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Moss: We need midfield boost

28/ 8/2002

SOCCER: Moss wants to bring in two loan players to boost Macclesfield Town's midfield after a miserable Bank Holiday weekend.

But the Macclesfield manager believes that the club's financial problems will prevent him from adding to his squad.

Moss was furious after watching his side collapse 3-0 at relegation favourites Lincoln on Monday, two days after the Silkmen lost at home to Wrexham. He has pinpointed midfield as the key area for improvement.

"I'm not at all happy. I'm still looking for players. I would like to bring in a couple, but I don't know if that's going to happen," Moss said.

"I will be asking the board this week for a couple of loan players, or even someone on a non-contract basis.

"I do want a couple of fresh faces in the squad. I'm not happy about the balance in midfield, and I haven't got an attacking wide-right player, so you can take it as read that those are the two positions I am looking to fill.

"I've got a few players in mind who I think can help us, if we are able to bring anyone in. But I imagine the answer to that question will be 'no'.

"But we're always trying to improve on what we've got."

Moss was unhappy with the performance of some of his players in the two Bank Holiday weekend games.

He criticised Danny Whitaker after Saturday's game against Wrexham, and was also unimpressed with striker Matt Tipton and midfielder Chris Priest. But the manager made it clear that other players had under-performed too.

Moss said: "I'm not happy with one or two of the performances I've seen. They left a lot to be desired."

The manager did not complain about defender Dave Ridler's performance in midfield at Lincoln.

Ridler was one of seven defenders named in the starting line-up at Sincil Bank, as Moss tried to counter Lincoln's long-ball game.

Moss said: "All I did was put an extra defender in there to combat the aerial bombardment we expected from Lincoln.

"That was why I put an extra defender in front of the back four. Dave Ridler did okay, but the plan just didn't work out for us.

"We didn't scrap for the points at Lincoln, and I'm really sorry for the Macclesfield fans who made the trip over there. They were short changed.

"A 3-0 defeat is a hammering. I didn't think there was any team in this division capable of beating us by three or four goals, and I certainly didn't expect Lincoln to turn us over."

Moss added that he plans to stick with his usual 5-3-2 formation for now - even though he would prefer to play 4-4-2.

He said: "I haven't got a wide-right player at the club. You need somebody who is accustomed to playing wide if you are going to play 4-4-2."