Exclusive

Rumours that Brian Barwick has approached Nev Dickens for permission to speak to Brian Carey are, I believe, erroneous.

In The Cold Light Of Day

As the dust settles on yesterday's derby I wonder if Brian Little will re-evaluate his squad now he's seen them in action away from the training pitch.

3-5-2 how he felt he'd get the best out of them from what he'd seen at Colliers Park but the way we clawed cotrol of the game away from a good Chester side once we switched to 4-4-2 much have given him pause for thought.

The Little revilution might become something of an evolution.

Wrexham 2 Chester City 2

Click on the title to hear the podcast of the Chester derby, featuring Brian Little, Michael Proctor, Wes Baynes and Neil Taylor.

Little's First Report Card

We were all bound to try to judge Brian Little following his first game in charge. I think it's fair to say he passed scrutiny. The drastic changes he made to the side showed that he isn't one to toe a conservative line, and that sort of approach can backfire horribly. Remember last Wednesday? Steve McClaren was bold in his selection for the match against Croatia, and look where it got him. However, Little was more astute, his rejig of the side born of a measured boldness rather than being the hopeful actions of a desperate man. While McClaren's England careered towards oblivion, we took a first baby step towards survival today, I think.

There are still flaws, and we faded worryingly out of the game for a quarter of an hour after our initial bluster wore out at the start of the second half. However, Little got the team working for him, and the reformed line-up looked a lot better than we have done for some time.

It was a more high tempo style than we've been used to, although maybe we shouldn't rush to judgement on that front until we've seen Little's side perform in a game which doesn't also happen to be a derby.

If that is the road we're going down, though, it might just address what many feel is one of the main reasons for our demise. We tried to continue playing patient football through midfield last season after Darren Ferguson had gone, and the loss of a playmaker hit us hard, although I admit I didn't notice it so much at the time as Ferguson's talents had waned with time.

Watching us pound hopeful long balls to short strikers this season has illustrated how much we'd missed a midfield creator though, and today we addressed the issue in two interesting ways.

Firstly, we carried the ball through the centre of the field rather than pinging it long, with Sam Aiston most impressive. He's technically good, and holds the ball well. Sometimes he looked like he was running into a cul-de-sac, but he only started to lose the ball in the closing stages when he was naturally tiring.

Secondly, we found a playmaker of sorts in the most surprising of places. Brian Little showed a great eye for a player in putting Neil Roberts in midfield. It was a remarkable thing to do, and it worked beautifully. Not only did Roberts fight with typical commitment, but some of his passing was exemplary, not least his assist for Proctor's first goal. He's no Darren Ferguson, but then I suspect Ferguson might well have been swamped in the pace of that match.

So Little's redeployment of Neil Roberts worked a treat. So did the promotion of Wes Baynes, who had an excellent debut, and his recall of players like Proctor, Taylor and Pejic, who had all fallen out of favour under Carey, but all made big contributions. With his sole signing Aiston also doing well, Little got most things right with his selections.

He was sharp tactically too. In that spell I mentioned earlier when Chester got a grip of midfield he responded by switching from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2. The result? We regained out equilibrium, equalised and nearly won it.

However, perhaps the greatest impact Little might have made was in the players heads. When did we last fighting back from going behind twice in a game? The players have been used to things going wrong this season, and their usual response has been capitulation. Not so today. To fight back from a thunderbolt after making a good start, then to fight back from a goal in the 50th minute of the first half, the worst time to concede according to the pundits, was not what we've been doing over the last year or so.

Of course these are early days for Little, but it was a debut which will bring hope against a decent Chester side. Three away games now follow, all winnable, which might just go a long way to shaping our season. If we can play like we did today in all three, we should be in more optimistic mood by the time we return to The Racecourse.

Is Sam The Man?

A manager's early actions are often put under disproportionate scrutiny, as we try to jump to early conclusions, so naturally his first signing is an interesting one.

Sam Aiston has a good pedigree; Shrewsbury's fans are posting tributes to his efforts on the Red Passion messageboards and I recall him being considered a class act during his loan spells at Chester. Little knows him and must feel he has something to contribute.

On the other hand, he has a history of being prone to injury, is surplus to requirements at Northampton and has been on loan in the Conference this season. How match fit he is is another question we'll probably see answered on Sunday, although media reports that he hasn't played for The Cobblers this season are exaggerated; he has come on as sub twice for them in the last week.

