Final thought - Should MacKenzie return?

Prior to yesterday's 1-1 draw with Macclesfield Town, I was scouring the popular video site YouTube for clips on Notts to relieve boredom and to get me in the pre-match mood as I wasn't able to make the trip to Moss Rose.

Amongst the many clips on the Magpies, both good and bad, the better ones

MacKenzie hitting winner v Shrews on YouTube

of this season with the better moments for Notts, all seemed to have one thing in common - Neil MacKenzie.

The 33-year-old midfielder started the season as Steve Thompson's first choice playmaker after becoming Notts' first signing of the summer following his release from Scunthorpe United who he'd helped to promotion to the Championship.

And despite Notts' inconsistent start to the campaign, in what was expected to be a play-off chasing one remember, MacKenzie seemed to be a shining light, earning more plaudits than even the goalscoring sensation Richard Butcher.

MacKenzie was dominant, orchestrating proceedings from the middle and popping up with matchwinning strikes.

Indeed, he has five league goals to his name this term in 22 appearances, again not a bad return from a midfielder.

The first was a screamer in a man of the match display on the opening day to rescue a point at Grimsby Town, while the second bagged Notts' first win of the season by his single goal against Dagenham after coming off the bench.

MacKenzie, always looking for the key pass

The third was the only one which hasn't heralded a point at least for Notts as his penalty was in vain for Thompson and Notts in a 3-1 loss to Bury - Thompson being sacked two days later.

The fourth was truly memorable as he curled home a fantastic free-kick in the final minute for what could turn out to be a crucial 2-1 win over Wrexham at Meadow Lane, and his fifth extremely similar, although not as late, as he bagged a free-kick winner to defeat Shrewsbury 2-1.

Those goals have brought Notts ten points. Without them, the Magpies would be bottom. And it isn't as if you can say 'well somebody else would have got them.' Has anybody else in the squad got his ability from free-kicks that have won two games? No.

Can anybody else strike as good a shot as he did at Grimsby? Perhaps only Butcher, but his tend to be powerful hits rather than accurate attempts which was the only way MacKenzie was going to score from that position at Blundell Park.

The Dagenham strike may have been fairly simple, but it was his positional sense that got him there.

However, after undergoing an operation on a troublesome hernia injury for a second time, MacKenzie found him out of action for five games, and he has yet to start since he returned - often not being introduced off the bench despite Notts being in losing positions.

With Jay Smith another returning from injury, Gavin Strachan, now injured himself, signing from Peterborough, and the continued goalscoring form of Butcher, there is plenty of competition for MacKenzie.

However, Notts showed a lack of creativity at times in the very middle of the park against a Macclesfield side clearly there for opening up. It required the

Smith... Currently keeping MacKenzie out of the side

type of defence splitting pass MacKenzie can produce, or last gasp heroics he has produced before.

It even required better set-piece delivery - MacKenzie of course is superb at that.

When MacKenzie was introduced this time, with half an hour or so to show his worth, he showed some neat touches, but with a start will surely show more.

He is a creative lynchpin, a match winner and both a scorer and creator of goals - a rare commodity in a side battling against relegation.

Perhaps he doesn't work as hard as a Smith or a Butcher, but he could make more of a difference, and now might be the time to shove him back in and give him a license to do what he does best - win Notts some football matches.

That could prove invaluable, and if Notts do stay up there are sure to be plenty more YouTube clips posted up. Here's betting there will be more of MacKenzie on them - providing he is given another chance.