Happy Ending for Neil Roberts, But Not Us

It seems Neil Roberts has called time on his playing career to take up an opportunity at Manchester City.

It's a brilliant opportunity for him, and naturally I wish him well. He's a fine man and will suit a role which appears to require decency and common sense as he's well-endowed with both qualities. His decision casts the ludicrous decision of Brian Little to release him into an even starker light, though.

Little called time on his career in the pyramid when there was plenty more for him to offer. I remember Roberts saying, as our relegation season drew to a conclusion, that he wanted to stay on and fight our cause in the Conference and I was delighted that, although we were likely to lose players, our best performer would make the drop with us. Incredibly, Little didn't see it that way.

There's no slight towards Rhyl ntended-I've developed a soft spot for them and it's good to see them making a strong start to the season when some of the players who took them to the title last year are gone. However, it would be interesting to see if Roberts would decide to stop playing if he received this offer while he was still playing for his hometown club.

We'll never know the answer, of course, although I can't deny that, as I look at a Wrexham midfield which is crying out for someone to take control in the centre of the pitch, I can't help wondering how things might have turned out if our player of the season hadn't been immediately jettisoned by a manager whose reasoning was, to put it mildly, flawed.

I can only wish Little's new club, Gainsborough Trinity, the best of luck. They'll need it!

I Can't Help Looking Back!

Having watched us look rather thin on options up front yesterday, I didn't need to see Neil Roberts' performance for Rhyl on Sgorio when I got in!

He scored two early goals and was ludicrously unfortunate not to get a first half hat trick whe a shot from the edge of the box hit the left post, span across the face of goal and went narrowly wide of the other!

He hit the post again in the second half and the keeper fumbled another long ranger but managed to get back and grab it before it crossed the line.

I've never argued he should have been kept as a striker, although I've constantly said he should have been retained as a midfielder, but bearing in mind how little bite up front we had in the absence of Marc Williams yesterday, I might revise that opinion.

I'm not a Louis-basher; in fact I was very surprised he was taken off yesterday as I thought he was giving the Ebbslfeet defenders something to think about. However I'd say Jon Brown, who I think you can argue is one of the most effective players in the Conference, is more dangerous on the right than through the middle from what evidence I've seen so far. With Patrick Suffo admitting he still only has about an hour in him and Michael Proctor clearly not on Dean Saunders' radar, we need another striker. Once more Brian Little's remarkable decision to jetison Roberts looks ludicrous.

New Dragon Talk Podcast

There's a new Dragon Talk up at www.wrexhamfan.co.uk, a special report on Rhyl with Neil Roberts talking about life under Brian Little, Josh Johnson on his call-up by Trinidad and Danny Williams on going part-time.

Johnson Gets a Call-up

And there's more! Josh Johnson has had his first call-up to the full Trinidad squad! Going to Rhyl looks to have really done something for him; wonder if he's one who we ought to have held onto? With Neil Roberts, Danny Williams and Jamie Reed at Belle Vue too, there might be a few on the coast who feel that way.

Mind you, if they win their games in hand they'll be top of the league, so maybe they're having a gratifying time anyway.

With Gareth Owen, James Kelly, George Horan and Jamie Digwood already there (and no doubt many more I've forgotten!) it's more familiar to Wrexham fans than the current set-up!