Wrexham v Sheff Utd

[ancientpie]

It's the 1st time I have bothered to watch Wrexham this season & a few things spring to mind. They are a polar opposite to us as a club & a team both in the way they play & the behaviour of the team, staff & fans, very much a gerrit up, no messing about, long throw set up, Mullins is obviously their main threat & I can see why, but I'm sure he would be a much better player if he tried to stay on his feet, especially in the 1st half the game plan seemed to be, get into the area & fall over, a tactic that the fans backed in a big way. The result suits us fine & at the end of the day, apart from the diving they didn't let non league down, so let's hope for a bruising replay.

[Mark_Ross]

It's the 1st time I have bothered to watch Wrexham this season & a few things spring to mind. They are a polar opposite to us as a club & a team both in the way they play & the behaviour of the team, staff & fans, very much a gerrit up, no messing about, long throw set up, Mullins is obviously their main threat & I can see why, but I'm sure he would be a much better player if he tried to stay on his feet, especially in the 1st half the game plan seemed to be, get into the area & fall over, a tactic that the fans backed in a big way. The result suits us fine & at the end of the day, apart from the diving they didn't let non league down, so let's hope for a bruising replay.

First time I've had chance to study Wrexham. As I saw it:

1. The are much more direct than Notts.

2. The relentless long throw tactic is tedious in the extreme but probably effective in wearing teams down.

3. They are skilled in the "dark arts" of football. (Profitable combination of multiple appeals and gullible NL refs.)

4. Mullin was excellent. (Keep him quiet & you're half way there?)

[TSANHO]

I thought Wrexham played really well actually. Yes they’re direct, but they also mixed it up and played some good stuff when they needed to. Mullins is a quality player, could easily play league one and maybe above. Perhaps he will look back on his career and have a few regrets about playing in this league at the height of his career. The pitch scared me, I can’t see how we could go there and play our passing game without the ball flying off everywhere.

That we’ve kept up with Wrexham when they are performing like that illustrates just how well LW and everyone at the club has done this season….but I can’t help but see us in the playoffs, Wrexham seem to be riding a wave at the minute.

They did concede from two corners today though, shame our corners are woeful!

[Mark_Ross]

"TSANHO: They did concede from two corners today though, shame our corners are woeful!"

For all their obvious attacking threat, are they a bit vulnerable at the back? Trouble is, so are we!

[Old_pie]

First time I've had chance to study Wrexham. As I saw it:

1. The are much more direct than Notts.

2. The relentless long throw tactic is tedious in the extreme but probably effective in wearing teams down.

3. They are skilled in the "dark arts" of football. (Profitable combination of multiple appeals and gullible NL refs.)

4. Mullin was excellent. (Keep him quiet & you're half way there?)

We've just watched a team that's trying to get into the EFL v a team trying to get out of the EFL. Wrexham look tough and put lots of pressure on defences. It's alright keeping possession but we are playing NL teams and at home teams that pack the box. Look for deflections, blocked shots that rebound to one of our players, goalies who drop or mis-punch. We have poachers, we have players who can shoot from a distance, we have players who can draw a foul in the penalty box.

Can't help feel we are too pretty to beat Wrexham out of this league. Maybe we can wear them out with keeping the ball away from them but they look as though they are always going to create an ugly chance.

Good result for us though. They're up for the fight but do they have the stamina for the extra games?

[Elite_Pie]

2. The relentless long throw tactic is tedious in the extreme but probably effective in wearing teams down.

Can't agree that it's tedious in the extreme. It might be for the purist, but when you get a throw in three quarters of the way down the pitch, as a partisan fan what would you rather see? A throw in that usually goes to the opposition or backwards, or a throw in that leads to activity in the opposition penalty area? I know it doesn't fit in with the supposed "attractive football" thing, but I like the ball in the opposition box more than in our half.

For clarity, I'm not saying it's a tactic we should adopt because we don't have anyone with a long throw and we don't have the physical presence Wrexham have. If we did though, I would find it more entertaining than what we do at the moment.

[uysapie]

Can't agree that it's tedious in the extreme. It might be for the purist, but when you get a throw in three quarters of the way down the pitch, as a partisan fan what would you rather see? A throw in that usually goes to the opposition or backwards, or a throw in that leads to activity in the opposition penalty area? I know it doesn't fit in with the supposed "attractive football" thing, but I like the ball in the opposition box more than in our half.

For clarity, I'm not saying it's a tactic we should adopt because we don't have anyone with a long throw and we don't have the physical presence Wrexham have. If we did though, I would find it more entertaining than what we do at the moment.

Andy Legg springs to mind.

[slack_pie]

Can't agree that it's tedious in the extreme. It might be for the purist, but when you get a throw in three quarters of the way down the pitch, as a partisan fan what would you rather see? A throw in that usually goes to the opposition or backwards, or a throw in that leads to activity in the opposition penalty area? I know it doesn't fit in with the supposed "attractive football" thing, but I like the ball in the opposition box more than in our half.

For clarity, I'm not saying it's a tactic we should adopt because we don't have anyone with a long throw and we don't have the physical presence Wrexham have. If we did though, I would find it more entertaining than what we do at the moment.

I totally agree. I'd love to see us putting the opposition under relentless pressure by launching the ball into dangerous areas. It's horrible to defend against and a real psychological weapon. Pretty much any throw within a third of the pitch is as dangerous as a corner.

As others have said, we're clearly polar opposites when it comes to style of play. But for all our lovely passing and technical prowess, I think Wrexham's approach is more likely to be effective over the course of a season, especially considering that most of their players would be playing two divisions higher if it weren't for the Hollywood money and fame.

I hate to be 'negative' but I just don't see us or anyone catching them this season. They're on a different level. We've done amazingly well to keep up with them by signing players from the division below, but there has never been - and will probably never be - a more talented or capable squad at this level than Wrexham's.

Of course, I'd love to be proven wrong!

[Kyle95]

It will be interesting to see who they bring in. Tunniclife has damaged his ankle ligaments, having suffered that myself i'll say i'd be shocked if he plays again this season. Hayden has a calf injury, which i would say will mean he's out for 3 weeks minimum. Both massive losses, especially Hayden who's goals have been crucial in some games this season. As for their pitch i said it last week, it's better suited for pigs rather than footballers.