Wrexham Evening Leader

'We've got to get on with it'

06/12/04

Denis SmithDENIS SMITH was today coming to terms with Wrexham going into administration.

The club was put into administrators Steve Williams and David Acland and deducted ten points on Friday - the same day the club was knocked out of the FA Cup at the second round stage at Scunthorpe.

But Smith remains optimistic and says there is still a lot to play for in what will be one of the most important seasons in the club's 132-year-old history.

Smith said: "We've got to accept it might have been a game too far. Three games in six days, all away from home, you've got to say we looked second best on the night.

"People have gone out there and performed for me. I'm not going to have a go at them - I'm not very happy about getting beat but it wasn't the best of days all-round.

"We started the day in mid-table and in the second round of the FA Cup, now we've lost both of them. But there's still the LDV Vans Trophy, still the FAW Premier Cup and to make sure we don't get relegated.

"So there's a lot to play for this season and we intend to have a go at it."

Understandably, Smith is not happy that Wrexham have been deducted ten points but he said they have got to get on with it.

Smith said: "We could have done without it. It's a new rule. The league decided in their wisdom that was the right way to go about it. I don't think it is but I'm only in management.

"We have got to win games. We've got to be mentally tough. I have got a lot of senior players missing who are the mentally tough ones so hopefully they will be back within the next month and all at once you'll see possibly a more physical side and a more mentally strong side."

Friday proved to be one of the worst days in Wrexham's history, losing in the FA Cup and going administration.

Smith admitted off-the-field problems did not help in the build up to playing Scunthorpe.

He said: "It's not the way to prepare for football matches but there's nothing we can do about it.

"It started at quarter to eight the first phone call and it's carried on all the way through. It's not been a pleasant day and I've done a lot of talking.

"I prefer action to talking but you have to talk, people want to know what's going on. I'd like to know what's going on!

"It's not something I'd like to go through to often but hopefully this will be the start of something, not the end of something.

"I haven't been there yet (administration) but it can't be much worse than it's been for the majority of this season. The majority of this season we've not been getting paid on time, I've not been able to bring players in, bills have not been getting paid - so I can't see it getting any worse under administration.

"I could be wrong, we'll have to wait and see."

Smith was disappointed to lose at Scunthorpe but he praised the League Two leaders. Smith added: "We started slowly, had the best first chance, possibly our only chance, then we got going but made a lot of pretty patterns without really testing the goalkeeper. We started well the second half but the second goal's killed us off.

"It looked like a foul on Roberts and I think if you look closely it will be proved to be. Then they are quite happy to sit back and try and catch us on the break.

"I've thrown extra forwards on, so you're opening yourself up and all at once you could be losing more, but you've got to try something. You can't just sit there and let it drift.

"We'll have to find a cutting edge from somewhere. To be honest, even earlier in the season the only place we looked like scoring was set-plays, now we didn't.

"And we looked as though we were struggling a little bit defensively."