The Silkmen – Carlisle (away)

Jen Kelly – a.k.a. Cheshire’s Revenge / The Word Nerd – brings ilovemacc her own take on the highs and lows of The Silkmen

Another week and another boat-load of off field nonsense in the world of Macclesfield Town Football Club. October pay day has been and gone, with no sign of wages for players or staff.

Another postponed day in court, with new names being added to the list of disgruntled complainants as each day goes by. Talk of boycotts, marches, petitions and protests rubble on among the supporters, with even the most docile of fans getting royally pissed off at the whole situation. Fans are spending their days arguing with each other online, desperately trying to come up with the solution to all our problems.

And in the midst of all this, we still have some football to play.

Doom and gloom. Again.

With the Moss Rose under water the Bradford game was a no-go last weekend. Without the money that a good away attendance brings, perhaps it’s no huge surprise that the wages went unpaid for the 3,684th time. News that players are seeking legal advice and looking into cancelling their contracts is deeply concerning. Completely expected of course, but concerning nonetheless. 

So how does all this translate on to the pitch? Surely players who have not received a penny for doing their job and who have no idea when they will see their wages are going to give less than 100% on the pitch? Or perhaps they are going to play their hearts out in the hope of getting spotted by another club. A club who might pay them on time. 

So far, I think we’ve had a mix of the 2. 

Cheltenham aside, generally the level of football played has been pretty decent so far this season. We’ve seen a new team learn to play together, with some promising youngsters display talent and promise all over the pitch. More than once the choice for MOTM has been a tough one to call, with 3 or 4 genuine contenders each time. I guess it’s why the off-pitch shenanigans have been so much harder to stomach.

Cumbrian gloom

Up in Carlisle this afternoon, there were rumours that the first signs of revolt were showing. Messrs Harris, McCourt and Gnahoea were all glaring omissions from the team sheet. Of course, it’s completely normal for managers (sorry, Head Coaches) to rotate and adapt the team, based on individual performances, fitness and opposition. But it’s difficult to make the argument for leaving any of these 3 players out of the side completely. And, with the lack of any relevant communication coming out of the club, we’re left to make our own assumptions.

The game itself played out much like so many others so far this season. Moments of hope and promise were quashed by individual mistakes and uneven performances. Archibald put us ahead after 25 minutes, finding the net after Ironside had hammered a load of shots at the Carlisle keeper to no avail. Just 5 minutes later old Ironballs lost his balls and scuffed a soft penalty along the ground, resulting in a simple gather for Adam Collin in nets. A definite chance was wasted, which seemed to wake Carlisle up a bit and so it was fairly inevitable that they’d turn the game around and equalise just before half time.

The away dressing room must’ve been an interesting place at half time. How do you try and motivate a bunch of players who have all been on the phone to their lawyers looking for a way out earlier in the day? Maybe Daryl talked about pride and passion, maybe he told them to stick to the plan and it’d come good. Or maybe he just handed round the oranges with a big sigh and a wry smile. 

Whatever he said or didn’t say, the second half did seem more lively. Or at least, it did from the commentary on iFollow. But it seemed Carlisle were going for the win and Macc, try as they might, were not making any of their chances count. And the reward came in the form of an 82nd minute goal for the home side after a defensive cock-up. Oh lovely.

I wonder what the mood on the team coach was like on the way back down the M6? A load of pissed off players with headphones jammed over their ears, trying to cut out the impending sense of doom? Or maybe they’ve elected to stay in Carlisle and go out clubbing in their kits with Danny Whit leading the way? Who would blame them?!

Winter Gloom

As it stands we’re in 15th place in the table. As we head towards the crucial winter period, it’s so hard to call what the rest of the season holds. The PFA are pressuring the EFL to impose sanctions on the club for not paying wages. The EFL, meanwhile, are picking their noses and gazing out the window with a vacant look on their faces. Useless as they are, we all know that these sanctions could come at any time. And I can only guess that “sanctions” means a point deduction. Because fining us wouldn’t be much use, would it?

On the pitch there have been flashes of brilliance. Off the pitch, flashes of insanity. And it all feels a little helpless, as all the protests, marches, letters and arguments seem to fly over the head of our captain at the helm. And, if rumours are to be believed, our elusive Captain Charisma can’t seem to understand why we’re all so bloody negative all the time. 

You couldn’t make this shit up!

As we head towards our first bite of the FA Cup cherry for the season, there is little talk of the chance of an exciting cup run. There is much talk, however, of the potential prize money a 1st round victory might bring. Because, at every level of the football pyramid, that’s what it all comes down to nowadays. Bloody, stinking money.

I’m off to do something fun tonight. A few drinks, maybe a nice meal. Because I’m painfully aware that the ongoing Saga of the Silkmen has turned me into a raging doom monger the last few months. I’m sure I’m not alone!

Enjoy your week Silk men and women, and perhaps lets try not to think about what might be around the corner….

Cheers!

#againstallodds https://thewordnerd.home.blog/

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