Barnet player-coach Davids demands his team call him MISTER on the pitch... but Dutch legend still can't prevent defeat



Edgar Davids pulled on a Barnet shirt for the first time this season but the player-coach's committed performance couldn't prevent a 2-1 defeat to Macclesfield.

The Dutchman, who has chosen to wear the number one shirt this season but hasn't exactly been the first name on the teamsheet, saw his team almost battle back from two goals down to claim an unlikely point against the out-of-form Silkmen.

Macclesfield player Andy Halls joked afterwards that Davids demands that his players address him as 'mister' on the pitch.

Halls tweeted: 'Just played against Edgar Davids. His players have to address him as Mr on the pitch. He may have had a ledge career but what a bad muppet.'



Return: Player-coach Davids made his first appearance of the season for Barnet in their defeat to Macclesfield

When Davids missed a week of pre-season because of a prior engagement at the Playboy Mansion, many Barnet fans understandably questioned his dedication.

But his endeavour on his first outing of the season here couldn't be faulted, as he played in just about every position except the goalkeeping role his shirt number implies.

He was serenaded by the fans behind the goal early in the game, the faithful clearly behind their manager despite an inconsistent start to the season.

In the first half, he showed occasional glimpses of the instinctive touch, effortless passing and intelligent movement that won him 74 caps for Holland and the European Cup with Ajax.

Indeed, he was always a couple of steps ahead of the players around him as he operated across a wide arc at the head of the midfield.



The most enduring image of the opening period was Davids flapping his arms in frustration as Barnet's moves faltered, his teammates unable to quite guess what he was about to do with the ball.

Having missed two chances in the opening exchanges, Davids, also the captain, resisted the temptation to steal the ball from Marciano Mengerink when he won a penalty on 10 minutes. He perhaps should have done, as Macclesfield goalkeeper Rhys Taylor saved.



As much as he wanted to, Davids, in his fifth decade, couldn't do everything and his defence were at sixes and sevens for Macclesfield's two goals.

First, a routine free-kick somehow found a route through the back line, taking a touch off Connor Jennings to beat goalkeeper Graham Stack.



Once upon a time: Davids played for several big European clubs, including Barcelona

And Stack didn't cover himself in glory when misjudging a cross shortly afterwards, allowing Jennings to curl home his second.

In his programme notes, Davids expressed annoyance that his side had been slow starters this season. Clearly the demands for improvement went unheeded.



Davids reshuffled his team for the second half, switching to 3-5-2 and dropping to the left-side of defence.

As the home side pushed forward more and more, the impressive Mauro Vilhete pulled one back late on with an assured finish.

