WREXHAM manager Dean Saunders is optimistic that brothers Marc and Mike Williams will follow Andy Fleming’s example and agree new contracts with the Blue Square Premier club.

Midfielder Fleming, 20, has just signed an 18-month deal and the Dragons boss met the agent who represents both Williams brothers on Thursday.

“Hopefully Marc will sign something in the next few days and we’re looking to do the same with Mike,” said Saunders of his two Wales under-21 internationals.

“The two lads, as is the case with Andy, represent the future of the club, although a new contract does not mean they are the finished article just yet.

“They need to keep working hard in order to continue making progress, but they have all done well for me so, in turn, it’s right that I look after them.

“There is room for improvement in all three lads, but they are keen to learn and hopefully we’ll see that they are all even better players by the start of next season.”

The deliberately upbeat message from Saunders yesterday was clearly designed to draw a line under the negative publicity caused earlier in the week by a shock transfer request from promising young defender Wes Baynes.

That was followed by the circulation of comments made on an internet networking forum by Racecourse duo Simon Brown and Christian Smith.

Smith, who was due to be offered terms until the end of the season, has now left the club and is training with Macclesfield Town, while Brown, who recently returned from a loan spell at Rushden & Diamonds, has apologised and Saunders regards the matter as closed.

The Dragons boss insisted he was more concerned that Wrexham’s FA Trophy second round match at Basingstoke Town goes ahead tomorrow – the match having been put back 24 hours in a bid to beat the recent freeze.

The cold snap caused the postponement of last week’s league fixture at Ebbsfleet United and Saunders said: “We need to stay focused on the job in hand and we need a game if we are to maintain the momentum of recent weeks.

“We have been training on an artificial surface for nine days, which is not ideal, but at least we have been able to put the work in, which may not be the case for other clubs.

“And we have had to re-jig the schedule after the game was put back to Sunday, but everyone is itching to play again.

“As has always been the case since I came in, the main priority is to get back into the Football League.

“But the FA Trophy is an important competition for the club because of the financial implications and the honour involved for the teams that contest the final at Wembley.”

Having been linked with the managerial vacancy at Derby County, Saunders also has a vested interest in the possible effect on Burton Albion, who saw long-serving boss Nigel Clough take up the Pride Park job this week.

Runaway league leaders Albion have a 20-point advantage on the Dragons at present and new Pirelli Stadium boss Roy McFarland is an experienced pair of hands.

But the Racecourse boss said: “The obvious view to take is if something is not broken don’t fix it, but Burton have had to.

“At this stage the title is theirs to lose, but hopefully the change will rattle their cage a bit and could be the catalyst for a change in fortunes.

“We have four games in hand and we have to play them so if we win all five, the gap is down to a more realistic five points, which is neither here nor there.

“But while it looks great on paper, we actually have to go out and win those games in hand.”