Macclesfield Programme

Friday, 25 March 2005, 0:00
2 mins read

In The Programme – Macclesfield Town

Welcome back to the Vetch on Good Friday for what is a vital encounter against Macclesfield. The Swans will need to build on what, on the face of it, was a good point at Northampton last week but there is no place to hide now – we have to return to winning ways starting with this – a proper six pointer.

A win tonight would put us right back in the mix for what promises to be a nail biting end to the season whilst anything else would leave us scratching our heads wondering whether we have anything left in the tank to catch Macclesfield. It’s been a horrendous couple of months in terms of results but with just eight games left to play it’s time to go for the jugular and make sure that on May 7th we are one of the three teams in this division celebrating life on a higher plane next season.

We, of course, find ourselves without Sam Ricketts for tonight’s game and also the visit to Cheltenham on Monday due to his inclusion in John Toshack’s Welsh squad for the double header against Austria. We will no doubt miss him but to get the call up for competitive games is great testament to the way he has played this season and also for the fact that he has continued to impress even though the results have gone against us recently. But as we know it was not the call up of Sam that was the discussion when the squad was released but the immediate retirement of Robbie Savage from the international scene after being left out.

The irony of course is that Savage would not have been fit for the games so it became irrelevant that he had been left out but that aside I can have no sympathy for the guy. Robbie Savage has all through his career allowed his ego to overtake whatever footballing ability he has. Yes he gives everything to the cause but how many people can honestly hold their hands up and say that the guy is a footballer in the true sense of the word?

Savage took offence to comments made by John Toshack as a pundit for games under the reign of Mark Hughes. John Toshack of course being the man who has managed some of Europe’s biggest clubs and, may I add, been reasonably successful at doing so. John Toshack, the man who said what many fans were thinking in that Wales simply weren’t good enough and needed to change the way that they play. Honest comments from a man asked to give just that. But Savage didn’t like it. Then his pal Hughes left to manage a club so Savage sulked until he got a move to that club and then cried because the man who was ‘so nasty’ to him took over at the national side. Savage threatened retirement if he took over, then stepped down and now has retired for once and for all. Unless Toshack leaves he says. What a &^%$!

Is this really the sort of man that we want playing for our country? I don’t think so. Savage wants to represent his country on his terms. I would still class it as an honour to represent your country and if he doesn’t want to play then that is his choice, I certainly wont be shedding any tears at his retirement will you? Savage does claim that it is personal and I have news for him. It probably is but because Toshack doesn’t think he is good enough – and who are we to argue with the man that took us to the very top?

Anyway, that is just about it from me for another week. Just three games left at the Vetch after tonight and the final chances for us to make some noise and return the Vetch to the atmosphere of the past. It will be too late once it has gone (obviously) so make some noise, get behind the team and here’s hoping that the bad run ends tonight.

Who are we?

You can keep updated on the views of the fans by visiting www.jackarmy.net – Supporting the Swans, All Day, Every Day

Images courtesy of Getty Images, Athena Picture Agency and Swansea City Football Club.

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