There are a number of people in the frame for the Manger of the Year award throughout the Football League, but at this stage of the season my vote would go to Macclesfield boss Paul Ince. There were a few eyebrows raised when the former England international decided to take the job at Moss Rose, with the club at one stage 12 points adrift at the foot of League Two and looking doomed for relegation to the Conference. However, Ince has masterminded an incredible turnaround in fortunes and Macclesfield now find themselves a couple of points clear of the drop zone, and two good results in their next two matches against Wrexham and Boston would surely clinch their survival. Givemefootball's Mark Shail got the thoughts of experienced defender David Morley ahead of those two crunch games.
Q:
YOU MUST BE DELIGHTED WITH HOW THINGS HAVE GONE IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON?
A:
Yes, things have gone very well ever since the gaffer came in really. We've got two important games coming up against Wrexham and Boston that could make or break are season so we're all very focussed on what needs to be done.
Q:
THE UPTURN IN FORM HAS BEEN REMARKABLE, HASN'T IT?
A:
Definitely, we looked dead and buried when we were stuck on five points and 12 points adrift at the bottom of the table. But now we've given ourselves a fighting chance but we also know the job hasn't been done yet. We know the last few matches are going to be tough we are confident that we can get the job done.
Q:
WHAT DO YOU PUT THE TURNAROUND DOWN TO?
A:
I suppose one of the main things is confidence. When we were losing every week it was bound to have an effect on the players but Paul Ince came in and gave us the belief that we could stay up. He wanted us to play with a quick tempo and close the opposition down, just like he used to do as a player, and all of sudden our results started to pick up.
Q:
THINGS ARE LOOKING VERY TIGHT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TABLE, AREN'T THEY?
A:
They are but if you would have said to us at Christmas that we could be out of the bottom two going into the last few games of the season we would have taken it. In this league every team is capable of beating any other so you can't take any thing for granted.
Q:
ARE THE PLAYERS WORRIED THAT PERHAPS INCE WILL MOVE TO A BIGGER CLUB IN THE SUMMER?
A:
That kind of speculation is always going to happen because he's a big name and has done such a good job here. But we can't let that distract us. As players, we have pride in our performances and nobody wants to have the word relegation on their CV. So from that point of view we can't start worrying about where the gaffer may or may not be going.
Q:
HAVE YOU SET A POINTS TARGET FOR THE NEXT TWO GAMES?
A:
No, not really, it's just a case of taking each one as it comes. We didn't have a game last week, and the gaffer took the lads away for a couple of rounds of golf, so we come into this match fresh and ready to go. I suppose if we could take four points out of six that would be great.
Q:
YOU'VE BEEN PLAYING CENTRE HALF MOST OF THE SEASON, IS THAT YOUR PREFERED POSITION?
A:
I would have to say yes, although I have played in midfield and also at full back. A couple of times this season I have been thrown up front in games but I see myself primarily as a centre half. In fact, the only position I haven't played is on the left because earlier this season I actually went in goal when we had our keeper sent off at Chelsea in the FA Cup (as you can see from the photo).
