The FA Cup holders have been handed a start to their defence of the famous old trophy at non-league Macclesfield who themselves have been through a lot in the last few years.
To find out more we had a chat with fan and local radio contributor Jonathan Smart about what has been going on, the season so far, thoughts on the cup tie, and much more…
TEB – How has the season been for Macclesfield so far?
JS – A great cup run to get us through to the Third Round and on the verge of the play-offs a few weeks ago, and then the tragedy with the death of forward Ethan McLeod put everything into perspective.
After losing three players in the summer and the retirement of the influential John Rooney in midfield, this season was always going to be difficult. We still have an outside chance of the play-offs but with 25 league games still to play in the league and still in both cups it will be a big ask.
TEB – Robbie Savage had been influential at the club prior to his move to Forest Green Rovers last summer. How do the fans look back on his tenure?
JS – Make no mistake Robbie was fantastic for the reincarnation of Macclesfield Football Club after the debacle of liquidation in 2020, that kicked us down all the way from League 2 to the North West Counties League, but he was never going to spend the rest of his working years at the club.
To get four and a half years got us back on track and with a greater fan base than in our Football League years much due to the publicity Robbie brought for free. Some fans are understandably disappointed at his leaving but I’d rather view it in the words of the philosophical quotes of the famous Dr Seuss, ‘Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.’
TEB – Following promotion to the National League North last season, is the clubs aim to stay in the division or is there a higher target?
JS – The aim is to get back to the Football league but that gets harder and harder with every season as there are 60 odd other teams at Step 1 and Step 2 (levels 5 and 6 of the football pyramid) who want to do the same. Personally I’d be happy with a year of consolidation and a push for the play-offs of NLN next season and back into the National League within three or four years.
The most important thing is we continue having a sustainable plan for the medium / long term and an ambition that keeps the fan base onside
TEB – Are there any areas of the squad which need improvement in January?
JS – Having 25 league games to fit in the next 16 weeks and still in the FA Cup and the FA Trophy means we have a minimum of 27 more games to play before 25th April. We need a few more bodies in to help us cope, especially if we suffer with injuries. Losing Ethan McLeod so tragically only three weeks ago means we are short on strikers and rely heavily on the excellent Danny Elliott.
TEB – What are your thoughts on current manger John Rooney? Is he the main to take the club forward?
JS – John was an influential player in 2023/4 and 2024/5 and was a great loss from the midfield of the last two years but he’s stepped up well replacing Robbie Savage. He’s still learning and at 35 is still a rookie manager. He shouldn’t be judged until the end of the current season. I’m sure the board are currently happy as are most of the fan base.
TEB – What are your thoughts on Palace?
JS – I have to be honest and say I don’t have a massive interest in today’s Premier League but in Oliver Glasner you seem to have a top manager. You’ve lost some of your perceived better players of the last couple of years in Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze but you still have some fabulous players. I think Jean-Philippe Mateta, Adam Wharton and Marc Guehi are fantastic.
Whether you play a full strength side or not it will be amazing to have the FA Cup holders playing at Macclesfield.
TEB – Expectations for the match including final score prediction?
JS – If you play a full strength side and score early it could be a difficult 90 minutes for us, but Cardiff City underestimated Macclesfield Town in 2013 playing a weakened side. When I saw their reserves announced that day I found £100 to put on at 5/1 and walked away with £500 profit after a 2-1 win.
I have to say, I don’t anticipate having any more than a very modest token bet on Saturday as you should be too professional to slip up whatever team you play, but with the magic of the FA Cup, you just never know! I just hope it’s a fabulous day for our fans and players and we have a great day to remember.
