Wrexham Evening Leader

Little positive ahead of next season

By RICHARD WILLIAMS

28 April 2008

Brian LittleBRIAN LITTLE believes he will be in a good position to attract new players to Wrexham this summer.

Little has begun his overhaul of the playing staff at relegated Wrexham by releasing 14 players.

Free transfers have been given to five out of contract players – Josh Johnson, Jeff Whitley, Mark Jones, Phil Bolland and Danny Sonner – and 10 more players whose deals are due to expire this summer will be told this week if they will be retained.

Four loan players – Drewe Broughton, Rob Duffy, Paul Hall and Stuart Nicholson – have also been told they will not be offered deals.

Furthermore, five players still under contract – Anthony Williams, Silvio Spann, Sam Aiston, Richard Hope and Michael Proctor – have also been made available for free transfer.

Having freed up valuable space in the squad, Little is adamant that his budget will allow him to compile a competitive squad in an attempt to win promotion back to the Football League at the first attempt.

"We will have a budget that I would think is equivalent, if not better than most in the Conference," said Little today.

"We are not going to run out and spend loads of money but we are going to be in a position where we can be competitive in that division, and I think that's almost a certainty.

"Once the dust has settled, we hope we will be able to attract a lot of people to the club who want to be part of a club that's bouncing back – because that's what we want to do."

Saturday's 3-1 defeat against Accrington Stanley at The Racecourse means that Wrexham, who end their season at Lincoln City on Saturday, will definitely finish bottom of the Football League.

And Little admits he has a lot of work to do before Wrexham begin their Blue Square League Premier Division campaign in August.

"We have released nine players and put on the transfer list another five players," said Little.

"We have at least another eight players who are out of contract, and obviously we are targeting people for next season.

"We still do have 16 players under contract, five of whom have already been put on the transfer list it has to be said.

"We do have to do an awful amount of work behind the scenes but we are doing it.

"And we can't do any more than announce on Friday that there are 14 players effectively told they can leave the club, and there is a chance this week there will be more players told to leave.

"There has got to be a massive turnaround at the club."

Little, who has signed a two year extension to his contract which now runs until the summer of 2010, is hoping to put together a playing squad that will bring a change in fortune for the Reds.

"Having watched Conference games in the last few weeks, we already know there are a lot of teams better than us in that division," said Little.

"Rest assured, we know we have got a lot of work to do.

"Somebody's got to do it and I genuinely think that myself and my staff are the best people to do it because we know this place inside out now.

"And we are already starting to show people that I won't stand on ceremony. I have got nothing else to do other than rebuild this team.

"The fans deserve a team that wins matches. They haven't had it for a long time now so that is my aim."

Little was adamant that the team which faced Accrington on Saturday, predominantly made up of younger players given a chance to impress, will not be the side that fans will see start next season.

And more members of the current squad can expect to be shown the door.

"I go in the dressing room after the game saying the same things I have said for four months," added Little.

"But you realise the players are always going to do this so you need new players to try and be successful next season. We know that.

"We are not good enough. We have to be good enough and we will do everything we possibly can to be good enough next season because that will not be our team.

"We have put in young lads in to try and find out whether they are good enough, and to get experience of a situation that will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives.

"But that is not the team that will play for us next season, that is a certainty."