Story by Kevin Luff - 7th May 2006
Hodgson targets summer changes
Darlington's unlikely bid to make the play-offs on the final day of the season faltered thanks to a lacklustre performance against Wrexham at the TFM Darlington Arena. Wrexham scored first through Williams after half an hour making Quakers' task as impossible as it was improbable. Speaking after the game Darlington boss David Hodgson conceded it was never likely to happen.
"We talked it up during the week," said Hodgson. "But away from the microphone we had a bit of a wry smile on our faces. We were never going to get five or six goals. That is not to say we didn't tell the players to believe but we weren't going to get the five or six goals and you can see why. There is no real cutting edge on the front line to score the goals."
Darlington haven't had much luck in the goal scoring department this season. Hodgson feels that had the likes of Clyde Wijnhard, Tresor Kandol and Guylain Ndumbu-Nsungu all stayed at the club then Quakers would have been ten goals better off and as a result three or four points better off. Hodgson has had to draft in loan players to fill the gaps up front and unfortunately they need to provide instant success which is not always possible.
"I have to go and find three strikers. We also have to find strong, combative midfield players"
Dave Hodgson on Quakers World
"People say I make excuses but I don't think I do. I normally talk fact and I never use excuses but now the season has gone I have to look back at what we had and what we lost in terms of potentially Clyde (Wijnhard) whose contract I had to terminate for reasons away from the stadium, Tresor Kandol and Guy," said Hodgson. "I know had those three players remained at the club then we would have scored another ten goals. Another ten goals would have meant three or four more points. I know that for a fact."
Over the summer Quakers will reshape their squad for the next campaign. Very few players have a deal which runs into the next season giving Hodgson some flexibility as to how he goes about his task. There will be some difficult decisions to make but the ones regarding the front line will not be so hard. As well as new forwards Hodgson is targeting improvements in the midfield.
"The decisions on the front line are not difficult to make because technically we don't have one. That is easy, I have to go and find three strikers. We also have to find strong, combative midfield players," said Hodgson. "We have to find four or five stronger, physical, technical, pacer people. On a whole what we have out there is a group of players who are working to a salary that is far less than what Wrexham players are for example. We have one of the worst budgets in the league but our kids are just on the verge of the play-offs."
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