Trouble on the left

By Mark Williams

Excluding Karl Connolly and Ian Rush, we have used 13 players in midfield this season and of the nine who scored, four have now left the club. The ones that remain scored an amazing total of six league goals between them last season. The lack of goals highlights our main problem: the midfield doesn't support the attack in enough numbers. How many times have you seen a ball crossed into the box with only the strikers up there? The midfield is never in sight. Every supporter knows the problem of the team being unbalanced with no one playing out on the left wing. I don't think we need an out and out winger, just someone who is naturally left- footed and will operate throughout the game on the left side of midfield. This will also support the defence as well as the attack. Another drawback of the formation we play is that our left-back gets out-numbered by the opposition. This is probably a reason why Phil Hardy's form and confidence have dipped over the last two seasons.

TACTICS: The tactic we use in midfield is based around a series of passes by the three central midfield players in an attempt to release the winger on the right. This tactic works fine around the halfway line but when we get deeper into the opposition's half we find it more difficult to break the opposition down. The main reason why this tactic fails is that there is less space between the opposition's defence and midfield to thread passes into. There is a strong emphasis on the right-winger in the system as he is usually the sole outlet for attack, but it is too easy for him to get marked out of the game. A left- sided player would help as this would provide extra options, but a variety in tactics would be the main solution. Although I have been critical of the lack of changes in tactics, there have been two noticeable changes in our formation at the end of the season. The first came in the second leg of the Auto Windscreens Northern Final where we played an adventurous 3-4-4 in the second half. OK we may have lost the game but that was one of the best displays in the second half I have seen for a while at home. The second change in tactics came in the final league games where we played a rather defensive 4-5-1. I was a bit surprised at first because we desperately needed goals as we had one of the worst 'goals for' record in the league. At the time the most important thing was that we stayed up - so from that point of view it worked.

BEST PERFORMANCE: The best display that I have seen from our midfield this season was when we won 3-1 at Stoke City. The midfield that afternoon were Dave Brammer, Gareth Owen, Martyn Chalk and Jeff Whitley. The key to our success in this game was the fact that Jeff Whitley played out on the left and this gave us an extra dimension to our game. This was due to the size of the pitch being so large - it enabled Whitley and Chalk to get behind their full-backs.

WORST PERFORMANCE: The choice of best performance in midfield was simple compared to selecting the worst. There were many nominations: Preston - Home and Away; Gillingham and Wycombe Away; but I will have to go for Reading Away. In that game the four midfielders were Brammer, Rush, Ward and Cooke. They were just too slow to compete with the physical approach of the opposition.

THE PLAYERS:

Paul Barrett (12 Appearances; 0 Goals): A deadline day signing on a free transfer from Newcastle United. At the time Brian Flynn said he was one for the future, but was forced to play as injuries and player sales left us short of midfielders. He initially found it hard to adjust to the pace of league football and his first few games seemed to pass him by. The more games he played the more confident he got and to be fair he did put in some good performances. The papers reported him as an attacking left-sided midfielder, but so far has only played in the centre (no surprises there). Hopefully, the experience he has gained will make him a better player for next season.

Dave Brammer (52 Appearances; 4 Goals): For me he was our player of the season - just look at the number of man-of-the-match awards he won. Out of all of the players, Dave Brammer was the one who deserved a move to a bigger club, albeit Port Vale. He had a bad spell a couple of seasons ago but he knuckled down and got stuck in and you have to give him credit for that. What can you say about his performances that haven't already been said already? He just gives 100% every game and he and the club have both benefited. He had an altercation with some fans at Wigan, but the next home game showed what the fans thought of him by constantly cheering his name through the game. Good luck to him.

Martyn Chalk (47 Appearances; 1 Goal): This has been his best season for us in terms of overall contribution, but a surprising statistic is that he failed to score in the league or in any major cup competition - his goal came in the Premier Cup. Supporters have different views on Chalk. Some believe he is hardworking by supporting the defence, but I am one who feels the main role of a winger is to create chances. There is a lot of onus on Chalk as he is usually the sole outlet for us, but I feel he always takes the easy option in passing the ball instead of trying to beat his man. He always seams to do enough to ensure that he doesn't get dropped. You can't question his commitment though - remember Northampton - twelve stitches in his bollocks and he was back playing within two weeks. It will be interesting to see who Flynn prefers out of Chalk and Gibson next season.

