robbie Savage refuses to consider the Silkmen’s impending assault on the National League North. And why should he?
Football is littered with examples of complacency becoming a club’s downfall, where players and supporters presume success will last forever. Such attitudes have cost others in the past, but not with Savage at the wheel, whose laser focus has formed the cornerstone of the Silkmen’s remarkable success in this campaign.
Mathematically, Macclesfield require only eight points from their remaining nine fixtures to be certain of winning the league. But this is on the premise of Worksop and Ashton (currently occupying 2nd and 3rd place on 59pts) winning all of their ten remaining games. As we stand, Macc have built an almost insurmountable 23 point lead at the top of the NPL, amassing 82 points having played one game more than their rivals.
In reality, promotion could be sealed as early as 15 March when the Silkmen entertain Morpeth away.
100 points, 100 goals?
Perhaps the more interesting dynamic is not whether Macclesfield will win the league, but in what manner. Savage has not been shy at communicating his “100 points, 100 goals” target, and his tight knit squad of players will not be slacking off either in pursuit of writing themselves into the history books.
Can we do it?
The Silkmen are currently averaging 2.48 points-per-game (PPG). If we maintain this trajectory over the next nine matches we’ll accumulate 22 more points, comfortably taking us over the 100 points barrier. Or if you’re really feeling giddy, if we win all of our remaining games we’ll finish on 109 points.
Even allowing for a slight dip in form once promotion is sealed, Macc need 18 points from nine games to reach the magic 100. Six wins from nine certainly seems doable, particularly when you look at our remaining fixtures:
Matlock (h) 18th
Morpeth (a) 9th
Bamber Bridge (h) 19th
Blyth Spartans (a) 22nd
Workington (h) 15th
Guiseley (a) 4th
Ilkeston (h) 6th
Leek (a) 17th
Whitby Town (h) 16th
Goals galore
Macclesfield have currently scored 81 goals in 33 league games, 43 goals at home and 38 away. We’re currently averaging 2.45 goals per game so will require a slight uplift to bag 100. However, the omens look good given we’ve smashed 12 goals in our last three games against Mickleover, Warrington Rylands and Lancaster.
Either way, this is a fantastic return for a team whose goalscoring threat was at times questioned earlier on in the season!
To put this into perspective last season the swashbuckling, at times kamikaze, going forward with reckless abandon Macclesfield registered 84 goals from 40 league games, an average of 2.1 goals per game. And that’s with a squad containing Kane Drummond (16), Alex Curran (16), John Rooney (15) and Babatunde Owolabi (9) who notched 56 league goals between them.
But significantly, only 33 of Macc’s 84 goals came away from home, emphasising just how well Savage’s team have performed on the road this term.
The Silkmen’s class of 2024-25 have exceeded all expectations at both ends of the pitch. In the goals column, Danny Elliott (26) and D’Mani Mellor (15) have netted 41 and counting between them in the league so far. Trailing behind them are:
Luke Duffy 8
John Rooney 8
Justin Johnson 5
Paul Dawson 4
Tom Clare 3
Sean Etaluku 2
James Edmondson 2
And 1 each from: Alex Curran, Lewis Fensome, Sam Heathcote, Neil Kengni, Rollin Menayese, Tre Pemberton, Edy Maieco and Danny Whitehead.
That’s 17 different goalscorers, with only first-team regulars Laurent Mendy and Brandon Lee failing to get on the scoresheet so far.
Let’s not forget our defence. Last season we conceded 47 goals in 40 league games. In contrast, currently we’ve only shipped 26 in 33 league games this season - that’s a 33% reduction as we stand, but this stat must be tempered given we have 9 matches left.
Preparing for the National League North
Savage was somewhat dismissive during his pre-match interview on Mixlr on Saturday when asked whether he has contemplated next season. Understandably, he will not rest until promotion is confirmed.
But recent evidence suggests the gaffer IS clearing Macclesfield’s playing decks in readiness for the National League North. In the last month, Alex Curran has been sold to Curzon, whilst Dontai Gabbidon and Elliott Whitehouse have gone out on loan to Warrington Rylands and Matlock respectively – you’d get long odds on both players remaining at the Leasing.com stadium next season, although their opportunities at Macc have been limited due to injuries, rather than poor form.
Savage was also spotted during a recent scouting mission to watch Chorley vs Buxton. One eye on next season? You bet!
Our only new arrival has been forward Diego De Girolamo, on loan from Buxton until the end of the season, but surely with a view to bringing him in on a permanent basis when he becomes a free agent in the summer.
It’s interesting to look at how the dynamic of Macclesfield’s squad has evolved since our Retained List was announced at the end of last season.
In non-league player turnover is high, and whilst the Silkmen’s squad has seen more incomings and outgoings than may have been planned at the start of this campaign, Savage has largely presided over a core squad of between 17 and 20 players.
Current squad: 20 (or 18 with Whitehouse and Gabbidon out on loan)
Goalkeeper (1): Dearnley
Defenders (7): Pemberton, Fensome, Dawson, Menayese, Heathcote, Kengni, Lee
Midfielders (8): Mendy, Rooney, Whitehead, (Whitehouse), Johnson, Etaluku, Duffy, (Gabbidon)
Forwards (4): Elliott, Mellor, Clare, (De Girolamo)
Incomings (18)
Goalkeepers (2): Max Dearnley, Tom Scott
Defenders (2): Scott Holding, Rollin Menayese
Midfielders (8): Danny Whitehead, Elliott Whitehouse, James Edmondson, Justin Johnson, Ali Hayder, Edy Maieco, Sean Etaluku, Dontai Gabbidon
Forwards (6): Danny Elliott, Kielan Adams, Joseph Boggan, Courtney Duffus, D’Mani Mellor, Diego De Girolamo
*I’m not classing Tom Clare as a ‘new’ signing as he was part of last season’s squad.
Outgoings (14)
Goalkeeper (1): Tom Scott (returned to full-time work)
Defenders (1): Scott Holding
Midfielders (6): Elliott Whitehouse (loaned to Matlock), James Edmondson (end of loan – returned to Blackburn), Ali Hayder (end of short-term loan), Alex Curran, Edy Maieco, Dontai Gabbidon (loaned to Rylands)
Forwards (6): Kane Drummond, Babatunde Owolabi, Dan Sweeney, Kielan Adams, Courney Duffus, Joseph Boggan (short term loan – never played, returned to Blackburn)
What do we need for next season?
For me, the more interesting debate is not whether Macc win the league, or amass 100 points and 100 goals, but moreso which players should make the cut for next season, because sadly it’s somewhat inevitable that some individuals from this brilliant group will move on.
As I said at the outset of this article, there’s no room for complacency in football, and Savage will know better than anyone that the Silkmen’s squad will need reinforcements if we are to mount another promotion challenge in what is expected to be a fiercely competitive National League North.
Right now, it would be disrespectful to speculate on which players might go. Every member of the Silkmen squad is rumoured to be out of contract at the end of the season. Not only must the club negotiate new deals for the players it wishes to keep, the added obstacle of transitioning from a part-time training model to going full-time will add another layer of complexity to the negotiating table.
It’s by no means a given that everyone in the current squad will be prepared to go full-time either, IF and when Macclesfield make the financially draining decision to change their business operating model.
This week, Savage has suggested that he may give some of Macclesfield’s youth players an opportunity between now and the end of the season, if the club’s core aims are accomplished.
But perhaps tellingly, it’s an indication that the manager has already made his mind up on who he wishes to retain for next season, unless someone can force him into a re-think in the final nine league games.
The old saying, ‘there’s nothing to play for’, simply isn’t an option at Macclesfield FC.