Temporary Solutions

I'm not at all surprised to hear Dean Saunders is looking into the loan market. We might be doing fairly well at the moment, but we've managed to paper over the cracks in the squad. There are gaps in the playing staff Saunders has put together that could cost us very dear

Look at it this way. If you ask Saunders who his first choice right back is, I think he’d say Chris Blackburn. Furthermore, I think if you asked him who his first choice defensive midfielder is it’d be Blackburn again. Trouble is, as Saunders has admitted, Blackburn’s needed as cover for the centre of his defence.

He only has two other options at centre back, Marvin Andrews and Frank Sinclair. Let’s be honest, neither of them are in the first flush of youth, and both are prone to injury. Therefore, Blackburn will have to spend some of his time filling in for one of them, and Saunders will be deprived of his services in one of the positions where he’d like to play him.

Of course, he could fall back on Christian Smith to cover at centre back, but he has very little experience in that position in first team football; you suspect that would be very much a last resort.

So Saunders has to delve into the loan market. There is another possible solution, mind, although it doesn't seem to be one that Saunders is particularly keen on. Sadly, Kai Edwards isn’t seen as an option.

The big day has at last arrived...........

Well tomorrow anyway when Eastbourne Borough and their hardy band of followers travel up from the South coast for the first league game of the season and I for one can't wait.

I always go to the first game of the season with a remarkably optimistic approach when you consider that in over 30 years of following Robins and then Dragons there have been far more dismal or mediocre seasons than good ones but this year will be different! Let's look at why?

1. We have a progressive, young and highly rated manager with an infectiously enthusiastic approach to the game. He now has BSP managerial experience on his CV and I'm sure will have learnt a lot from last year.

2. The players, many of whom have and could play at a higher level. Deano has put together a smaller but far better quality squad than we had last year. The icing on the cake for me was the signing of Curtis Obeng who only two weeks before had been on trial at Premier League Wigan Athletic and had reportedly impressed Roberto Martinez. The Latics loss is surely our gain. From back to front we now have competition, genuine competition, for places in the squad so if one player loses form we will not have to play another out of position to cover.

3. The youngsters at the club, those of you who witnessed the game against Wolves will know what I mean. Kai Edwards, Rob Pearson, Ed Moss, Jamie Morton, Lee Roberts amongst others are all names to genuinely watch out for and with Saunders coaching and supporting them I am sure most will have a future in the game.

4. The off pitch development to leave Wrexham FC debt free. I am not in to the politics of WST, Dismal Jimmy etc but I am confident that there are enough genuine fans without their own political axe to grind to watch the proceedings and ensure that the club will be left on a sound financial footing with no more Hamilton's in the woodwork.

So I am positive about this season and on a final note delighted to see that our friends from up the road will be competing in the BSP this season. -25 points is one hell of a handicap but at least the real Chester City supporters will have a club to follow, I still remember the gloom and despondancy I felt when travelling up to Blackpool a few years ago wondering if this was the last time I would watch my beloved Wrexham play. We may be non league but at least we have a football team to love, hate, follow, moan about and discuss.

Here's to a great 2009~10, but I do wish we had a 2~3 somewhere in the date as in 92~93 and 02~03 our last two successful promotion campaigns!

Steve

Weymouth Podcast

The Supporters Association podcast is now up at www.wrexhamfan.co.uk featuring Dean Saunders and Kai Edwards.