Have I really dropped a level? Please help me decide.

So, a bit of background? I just took over at Wrexham after resigning (prompted to) after two seasons at Valur Reykjavik and the media tell me I'm taking a nosedive. If they'd been at Valur and known the constraints on that job then they wouldn't judge. I had a mediocre budget with transfer fees that I turned into wages so I could afford to build a squad. I was struggling to get in anyone decent with the transfer kitty I had anyway.

The board wanted me to take Valur forward and back to their glory days, but that wasn't going to happen without some help. So I declared interest in a couple of jobs that had just come about in the English leagues; Luton in League 2 and Wrexham in the Conference. My Icelandic chairman didn't like that and gave me the chance to resign before I was pushed. I did.

I got an offer from Wrexham a few days later but held off while I enquired as to my chances at a couple of higher level jobs. Sheffield Wednesday or VVV Venlo didn't want me so I decided to give Wrexham a go. Then I get the message that I've lowered myself, but are Wrexham really that much lower a standard than Valur?

Yes Valur are in the top flight of a country, but they are part time and their highest earner is on something like £250 a week. Wrexham are paying up to £1000 a week but are in the 5th tier in their country. Valur can make European competition and Wrexham can't (unless they still play in the Welsh Cup - which I don't think they do). Is the ability to play in a continental competition a measure of standard? Santa Coloma of Andorra play in the Champions League many years but the Shetland Isles Second XI could tan their hides.

Anyway I told the pesky news reporter that both myself and Wrexham shared the same goal. To rise up the leagues and be a success. That told him and he stopped asking questions suggesting I wasn't much kop. I've since found that it is certainly easier with Wrexham. I ground out a good away draw in my first game at Grimsby and then hammered Mansfield away in the FA Cup. Well we only won 2-0 but we were all over them. Very little I tried at Valur got me results and the players seemed to have little interest in playing well for me...or consistently anyway.

So anyone have an opinion as to whether I've taken a job below my station or whether the mighty Wrexham are set to conquer Europe and wipe the smile off of that reporter's face. Is there any surefire method that says how comparable the two teams really are, other than third party programs?

Share your stories of times when you feel you may have taken a step down only to come back strongly and believe you did the right thing. I believe I did. I was stagnating at Valur. I plan to be back in League 2 within two seasons. I might even do it this year if my first two results are any indication.

I'd say that dropping from a team that can compete in Europe (albeit poorly) to a team outside the professional league structure is a huge drop.

Should have chosen Luton though. They are awesome! Premier League runners up, Domestic cup double and UEFA Cup winners 2016-2017!

The good thing with moving over to England, even with that drop, is that if you improve every year you will eventually end up in a situation where you can compete at the very top level.

Iceland has potential if you have South America loaded and started on 11.2

It's all about the club reputation. Valur probably have a higher rep than Wrexham.

I'd say that dropping from a team that can compete in Europe (albeit poorly) to a team outside the professional league structure is a huge drop.

Should have chosen Luton though. They are awesome! Premier League runners up, Domestic cup double and UEFA Cup winners 2016-2017!

The good thing with moving over to England, even with that drop, is that if you improve every year you will eventually end up in a situation where you can compete at the very top level.

Luton immediately gave a caretaker role to a coach; Gary Brabin. I declared interest but didn't hear anything within the two weeks I delayed the Wrexham offer, so I decided not to let an oppurtunity vanish. It was just as well because Luton gave the job to Brabin.

Iceland has potential if you have South America loaded and started on 11.2

Yeah I did notice a lot of players being offered to me from South America. I was struggling to offer them contracts they wanted to though. I also couldn't scout the South Americans either. I took one young Uruguayan on trial just before I lost the Valur job and tried to sign him up for Wrexham instead.

It's all about the club reputation. Valur probably have a higher rep than Wrexham.

That's what I thought, but you see that young Uruguayan I mentioned above? Well I offered him £950 a week to lead my strike force at Wrexham and he chose one of Valur's rivals. I forget which at the moment. That might seem to back up the suggestion that Valur have a better reputation, but if you also have to consider that I just signed a young Icelandic striker on loan from Liverpool. I tried to get him to go to Valur but he never wanted to. They seem to contrast each other.

I have a feeling my choice might pay off.

Glad someone replied, by the way. I like the story telling and reporting my career but I spend too long on it on the appropriate forums and never get anywhere in the game. Hence I thought maybe I'd make the odd post here. Thanks

The media will think you are because of the stature of Wrexham in England, compared to Valur. However really, its not true, part-timers in a really poor league that happen to have european tournement qualification are not as good.

The media will think you are because of the stature of Wrexham in England, compared to Valur. However really, its not true, part-timers in a really poor league that happen to have european tournement qualification are not as good.

I don't know. I think that i'd think higher of someone who had played for or managed the top team in Iceland than I would someone who played for or managed a non-league team in England.