Duo Cleared To Play

Duo Cleared To Play

Posted on: Fri 14 Nov 2008

ANOTHER day spent staring at a fax machine finally produced a result for both Nathan Woolfe and Nathan Fairhurst, as the BSP registrations and international clearances for the pair finally arrived in time for them to be included in the squad to face Weymouth.

Nathan Fairhurst

Nathan Woolfe

It was a fairly close run thing, as Nathan Fairhurst came through first at 3.30pm but Nathan Woolfe was nearly 5 o'clock before the fax machine confirmed his international clearance from England.

Unfortunately the same can't be said for Patrick Suffo, who travelled anyway with the squad for their overnight trip to the south coast.

His registration appears to be in Israel and was not helped by the fact that the Jewish working week lasts from Sunday to Thursday!

At present, requests from the FAW to their counterparts in the middle east have not revealed anything yet. Although the player says he had the same problem when he went on loan to a Spanish club last season and it was a protracted exercise before clearance was eventually forthcoming.

New England 'C' cap Carl Tremarco has returned safely from international duty in Italy and goes back into the squad after missing the last two weeks.

Wrexham: Gavin Ward, Anthony Williams, Carl Tremarco, Ritchie De Laet, Ashley Westwood, Steve Evans, Wes Baynes, Nathan Woolfe, Nathan Fairhurst, Angelos Tsiaklis, Levi Mackin, Neil Taylor, Mike Williams, Silvio Spann, Christian Smith, Shaun Whalley, Michael Proctor, Marc Williams, Jefferson Louis (19).

Patrick Suffo agrees Wrexham deal

Nov 11 2008

PATRICK SUFFO has agreed to join Wrexham on a pay-as-you-play deal.

The Evening Leader reports that the former Coventry City striker has put pen to paper this week after training with Dean Saunders' team this month.

He said: ""I've really enjoyed training at Wrexham.

"I have spoken to with the manager and I'm very happy to sign on in the short term, then see how things develop.

"There are times when it's more than just money and I hope I can establish myself with Wrexham.

"I feel this is a club which should be playing at a higher level and it would be tremendous to be a part of a team that could lift back up the divisions."

Wrexham eye loan deal for Nathaniel

Stoke youngster could be set for non-league switch

YOUTH-team ace Nathaniel Wedderburn could be about to join non-League Wrexham on loan after recently training with the Welshmen.

Stoke have already sent young Belgian defender Richie de Laet to the Racecourse Ground for an initial month on loan.

And now Wedderburn, a powerfully-built midfielder currently in his second and final year as a youth-teamer, could be making the short trip over the Anglo-Welsh border himself.

“He’s already trained with them because they wanted to get him involved and take a look at him,” said youth coach Adrian Pennock.

“We’d like to get him out on loan if we can because he’s now at that stage where he needs to be pushed to gain the right experience.

“I’m more than confident he will hold his own at that level – in fact I feel sure he could pull his weight at a higher level.

“We saw Ryan Shotton go out on loan to the same division with Altrincham and do well last season. And now he’s doing well two divisions higher with Tranmere.

“So the challenge is there for Nathaniel. He’s very much a boy in a man’s body in terms of his experience and his physical stature. But he’s learning all the time and will benefit from the experience of competitive football.”

Meanwhile, Pennock’s under-18s return to competitive action after a fortnight’s break with this Saturday’s visit of Crewe to the Michelin (11am).

But they will be without talented youngster Yusuf Yilmaz after he underwent surgery on a long-running ankle problem this week.

“He’s had problems striking a ball properly for a while now,” said Pennock, “but because he’s so honest he’s kept training and playing, which hasn’t done him any favours.

“He’s seen a specialist and then the physios decided the time had come for a minor op to clean out a bit of bone in the ankle.

“We are now hoping he will be out for eight weeks maximum.”

At least the talented teenager was able to parade his skills on national television before being sidelined with the surgery.

A fortnight ago Stoke were featured on a popular youth-team skills spot on Sky’s Soccer AM show on a Saturday mornning.

Yilmaz took on colleague Adam Vickers and, thanks to a routine that included removing a boot during some ball juggling, he was voted the winner by their team-mates.

Wrexham v Weymouth

Wes Baynes flexible for Wrexham FC

Nov 11 2008 by Mark Currie, Daily Post

WES BAYNES is hoping for an instant recall to Wrexham’s ranks for the weekend trip to Weymouth after missing last week’s Setanta Shield clash with Altrincham due to a one-match suspension.

The 20-year-old was banned because he collected a fifth caution of the season in the 2-1 win at Mansfield Town just before what he claimed was his best performance of the campaign to date against Lewes 10 days ago.

And Baynes, who was pushed into midfield for the Dragons’ fourth straight Blue Square Premier league victory following the recruitment on loan of Stoke City full-back Ritchie De Laet, reckons he is more suited to a forward role.

“Hopefully I’ll play at Weymouth because I want to carry on where I left off against Lewes,” he said yesterday.

“I felt it was my best game of the season because I was not restricted from pushing on as much as if I had been playing right back.

