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Barnsley: Macken wishes Tykes well INTERVIEW
Being told pure and simple he was no longer part of Barnsley's plans – Jon Macken did not enjoy the most gracious of exits from Oakwell.
However, now at a new home in Walsall, the Mancunian says he has no "ill feeling" towards the Tykes who he hopes to come face to face with next year.
After 100 games and two years' dedicated service to the Reds, Macken was told his contract would not be renewed in the summer and to find pastures new.
He was not alone – Darren Moore notably suffering the same fate. But of all of the offloaded Tykes it was perhaps Macken who found the decision so surprising, adamant he still had much to offer.
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It's taken a while but some three months on and the 32-year-old is now offering his talents at the Bescot Stadium having signed for League One outfit Walsall.
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The striker proved his point entirely by scoring a cracker on his debut. He is adamant he has only fond memories and respect for Mark Robins' Reds.
Macken told Yorkshire Sport: "I really enjoyed my time at Barnsley and met some very good people there. I wish them all the best. Obviously it wasn't on fantastic terms the way I left but at the end of the day I don't wish anybody no ill feeling.
"I wish them all the best and hopefully they can go on and be successful.
"It was obviously pleasing for me to get something sorted. I don't want to be sat around doing nothing, I want to be playing football.
"It's pleasing that some people wanted me and I was happy to sign for Walsall.
"Basically I was without a club from the last game of the season until
I signed for Walsall. Of course it's frustrating but you just try and keep as focused as possible.
Macken could hardly have done any better on his Walsall debut and took just nine minutes to find the net at Brighton after being brought on as an 81st-minute substitute.
The hosts still recorded a 2-1 victory but Macken admits it felt highly satisfying to get back among the goals, his last strike for the Tykes coming back in January in a 3-1 defeat at Coventry.
"That was the first time I had been involved so to score was nice," he said.
"Obviously you always want to get off to a good start though the most important thing would have been to have won.
"But from a personal level it was nice to score a goal and hopefully I can get a few more."
That he will, though, is not something Macken will take for granted – for all that he is stepping down a league from Championship to League One.
"Sometimes I think I don't know if it's as easy as everybody makes out," he said. "People think you've played at a higher standard and because you are coming down from a higher standard you are just going to come along automatically and score a load of goals.
"At the end of the day I think you can make it as easy as you want.
"If you work hard and do the right things then hopefully things will
turn around, you'll get the goals and you'll get the chances.
"It will be very hard work as there's a lot of very good teams in this division, I've got to keep on my toes, work hard and hopefully progress.
"That's what I will be aiming to do."
Different aims are now on the agenda for Macken and Barnsley with their
former striker hoping to propel the Saddlers into the League One promotion picture while Barnsley deal with the rough and tumble of life in the Championship.
Promotion too is the ultimate goal at Oakwelll – to the promised land of the Premier – but Macken admits he has no idea how his former club will fare this season given their previous inconsistencies and the competitive nature of English football's second tier.
"You never know with Barnsley," said Macken.
"Over the last couple of years we've been a little bit down and performance levels have been really high one week but then we have let ourselves down with the results not being enough.
"But I wish them all the best, hopefully they will go on and push up a little bit and it's an improvement on last year and that's all they are looking to do."
Of his new side's own promotion aims he went on: "That's definitely the aim and I think any club you have got to look at promotion as a main aim.
"If you don't, then you are just happy turning up each week and picking up the odd win here, that's not trying to progress.
"We want to keep performing every week and try and get promoted from our division up to the Championship because it's a big thing.
"We've just got to work hard and hopefully come May time we'll be up there."
If so, there may be every possibility that Macken and his former side
will yet meet again.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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