Where did it all go wrong?

[RED2309]

Originally Posted by TWREX

We are a defensive team incapable of attack with any pace .

This is spot on.

[blackbrookred]

Originally Posted by davewilli

It's irrelevant now as it is history and all beyond anyone's control, we just need to move on but I disagree. We didnt kick on after January but bringing in Quiggley, Deverdics, Franks and Raven (all with decent reputations) to bolster the sqyad should have oushed us on. We were extremeley well placed though when Keates left and we may have finally kicked on but eitger way we would have walked into the play offs but for whatever reason the wheels cam off.

They should have pushed us on but didn't. Therefore recruitment was an issue. Raven I agree has been a decent addition but the rest including Quigley recently, have not performed. I don't think Hartlepool fans were too disappointed to see Deverdics or Franks go. Harrogate must be laughing at us for signing Ainge. Of course hindsight is a wonderful thing.
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[draig arian]

Originally Posted by dixienormous

At the start. You can't just have two decent centre halves and expect to do much, because that's all we have really isnt it?

This says it all in 2 lines. Wrexham's ' goals for ' 49 ', the 18th worst in our league. Why?... Keates too thick to realize a basic footballing fact, that ' goals win matches '.

[Chief]

The problem is we do not appoint a decent manager and give him money to spend. It seems that we always go for the cheapest option and get exactly what we deserve - nothing. Pay peanuts and get monkeys. False economy. We have done this now for 11 years, with the help of 10 managers. No continuity of mangers or players.

Of course the problem is the lack of money. Unfortunately, we don't have as much as numerous current and past teams have had in our league. Yes we get good gates but it's not enough. Other, richer teams rely on smaller revenue from crowds but income from sponsorship or good financial backing. Take Salford for one. Main sponsor, Sky Sports - Owners Butt, Neville, Neville, Scholes and Giggs. Huge financial clout and I expect Salford to go up again. We cannot compete with the likes of that.

We need a 'sugar-daddy'. Steve Morgan would have been good. A local business owner (Redrow), who chose to fund Wolves and look at them!!

I'm sorry to say, IMO we will go nowhere without money.

[the_holt_dragon]

Originally Posted by Chief

The problem is we do not appoint a decent manager and give him money to spend. It seems that we always go for the cheapest option and get exactly what we deserve - nothing. Pay peanuts and get monkeys. False economy. We have done this now for 11 years, with the help of 10 managers. No continuity of mangers or players.

Of course the problem is the lack of money. Unfortunately, we don't have as much as numerous current and past teams have had in our league. Yes we get good gates but it's not enough. Other, richer teams rely on smaller revenue from crowds but income from sponsorship or good financial backing. Take Salford for one. Main sponsor, Sky Sports - Owners Butt, Neville, Neville, Scholes and Giggs. Huge financial clout and I expect Salford to go up again. We cannot compete with the likes of that.

We need a 'sugar-daddy'. Steve Morgan would have been good. A local business owner (Redrow), who chose to fund Wolves and look at them!!

I'm sorry to say, IMO we will go nowhere without money.

What do you define as a decent manager? I think throwing money at a manager is madness untill someone shows me research that a teams performance improves proportional to the managers salary.

I think the money excuse is getting old. The left likes of Macc, Accrington and Shrewsbury are successful without heavy spending. Our Budget is competitive. I suspect Boden is one of the best paid players and that is us wasting our Budget.

[Prodigal Dragon]

Originally Posted by Sandgrounder

Agree with this.

For me, Keates has been the butt of some unfair criticism (which isn't to say he was blameless).

Keates IMO saw the job as a 2 year project and his aim this season was to make us difficult to beat. He did that and, in any other season with some decent teams in the league, we would have finished upper mid table and probably we would all have been happy with the progress from the Mills era.

The problem for Keates was that the standard in the league has been exceptionally weak this season and he was very slow to realise this and adjust accordingly (or too stubborn to change his plan, perhaps?). Striker recruitment was below average in the summer as Boden and Holroyd as the main strikers weren't complementary to each other. Recruitment in Jan was just horrific and Keates does have to cop for an awful lot of blame there.

At the end of the day, though, he was an L plate manager and he was always going to make mistakes: the job really can 't be as easy as fans would like to think. He'll have learned a lot from this experience, assuming he can hang on to the job at Walsall, but the kicker for us is that it's Wrexham that's paying the price.

I had wanted Keates as manager and thought he did well last season when succeeding the inept Mills to prevent any slip into a relegation scrap. However, after that I think he got lucky with the Smith/Pearson partnership but the rest of his signings ranged from average (Kelly) to poor (Hurst), to desperate and bizarre (Deverdics, Franks and Ainge).

