08-10-2025, 08:12 AM
Having reflected on the game, woken up this morning still pleased about yesterday. Overall, it was very much a ‘job done’ game. My thoughts are as follows.
The positives - Phillips looks great. Although Barts received a well deserved and heart-warming acknowledgment from the fans at one point, and despite that it’s no change at full back, having a new commandant at the heart of the defence is a big challenge as much as it is a change of guard, and I think he rose to that challenge brilliantly. The midfield pairing tasked with shielding him is not currently the strongest, and (even though I thought he put himself about and played well yesterday) in an ideal world we’d have a better player than Molumby in front of the back two. Phillips was bloody excellent.
The other standout performer was of course Price. And not just because of the goal; for the first 45 he was head and shoulders the best player on the park - he was everywhere. Even the goal itself was right-place right-time, but quality players make that kind of luck for themselves. His turnover in possession was sublime and he was always looking forwards. I think with a Maja or a Dike ahead of him, rather than Heggebo (who worked very hard indeed, but struggled really to make too much impact) I really think we could be a force to be reckoned with. We have a real player on our hands here, and it’s going to be great to watch him this year.
So much so was his impact that I noticed that the usual ‘get it to Fellows’ resort was one seldom used. It could be argued Tom had a quieter game than usual, but I think it was very much a case of him being doubled-up upon to allow that space in which Price could thrive. If you imagine Diangana in the Price role, would he have been quite as effective? I strongly doubt it. So although it was one of Fellows’ less impactful games, the very fact he was there and doing what he does allows for other decent players to have the rein to dictate the play. We could and should have gone in two-up, and it is noticeable how the balance of the game swung backwards a little towards Blackburn when he was replaced by Wallace.
Sticking with the first half, I was delighted with the positivity and belief. We were looking forwards and upwards whenever we broke, and looked an entirely different side to the Mowbray version, despite only one or two tweaks, and a new boy cutting his teeth up top. Aside from a ball across the centre they didn’t lay a glove, and it was us asking all of the questions. It was almost as good a first 45 minutes of tenure Mason could have hoped for, with ALL players giving everything and familiar with what their role was, and I was very pleasantly surprised at half time.
Then came the second. It was always going to be tougher given that Val probably gave his lads a roasting. But what was interesting was that - rather than trying to put the game out of reach - was Mason’s belief that we could shore it up. Diatike coming on and later Campbell were signs that he knew we could cope with them, and stick rather than twist. In spite of a late aerial onslaught and an unfortunate sending off (both cards were a bit harsh given what he’d let slide for the others), we coped, ground it out, and got the result we deserved.
As my lad said to me on the limp back to the car (my Achilles is still fucked and I’m really feeling that today), it was great to see a side that knew its roles, believed in itself, and is potentially only two/three signings away from being a great side. I completely agree with him.
All in all, an encouraging performance. I expect a much sterner test next week when we don’t have what was a great first-day atmosphere behind us and the weight of the media-Wrexham love-in working against us, but you never know. Like many posters and as summed up on the recent poll, I really couldn’t predict what it might look like this term. But pick up three points at the TikTok A-list Airlines Sellout Arena next Saturday and I really will start to get excited about the season ahead.
The positives - Phillips looks great. Although Barts received a well deserved and heart-warming acknowledgment from the fans at one point, and despite that it’s no change at full back, having a new commandant at the heart of the defence is a big challenge as much as it is a change of guard, and I think he rose to that challenge brilliantly. The midfield pairing tasked with shielding him is not currently the strongest, and (even though I thought he put himself about and played well yesterday) in an ideal world we’d have a better player than Molumby in front of the back two. Phillips was bloody excellent.
The other standout performer was of course Price. And not just because of the goal; for the first 45 he was head and shoulders the best player on the park - he was everywhere. Even the goal itself was right-place right-time, but quality players make that kind of luck for themselves. His turnover in possession was sublime and he was always looking forwards. I think with a Maja or a Dike ahead of him, rather than Heggebo (who worked very hard indeed, but struggled really to make too much impact) I really think we could be a force to be reckoned with. We have a real player on our hands here, and it’s going to be great to watch him this year.
So much so was his impact that I noticed that the usual ‘get it to Fellows’ resort was one seldom used. It could be argued Tom had a quieter game than usual, but I think it was very much a case of him being doubled-up upon to allow that space in which Price could thrive. If you imagine Diangana in the Price role, would he have been quite as effective? I strongly doubt it. So although it was one of Fellows’ less impactful games, the very fact he was there and doing what he does allows for other decent players to have the rein to dictate the play. We could and should have gone in two-up, and it is noticeable how the balance of the game swung backwards a little towards Blackburn when he was replaced by Wallace.
Sticking with the first half, I was delighted with the positivity and belief. We were looking forwards and upwards whenever we broke, and looked an entirely different side to the Mowbray version, despite only one or two tweaks, and a new boy cutting his teeth up top. Aside from a ball across the centre they didn’t lay a glove, and it was us asking all of the questions. It was almost as good a first 45 minutes of tenure Mason could have hoped for, with ALL players giving everything and familiar with what their role was, and I was very pleasantly surprised at half time.
Then came the second. It was always going to be tougher given that Val probably gave his lads a roasting. But what was interesting was that - rather than trying to put the game out of reach - was Mason’s belief that we could shore it up. Diatike coming on and later Campbell were signs that he knew we could cope with them, and stick rather than twist. In spite of a late aerial onslaught and an unfortunate sending off (both cards were a bit harsh given what he’d let slide for the others), we coped, ground it out, and got the result we deserved.
As my lad said to me on the limp back to the car (my Achilles is still fucked and I’m really feeling that today), it was great to see a side that knew its roles, believed in itself, and is potentially only two/three signings away from being a great side. I completely agree with him.
All in all, an encouraging performance. I expect a much sterner test next week when we don’t have what was a great first-day atmosphere behind us and the weight of the media-Wrexham love-in working against us, but you never know. Like many posters and as summed up on the recent poll, I really couldn’t predict what it might look like this term. But pick up three points at the TikTok A-list Airlines Sellout Arena next Saturday and I really will start to get excited about the season ahead.
