New signings - the lowdown
Former fans’ views on the Silkmen’s new additions
We’re less than two weeks away from the new season curtain raiser against Worksop on 9 August. And even by the Slkmen’s standards it’s been quite a summer with manager and player departures, along with a new boss at the helm in John Rooney who has brought in some new faces to bolster the squad.
If you’ve attended any pre-season games you may already be familiar with our recent new signings: Josef Yarney, Ethan McLeod, Regan Griffiths, Carlos dos Santos and Luke Matheson. But if you’d like the lowdown on who they are, where they’ve come from and what fans of their former clubs think of them, read on.
Josef Yarney
Position: Central defender
Former clubs include: Boreham Wood, Tranmere, Oldham, Newcastle, Everton
I’ve covered Yarney at length already. Click the following links to discover what fans of his former clubs think of him and my own take on the defender’s potential strengths and weaknesses. Thus far, Yarney has only appeared in our friendlies against Manchester United U21’s (behind closed doors) and against FC Halifax, looking particularly robust and effective in the latter.
Ethan McLeod
Position: Forward
Age: 21
Former clubs include: Stourbridge, Rushall Olympic, Alvechurch, Wolves
McLeod became Rooney’s second summer signing but has so far been restricted to less than an hour of pre-season action. McLeod initially appeared as a trialist against Mansfield on 12 July and his 45 minute appearance was enough to convince the Silkmen’s new manager to add him as cover for our forward line.
Ethan appeared as a second half substitute in our friendly away at Newcastle Town on 15 July but was withdrawn ten minutes later after feeling his hamstring. The injury isn’t thought to be serious, however McLeod has been omitted from the Silkmen’s subsequent pre-season friendlies as he eases back to fitness.
McLeod has good pedigree having risen through the ranks as a youngster at Wolverhampton Wanderers before signing his first pro contract with them in January 2023. Following a loan stint at Alvechurch, Ethan was released by Wolves last September and has gone on to (briefly) feature for Rushall Olympic (then in the National League North) and subsequently at (Step 3) Southern Premier League Central club, Stourbridge, where he was largely restricted to appearances off the bench.
Where else might I have seen him?
McLeod recently played for VZN FC in the inaugural ‘Baller League UK’ – a new six-a-side indoor league featuring ex-professionals, out-of-contract non-league players and celebrity influencers.
What can we expect?
It’s hard to find any intel or footage of McLeod in action. What we do know is that Ethan started out as a midfielder before being converted to a winger / forward at Wolves. Upon signing for Rushall Olympic, manager Adam Stevens commented:
“Ethan has been training with us for a while now and he’s done really well. He’s a lad who was really well thought of at Wolves with attributes that can really benefit us. He’s got great pedigree, an abundance of pace and has a chance now to kick-start again.”
McLeod acquitted himself quite well early on in a Silkmen shirt against Mansfield, putting himself about and showing no signs of being intimidated for a young man competing against seasoned EFL defenders. I noted that he looked ‘mean and moody’ but this was intended as a compliment in that he didn’t look ‘lost’ despite leading the line on his own and being largely starved of service. To that end, I did think McLeod’s enthusiasm waned as the half wore on which was somewhat understandable given he was chasing shadows. I can’t imagine Rooney signed him on that limited cameo alone and he must have seen something in the Birmingham-born forward in training prior to that.
Either way, it’s difficult not to be on board with this signing – a low risk, high reward gamble on a youngster emerging from a Premier League academy in an area of the pitch where the Silkmen need back-up cover should either D’Mani Mellor and Danny Elliott get injured. Although fellow new acquisition Isaac Buckley-Ricketts can play as a central forward, McLeod will offer another option in addition to the physical presence of Sam Heathcote when needed.
Regan Griffiths
Position: Central midfielder
Age: 25
Former clubs include: Altrincham, Marine, Kidderminster, Crewe
It was widely known that Griffiths was already training with Macclesfield when Josef Yarney was unveiled as Rooney’s first signing before him. Silkmen fans who have watched Griffiths in our pre-season friendlies seem to like what they’ve seen so far. Most notably in the opening 15 minutes against Mansfield, Regan was everywhere – picking up the ball from the back four and attempting to dictate play with a mixture of short and long passes, the latter almost producing a chance for Mellor after an excellent lofted through ball.
Outside of that cameo, I’ve been a bit non-plussed by Griffiths’ other pre-season outings and he’s been outshone by Danny Whitehead, Carlos Dos Santos and even Josh Vela – the midfield trialist who played the second half against Barwell on Saturday. It’s important though to judge Griffiths on Griffiths, and not necessarily on the much-missed Laurent Mendy and John Rooney himself following his decision to hang up his boots to concentrate fully on management.