My gut feeling is that if Little knows him he's not gambling. Let's hope so.

What Next?

It's hard to know what to expect on Sunday.

It's a new beginning, a fresh start, a chance for a new boss to bring the side to life. I hope! Our squad is surely good enough to be up at the right end of the table, and if Little can make the sort of impact you hope a new manager can make, we should be able to see immediate and dramatic results.

I've never seen a side look so demoralised. Can you really point out a player who is doing himself justice at the moment, apart from teenagers like Done and Taylor who are naturally going to be a bit erratic anyway?

If Little can reignite the players' self-belief, we could see a dramatic improvement. Let's hope he can.

No surprise there then

Are England the jammiest team ever or what?

There's Nothing To Fear!

I took advantage of Wrexham having no game today to go and spy on Chester. I must admit that I approached the ground with a sense of trepidation, as I feared I would see a side which was much better than us. I did, but it was MK Dons.

Chester lost for the third game in a row, so we go into next week's match as the form team!

To be fair to Chester, if I must, you could see why they've had a good start to the season. They're a well organised side who all know their roles in a rigid 4-4-2. However, they were outclassed by an MK Dons side who are the best side I've seen in League Two this season by some distance. Chester will be hoping for a play-off spot at the end of the season, I suspect, rather than sustaining a push for the top three.

City started well, mind. At the start of the game they played the game at the high tempo which suits them and put the Dons under a lot of pressure. They looked to get the ball out early to the wide men, and Kevin Ellison and Richie Partridge are both players who will cause problems at this level. However, today they didn't show much of that pedigree, especially the ineffective Partridge.

Bobby Williamson said before the game that they lost at Bradford City last Saturday because they ran out of ideas, and they spent a lot of time in training last week working on that. Unfortunately for him, they ran out of ideas after just fifteen minutes today! As the pace of their good start petered out they began to be outmanoevred by a side who passed and moved impressively. City's midfield were full of industry but they lacked creativity, and suddenly they were chasing shadows as the game was being played on the visitors' terms.

They did manage to rouse themselves at the start of the second half, with the two wide men swapping flanks, a move which certainly suited Ellison, who began to cut inside and show some threat. They were already a goal down by then though-they'd been lucky to go in without having conceded more-and when they missed a couple of chances after the break you felt they would pay the price. They did. MK Dons scored on the break and despite missing a penalty-a lame effort by substitute Simon Yeo-they never threatened to get back into it.

Keeper Jon Danby looked shaky too, and his kicking under pressure was suspect.

So what to make of it? I often go to see teams before they play us, and until recently I'd have looked at today's performance and thought we had a good chance. The problem is, the way we've been playing lately, I can't feel the same way.

So let's put it this way: if Brian Little can make a difference, Chester aren't anything remarkable, and we can win it. If he can't, their much bigger midfield will eventually overwhelm ours, and in the second half we'll lose the game, like we did against Shrewsbury. And Hereford. And Rotherham. And Barnet.

Little Big Man

The last time Brian Little was in charge of a match at The Racecourse he walked away a 5-1 winner. You can’t argue with that, and someone who can put results on the table’s exactly what we need. Having existed for a few years now on the thought that when things turn our way we should pick up, it’s time for some hard-nosed realism.

I’ve got a good feeling about Little’s appointment. He has a genuine pedigree in the higher divisions as well as experience in the lower reaches, and is known to be an organiser. Of course, I could be wrong. Sometimes apparently perfect marriages still fall apart. Jose Mourinho and Chelsea. Graeme Souness and Liverpool. Even Chanelle and Ziggy! However, on paper the board have delivered exactly what they promised; an experienced hand at the rudder, and the postponement of Saturday’s game means he has a week at Collier’s Park to put his imprimature on the squad and possibly bring in some fresh blood.

Little inherits a decent squad from Brian Carey, which should give him plenty to work with. Carey had a decent eye for a player, I feel. Michael Proctor, Anthony Williams and Jeff Whitley contributed hugely to our survival last season, Richard Hope and Eifion Williams have good pedigrees in the lower leagues, and there was even logic behind the arrival of well-touted failures like John Ruddy and Cherno Samba, who clearly had ability but failed to live up to their billing.

