The Macclesfield Town boss has promised to name a few of his younger squad players in the Silkmen's team to face Chester in the final fixture of the season.

Alexander has won five of his 10 games since being appointed in the managerial hotseat at Moss Rose.

He saw his side deliver a 1-0 win against Chesterfield at the weekend and said: "We need to get the supporters behind us. We have had some great support, absolutely fantastic. We'll be working hard this week and during the game.

"Not everything we try will come off, but you can be sure that we'll be giving it our all.

"I'm going to give some of our younger players a run out at Chester, but not too many because that would be disrespectful to Chester."

Alexander has agreed a new two-year contract at Macclesfield after taking over as boss in February.

Chairman Mike Rance said: "Results since he arrived have been just what we needed and he has turned things round."

And Alexander added: "The players have responded well to my management. Credit to them for getting us to the position we are in today."

"We aren't taking our foot off the pedal, but we can also start to plan for next season as well, and I expect us to be challenging at the other end of the table."

Alexander, 49, made a return to football just six weeks on from his dismissal as director of football at Bury.

He said: "I'm a manager. I like to be involved with players day-to-day. In the last job I didn't have that so it's great to be back.

"That's the thing with football. You rarely get a job with a team that is top of the league or doing well.

"You have to rescue people or go to clubs that have been in administration, that sort of thing.

"I have a reputation for doing that. It was like that at Lincoln, then Peterborough had little money when I went there, and it was the same at Bury.

"It's a difficult job here but that's life and I'm pleased to be here."
Alexander lost his last job at Gigg Lane when he was sacked, along with manager Chris Casper, in January.

It was a role not best suited to Alexander's way of working directly with players, nurturing untapped talent and getting the best out of limited resources.

At Lincoln City he started his second spell as manager on the day the club went into administration in 2002.

And the former Lincoln striker turned the club from relegation favourites to a team that finished in the League Two play-off places for four successive years under his care.

For now, though, his focus is very much on building from what he has at Macclesfield.

Paul Ince saved the Silkmen from the drop last season.

Macclesfield, a League club since 1997, spent all of last season in relegation trouble before an Ince-inspired revival just kept them up.

Ince left for MK Dons in the summer and Ian Brightwell was unable to sustain the momentum with a largely new squad.

Macc had lost their previous five games at Moss Rose until Alexander kicked off his reign with a 1-1 home draw against fellow strugglers Notts County.

"You have to mix and match depending on what job you are doing," said Alexander. "But the supporters of Macclesfield are no different from the supporters of any other club.

"If you are a supporter you want to see your team get promoted. If you can't do that you want them to be in the play-offs.

"You don't want them to be near the bottom. But obviously things have not been fantastic."

Jonny Brain will be Macclesfield's custodian after rejoining the Silkmen at the start of the season from Port Vale.

His defence will comprise of Izak Reid, Andrew Teague, Shaun Brisley, and Neil Ashton.

Reid has progressed through the ranks at Moss Rose and signed professional forms at the start of last season.

Teague has returned from a loan spell earlier this season at Hyde United after suffering a broken leg last term.

Brisley is experiencing his first season at Moss Rose and has scored twice in his nine appearances this term.

Ashton, is on loan from Shrewsbury Town after seeing his appearances restricted earlier this term at The New Meadow.

The 22-year-old started his career at Tranmere Rovers.

Macclesfield's midfield will consist of Richard Walker, Jamie Tolley, James Jennings, and Danny Thomas.

Walker started his career at Crewe Alexandra where he made nearly 100 appearances in six seasons. He has also played on loan at Northwich, Halesowen, and Wrexham.

Tolley is a product of the Shrewsbury Town youth system who progressed to the Welsh Under-21 squad, and Jennings joined Macclesfield from the Manchester City Academy as a teenager. He has returned to Moss Rose after a loan spell at Altrincham.

John Rooney, the brother of England and Manchester United striker, Wayne, will start in Macclesfield's attack alongside Gareth Evans who celebrated his 20th birthday last weekend.