Wrexham AFC: Former manager continues to divide opinion - View | OneFootball

When Dean Saunders left Wrexham in September 2011, his team was second in the Conference – as it was known then – and filled with plenty of talent.

In fact, the squad he assembled would go on to amass 98 points that season under his successor Andy Morrell, only to be pipped to the title by a Fleetwood Town side led by Jamie Vardy and lose to Luton in the semi-final of the play-offs.

You could therefore be forgiven for thinking that the former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker is held in high esteem by Wrexham fans.

The reality, however, is that Saunders' time in charge of the Red Dragons divides opinion. Some supporters feel he spent too much money and took too long to get results while others enjoyed his brand of football once things clicked into place and admired his larger-than-life character.

Dean Saunders arrived to much fanfare

When Saunders joined Wrexham in October 2008, the message from then-owner Geoff Moss was that the club was very lucky to have him.

In a statement when the appointment was announced, he said: "I'm delighted to have secured someone of Dean's standing.

"Initially, I only asked him to give me his advice on certain aspects of the club, but after long talks with him, I realised that this is something he wanted to get involved with."

As well as his glittering playing career, Saunders had experience of coaching at Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United, and was allowed to combine his role at Wrexham with coaching for Wales under John Toshack.

Hardly a shrinking violet, the former Premier League player brought with him no small amount of hubris and promised to turn around the sinking ship left behind by ex-Aston Villa boss Brian Little.

The early signs were positive as the Red Dragons enjoyed a five-game winning streak after he first took charge.

However, after mounting a charge for the play-offs at one stage, the 2008/09 season ended in disappointment with a run of nine defeats in their last 14 games seeing them finish in 10th.

The 2009/10 season is when unrest really began to set in among Wrexham fans as the goals began to dry up and the team was dull to watch.

One negative charge levelled at Saunders was his seemingly poor man-management skills.

Having played at the highest level, he often voiced his frustration in media interviews that his squad of non-leaguers could not follow his instructions.

The media themselves were also the subject of his ire as he held constant running battles with BBC reporters, in particular, as referenced by club media team member Mark Griffiths.

Then there was his revolving door approach to recruitment, which saw him use a total of 84 players in his time in charge at Wrexham.

Saunders was also criticised for bringing himself on during reserve team matches, claiming to the Daily Post that it would help teach fringe team players a few footballing lessons.

He was further lambasted for putting his Wales job ahead of Wrexham by missing some of the club's first team games.

It's perhaps no surprise then that some supporters called for his head after they finished in 11th in the 2009/10 season.

The turning point during Saunders' tenure at Wrexham came in the summer of 2010 with a series of astute signings.

The arrival of the likes of Dean Keates, Jay Harris, and Andy Morrell, who joined the club for a second spell, indicated that he finally understood the type of player needed to realise success in the Conference.

The manager settled on a 4-3-3 formation which delivered a more enjoyable and attacking style of play, with Andy Mangan scoring goals aplenty up front.

The mid-season additions of Mark Creighton in defence and Lee Fowler in midfield were also smart moves.

The result was a much-improved run of form during the 2010/11 season as Wrexham reached the play-offs for the first time since dropping into non-league with a fourth-place finish.

Saunders' bond with the fans also grew and in February 2011, he exchanged high-fives with supporters in the away end at AFC Wimbledon after a second-half strike from Mathias Pogba handed his side an important 1-0 win.

While the Red Dragons would go on to lose to Luton Town in the play-offs, things were looking positive.

Undeterred by the play-off defeat, Saunders strengthened his side further in the summer of 2011 by adding extra firepower.

The arrival of Jake Speight and Danny Wright during the close season was highly encouraging for their promotion hopes.

However, the club was in turmoil off the pitch after a cash-flow crisis which saw players go unpaid during July.

It resulted in players going on strike and some pre-season friendlies being cancelled.

In August, Wrexham were issued with a series of ultimatums by the Conference board, including one which saw them required to pay a bond of £250,000 before being allowed to start the season.

Fans rallied to raise more than £100,000 of that amount in a single day and when the 2011/12 season finally got underway, Saunders' side ultimately picked up where they left off the previous term.

But there were further changes off-field as the Wrexham Supporters Trust (WST) completed its takeover of the club from Geoff Moss in September.

The trust board made it clear that Saunders was the man for them to continue fighting for promotion, with Wrexham then in 2nd place.

He had other ideas and leaped at the chance when Doncaster Rovers, then in the Championship, came calling soon after.

On September 23rd, it was announced that Saunders had departed with Morrell initially put in temporary charge as player-manager.

Dean Saunders leaves fans conflicted to the current day

Overall, his time at Wrexham is one which still leaves fans with conflicting views.

Saunders left before achieving his goal of promotion but gave his successor a decent shot at taking the club up.

It took him a good two years to learn his trade in North Wales despite his cocksure arrival and he spent plenty of money along the way.

Supporters did warm to the South Walian over time as he gradually let his guard down and his spell at Wrexham should be considered at least a partial success.

However, he muddied the waters further after leaving as he often fired shots at the WST during appearances as a pundit and appeared to take credit for anything good that happened to the club.

In summary, Saunders is unlikely to be kicked out if he turns up at the Racecourse these days, but not everyone will welcome him with open arms.