“There’s a lot more freedom in midfield and there’s the chance to see more of the ball.

“And with Ritchie doing so well behind me I didn’t have to worry too much about the defensive side of my duties.”

Baynes admitted he was hoping De Laet, who picked up a groin strain against Altrincham at Moss Lane last Tuesday evening in the Setanta Shield, would recover in time for the weekend, but added: “If the gaffer wants me to fill in at right back again, that’s not a problem.

“I’m happy to play in any position just as long as it means I get a game.”

The Altrincham game apart, Baynes has been an ever-present under Saunders, who took over from Brian Little, and the youngster is determined to establish himself as a first team regular.

“No-one was more disappointed than me when we were knocked out of the FA Cup,” he added.

“But we’ve had a great little run in the league since the gaffer took over.

“And the bottom line is that everyone here wants to win promotion back to the Football League this season, so these games are the priority.

“As a team we have played some good stuff at times and we know we have to maintain the same standard week in and week out.”

Saunders, who brought his players in for training on Saturday to compensate for the blank date, has organised a friendly with an Everton XI today as part of his build-up to the weekend.

“We have had three really good days of training and we are beginning to focus on the task in hand at Weymouth,” he said.

“I watched them at Rushden & Diamonds on Saturday and they look to be a decent team. But it’s all about what we do and as long as we don’t take our foot off the pedal I’ll be reasonably confident.”

The Racecourse boss, who will have newly-signed striker Patrick Suffo available for the weekend, is hoping to bring in yet more new faces before then, but is still waiting for contacts to come back to him.

In the Colliers Park treatment room, summer signing Kyle Critchell is at least a month away from a return to training following ankle surgery and fellow long-term casualties Andy Fleming (ankle) and Simon Spender (dislocated elbow) are looking at a further six weeks of rehabilitation.

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'Standards will not slip' says Wrexham FC boss

2008
DEAN SAUNDERS insists he will not let standards slip following Wrexham's excellent turnaround in fortunes in the Blue Square Premier since he took over as manager.
Wrexham have won all four league matches under Saunders and are now eighth in the table, just five points off leaders Kettering with a game in hand.Without a game this weekend because of their early exit in the FA Cup, the Reds players will continue preparing for next Saturday's trip to Weymouth with a series of gruelling work-outs on the Colliers Park training ground.And there will be no let-up at Wrexham said Saunders today: "It will be good week or so of intensive training now. I will get the players even more focussed. We have sent a message out to the league that we are coming like a steam train."The pressure is on and there is no slacking. The bar at this club has been too low – but I have set it really high."That is the only place I know where the bar is. That is the way I have lived my career and I will not lower it. The bar is high and they have to get up to it."Wrexham go into their break on the back of an extra-time win at Altrincham in the third round of the Setanta Shield on Tuesday.The reward for that 2-1 victory is a home tie against Conference North highfliers Southport in the last 16, with the tie likely to be played the first midweek in December.And Saunders was pleased Wrexham overcome Altrincham when they were below their best to seal a fourth round berth: "It is a home draw which is good,"he said. "But it is further in my mind because we have got a lot of other games before then."I was disappointed Tuesday but 99.9 per cent of them were having a go. They were trying to win the game, and I want to see us win when we are not playing well."Saunders, who announced his intention to trim the Reds' squad earlier in the week, has allowed two players to go out on loan.Not short of options in the centre-back department, Saunders has let Darran Kempson join Forest Green Rovers and Nat Brown go to Macclesfield.Both have joined on one-month loan deals and are eligible for their clubs' FA Cup games this weekend.Macc boss Keith Alexander was delighted to capture Brown after the pair worked together at Lincoln.Brown goes straight into the squad for The Silkmen's trip to Harlow Town with Alexander saying: "Nat's a confident lad with a lot of ability and presence. He's also versatile and can play in the centre of midfield as well, so he will certainly give us extra options."And the fact he knows some of the lads in the squad already is a big help and I know he'll fit in well at the Moss Rose."Neither Kempson or Brown have featured in recent weeks and Saunders has urged other players currently out of the reckoning to keep fighting for a place in the team."At the moment the reaction from all the players not playing has been top class," said Saunders. "They are all striving to get in the team and that's what I want. "I want them to get up to the bar and compete for their place."Saunders is eager to free up places in the squad so he can bring in more new fresh faces.But a number of players who have been on trial at Wrexham will not be coming in on-loan.Saunders has informed Senegalese striker Daniel Bocande – a free agent – and Manchester City full-back Sam Williamson that they will not be offered deals; while frontman Chad Bond has already returned to Swansea City after training with the Reds."There are only so many players I can bring in so I have to make sure they are the right ones," said Saunders who has not ruled out trying to bring in midfielder Joe Allen for another loan spell.The Welsh under 21 international's first loan stint from Swansea City was cut short after just two games when he picked up an ankle ligament injury in training."I would be interested but Joe is still injured and he might be out for a couple of weeks," added Saunders. "It was bad luck because Joe played very well in those two games, and we won them both. It was more disappointing because Andy Fleming got injured at the same time."