MICHAEL Clegg is determined to leave no stone unturned in his bid to lead Macclesfield to promotion next season.
The Silkmen had been striving for three successive promotions since the phoenix club rose from the ashes of Macclesfield Town less than four years ago.
However, they were defeated 2-1 at home by Marine in the NPL Premier play-off final, dashing hopes of moving straight through to National League North.
Clegg, who became the new club’s sixth manager in February, says the goal has to be to win the title in 2024-25 and avoid the lottery of the play-offs.
“There are some good teams in this league who are going to spend money,” he said. “We will have to make sure our recruitment is better than everybody else.
“I am at the head of that and will do everything I can – as we need to win the league.”
Clegg added they will not dwell on the play-off heartbreak, continuing: “We can’t sit and sulk but will lick our wounds and make sure we are better equipped next season.
“We identified players had we gone up and also if we stayed in this division and our recruitment drive is in full swing.”
Clegg released 11 players to lighten a squad he considered too large.
“I don’t think there were too many surprises. We will be looking to bring in six or seven new players,” he explained.
One player exiting is the highly rated Kane Drummond who has moved up three divisions to realise his dream of playing in the EFL with newly promoted Chesterfield. The 23-yearold forward scored 19 goals in the season just ended.
“We made Kane a good offer to stay, but he wanted to play in the EFL and you cannot blame him for that. He is a top lad, and we wish him well.”
Meanwhile, Bob Trafford, the Silkmen’s commercial and sponsorship manager, described the play-off final loss as a “little setback” in their long-term goal of regaining the club’s EFL status.
“Of course, we were disappointed to lose but, on the day, Marine were the best team and deserved to win,” he explained.
“But if you take a step back and look what the club has done, both on and off the field, it has been amazing.
“People forget there was no club in 2020 when Macclesfield Town was wound up in the High Court. If you had taken a crystal ball then and predicted where we are now, they would have ripped off your hand.
“Anyone who has had a football club taken away from them, as happened to us, knows what it means.”
When local businessman Rob Smethurst bought the club, he invested £4.5m which included installing a 3G pitch and revamping the Leasing. com Stadium.
Trafford added: “We are in a fortunate position that we have a business model which enables the club to be open seven days a week.
“We have an academy, bars, gym and the revenue generated allows us to have a competitive first-team budget.
“There is a perception that we are millionaire moneybags Macclesfield and, with the Robbie Savage factor, we are able to buy the league – but that didn’t happen this season.
“Radcliffe won the league and Marine the play-offs, and both deservedly.”
