It’s sink or swim time for Robbo’s rookies
THERE were probably more than a few eyebrows raised when Ollie Palmer left AFC Wimbledon for Wrexham last Monday. It wasn’t necessarily that the striker was making a twostep drop from League One to the National League that stood out. It was the size of the fee - £300,000.
It’s a huge amount for a 30-year-old lower league forward, and that is with no disrespect intended to Palmer at all. At 6ft 5ins, he is a powerful target man, can hold the ball up to bring others into play and score goals.
With their Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, Wrexham can afford to shell out that kind of money – they could be classed as the Newcastle United of Non-League. While the Toon try to stay in the Premier League, Wrexham are desperate to get out of the National League.
With just the one automatic promotion place and another via the play-offs, it is one of the toughest divisions in football to escape from.
Palmer paid off a slice of his fee by netting the winner on his debut against Grimsby on Tuesday night and the Welsh club will no doubt think that it has been money well spent if it helps end their 14-year exile from the Football League.
But where does it leave AFC Wimbledon? Losing your eight-goal top scorer at this stage of the season is not ideal, especially when you are just above the League One drop zone.
In an ideal world, the Dons would have kept hold of their man. They said they ‘reluctantly’ accepted the offer and that Palmer had received an ‘irresistible personal offer’.
“The last thing we wanted to do was force him to stay against his will,” said chief executive Joe Palmer.
And, let’s be honest, £300,000 is a considerable sum of money to a League One club, particularly one that is trying to pay off the costs of their plush new Plough Lane home.
No blame should be attached to the Dons for losing Palmer right now. But what it does mean is that manager Mark Robinson’s young side need to throw off their L-plates now.
With experienced skipper Alex Woodyard out with a hamstring injury and Palmer gone, the Dons have a side barely out of nappies in football terms. They are one of the youngest teams in the EFL.
Philosophy
There has been a change of philosophy under Robinson, who worked his way through the club’s coaching ranks before taking the top job a year ago. Impressive youngsters already at the club like Jack Rudoni, Ayoub Assal and Paul Osew have been blended with some talented loan signings from Premier Division sides.
In the early stages of the season, Robinson’s kids looked the part as they played their bright, attacking, easy-onthe-eye football. But we all know that the EFL season is a marathon, not a sprint.
In the cold winter months when pitches churn up and teams with old pros flex their muscles, it isn’t easy for young lads to keep that level of consistency needed to regularly pick up points.
The Dons have slithered down the league table and look as though they will face a fight to keep their status, though boss Robinson is confident they have the quality to pull away from danger.
But it won’t just be their footballing ability or skill that will make the threat of relegation go away. The Dons are going to have to show grit and determination to grind out results when they’re not at their best.
Robinson believes his side will be better for all their experiences this season when next term comes around. But going down to League Two isn’t in the plans and could make it difficult to keep hold of some of his starlets.
From a financial perspective, being in League One with a bunch of big-hitters is also better, too.
It’s sink-or-swim time for Robbo’s rookies.