Axe is to swing again at Wrexham FC
By Mark Currie, Daily Post
28 April 2008
WREXHAM
manager Brian Little, who last week told 14 players they were surplus to
requirements at the Racecourse, is set to wield the axe again following
Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat by Accrington Stanley.
A young and relatively inexperienced Dragons team were given a mountain to climb
after conceding a comical early goal and Little admitted that some of his
players fell short of expectations.
“I can understand the fans’ frustration, but it was a hard game for us to watch
as well,” he said afterwards.
“We were looking for the young lads to show us some glimpses of things we might
be able to hang on to and help them with, but some of them failed that test
today.
“We’ve got more work to do next week and more work to do in the summer and it’s
not a nice time. There’s a chance that more players will be told to leave the
club.”
A mistake by rookie keeper Michael Jones gifted the visitors their
seventh-minute opener and Wrexham were distinctly second best for the remainder
of the first half.
But an interval pep talk hit home and the Dragons boss had few complaints about
the performance during the rest of the game.
“We wanted to try and finish the season at home better than that because we
haven’t lost too many games here this year so it was disappointing,” he added.
“The mistake set it all off again – the young keeper just made a mistake and
from there on it just became very difficult.
“We tried to encourage them at half time to be brave and to get out there
because it was a great learning day for them.
“I feel sorry for one or two of the young lads, especially the young keeper who
made a bit of a rick.
“He called for the ball, (Shaun) Pejic left it but it’s hit him on the back of
his heel and gone in.
“It looked an awful goal and it shocked him a bit and it took him a little bit
of time to get over it. But they are here to learn and this is the hardest place
to learn.
“As a player in a team losing 2-0 this is what it’s all about. Are you big
enough, are you strong enough? So we tried to encourage them to play and to
encourage each other instead of going into a shell.
“And we had a couple of half-chances at 2-0 down that might have put them under
a bit of pressure, but then they got the third goal from another mistake.
“It was hard for the young lads, but as I’ve said all along it’s not their fault
that we are relegated. What they are doing is learning a side to football that
will stand them in good stead in the future and if they can come though it, then
fine.”
Little went on: “I told the players they had to show people they were strong
enough to have a go. If they do that people will appreciate it and will know
they are trying, and it will also show me that they are not bottling situations.
“I think the lads tried and at 2-0 we had a really good chance to get back to
2-1. Had we done that we might have gone on to get something out of the game.”