(ALL SMILES: Wrexham have rediscovered their scoring touch under new manager Sam Ricketts. PICTURE: Alun Roberts)
By David Richardson
Sam Ricketts has won promotion to the Premier League with Hull City and the Football League Trophy – but a midweek win at Maidenhead is right up there with them.
The rookie Wrexham boss saw his side win for a third time this season at York Road, to move top of the National League without conceding a goal in 360 minutes of action.
In his first management role, Ricketts will aim to lead the longest serving club in Non-League‘s top tier back to the Football League where they haven’t been since 2008.
The former Welsh international has had a near ideal start to their 11th season in the division, but it’s only a start.
“I’ve said after every game we’ve got plenty to improve on and I really want to improve on certain aspects of the game,” Ricketts told The NLP on Tuesday night after their 2-0 win over Maidenhead. “What I can’t fault is the players’ commitment and will to win, it’s second to none.”
The Red Dragons haven’t taken ten points from the first 12 since the 2011-12 season when they finished second with 98 points behind Fleetwood Town.
Attitude
For much of their last campaign, Wrexham looked nailed on for a play-off spot until manager Dean Keates left for his dream job at Walsall and the goals well and truly dried up.
Ricketts has inherited the best defence in the division with Shaun Pearson and Manny Smith a partnership unrivalled.
As a former defender for Swansea, Hull, Bolton and Wolves, Ricketts appreciates them more than most.
“Our centre-halves win every header; they’re colossal in the heart of the team for us,” he says.
But Ricketts deserves credit for strengthening his back line with goalkeeper Rob Lainton on loan from Port Vale, who caught everything in his box under the barrage of Maidenhead crosses.
The Finnish accent of former Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, one of Ricketts’ ex-teammates, booming out from the inside the visitors’ dugout on Tuesday was noticeable. His Premier League experience will be vital as goalkeeping coach.
“An awful lot of work goes into every game, not just the players but myself and all the backroom staff put hours and hours into watching footage, getting reports, putting stuff together,” adds Ricketts. “There is so much detail that goes into the performance which you probably don’t see. We know what goes on behind the scenes so the players and staff deserve huge credit.
“We’ve got to keep the momentum, keep that attitude, the work rate and commitment that we’ve shown. We have to bring that to every game; it has to be a given and on top of that we try and get our quality in.”
Ricketts has certainly added quality in the forward areas, addressing the paltry 49 goals they scored last season – only relegated Torquay, Chester and Guiseley and bottom half Halifax scored less.
Powerful striker Mike Fondop-Talom has been a revelation while winger Jordan Maguire-Drew, who shone at this level two seasons ago for Dagenham, is already impressing on loan from Brighton.
Both scored in the first-half at Maidenhead, Fondop tapping in an awkward volley into an unguarded net before Maguire-Drew sent a superb bending effort into the top corner from 25 yards.
Quality
“Any manager is only as good as your players, that’s why I am so delighted with the ones already here and the ones we had been able to add,” says Ricketts. “That is down to myself and the staff watching hours and hours of footage of players and trying to pick the right ones, it’s a minefield.
“The amount of players that get thrown at you in the summer will be hundreds. I’ve been saving five, ten agents’ numbers a day for a month. To try and sift through that and get the quality that we have got is hard, but I’m really pleased the players are settling in as a group and performing on the pitch.
“The whole team have been gaining confidence from the results and knowing the work rate is the basis of the team.
“I had Freddy Hines and Leo Smith who unfortunately couldn’t make the bench tonight but are still really, really good players. They’re disappointed but their chance will come. We are a squad of players and everyone is going to be needed if we are going to be successful this year.”
Ricketts is no stranger to Non-League having played for Nuneaton Borough and Telford United in the early stages of his career, and even several appearances for England C.
A trip to Maidenhead brought back those memories and sent the 375 Wrexham fans home happy.
Influence
“I really liked it,” he says. “I was chatting to Jussi Jaaskelainen before the game, saying what a nice place it was to come and play. I had a year and a bit in the Conference, I’ve been to many places.
“[Maidenhead is] really nice, friendly people, nice pitch, nice part of the world, this is what football is in England. We all want to be at the top level but it’s also very nice to come to places like this.”
An added bonus for Rickett’s was his grandad Norman Francome was brought to the game by uncle and former jockey John Francome.
“I went to see my Grandad [at full-time], he lives in Swindon so this is the closest game. It was the first time he’d seen me manage or coach a team.
“He’s been a massive influence on my career, he’s the reason I played at the top level. It was great he was able to come and see us win the game.
“He was impressed, he was talking about me shouting at the team quite a lot but that was what I was like as a player.”
And Ricketts won’t be changing that if Wrexham keep winning.
*This article originally featured in The @NonLeaguePaper which is available every Sunday and Monday