Terry Cooke (13 Appearances; 0 Goals): A good loan signing from Man United but was clearly out of our league when he signed for their neighbours Man City for one million. Added that extra class to the midfield and created a few goals. He didn't have to say what he said about the fans in the Man City magazine though.

Stuart Elliott (13 Appearances; 0 Goals): At the time of writing there is a lot of speculation about his future. He has just completed three months on loan at the end of the season after originally turning down a permanent move. A transfer fee has been arranged but Brian Flynn has said it is unlikely that he will sign because of his personal demands. Again, no surprises there. He has also been linked to Ipswich if they sell some of their young players. By judging his performances, he is an aggressive player and will be a direct replacement for Dave Brammer if he does sign. Overall, I think we can get a better player for the original reported fee of £100,000.

Robin Gibson (13 Appearances; 1 Goal): Young Player of the Season and he only played 13 games. Congratulations to Robin but I don't know what to make of the other youngsters - they are either not good enough or they don't get a decent run in the first team. He put in some excellent performances after Chalk's injury only to see his season ended through injury as well. He is probably our most promising player for next season but still has a lot to learn.

Gareth Owen (53 Appearances; 4 Goals): Has had a good run in the team but for me he still lacks consistency throughout the season. As he will be our most experienced player in midfield next season the onus will be on Gareth to help bring on any new youngsters in the team. A factor that may have caused the inconsistency is that he always gets played out of position on the left side of the midfield three.

Steve Rishworth (4 Appearances; 0 Goals): All of his appearances were as a substitute at the beginning of the season. He left for University in September and may return for the first few games of next season. Not much more to say really.

Kevin Russell (52 Appearances; 5 Goals): Although he has scored the most goals of our midfielders, the majority were scored when he played upfront. The expectancy level from the supporters is based on his previous spell with the club - he simply hasn't got the pace as before. Basically, this season was the wrong type for Rooster. Last time around it was a case of scrapping and Rooster is not a man for a battle. The year before he could come off the bench in attempt to turn a game. He is a 'flair' type player, using the flair word loosely that is. He is more likely to score a goal rather than prevent one.

Craig Skinner (17 Appearances; 2 Goals): Just too lazy and it was no surprise that he left. We should be grateful we got some money for him as he probably would have been released in the summer on a free transfer. It was obvious that the management team didn't think he was up to it when Martyn Chalk signed during the same season. Due to injury he didn't play many games during the season and moved to York City at the right time.

Steve Thomas (8 Appearances; 1 Goal): Broke into the first team squad on a regular basis at the end of the season, although his goal was in a Premier Cup game last year. Like Paul Barrett, he is a player for the future and it will be best to judge him this time next year.

Peter Ward (35 Appearances; 2 Goals): I don't know what came more as a shock - the fact he was released, or the way in which he was released. The papers got hold of the story a week earlier that he hadn't been offered an extension to his contract and that he would have to wait until the retained list was out. It was obvious his contract wouldn't be extended but you wouldn't expect a player of Peter Ward's status with the fans and at the club to be on the retained list. Just look at all the commitment he put into the club. The goals he set up, and scored with his set pieces. He never pulled out of a challenge, and generally he is what all us Wrexham fans want from our players. As well as that fight, he also had that extra skill that made him stand out from the rest. I've gone on enough about this but just to conclude I would like to thank Peter for all he has done for the club and wish him the best for the future.

Jeff Whitley (10 Appearances; 2 Goals): No coincidence that our most consistent performances of the season were when he played at the heart of the midfield. The fact that he was a Wrexham lad also helped him settle in and the timing of his loan period (and Carl Griffiths) proved a major factor in saving our Division Two status.

NEXT SEASON: Although a goalkeeper and a striker are a must, I feel we also require another midfielder as we lack quality in this department. This is reflected by us having three on-loan midfielders and signing another on the transfer deadline during last season. If Connolly plays upfront I don't fancy our chances with a midfield combination of Gareth Owen, Kevin Russell, Paul Barrett and either Robin Gibson or Martyn Chalk on the wing. With the sales of Dave Brammer and Craig Skinner, the release of Peter Ward and the fact that it looks likely that Stuart Elliott won't sign, we are desperately short of quality and experience in midfield next season. This is why I believe we require at least one, if not two new faces in midfield.