Yarney shown the door as Rogers drafted in
Nomadic centre back is off after being shown the door
I’ll be posting a full and frank assessment of our humiliating 5-1 loss to Fylde later this week once I’ve had time to reflect without emotion. But for now the club has finally chosen to release some ‘good news’ after last night’s horror show.
Josef Yarney has left Macclesfield FC after failing to establish himself in the first-team, making just seven appearances following his summer arrival. This news comes as little surprise after Yarney was involved in a heated discussion with John Rooney in Bar 27 after our recent 1-1 draw at home to Telford, making his exit almost inevitable.
The central defender hasn’t played since Macclesfield’s 3-1 home defeat to Merthyr Town in September. The 28 year-old has struggled with a groin injury, but was believed to be fit again having returned to training recently. Clearly the club and Yarney were not on the same page.
Yarney hasn’t just struggled with fitness, however. His form since joining Macclesfield has been disappointing. Preferred ahead of Lewis Fensome to partner Rollin Menayese at centre half, Yarney was at fault for the goals the Silkmen conceded against Worksop and Oxford City. He also conceded a free-kick which led to Merthyr’s third goal in his final outing in a Silkmen shirt.
Beyond that, he lacked dominance in the air - a known weakness in his game as revealed by this website when conducting a scouting report on him. https://www.thesilkmennews.co.uk/p/josef-yarney-scouting-report-maccs
Yarney was John Rooney’s inaugural signing and on paper appeared an excellent acquisition. The pair played together at Oldham Athletic in 2022-23 when Yarney won the Latics’ Supporters’ Player of the Season accolade.
Yarney controversially left Oldham after turning down a new contract to sign for Tranmere Rovers, but struggled to prove himself on Merseyside. He’s subsequently bounced around playing abroad and in non-league.
Yarney’s here, he’s there…
Yarney started his youth career at Everton and Newcastle United, before dropping down the leagues to play at Morecambe, Chesterfield and Weymouth.
After departing Tranmere, in 2024 Yarney signed a short-term deal with Palestinian Premier League side Hilal Al-Quds – the first English player to play in Palestine and compete in what was effectively Asia’s Europa Conference League.
Josef also made 15 appearances for Indian side RoundGlass Punjab in the 2021-22 campaign during his stop-start, nomadic career, which has seen him take part in a maximum of just 29 games in a single season!
In total, Yarney has made 149 appearances during his eight-year senior career. Towards the end of last season, the defender had a short-term spell at National League South side Boreham Wood, helping them to win promotion to the National League following their play-off final victory over Maidstone United in May.
Ultimately Yarney has been an expensive mistake by Rooney - a central defender signed at a time when we were crying out for a midfielder to replace Laurent Mendy, who four months on still hasn’t been adequately replaced.
A poor signing with an even poorer attitude, who has fallen short in every department. Good riddance, but lessons must be learned by Rooney.
More defensive reinforcements still needed?
Although the club have coped admirably without Yarney since the beginning of September, there’s no doubt that John Rooney’s squad is light defensively, even following yesterday’s loan signing of Jack Rogers who joins us for a month from Wigan Athletic.
The 19 year-old can apparently operate at centre half and in a defensive midfield berth, impressing as captain of Wigan U21’s and in two EFL Trophy appearances this season.
Rogers was introduced at half-time against Fylde in central midfield as Rooney rolled the dice and set the team up in an unfamiliar 3-4-1-2 formation. Young Jack did ok in difficult circumstances, showing tenacity and decent positional awareness without really getting his foot on the ball. To my naked eye, his abilities look far better suited to centre back as opposed to central midfield.
Outside of first-choice central defensive pairing Rollin Menayese and Sam Heathcote, only Paul Dawson (who isn’t fully fit and now suspended!), Lewis Fensome and now possibly the youthful Rogers can deputise.
However, Fensome is still required to play right-back following Tre Pemberton leaving for Forest Green. Macclesfield’s replacement right back signing, Luke Matheson, tore his hamstring at Spennymoor, placing him on the treatment table since the end of August. Matheson has now returned to training but is yet to make the bench and will be nursed back gently, one would assume.
With a busy run of league and cup matches to come throughout December and January, it would be a huge gamble if Rooney failed to bring in at least one experienced defensive addition.
And after last night’s dismal defeat at Fylde, arguably he needs to with only the excellent Menayese emerging with any credit.