Football Season Guide

Wrexham came close to promotion last season, making it to the play-offs and it was a season of a real progress but the mood is hardly optimistic in Wales just a week before the start of the season. Off-field issues continue to dog the Dragons and it remains to be seen whether they will be able to start the season as normal if no deal for the sale of the club is concluded very soon. Owner Geoff Moss has been trying to sell the club for quite a while but potential deals with a number of buyers broke off in the 11th hour and Dean Saunders has been forced to work in difficult circumstances for most of last season. The hope was that the Supporters Trust will finally complete a deal for the purchase of the club in the summer but things continued to drag until the point the players refused to play because they have not been paid in the last month and have no insurance. Moss claimed that he has just run out of money but there is little sympathy for him and the fans' wishes are that he lets go of the club as soon as possible. Things are moving on but it was hardly a perfect pre-season for Saunders. He was relishing the chance to lead the time to new heights after the great campaign last season but recruitment has been limited and the squad is not really improved compared to last season. Andy Mangan departed to join up with big-spending Fleetwood while veteran Frank Sinclair and Marvin Andrews moved on but the hope is that Chris Westwood fills the void at the back. Danny Wright and Jake Speight will have to carry the weight up front and Saunders will be eager for them to hit off early. Overall, Wrexham remain a better than average side in this division and have a fighting chance to make it to the play-offs but it all hangs on how quickly the off-field impasse is resolved.