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WREXHAM chairman Pryce Griffiths faced a mounting crisis at the club head on today insisting someone had to go.

Griffiths, who is not well, said: “We’ve got to sell someone before anyone can come in. It’s as simple as that. We need cash from the club’s point of view as well as hopefully being able to help the manager.”

Shareholders will be told Wrexham lost £365,000 in the year ending May 31 at their annual meeting on Wednesday. But Griffiths said: “The accounts for the last 12 months are not good – but we’ve had these hiccups before and come through them.”

Griffiths, however, realises manager Denis Smith’s hands are effectively tied behind his back by the chronic cash situation. “I feel sorry for Denis,” he said. “But we were totally honest with him when he came in and, to be fair, Denis is telling the public that in the Evening Leader.

“I admire him for that. He’s not moaning about things, although I’m sure he’s terribly frustrated by it all. I just hope something happens soon so we can help him.”

Smith said today: “I knew the situation when I came in and I’m not going to start bleating about it now. I’ve just got to get on with it - and so have the players. But I’m definitely going to try and sell someone as quickly as I can to try and change things.”

Injured top scorer Craig Faulconbridge is transfer-listed after failing to agree an improved three-year contract. Smith intends chasing Faulconbridge’s agent for up-to-date details on whether he has a club lined up for his client.

Smith is anxious to sell Faulconbridge before he is 24 in April. Faulconbridge can then walk out of Wrexham for nothing under the Bosman ruling that allows out-of-contract players, aged 24 and over, to leave clubs.

Meanwhile, Smith is forced to alternate with young goalkeepers Kristian Rogers and David Walsh as Wrexham strive to climb out of the bottom four.

Smith said: “I suspected we might have a problem with only having two young keepers at the club. But the lads have done their best for me and this club and I can’t fault them for that. The thing is, though, they’re still learning their profession - and it’s a hard one. Neither of them want to make mistakes, no one does. But these things are going to happen and, at this stage, I’ve got to stick with these two and use them.”

Smith derived some hope from Wrexham’s performance at Brentford. “The heart is still beating,” he said. “I thought there was a spirit of attitude out there. The lads stuck to their tasks and I thought they did particularly well in the first-half, despite conceding another silly goal after only five minutes.

"It’s always going to be difficult after you’ve made that sort of start, but we got into our game and did well up to half-time. The first goal, as I say, was another silly one and we just can’t afford to go on giving away goals like that.

“But, as I keep telling you, there’ll be no let-up on my part. I came here to do a job. I knew the situation before I came in and I know it now. I’m not one of life’s quitters. I’ll give this job everything I’ve got – and so will my players.”

Same old story for sorry Reds

by David Lovett, The Evening Leader

WREXHAM and relegation seem indivisible.

Denis Smith, who looks on the bright side of life, pooh-poohs that as nonsense by, as he calls us, the doom and gloom merchants of the media. Wrexham's heart, he insists, is still beating – even if it is on the brink of cardiac arrest.

Smith's clichés are commendable. Never-say-die. . . no surrender, and fight to the death etcetera, etc. But you can't argue with facts and they are:

Cash-strapped Wrexham are third from bottom with only five wins in 23 matches.
They are also five points behind Bury, who are in the survival fifth from bottom position - and Wrexham have played a game more.
There's no money for Smith to strengthen the squad despite the fact Wrexham desperately need an experienced goalkeeper.

That's not being defeatist or pessimistic. It's being realistic. Those are the unbridled facts as it stands today. And if the situation does not change over the next 23 matches one thing is certain - Wrexham will go down.

No one is blaming Smith. He has been left a squad who are both limited in numbers and ability. The goalkeepers he chops and changes are a perfect example. Kristian Rogers and David Walsh are both good, young pros who do their utmost for the club. But they're still on a learning curve and Wrexham can't afford that in the perilous position they are in. Both have cost Wrexham goals and points this season. So have others in front of them. But goalkeeping is such a key position. Outfield players make mistakes and others often repair the damage. When a keeper drops a clanger it's curtains.

Rogers was axed after the 3-1 defeat at Swindon because Smith felt he was to blame for two of the three goals, as indeed he was. Walsh came back but he was dropped for Saturday's game at Brentford because of his performance in the 2-0 home defeat by Bristol City. Rogers returns at Griffin Park and what happens? Boing! Another clanger and Wrexham are a goal down with barely five minutes played. How much longer is this going to go on?

Rogers, no doubt, will feel he wasn't totally to blame for Steve Hunt's opening goal. Brian Carey was left for dead by Lloyd Owusu's pace and, between them, Wrexham's skipper and keeper contrived to gift-wrap a goal for the Bees. It was dreadful defending and not for the first time this season Wrexham were chasing a game when the starting pistol had hardly been fired.

Wrexham, to their credit, did give chase in the first-half. But they conceded two more goals in the second-half and had hothead Lee Trundle sent off with 22 minutes left. End of story.

But Smith was understandably satisfied with weakened Wrexham's first 45 minutes, if not the opening first five. He was without defender Keith Hill, who has had a hernia operation, and the injured Darren Ferguson, Robin Gibson and top scorer Craig Faulconbridge. That's almost a third of the side out, but the replacements and formation Smith went for worked well up to the break.

His 4-3-3 starting line-up included Carey coming back for Hill, with Waynne Phillips also returning in midfield for only his fourth game in yonks. Martyn Chalk and Stephen Thomas completed the midfield trio with Trundle spearheading the attack, with Andy Morrell wide on the right and Michael Blackwood out on the left.

Phillips, as ever, brought endeavour and energy to midfield where Thomas and Chalk also worked hard. Thomas almost got Morrell in on 12 minutes and two minutes later Blackwood did well on the right but Trundle just couldn't connect with his cross. Phillips then powered into the box only for goalkeeper Oli Gottskalksson to smother the ball into the danger area. Rogers had to quick when Owusu again left Carey for dead before Morrell had a shot on target saved by the keeper.

Wrexham were having the better of it and were desperately close to an equaliser on 26 minutes. Shaun Holmes made a good interception in midfield and took off, forcing a fine one-handed stop by Gottskalksson, who was also good enough to block Morrell's effort from the rebound.

Phillips then got caught in possession and the Bees swarmed forward again only for Owusu to fluff a great chance after Ben Burgess had done the spadework. But Owusu threatened again and it took a wonderfully-timed tackle by Steve Roberts to avert the danger.

Morrell crashed an early second-half chance into row z from Blackwood's corner and then Wrexham just felt apart. Burgess made it 2-0 and Ivar Ingimarsson bombed home a third. Five minutes later Trundle elbowed Michael Dobson and was shown a red card by referee Brian Curson. Dobson was draped all over Trundle like a blanket and although he was elbowed gave an Oscar-winning performance after he hit the deck.

Two wins in the last 12 matches must tell some sort of story about what is, or isn't, going on. And Wrexham will ignore that at their peril.

Beanie Dragons now in stock

The Club Shop has just taken delivery of some new Wrex The Dragon Beanie Mascot toys priced at only £5.99. These are sure to be a big favourite with children, as will the Scruffy Bears - complete with their Wrexham AFC jumpers - now in stock and priced at just £12.99.

Other new items in the shop are Club Ties (£10.00), Wall Clocks (£15.99), Alarm Clocks (£13.99) and Chocolate Footballs (£3.00).

Check out the Club's new online shop by clicking HERE.

All orders taken this week will be despatched on the same day, so they should be with you for Christmas - but the earlier you order, the better your chances.

You can also order over the phone by calling the Club Shop on 01978 352536.