It hasn’t been a lack of quality which has been our downfall this season, but a spectacular drain of the squad’s confidence due to the cumulative effect of finding new and exotic ways to lose matches week in, week out.

That’s where Little will hopefully make an immediate impact. The bounce teams experience when a new manager is appointed is a well-worn cliché in football, and like all clichés there’s a basis of truth to it. Under Little the squad can look to make a fresh start and the opportunity for a new man to re-evaluate the players could provide a kickstart. Carey was an inside appointment so his opinions had already been formed on the players he inherited; it might be good for them to have a new man to impress.

I realised that I wanted Little to get the job last Friday. Plenty of names had been circulating, and I had a hunch that Little was the man we would go for. However, on Friday my mobile went crazy and sent old texts to all and sundry. As a result, my Dad thought John Aldridge had been appointed and replied to that effect. When I read his text, assuming he’d heard something I hadn’t, my heart sunk and I realised how much I thought Little was the man for the job. No offence to John Aldridge as it could have been worse; at least he’s not Mark Wright!

So Little arrives with a reputation to live up to and a terrific burden, holding as he does our Football League future in his hands. He sounds like the right man for the job, but now we need to see that he is. We need him to be good; hoping he’ll succeed just isn’t an option.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooops

I learned at the weekend that people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

One of my favourite moments last season was in a game between Darlington and Bury. A Darlo player crosses the ball into the goalmouth and, in trying to hook the ball over his shoulder to safety, a defender slams it into his own face so hard it bounces into the net. It was an instant blooper DVD classic, but we set the bar a notch higher on Saturday!

The moment Richard Hope and Anthony Williams ran into each other I knew we'd get onto “Match of the Day” that night! Seven intervening hours having anaesthetised the impact of the incident somewhat, I could only smile as Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer mocked us.

However, the next night the BBC did some research and dug out Silvio Spann's howler too! Spann's slip as he took a corner, spooning the ball into the away end, surely set a new standard; we'd provided two classic foul-ups in one match! Danny Baker must rue leaving the gaffe compilation DVD market too soon! Didn't he know we were about to give the genre a much needed shot in the arm?

Nothing's new in football though. My favourite howler was a Darren Wright own goal at Crewe, where he bent the ball past a stranded Mike Salmon into the top corner. That is until we signed the true master of disaster: goalkeeper Vince O'Keefe.

His greatest moment came at Mansfield. We had a free kick on the edge of our own area, a situation which you'd think even O'Keefe could negotiate safely. However, as Phil Hardy tapped the ball to him, O'Keefe decided to look away, the ball went through his legs and a striker walked the ball into the empty net!

That one made it onto the comedy DVDs. A less celebrated but more bizarre incident occurred in a home game against Hereford. A Wrexham attack broke down and the ball was booted up the pitch. There were no outfield players in Wrexham's half as the ball trickled towards O'Keefe, who waited for it on the edge of the area. Again, an innocuous situation, but with O'Keefe danger was always just around the corner! Presumably bored of waiting for the ball to arrive, or misguidedly thinking he was helping the game to flow, he stepped out of the box, picked the ball up, and stepped back into the area! Fantastically, he was filled with indignation when the referee had the temerity to blow for handball!

There were many other classics in his repertoire. I recall him punching a cross into his own net with terrific gusto at Wigan, and scoring a superb own goal against Cambridge: United packed the near post for a corner but overhit the flag-kick. However, O'Keefe caught the ball to his chest, staggered and slowly fell backwards into his own net, all the time clutching it ball tightly as if it were a baby!

At least we haven't hit those depths. Yet.

Deja Vu

I'm just looking down on the pitch-Kevin Russell warming the strikers up, Andy Dibble preparing Darren Ferguson's keepers. It's us in a parallel universe!

The Admirable Carey

This might sound a bit odd. I found Brian Carey’s press conference after the Wycombe game moving.


What struck me was the dignity of the man. Try to put yourself in his shoes. He has just been removed from his position. How would you feel rolling in to do your job in the morning if you had just been demoted?


Furthermore, this was a very public matter. Everyone with an interest in football knows what has happened, and you will have to face questions about it afterwards. The manner in which he faced these questions impressed me.


