Wrexham Evening Leader

It won't happen overnight

Richard Williams
By Richard Williams, Evening Leader

13/12/04

Dens SmithWREXHAM manager Denis Smith doesn't expect a quick sale of the club.

Smith believes that despite a number of interested people rumoured to be in talks with current owner Alex Hamilton, a sale - if there is one -could be months away.

Smith said: "I think you're talking a couple of months at the earliest. It's not a straight forward thing. There is two lumps to buy, the ground which is in one company and the club, which is in another company.

"The administrators are only really there for the club, not the ground. We need to put the two together for the club to have a future.

"I think there is a lot of hard negotiating to be done by whoever. Everybody seems to think they know who it is. I am not 100 per cent certain how far away from a sale.

"I think that's realistic (two months). By the end of January hopefully the deals, who ever it is, could be put together. But these things don't happen overnight.

"As much as people would like them to happen over night, it isn't going to. First and foremost they have got to do a deal with Mr Hamilton to get the ground back into the club."

Turning his attention to the football side of things, Smith was disappointed with his side's defending in the 3-0 defeat at fellow League One strugglers MK Dons on Saturday.

He said: "Normally we're tight at the back so if we miss the chances, which we usually do, then we're still in the game. To let three goals in is extremely disappointing.

"Although we had a lot of play and created chances which we haven't put away, the goals that they've scored is the things that I will be concentrating on because I can't be happy with that. They stuck their chances away but the defending left a lot to be desired."

Smith is also worried about the lack of goals scored at the other end and says Wrexham have got to be as much of a threat down the right flank and they are through Andy Holt on the left, though he was not criticising Simon Spender.

Spender is currently filling the right-wing back position as injuries have rules out Carlos Edwards and Dean Bennett, and Smith said: "Andy Holt looks more liable to score than anybody which is worrying. We need goals from more areas.

Even from set-plays, we're not putting those chances away either.

"Normally we can get something off set-plays if nothing else because the centre-backs usually come up with something but they've not been doing that of late. So all at once we're looking at one player, Andy Holt, to score goals.

"I need a threat from the other side and that's no disrespect to young Spender. But when I've got Carlos there, or Dean Bennett, I'm liable to score goals from the right and the left. At the moment it looks as though we might only score from the left.

"I need that threat back and a bit of physical presence in the midfield and at the back. Bring in Darren Ferguson with his creativity and all at once you're looking a different side."

Wrexham have dropped to second from bottom, still four points away from safety.

Smith is looking forward to his injured players returning and hopefully the club winning their appeal against the ten point deduction incurred because they went into administration.

Smith added: "As I said to Danny afterwards, we've both got a lot of hard work to do.

"What I need back is hopefully ten points and about seven or eight players and that will make the difference. I started with two YTS lads and they haven't let me down, they've done a decent job.

"But then I am bringing two lads off the bench who I know are injured, and then you're thinking, this isn't how you should run a football club. Unfortunately, that's the situation we are in because of injuries but it's something you've got to live with. But I still don't expect to get beat 3-0 by a team who as yet is not ready to beat teams 3-0."

Wilson said: "I've got respect for Denis. The players as well are going through a very tough time but Denis is handling it with fantastic dignity.

"Overall, Denis will come out of this with flying colours, that's for sure. All the stuff that is going on has basically been out of his hands. He's handled it very well.

"The players seem to be the ones who suffer, they've had ten points taken off them for no fault of their own. You just hope someone will come in and get a bit of stability again."

Smith, who was struggling with flu-like symptoms this morning is due to speak to fans at a Wrexham Supporters' Trust meeting at The Miners in Wrexham tonight. Directors Dave Bennett and David Griffiths are also attending the meeting that kicks off at 8pm.