Little to oversee Wrexham rebuilding programme

By RICHARD WILLIAMS

14 April 2008

BRIAN LITTLE today admitted Wrexham will undergo a massive rebuilding programme before next season.

Rock bottom Wrexham look as though they will be playing Blue Square Premier Division football next term after losing yesterday's derby at Shrewsbury Town 3-0.

Defeat leaves Wrexham nine points adrift of safety and with only four matches remaining.

And Wrexham boss Little, who has signed a two year extension to his contract which was due to finish at the end of the season, said there will be major changes in the playing staff as he aims to turn the Reds into a winning team.

"I have got a great bunch of lads but I have now got to be very ruthless," said Little today.

"I've got to sort things out to try and create a team, given the time, that will make the fans enjoy coming.

"Individually we have good players and most of them can play at this level. But collectively, it just doesn't work.

"What I have got to do now is put a team together, hopefully starting now and over the summer months, that wins matches."

Little said that two successive relegation dogfights have taken its toll on the Reds.

"You have got to learn how to win matches," said Little. "We have got a group at the club who have had too many years of losing games.

"It is not healthy and it is not good. It is not easy to change, but hopefully in the summer I will be able to change it as much as possible to try and bring it around.

"We might lose one or two people who the fans might think 'but he's my favourite player'. But at the end of the day, it is time for change.

"I wish every one of them well but I will change as much as I possibly can in the summer to try and breathe fresh air into the club for pre-season.

"That's no disrespect to any of the players but it is time for me to change things now.

"I need to find a winning team and the only way I am going to do that is by changing things."

Little, who took over as manager from Brian Carey in November, said yesterday's defeat at rivals Shrewsbury was the lowest point of his football career.

"Three years of losing games is not enjoyable," said Little. "I have just had a few months of it and I have not enjoyed it. It has been horrible.

"I genuinely think the last 20 minutes today were the worst 20 minutes of my footballing career.

"Standing there on the sidelines looking at your team knowing they are not going to get anything out of the game, and that chances are you are relegated out of the Football League, is probably the worst 20 minutes of my football career and I have not enjoyed it."

Little admitted that some home truths were said in the changing room following the defeat, with coach Joey Jones expressing his views to the players in no uncertain terms.

"We have said so much on so many occasions and today was the last of the talking," said Little. "You look for the players to do the talking on the field but the talking today was poor.

"It has been, and still is, a very difficult battle.

"The club has been saved by two people who obviously have the club at heart.

"But on the field of play, they're a good bunch of honest lads, who have tried their socks off, but today they lost heart. I think that was the big thing that shone through.

"We have been running out of words in the dressing room after the game because, as I said, it is now not about words, it is about actions.

"Joey Jones came in and said things. Joey had to come and say them. I am delighted he came in and he wasn't very complimentary to the players.

"It is true. It is sad and it is a bad day today.

"We are virtually down now and the players didn't do themselves justice individually or collectively."

Little, unhappy to see his side make more mistakes which Shrewsbury capitalised on, said his side folded after conceding the early opening goal.

"There was quite a few who, once the first goal went in, just went into a bit of a shell. We have not had that before," said Little.

"It is a human failing and it doesn't make them bad people.

"You can't knock the stuffing out of them but they have let themselves down today which is disappointing because individually, I have got a lot of time for every one of them.

"But it is my job now to sort the team out."

Wrexham's unlikely bid to pull clear of trouble continues against fellow strugglers Notts County at The Racecourse on Saturday and Little added: "Is it too early to try one or two of our young players to get used to the situation? We will look at that.

"I would like to win our game. We don't want to give up."