As he perched himself on the edge of his desk to answer questions, starting off with a witty comment which put a tense press corps at ease, I was struck by two key facets of his personality.


The first one was his dignity. I’ve used that word before to describe the man; it springs into my mind when discussing him. He has never, even in the most trying times, let his demeanour slip. He’s clearly been churning inside sometimes, but that never changed his behaviour.


The second is a remarkable lack of ego. Life in general and football in particular is heavily peopled with preening peacocks, desperate to brag about the tiniest achievement, always looking to bow their own trumpet. Their appearance to others, their standing amongst their peers, their desire to scramble ahead of the rest, is everything.


It’s a rare pleasure to find a man who doesn’t conform to these standards, but as a relaxed Carey explained his position I realised that he is one of those people. He has said from the outset that his first priority is Wrexham Football Club, and his behaviour over the last few days has shown exactly that. Would you accept a demotion for the good of your employer?


The other thing to come out of this situation as the dust settles is a surprising one. It seems the board might have pulled off a very clever piece of management! In finding an original solution to the problems on the pitch they might manage to hold onto two men whose talents are clearly crucial to the future of the club, albeit in a different capacity.


Rich, my co-commentator, has long suggested that Carey has the potential to be a fine manager in the future, but that he was appointed too soon. If the board’s approach works we might be able to benefit from his maturation.


Of course, Carey was right to point out on Wednesday that nothing is sorted yet. We don’t know who is coming in, and he might decide to bring in his own backroom staff. What will the board would do if their chosen man says he’ll only do the job if the previous manager is not around, looking over his shoulder? I hope it doesn’t come to that, because I suspect it just won’t be a problem. The lack of ego that Carey has shown proves that he’s a big enough man to put service to the club first.

The Admirable Carey

This might sound a bit odd. I found Brian Carey’s press conference after the Wycombe game moving.

What struck me was the dignity of the man. Try to put yourself in his shoes. He has just been removed from his position. How would you feel rolling in to do your job in the morning if you had just been demoted?

Furthermore, this was a very public matter. Everyone with an interest in football knows what has happened, and you will have to face questions about it afterwards. The manner in which he faced these questions impressed me.

As he perched himself on the edge of his desk to answer questions, starting off with a witty comment which put a tense press corps at ease, I was struck by two key facets of his personality.

The first one was his dignity. I’ve used that word before to describe the man; it springs into my mind when discussing him. He has never, even in the most trying times, let his demeanour slip. He’s clearly been churning inside sometimes, but that never changed his behaviour.

The second is a remarkable lack of ego. Life in general and football in particular is heavily peopled with preening peacocks, desperate to brag about the tiniest achievement, always looking to bow their own trumpet. Their appearance to others, their standing amongst their peers, their desire to scramble ahead of the rest, is everything.

It’s a rare pleasure to find a man who doesn’t conform to these standards, but as a relaxed Carey explained his position I realised that he is one of those people. He has said from the outset that his first priority is Wrexham Football Club, and his behaviour over the last few days has shown exactly that. Would you accept a demotion for the good of your employer?

The other thing to come out of this situation as the dust settles is a surprising one. It seems the board might have pulled off a very clever piece of management! In finding an original solution to the problems on the pitch they might manage to hold onto two men whose talents are clearly crucial to the future of the club, albeit in a different capacity.

Rich, my co-commentator, has long suggested that Carey has the potential to be a fine manager in the future, but that he was appointed too soon. If the board’s approach works we might be able to benefit from his maturation.

Of course, Carey was right to point out on Wednesday that nothing is sorted yet. We don’t know who is coming in, and he might decide to bring in his own backroom staff. What will the board would do if their chosen man says he’ll only do the job if the previous manager is not around, looking over his shoulder? I hope it doesn’t come to that, because I suspect it just won’t be a problem. The lack of ego that Carey has shown proves that he’s a big enough man to put service to the club first.

Progress of Sorts!

Yesterday was definitely a step in the right direction. For once everything that could go wrong didn't go wrong! Okay, considering the way our season has been going the missed penalty did have a certain inevitability about it, but Anthony Williams' two iojury time saves broke a pattern. For us to batter a side and not concede the winner when they manage their only real effort on goal in injury time's a real step forward! Maybe the cruel god of irony has finally left us alone!