As you correctly identify, when we realised it wasn't working - yet the poor standard of the league left a wide open goal - we failed to adapt. Yes, we conceded the fewest goals - different to necessarily having the best defence - but our midfield had no creativity or pace, and the 2 main forwards have been mostly uninspiring. Miller looked a good prospect, and Quigley would have been better if he hadn't been carrying an injury and had better support.

The stats all suggest this has been an improvement over last season but, when you analyse it more closely, there is little scope to kick on even if we brought in the minimum number of good replacements. We are lumbered with Jennings, Roberts, Wright and Leo Smith for another season, with non being good enough to ensure promotion. Talk of Rutherford being the most improved player sums up just how poor we actually are.

Keates' departure was, IMHO, an unexpected and unwanted glitch but one that will, I am sure, prove to be beneficial in the long run. Yes, he probably would have gotten this squad into the POs, but are they good enough for promotion? I would say categorically not.

Looking forward, the Board have created a void by choosing not to appoint a new manager asap, but they clearly thought AD and CD could also ensure we got into the POs - I thought this difficult, but our total collapse over these last 9 games asks big questions about the mental toughness of our squad, which goes way beyond their limited technical ability. Essentially, they failed to respond in most games and couldn't compete against some fairly mediocre teams.

I haven't a Scooby who the new manager will be, and think RP a poor judge, with rumour and silly comments rife. Just hope the Board get this one right, but whilst appointing a successful manager is not as big a lottery as the Euromillions, it does require Lady Luck to look on favourably. After 11 seasons in the conference hell-hole, even my patience is beginning to wear very thin!

[standman]

Originally Posted by Prodigal Dragon

I had wanted Keates as manager and thought he did well last season when succeeding the inept Mills to prevent any slip into a relegation scrap. However, after that I think he got lucky with the Smith/Pearson partnership but the rest of his signings ranged from average (Kelly) to poor (Hurst), to desperate and bizarre (Deverdics, Franks and Ainge).:

I am being told Keates has a list of six players he approached the board with for January and how much each was going to cost and was told he could not have any of them, that should explain Franks and Ainge. Deverdics I’m still unsure until I see him have a run in the central position that is claimed his best. But may explain why Keates jumped ship so easily so close to the end of the season as he knew he had an impossible task and it was never going to get any better.

[Prodigal Dragon]

Originally Posted by standman

I am being told Keates has a list of six players he approached the board with for January and how much each was going to cost and was told he could not have any of them, that should explain Franks and Ainge. Deverdics I’m still unsure until I see him have a run in the central position that is claimed his best. But may explain why Keates jumped ship so easily so close to the end of the season as he knew he had an impossible task and it was never going to get any better.

Don't know the details but the Board should give the manager a goal and a budget. It's then up to him to bring in some added value. If he had used the money wisely we might have got one, good midfielder; that might have made a big difference. Instead, he simply wasted what he had available.

[Corner Flag]

Originally Posted by redman2014

Now that the dust has settled on a disappointing campaign, I guess that the post-mortem will begin.

Clearly Dean Keates leaving in March was a huge blow and then led to a massive slump.

For me the title was gone and play offs looked a certanty. I couldn't believe that Wrexham did not appoint a man who could pick up one of the strongest defenses in the league and consolidate a position within the play offs. As history shows, they can be a lottery and anything can and does happen. I fancy Aldershot to make the final. Time will only tell.

In my opinion, Macclesfield looked title contenders as far back as August when they arrived at the Racecourse and took the three points with a hard fought victory.

I know Keates leaving was a huge blow. Failing to beat Woking and Bromley after that set the tone. I know Wrexham beat Maidstone in between but these were important points where the town lost momentum.

Much has been written and said about his departure and the impact. I believe it was a defining moment and the slump will be talked about for many years.

That said, I can't help but think of the return game with Macclesfield, on a very wintry Moss Rose lunchtime in December, live on BT sport. Wrexham should have made a statement of intent.That day they gave a lack luster performance showing the lack of creativity and attacking flair. To put it simply, Macclesfield showed the qualities that would lead them to be crowed champions.

The final standings tell us everything. More draws than anyone else, 49 goals for - the lowest amongst the top 10. In fact only 5 more than the bottom placed team Guiseley.

Clearly, questionable officiating was an issue. I know there was some bad performances at the Racecourse. The shambolic performance in the away game at Maidstone in September with Sam Allison showed why Wrexham have to get out of this league as quick as possible.

The answers...well obviously to score more than the opposition. The real question for the board is to try to emulate Macclesfield. For me this campaign showed how a team led by a very clever tactician and astute man like Askey is what Wrexham need.

I am sure we will dust ourselves down and lick our wounds. I dont believe that this club is happy with mediocrity. A loyal and supportive fan base will help the club get out of this league. The next managerial appointment is crucial.

It started going wrong the day we appointed Keates IMO