Ince is won over by passion play

While other managers in his position would be

fretting about keeping their clubs in the Football League, Paul Ince’s biggest worry appears to be what handicap he will be playing off when he finally gets back to the

golf course this summer.

Cool, confident and why not? Macclesfield’s

boss could see his side relegated

to the Conference tomorrow

yet he will still be in demand

with a host of clubs in higher

divisions. Leicester have already

shown an interest.

When he took

over from Brian

Horton in October,

Macclesfield

were seven points

adrift at the bottom of League

Two.

Many thought he was crazy to go

there but Ince inspired a revival, including

an FA Cup run which was ended by

Chelsea in the third round.

But a recent

run of three defeats means they must win

at home against Notts County tomorrow

to be sure of staying up.

But do not be fooled. Although the

39-year-old former England midfielder

appears blase, the Guv’nor’s pride means

he is as determined to keep Macclesfield in

the Football League as he was to win titles

and trophies a few miles up the road at

Manchester United.

Indeed, he was on the

subs’ bench against Accrington last week

and is threatening to play on Saturday.

He said: "Back when I was 19 all I wanted

to do was play football. I wanted to be the

best midfield player in the world...and

it’s the same as a manager.

"I want to be

the best I can be. It’s all about desire. For

me it’s more of a pride thing. That’s why

it’s important we win on Saturday."

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After the heady days of Upton Park, Old

Trafford, San Siro and Anfield, England’s

first black captain enjoys working with

players he admits he had never heard of

before going to Moss Rose, where winning

means more than a few thousand pounds

bonus in your pay packet.

He could have waited for a plum job to

land in his lap, like his friend Roy Keane at

Sunderland, but is happy to be serving his

managerial apprenticeship down the

leagues.

He said: "I watched the team

three or four times and saw something in

them. They just needed guiding.

"I’m glad I

took the job. In the past, with people like

Bryan Robson and Mark Hughes, it was all

about hunger and winning trophies.

"Nowadays there are people who are

more interested in getting two cars and

owning big houses. Things have changed

because of the money in the game.

"These players here are not on massive contracts. Probably 85 per cent of

them are out of contract after Saturday.

"These are players with wives and kids to

support and that’s why I like it, because

they are so passionate — because they

have to be.

"If you told these lads they

would be doing a 10-mile run today, not

one of them would moan. If you said to a

Premiership player they would be doing

that, they would be effing and blinding.

"Here they get on with their job because

it’s not just football. It’s their livelihoods. If they leave Macclesfield, where do they go?"

The big question is whether he continues

his education at Macclesfield or moves on.

"I want to keep this team up and once that

happens I will sit down with the chairman

and see where we go from there," he added.

"If we do survive, well it will be like

winning the FA Cup. It will be an early

landmark achievement in my managerial

career and it will enable me to stick two

fingers up at the people who questioned

my sanity and my abilities."