Football Season Guide

Wrexham suffered another narrow miss in the chase of promotion last season and now have the tough task of coming back stronger and actually going all the way to promotion. They were hard done by their 2:0 loss in the play-off final to Welsh rivals Newport County having been the better side but Andy Morrell would have been more disappointed with the fact that his side failed to wrap up the league title and automatic promotion having been in the forefront for a long time. He will seek more maturity and street wiseness from his men this time around as they need to maintain their high standards for the whole campaign. And while Wrexham will surely be among the contenders for at least a play-off spot, there is a feeling that the peak of this team has passed and they will struggle to match the feats of the last two very impressive campaigns. They lost a vital striker like Danny Wright to a direct promotion rival in the summer while the lack of defensive options is concerning after both Chris Westwood and Martin Riley left in the summer and have not been replaced yet. The midfield remains as strong as any in the league with Jay Harris and Dean Keates still around and Andy Bishop is a good addition up front. However, the lack of depth necessary to last the distance in a race for the top places mean that Wrexham might well have to miss out on one of the play-off spots this season. Yet, they have been underestimated before and proved people wrong and in Morell now have a fine developing manager who knows inside out both the league and his team and is capable of getting the best out of the group at his disposal. This is a mix that should not be discounted quickly and the Dragons might just stand above the rest of the contenders if they are not as good as they look at the moment.