The positive reaction to Macclesfield
By Nathan Jackson
October 9 2010
What a difference losing a rubbish and miserable manager can do to a club. Sincil Bank is a far nicer place to be these days and the increased positivity is evident amongst both the fans and the team as a united City team beat Macclesfield Town.
On Saturday there was a noticeable different between at Sincil Bank. Without Chris Sutton the place has started to become a far more positive place to be. I was never behind the appointment of Sutton and I could bore you to death with all the stats in the world, but I think the vast majority now feel the air of negativity has started to lift from Sincil Bank and I feel whomever the new manager will be, he will have something that Alan Buckley, Keith Alexander, John Schofield, Peter Jackson or Chris Sutton didn’t have, a team that had won their last League game when he takes over.
I found myself sitting at Sincil Bank and generally enjoying myself for the first time in ages and I even celebrates
the goals rather than just the clap I had found myself doing over the past few months and I now feel more optimistic for the future that I have done since October 2008, the last time we consistently put good results together.
Before I get onto the match itself, people always ask me as who I want as I manager. I find that I actually don’t have a favourite to take over. Jackson was always my choice when Schofield (I even mentioned it in an article on the day he was sacked). When Jackson was sacked and Brabin was my choice before Chris Sutton came out of nowhere, but now I am torn between several choices. I think it definitely needs to be someone with experience as a manager at this level, so my choice would come between Coleman, Tilson (right) and Penney, any of those three and I’d be happy enough.
Anyway, onto the match and the best thing to see was that when Macc drew level, we didn’t just sit back, something we have become used to over the last year or two. If Sutton was still in charge then I have the feeling that we would have eventually gone on to lose that match, but the team kept going and got what would be a deserved winner, and what a goal it was.
All-around I thought it was a good performance and it’s the first time where I can’t really make any serious complaints against any of the players, although I do wish Ben Hutchinson would stop moaning at everyone all the time. It was also good to see yet another player come out of the youth system, that despite Chris Sutton’s claims that the youth team had as much quality in it as a toilet full of faeces.....great motivation skills there Chris!
So did I have any negatives? Not really actually. There was a small section of the game where Macclesfield could have taken the lead after drawing level, but other than that we never really looked like conceding. The team supported each other properly and the celebration for Swaibu’s goal said it all.
If we play like this on a more regular basis then I doubt we will get relegated. I can’t really see us troubling the Playoff places, but today showed that this club has potential to do well in this division within a few year.
Also, before we go to the scores, thanks to Lindsey and Musselwhite for doing a fine job over the past two weeks and leaving the club in a better state than most caretaker managers have in the past.
THEIMPS.KA OFFICIGTHEIMPS.KA UNOFFICIAL MATCH RATINGS | |
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Anyon didn't really have a lot to do and couldn't do much about the goal. Other than one incident he came out well and claimed most of what came his way. 7/10 |
 | A brilliant free kick to win the game and very similar to the ones that Dean Keates used to take. Lead the defence well and arguably our best defender. Don't have a bad word to say about him. 8.5/10 |
 | It's not often Watts will deal with marking both fast players in Sinclair and brick outhouses like Bencherif, but kept both relatively quiet throughout the game. 7.5/10 |
 | Swaibu is one of those players who I don't overly rate, but to be fair he was one of the best players on the pitch today. Stole Watt's goal before almost scoring with a header. Then again, when you see Nat Brown scuffing every single ball, Swaibu will always seem like a relief when realise we could still have Brown. 7/10 |
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Still a bit quiet in some games, but that could just be a sign that he's doing his job well. 6/10 |
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Carayol seemed back to his normal self today and wasn't afraid to run at defenders. He did get a bit selfish at times but did put in some good balls. 7/10 |
 | There was a brief scary moment when he appeared to be seriously injured, but thankfully not and he went on to be he usual creative self......and he's learnt how to take a set piece correctly. 8.5/10 |
 | Provided some excellent passes but also gave it to the Macclesfield players on quite a regular basis. It'll be interesting to see if he recaptures his Darlington form if Penney is appointed. 6/10. |
 | The Imps have finally won a game when O'Keefe played, something we've never been able to say. Wasn't brilliant, but didn't do a lot wrong either. 6/10 |
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The one person around Sincil Bank who moans more than me. Certainly not afraid to shoot from distance and one of them almost went in. If he was a team player he'd probably be quite good. 6/10 |
 | Sutton plays him as a winger and he didn't do overly well, Sutton goes and he's played up front and causes trouble. Against defenders that aren't the size of Hamza Bencherif, he'd be fine. 7/10 |
 | I don't often have anything good to say to Kerr, but there's one thing I've never actually given him credit for, he certainly cares. He came on against Macclesfield and actually did quite well, even getting all of his passing accurate. Kerr is also set for his fifth manager whilst being a City player. 6.5/10 |
 | Doesn't really to be getting much of a chance really. 5 by default. 5/10 |
Sam Turner not rated due to lack of action. | |
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Not the same game I watched, Nathan!!
Mind you, other than that, a very fair report.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:10:10:00:15:54 by PoshImp.
See you at Shrewsbury next week.
On another website there is criticism of him as coach under Suttons Managership but he can only do what comes from Chris Suttons leadership.
My own view is that he is a calm and collected individual who will make a good manager oneday.
Here we go again!
Will we ever get the right man?
He looks the part but I was not impressed yesterday at all.
He should be tearing trees up at this level.
He has an apparent inability to get himself into a position where he can receive the ball and create a chance for himself. Time after time he failed to get in front of a defender when it mattered, and once Facey won a great knock-on header only to see Hutchinson wandering about in midfield behind the play.
Needs to improve.