As you’ll discover by digesting the views from supporters of Griffiths’ former clubs, he clearly divides opinion, whilst others are critical of both his ability and temperament. Perhaps most concerning is how Griffiths started last season as captain of Marine, but had lost his place in the team by November and was let go by the struggling Merseyside club in the new year.
For balance, it should be pointed out that some of the criticism labelled at Griffiths is when he played in League One and League Two for struggling Crewe. With experience gained at National League and National League North level, Rooney will be hoping that Griffiths’ qualities will be able to shine lower down the football pyramid.
What can we expect?
It's easy to see why Griffiths inspires confidence in some. He wants the ball and is comfortable spraying short and long passes. Whether he’ll be able to do this in areas which ‘hurt’ the opposition remains to be seen. So far, Regan’s looked neat and tidy but doesn’t appear to be a midfield destroyer or a creator, as evidenced by his career stats to date. Nevertheless, clearly he is a talented player and I liked how he showed leadership qualities when ripping into Justin Johnson at the weekend after JJ failed to track back to thwart a Barwell attack.
To flourish at Macclesfield, Griffiths may need either a creative type alongside him in midfield or a tough-tackling ‘runner’ who can win possession and give it to Griffiths to dictate play. For now, Regan needs to focus on getting into the starting eleven – no easy task given the performances of Dawson and Whitehead in pre-season.
Fans’ views on Regan Griffiths:
Marine:
“He played a blinder, distributed the ball well and super high workrate”
“Top, top player Regan”
“Don’t immediately captain him like we did. That wasn’t half a bit stupid on Marine’s part”
Kidderminster:
“He had a great game last night. Some great passes as well. Will only get better with more minutes under his belt”
“Worked very hard”
“Great game, well played!”
“Unplayable last night, well done!”
“Regan Griffiths is a steal!”
“Fitting in there effortlessly”
“Just feels like he’s been there all season”
“Did well coming on as sub. Some great tackles and nice slide rule passes. Not afraid to shoot”
Crewe:
“Griffiths is a deep-lying playmaker. Quick feet, good passer, good engine”
“Very impressed, worth giving him a run in the side now…”
“Midfield ‘ratter’”
“Well played today Regan. Ran around, broke up play and did the basics. Good platform to build on”
“Critic-bashingly good Regan. Duracell levels of energy – “new signing” type impact – well done. Hopefully patience and determination being rewarded”
“Credit to Regan Griffiths today. Not a fan of his, but he played well. He’s certainly more mobile and tenacious than any other midfielder we have at the club”
“As much as I slag him, Regan Griffiths played a good game today. All the niggly dark arts things and breaking up the play well”
“Wish he would smile more. Looks like he’s got a chip on his shoulder”
“Regan Griffiths has actually played a few times for Crewe in League 2 this season which blows my mind”
“Another (manager David) Artell mistake cleaned up” in reaction to Griffiths being released by Crewe
“Get Regan Griffiths out of this team. Worst decision Artell ever made was giving him a contract”
“Regan Griffiths should never pull on an Alex jersey again. Someone feel free to tell me what use he is”
“How is Regan Griffiths a professional footballer?”
“Fair play, he always put in a shift, but he’s found his level in the National League North playing for Marine”
Crewe fans target Griffiths after their 4-0 loss away at Accrington
“Regan Griffiths can do one! When Murph came over the after the game at Accrington and Ainley followed, Griffiths’ words were ‘just leave um’”
“Regan Griffiths you’ve got no respect for the fans whatsoever. 412 of us stood in the cold and rain on Saturday and when Murph came over you said to him: ‘just leave them’”
Regan Griffiths: have we been too harsh – extracts from an article on Crewe blog, The Railwaymen View:
“It’s rare when an academy player isn’t given the benefit of the doubt during their breakthrough years at Crewe Alexandra. Last season however, a current Crewe midfielder wasn’t afforded such luxuries. I can’t sit here and act all innocent to the pelters Griffiths got. I did try and defend him at the start, but as the poor performances continued to come, even I had turned on him.”
“But the reality was, he was a 21-year-old struggling to have any impact on games whilst the club were sliding further and further into the abyss of League One relegation. The biggest criticism levelled at Griffiths last season revolved around what type of midfielder he actually is. I don’t think anyone knows the answer still.
“Out of nowhere, Griffiths put in the performance of his career on New Year’s Day. He lasted the 90 minutes and threw himself right into the action. From passing forwards, to digging and putting tackles in, to throwing his body on the line in last-ditch attempts to defend Arthur Okonkwo’s goal. A couple of driven shots flew over, but even then that showed Griffiths was trying to make things happen.
“It wasn’t flawless by any means. His first touches of the game ended up with a sloppy pass that landed in the travelling Tranmere fans. But it was much more improved than anything we saw from Griffiths last season.”
