If Wrexham's approach to the 2021-22 National League campaign can be described as box office then Torquay United's methods under Gary Johnson are surely arthouse.
The Red Dragons have made plenty of headlines since Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElenney took over the club. As well as appointing Phil Parkinson, a former EFL Cup finalist with Bradford City in 2013, as manager, the duo have also splashed out big fees and wages on the likes of Paul Mullin, League Two Player of the Year for 2020-21 with Cambridge United, and Ben Tozer, who reportedly arrived from Cheltenham Town - who won the League Two title in 2020-21 - for £200,000.
Meanwhile Johnson - whose previous body of work includes promotions with Yeovil Town, Bristol City and Cheltenham Town, not to mention his National League South triumph with the Gulls in the 2018-19 season - has been looking to create a sequel to a story that ended in penalty shoot-out heartache at Ashton Gate.
The Gulls kicked off their current campaign against Altrincham only 62 days had passed since they were beaten on penalties by Hartlepool United in the 2020-21 National League Play-off final. During that time Johnson has looked to rebuild his squad after Lucas Covolan (Port Vale), Kyle Cameron and Aaron Nemane (Notts County) and Ben Whitfield (Stockport County) headed for pastures new.
However, despite their departures, Johnson, who has a knack of unearthing unpolished diamonds, currently has a potential A-lister on his hands in the form of Sinclair Armstrong. A Republic of Ireland youth international, who arrived at Plainmoor on loan from Queens Park Rangers, rumoured to be on the radars of the likes of Manchester City, Celtic and Hoffenheim, Armstrong marked his debut with a goal against King's Lynn and is definitely a player to watch for United.
