CAREY PUTS FAITH IN BRAINS TRUST
Peter Shuttleworth - Wales On Sunday

BRIAN CAREY believes it's brains Wrexham want if they're to succeed in League Two.

The Racecourse boss has assembled a team of old heads brimming with Football League experience and knowledge so Wrexham don't suffer another season battling for sheer survival.

Wrexham are renowned for their youth assembly line but it's the priceless nous that Carey has been actively seeking this summer as he signed seasoned pros Eifion Williams and Richard Hope.

The Dragons' brains trust begin their pre-season schedule with a tough pre-season examination with Champions League finalists Liverpool visiting The Racecourse on Saturday and Premiership high-fliers Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday week.

"Wrexham have lost some experienced players in the last few years like myself, Darren Ferguson and Dennis Lawrence," said Carey. "And we haven't replaced them until now.

"Our naivety let us down a lot last season, but the experience of Michael Proctor and Anthony Williams, who we brought in on loan, was priceless in our fight for relegation last season.

"They came in and settled everyone down by keeping their heads when it got tough. Youthful exuberance is one quality that is needed for success, but proven experience and quality is absolutely crucial.

"It is amazing what a resilient and focused team can achieve and experienced players are vital to a good team-ethic. It saved us from the dead last year."

Carey's flirtation with possible relegation into non-league oblivion in the first months of his managerial career was, as he describes, a "fantastic experience".

Wrexham's astute summer addition of firepower and defensive protection has sparked optimism around The Racecourse that this season won't be about staying in League Two but promotion to League One.

"I wish people would calm down," said Carey. "What I learned from our unfortunate relegation battle is the need to stay calm and focused when everyone around you is losing their head.

"So anyone thinking a side can go for promotion the season after surviving on the final day, must get real and retain some perspective.

"That's not being defeatist but optimistic. We must build slowly.

"The relegation battle was a great learning curve for me. It was not particularly enjoyable at the time but, in hindsight, it was a fantastic experience to operate under that pressure. It taught me a lot and will stand me in good stead."

Carey is confident his beefed-up strikeforce - that suffered an injury crisis last term - can score the goals for Wrexham success.

Strikers Williams, Neil Roberts, Lee McEvilly, Juan Ugarte, Michael Proctor and Chris Llewellyn were given a nudge as Carey said: "The only thing we lacked from everyone last season was goals."

CAREY: WE WON'T GET NIGGLES IN PRE-SEASON
Andrew Gilpin - Daily Post

WREXHAM boss Brian Carey believes the club's new artificial training pitch at Colliers Park will lessen the risk of players picking up injuries during pre-season training.

Training for the new season begins in earnest on Monday, although the majority of the Racecourse squad have been involved in three training sessions since the beginning of this week.

But with virtually a full complement of players back in after the weekend, twice-daily sessions will be the order of the day.

Spanish striker Juan Ugarte is expected to be the only absentee on Monday, but the Dragons manager said he would be reporting back later in the week.

"I've spoken to Juan in the last couple of days and he has been doing rehabilitation work with the medical staff who carried out his operation last season," said Carey.

"They want him to stay on for a couple of days but we expect to see him towards the end of the week."

Carey added: "Despite all the rain we have had, the training pitches can be a bit hard and that is generally a problem throughout July.

"But there is a lot of give in the artificial pitch and its rubber content provides more of a cushion, which makes it good for the joints."

He added: "We are hoping it will help to prevent a few of the injuries we seem to have picked up in previous seasons."

Club captain Neil Roberts, who missed a chunk of last season because of an on-going ankle problem, is hoping for better luck this time.

He said: "I don't really want to dwell on what happened last season, which was negative in a lot of ways.

"But it's a lesson learned and I'm determined that everything will be a lot more positive in the new season ahead."