Carlos Dos Santos
Position: Midfielder
Age: TBC (can anyone confirm??)
One of the surprises of pre-season, Dos Santos was recently awarded a first-team deal after three years on Macclesfield FC’s IFG (International Football Group) University programme. Having spent last season at Newcastle Town, Dos Santos has caught the eye in our friendlies against Mansfield, back at Newcastle Town playing for the Silkmen and against FC Halifax. I’ve previously written about Carlos here.
Luke Matheson
Position: Right back
Age: 22
Former clubs include: Bolton, Wolves, Rochdale
Matheson put pen to paper at the weekend to finally become a Silkmen player after being on trial with the club since the beginning of pre-season. In doing so, Luke has beaten off competition from five other right-back trialists who Rooney ran the rule over, alternating between them in 45 minute stints.
Throughout that time, Matheson has appeared a tenacious, attack-minded defender who can play on the deck and put his foot in. On occasion, his positioning and final ball has been found wanting, but my gut feeling is that he will improve with more regular playing minutes. Whether Matheson proves to be an adequate (or better!) replacement for Tre Pemberton remains to be seen, and perhaps such comparisons are somewhat unfair.
Clearly, Matheson has a point to prove after falling from the dizzy heights of Wolves in the Premier League to being released by Bolton and latterly featuring for Alfreton in the National League North. Both there and in other loan spells at Bohemians in Ireland, Scunthorpe, Hamilton and Ipswich, seemingly Matheson failed to convince. Yet still only 22, Luke has time on his side to come again and he appears a likeable and humble young man who appreciates the opportunity he’s been given at Macclesfield and is determined to succeed.
Where have I seen Matheson before?
If you follow Manchester United, you may recall Matheson equalizing for Rochdale at Old Trafford in a League Cup game as a 16-year-old. Having shot to prominence on the big stage, Wolves paid Rochdale £1 million for Luke’s services, but sadly it may have been a case of too much, too soon for the youngster who has struggled to establish himself at a club ever since.
Fans’ views on Luke Matheson (*NB the only comments I’ve found from Wolves fans were when Matheson joined them, as opposed to them commenting on his performances”
Bolton:
“When he was selected to play for Wanderers he was obviously good enough for the first team squad, so why was he sent out on loan particularly to a much smaller club?”
“He’s decent player. Energetic, good workrate”
“Good player when playing for Bolton in cup games”
“Another talent wasted at Bolton. He was never given a chance under Ian Evatt”
“He hasn’t been treated well at Bolton. His small stature goes against him but he gives 100%, is brave and a skilful footballer. He deserves better”
“Get rid, not good enough”
“Every player has their level. Luke sadly is below L1”
“I thought he did ok when he played a few times for us. Just needed more gametime to get confidence”
“He’s not at L1 levels. Simples. Good luck in the National League or squad player in L2”
“Sadly his move to Wolves destroyed him. He had potential but moving to a club that prefers foreign players really damaged his career, plus (manager) Ian Evatt didn’t give him the chance he needs. He requires a good manager to motivate him and get him back to his best”
“He’s absolutely nowhere near good enough. There’s a reason why he’s gone on loan to the 6th division of English football”
“He’s far too good for National League North!”
“Not sure why he hasn’t broken through for us”
“Matheson has gone backwards since consigned to the B-team by Ian Evatt”
“3 years at Wolves, not 1 first-team appearance”
Rochdale
“Selling him to Wolves was the best bit of business we’ve done”
“Think looking back that goal against Man United certainly inflated his price tag and we got a good deal as a result of that. There’s a player in him, but it was probably a move too soon.
“One of the most overrated youngsters we’ve had”
“Such maturity for one so young”
“Thanks for the memories, you are such a talented young player”
“What a top young man”
“Class act”
“An absolute credit to Dale”
“Defensively he’s good, creatively he’s good. An absolute GEM”
“A lack of strength / height can let him down defensively but absolutely rapid, full of energy and brilliant attitude”
Hamilton Academicals (where Matheson played on loan)
“We played a centre back out of position rather than play this lad. Watch the highlights of Partick Thistle scoring 6 against us – he was at fault for 3 or 4 of the goals, absolutely woeful player”
“Young lad very low on confidence. Has the making of a decent full-back”
“Worst right back in Scottish football”
“One of the worst Accies players ever. Only thing got going for him is a good throw-in”
“He was rotten at Accies so was sent back down the road”
“Made nine appearances in a season long loan”
Scunthorpe (where Matheson played on loan)
“Matheson is struggling positionally and looks short of confidence”
“He’s getting isolated regularly”
“Matheson could be the worst full-back I’ve seen in 20 years at Scunthorpe United”