Keith Alexander returns from his holiday later this week determined to strengthen his squad in readiness for the start of pre-season on July 1st.
With several new signings already secured the gaffer is keen to add to his squad further, and whilst not an overt fan he has not ruled out the possibility of looking to bring in a few new faces to the Moss Rose on loan deals.
"In an ideal world we would have a squad big enough to cope with the rigours of a 46 game league season," explained Keith. "But the fact of life is few clubs in League Two can afford to do that now. So as a manager you have to look to exploit the loan system as best you can."
"We saw last season, with the likes of Paul Morgan, who joined us on a season long loan, the benefits it can bring. In that case we were able to bring in a player we otherwise would not have been able to afford given the wages he was on at Bury."
"And it also allows you to bring in players from clubs in a higher league, ones you otherwise wouldn't be able to look at. Emile Sinclair was a good example and as it has turned out it gave us a good insight into the lad, so much so that we've signed on a permanent deal knowing, through our experiences last season, exactly what he brings to the table."
"Not all loan deals work of course. Sometimes players' hearts aren't in the right place and that's why I tend to favour the longer term deals. In that respect the player has more time to adjust and hopefully show their full potential."
"There's always someone watching you when you go out to play and I suppose that is what we can bring to the table. We offer loan signings a chance to show what they can do, as opposed to sitting on the bench or in the reserves at their club. So in theory it should be a 'win-win' situation for both parties."
"It's a balancing act and whilst I have never been a big fan of using loan deals in the past, much preferring to have my own players, things have changed. And in many ways it is a crucial part of a manager's role."
