Things can spiral quickly out of control. Even when you feel that you know the best course of action, circumstances can change dramatically. Bryan Hughes discovered that to his cost on Wednesday. As is often the case in these situations, Hughes has been a victim of both misfortune and his own mistakes. The bank holiday defeat at Hartlepool encapsulates perfectly both elements of his downfall. … Continue reading Bryan Hughes’ Fatal Spiral
Who would have thought Brian Flynn would return to the Wrexham bench (or his seat in the directors’ box, I suppose!) Being a caretaker manager is a complicated affair. Is he just keeping the seat warm for the next incumbent, or will he try something different? It’s hard, in a way, to define what “something different” is at the moment as we’ve used four distinct … Continue reading Will Brian Flynn Turn The Clock Back?
Will it still be three at the back? Whether Tuesday’s change of formation was a success is a matter of opinion. On the one hand, it was two goalkeeping errors which led to us losing at Fylde, not the formation. On the other hand, we were badly exposed when the home side changed their formation at half time, and were overrun for the last half … Continue reading 5 Questions Before Wrexham AFC v Ebbsfleet United
Bryan Hughes departed this week, amidst unprecedented vitriol from portions of Wrexham’s support. Is there a balance to be struck when appraising his work at the club? Download the Final Whistle podcast after each game to hear the most in-detail analysis of Wrexham’s games. It’s available from all the usual podcast sources, including Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify, Stitcher and Acast. Continue reading PODCAST | Finding Balance on Bryan Hughes
I wasn’t looking forward to next Saturday. If the atmosphere was ugly a fortnight ago, what would it have been like against Ebbsfleet, having lost twice against sides that leap-frogged us to get out of the bottom four, leaving us in the relegation mire in the process? Both defeats were galling too: at Aldershot we missed chances and conceded in the 94th minute, having collapsed … Continue reading The 2 Games That Sealed Bryan Hughes’ Fate
Bryan Hughes’ short spell as Wrexham manager is over, and it was a short spell. That’s not unusual since we’ve dropped into the National League though. Hughes was the 32nd Wrexham manager and his spell in the Racecourse hot seat is the fifth shortest. Billy Morris had two spells in charge, so only three men have been Wrexham boss for a shorter length of time. … Continue reading Bryan Hughes In Context
What happens if we lose? It’s the fundamental question of the night. Defeat would surely mean an horrendous atmosphere next Saturday would be inevitable if the status quo remained. The club wanted to do the right thing by backing Hughes last week, but circumstances are in danger of spiralling out of control. Will Lawlor return? With the side leaking goals, and Jake Lawlor finally available … Continue reading 5 Questions Before AFC Fylde v Wrexham AFC
I didn’t enjoy last Saturday’s match, but the team’s performance wasn’t the reason. We weren’t great, but neither were we as awful as the reaction of the fans, both in the ground and on social media, would suggest. Apart from a first half period either side of a goalmouth scramble where Sutton claimed the ball had crossed the line, we were the better side, although … Continue reading Enough Is Enough
Does Oswell Start? Jason Oswell wasn’t fit enough to start last Saturday, but surely he’ll return up front tomorrow. When he came off the bench against Sutton United, he brought focus to our attack, holding the ball up well and battling in the air. We have a second line which is full of movement, and playing off Oswell ought to bring them into the game … Continue reading 5 Questions Before Aldershot Town v Wrexham AFC
Last Saturday’s game against Ayr United was, inevitably, an odd affair, but surprisingly enjoyable nonetheless. It might turn out to be much more significant than you’d expect, too, if it leads to the definitive ditching of our three-at-the-back experiment. In my first column of the season I admitted that I wasn’t keen on the 3-4-2-1 formation we trialed extensively throughout pre-season, and watching us start … Continue reading Let’s Drop Three At The Back And Move On
Who’s our Number 9? The answer to this depends on injuries to a large extent, of course. Working on the assumption that this is too early for JJ Hooper, Jason Oswell is surely first in line. If he’s not fit, and Leighton McIntosh isn’t either, it boils down to Bobby Grant or Mark Harris. Harris played through the middle for the Wales Under-21s last week, … Continue reading 5 Questions Before Wrexham AFC v Sutton United
I misled everyone before the game on Tuesday, but my enthusiasm in announcing the wrong thing was indicative of how much I wanted it to happen. Upon seeing the team sheet, I noted that Akil Wright had replaced Devonte Redmond and leapt to the incorrect conclusion that we’d switched from 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3, with Wright anchoring the midfield. It was about five minutes into the … Continue reading Withdrawn Roles
How will we respond to Hartlepool? The performance at Victoria Park wasn’t good. However, neither was bad enough to trigger the sort of online backlash which followed it. Teams lose games; teams that make six changes from their strongest eleven usually lose games. Outcomes like that need to spark a reaction though, and Bryan Hughes is confident his players will deliver in the hot atmosphere … Continue reading 5 Questions Before Wrexham AFC – Stockport County
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