Wrexham FC: 5 Point Plan for Summer 2013

So where do Wrexham go from here? After identifying what went wrong last season, now it’s time to look at how it can be rectified from August.

But it’s not as easy as that. A glance at the basic statistics from the last two seasons shows it’s hardly a surprise that the Dragons missed out on promotion at Wembley. The 2012-13 season points to a season of decline:

2011-12: 98 points, 85 for 33 against
2012-13: 80 points, 74 for 45 against

So not only do Wrexham have to arrest the slump, they have to improve in attack and defence – last season they conceded more and scored less, it’s a tough combination to put right instantly. But it’s a challenge that they simply have to rise to, because every year they spend out of the Football League breeds another year of fear and instability. The aim must be to win the league, the play-offs have hardly been their ally.

Whilst rash, knee jerk reactionism should be discouraged this summer after the Wembley defeat, it is vital the club retains some realism. That the club’s promotion hopes were extinguished in the final five minutes of their 49th league game this season shouldn’t obscure the fact that there is much to improve.

Secure the Squad Core

At this stage Wrexham do not need to be revamping their squad, for the short-term ills it would create could prove fatal. The signs are that they will not need to, with many of the first-team core signing new contracts, but certain adjustments will be necessary. Question marks still surround Martin Riley, and you would not begrudge him a move to the Football League – he is simply too good for non-league football.

To the club’s credit they have been quick on the ball, and though Dean Keates voiced his displeasure at just a one-year extension, the fact that he still re-signed is of great encouragement. That the captain is prepared to put in the hard yards this coming season, could prove influential in the thinking of others.

Johnny Hunt and Joe Clarke are still to accept contract offers, and they are the type of players it would be a hassle for Andy Morrell to have to replace. The likelihood is, though, that he will have to bring in at least one midfielder, given the departure of Glen Little, alongside a new right-back, central defender and striker.

The release of Chris Westwood is understandable given his age, but Leon Clowes proved at the end of last season that he is ready to step forward. However, if Riley does move on it would leave the club short at the back, even with Mark Creighton’s return.

Cherry pick the best of the non-league

The best way Wrexham can improve these areas would be weakening other teams in the division. Wrexham are the biggest name in the region playing in this division. That can be used to their advantage as the name carries clout.

Morrell has made use of his connections to bring in the likes of Brett Ormerod, Stephen Wright, Dele Adebola et al. It is clearly time for a change in strategy, because while experience is key, genuine quality was largely missing from the Dragons’ play last year.

The club needs to be more imaginative with its signings than last summer, when they failed to suitably replace Nathaniel Knight-Percival, Matthias Pogba, Jamie Tolley and Jake Speight.

Wrexham could do worse than make a move for Alfreton’s Ben Tomlinson, who looked lively on his two appearances at the Racecourse this season, or Aldershot’s Bradley Bubb who scored 20 goals on loan at Woking last year.

Scour the academies across the region.

Again, this is another way in which the club, rather than the manager, can use its connections. Wrexham are a well-known and fairly popular club across the north west.

There is a surplus of academies in the region, from the Premier League and through the Championship and Leagues One and Two, who seek to farm out young talents for time on the pitch. Liverpool, Everton, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool, Bolton Wanderers, Oldham Athletic, Tranmere Rovers, Crewe Alexandra; and this is just scratching the surface.

One or two month loans are fairly common, and though Wrexham are low down on the scrap heap, they can guarantee minutes and experience which other clubs might not.

A proficient scouting network is a pre-requisite in the modern game, and Wrexham’s undoubtedly needs work on.

Buy a Striker

Sometimes in football you just have to score goals. Wrexham didn’t do that nearly enough last season.

A new striker was always a priority this year, even before the departure of Danny Wright. A paltry return of 23 goals in 80 appearances across two seasons suggests he may not be overly missed. He can provide some magical moments – as he did when scoring his final Wrexham goal against Kidderminster, a sumptuous volley – but too often he was frustrating. A return of one goal in every four games is not the star quality required to take Wrexham back in the Football League.

That the hardworking, yet clearly limited, striker finished atop the club’s scoring charts reflects on the whole side’s limitations last season. Wrexham will miss his industry, but they need an incisive out-and-out goalscorer more.

With Andy Morrell likely to either retire or significantly curtail his playing time next year, that leaves 36-year old Brett Ormerod as the side’s premier forward.

A 5-figure bid has reportedly been made for a striker with a proven goalscoring record, believed to be Macclesfield’s Matthew Barnes-Homer, although it is another potential PR gaffe from CEO Don Bircham.

After his inappropriate comments about Forest Green Rovers, alerting the division to Wrexham’s intentions was unnecessary, and could cost the club if it drives the market price upwards.

Give Youth a Chance

Wrexham, and Andy Morrell in particular, were guilty of neglecting the club’s impressive youth setup last season. Only when the core squad was ravaged by injury did Morrell place trust in his youngsters.

From August he must not be afraid to call upon the likes of Leon Clowes, Jay Colbeck, Bradley Reid and Rob Evans, who impressed during their end-of-season outings.

They are talented individuals and the future of the club; though they will have benefited from their brief exposure at the tail-end of last season, with little significance riding on those fixtures the club will not have learned enough about them.

The only way of gauging their aptitude for the first-team is to throw them in at the deep-end, where they will either sink or float.